24

maeve

“Sister,you’ve held out on me long enough. It’s time I formally introduce myself to my billionaire brother-in-law. Put him on the phone.”

I roll my eyes at Quinn’s terrifying request. “Sorry if this is the only reason you FaceTimed me. Logan’s on a business trip. Left for Los Angeles today.”

“Sounds fancy,” she says. “I still can’t get over the fact that you’re married. How in the ever-loving shit did that happen?”

Oh, what I wish I could tell her. “Things just happen.”

I know it sounds lame. And she knows it’s lame. But yet, we’re just going about our conversation like nothing is weirder than it needs to be.

“I can’t wait for the day you can actually tell me what’s going on,” she says. “The story is going to be epic. Maybe even worth a surprise trip home.”

I laugh at that. “So this is what would get you home when it isn’t a holiday? The story of how I got married?”

“Absolutely,” she says. “I would even pay for it and not use my frequent flyer miles.”

“I’m honored,” I say as I take a seat on the couch in what has become the TV living room. At least, that’s what Jayce has coined it.

“So you’re living with him?” she asks.

“Yes. We’re all moved in.”

“Are you two…sleeping together?”

I’m silent, because I never thought of how I should answer this. Obviously, we’re not. This isn’t a real marriage. But no one knows that. Well, except Quinn, who doesn’t know but also does know.

“I’ll take your silence as no, but you want to.”

I let out a sigh and make sure Jayce is still oblivious to our conversation. “It’s complicated.”

And it is. I’m married. I technically broke my holdout of men and sex with him long before we said “I do.” In theory, I should have no qualms about exploring a sexual relationship with Logan.

In reality I’m a stubborn woman who refuses to budge, because I dug in my heels and I don’t want to dig them out.

Even if he’s been wonderful.

Even if he’s been nothing but sweet and amazing with Jayce.

Even if he’s so hard to resist I have to use my toy at night to make sure I don’t do something like go climb into bed with him.

I thought I was going to crack and kiss him that day at the arcade. I mean, no one with a pulse would’ve blamed me. You try and resist a man who’s playing a game with your son, purely enjoying the moment, and not falling a little bit for him.

Then I remember that my husband is seven years younger than me, wasn’t born when the Ninja Turtles were at their peak, and that I’m nothing but a dirty cougar using a man for marriage.

“Sounds like it doesn’t need to be,” she says. “You’re married. So whatever reason this happened, and don’t argue with mebecause I know there’s a reason, why not use it? Scratch that itch, girl. You have to be itching. I’d be itching, that’s for damn sure…”

I think about it for a second, but only a second. “I’m not sleeping with my husband.”

Maybe if I say it out loud, I’ll believe I really don’t want to.

“Your loss…I sure as shit wouldn’t be that strong.” she says as the doorbell rings. “Now I know you live in a mansion. No real doorbell sounds like that.”

I laugh a little as I get up. “It’s the gate.”

“You have a gate! Now I really need to get home. Oh! Can I come over for Christmas? I want to stay just one night. I have this scene from a movie I saw once that I want to reenact, but I’ve never had a mansion to do it in.”