Page 69 of Playing With Fire

Yet here I am, brushing fresh blush onto my cheeks in my next-to-last effort to be the dutiful wife. Already in character, and laying it on thick, Greg comes into our bathroom and wraps his arms around me, resting his chin on my shoulder. I give no reaction and just continue getting ready as best I can.

“You look beautiful,” he murmurs against my skin. I turn my head slightly to create distance between his lips and my cheek.

“Thanks.” I don’t even bother with a smile. Undeterred by my attitude, he slides his hand across my ass, causing me to turn and face him. “Greg, what are you doing?” I ask directly.

“Admiring my wife,” he says casually, as if he does this all the time.

“Well, admire from a distance, I need to finish getting ready and go plate the food I spent all day preparing.”

He takes a lazy sip of whatever he’s drinking—at least he didn’t ask me to make it for him—and fixes me with a stare. He looks satisfied with himself and the calculating look in his eyes is mildly terrifying.

I finish in the bathroom and head downstairs, Gregor following like a puppy.

“Will you please text Simon and ask them not to ring the doorbell? I don’t want to wake Serafina.”

“Of course, darling,” he replies smoothly.

I shake my head. “And can you please turn on the porch lights out front and back and start the fire pit so we don’t freeze our asses off out there?”

At my mention of the fire pit, my mind does a deep dive into the day it was delivered and my cheeks heat.

God, I miss Hudson.

I miss those sinful lips and the way his hands feel on mybody. I miss the way his eyes shine when he sees me and how his easy kindness restores my faith in humanity.

“Anything you want,” Greg says agreeably, heading for the back door.

Spare me,I think to myself.

Simon and Renee show up ten minutes later; all handshakes and cheek kisses and overly enthusiastic hellos.

They’ve been here once before, but they gush like it’s the first time.

“Oh, Shannon, this space is so lovely!” Renee beams as she surveys our pool and outdoor kitchen.

I smile, but my eyes are glued to the loveseat where Hudson and I shared our first kiss.

“Can I get you all something to drink?” I offer.

As they rattle off their answers, I head inside to prepare the beverages.

As I deliver the drinks to everyone back outside, Renee eyes me sweetly as she says, “Shannon, I didn’t know you had a brother.”

I look at Greg quizzically, like maybe he told her I did.

I shake my head. “I don’t.”

“Oh, well that gentleman you were with at the aquarium was so comfortable with you and little Sera, I assumed he was a relative.”

I feel Greg’s eyes cut to me in question, but he stays silent, waiting for me to explain.

“Just a friend I ran into,” I answer, staring Renee dead in her pot-stirring eyes.

Why do people intentionally stick their noses in other people’s business? Does she think she’s somehow helping my marriage? Is she trying to gain favor with Gregor or earn praise from her own husband by calling me out like this? If the roles were reversed, I’d keep my God-forsaken mouth shut becauseshe and I aren’t friends like that, and if wewere, I’d have the decency to approach her in private.

But no.

The only way to handle this is with the truth. Take the wind out of her gossiping sails. So, turning to Gregor I say, “I ran into Hudson at the aquarium. He was there with his niece and nephew.”