“I need your word that there are certain things that Cori Lamb will never know. If she knows, my wife will find out, and that will disrupt myveryhappy home.” His words come off clipped. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think they were a warning, and I don’t appreciate warnings from people I employ.
“Now, why would you say that?” He remains quiet, but his nostrils flare. “Our work is confidential, and if you’re talking about the fact that you blackmailed your wife’s father years before you met her, that’s moot. It’s in the past, and it will stay there.”
He does not seem appeased by my declaration.
“So, this won’t come up during pillow talk?” I wish there were pillow talk. I’ve been busy planning the wedding, and Cori said she wanted to wait and make the wedding night special. I don’t trust her word on that. She’s a devious little thing, and every word out of her mouth is a lie. She doesn’t know that I know how to read her duplicitous little ass.
“Why would you come up during pillow talk?” I ask with a laugh. “You’re not exactly what I think about at night when I’m alone with a beautiful woman."
“Because people in this town love to talk about me,” he snaps.
“You have my word.” All I get is a curt nod. “Your wife knows nothing about what we do?”
“I told her from the beginning that I don’t talk about my work, and she accepts that and never asks questions. Your girl is nosy as fuck and—”
“Hey, don’t talk about my wife that way,” I warn.
“She’s nosy, and I suspect that nosiness is why she’s married to you now.”
“And thank goodness for that.” He doesn’t return my smile.
“Why did you do this?” Ripley never asks questions about my personal life. The only times he has questions are when they pertain to work. “You never seemed the type to settle down.”
“Neither did you,” I counter. “But here you are, married to the daughter of the sheriff you blackmailed.”
“Let that die and do not speak of it again. Ever.”
“And here I thought I was running things.”
“This is my marriage, not a game. Not only that, I don’t want to upset or hurt my wife.” I raise both hands.
“I respect marriage. That’s the past, and as far as I’m concerned, it’s dead. Relax. Go dance with your wife. Take that stick out of your ass and have a drink.” I know he won’t drink. In all the years I’ve known him, he never has.
“Why did you do this?” he asks again.
“Why does anyone get married?”
Chapter 31
Cori
“Sweetheart.” He taps on my shoulder, but I don’t turn around. It takes all my willpower not to roll my eyes in front of his mother and sister. “You want to dance with your husband?”
I plaster a fake smile on my face before I turn to him. Once I’m sure his mother and sister can’t see, I stick out my tongue like I’m vomiting.
“I’m having a good time with your mother and Josie.” I quickly return to Haddie and wrap my arm around hers like a snake.
“It’s okay, honey. Josie and I will be here. Go dance with my son.” Haddie extricates my arm from hers. Dax takes me by the elbow and drags me to the middle of the dance floor. A romantic song starts to play, and he holds me against his body. I notice my father watching us, but I turn my face and refuse to look at him.
To anyone watching, we look like a happily married couple enjoying our wedding, but I’m seething inside.
“You look beautiful.”
“I know.”
“Will you look at me, please?”
After a dramatic eyeroll, I pull away and look at his face, but not into his eyes.
