Page 55 of The Mafia's Bride

Danica doesn’t understand why this is my nightmare. I want the conversations, the cousins in my business, the bonding moments. I never had that with Pops, and I’ve always felt left out.

“Have you two fucked?”

My eyes glance to her and away quickly. “No.”

“Not even on your wedding night?” She licks her pink lips, eyes raking over my chest and hips like a lover’s caress.

Or it’d feel that way. If I was into it.

And right now, I’m not.

“Not even on our wedding night.”

“You poor thing,” she pouts, chipped nail skimming my exposed arm. “I know you, Sloane. Asking you to go without sex for this long is close to torture.”

She didn’t know the half of it. I’m a sexual person, I enjoy my body. Being denied so many times is messing with my head.

“I can help,” she says, grin bright and tempting. As if she can see the desperation on my face and is ready to pounce.

It’s tempting because she’ll certainly get me off. We’ve always known the others’ hot spots.

But it’s not what I want.Sheisn’t what I want.

“Let’s talk about that later. Right now, I need to figure out a way to provoke a divorce.” I take a fourth shot, sipping from the sweet cocktail to chase the burn.

Danica always likes her stuff sweet. I prefer a glass of whiskey or red wine. This stuff gives me a toothache.

“So what are you going to do?” She takes her third shot of the night, chasing it with the rest of her Cosmo. The liquor is starting to go to my head, muddling my thoughts and giving me that delicious buzz that I’ve missed.

But it doesn’t hit just right anymore. Doesn’t scratch the usual itch.

“I’m going to cause chaos, like I do best, and hope it’s enough to piss off my husband and make him end things.” I raise my empty glass and Danica cheers me.

“That’s certainly a plan. Here, here!” Her mood evaporates into something devious.

It’s certainly the idea of a plan. I just don’t know how to do it yet.

So far, Lex has taken all my tantrums, my fight, and embraced it. Normal people would have left me at the bus stop at this point, not try to bring out more in me. Pops certainly tried. How can I upset someone like that, who wants me to stay that badly?

Lex’s control is iron strong. He doesn’t give into his impulses; he knows his boundaries. He wouldn’t even sleep next to me last night because he might be tempted to give me what I wanted. If it wasn’t on his terms, he wouldn’t do it.

Danica’s hips start to sway, the music changing tempo again.

There’s only one thing that seems to get under Lex’s skin.

My refusal to admit that I was his, or that I was staying. And my relationship with Danica.

He doesn’t like to share, and he sees Danica as a viable threat. Could I use my friend to bring about a divorce with my husband? It’s not like she and I haven’t been together before. But I’d be putting her in the middle of this.

In true Sloane fashion, with the booze in my system, I don’t really care. I need this to work more than I care about her safety.

“Danica,” I say slowly, tasting the liquor on my red lips. “Dance with me.”

I pull her to the floor, feeling eyes on my back. I’m not tipsy enough not to be aware of my surroundings. They might not be thetabloids, but they get their pictures from the public. And right now, I’m going to give them a show.

If I play this right, the pictures will hit first thing in the morning, and I’ll be a divorced woman by noon.

Then, I can choose to do whatever I want. I won’t have to think about Lex or his demands. I won’t have to be confused by his hot and cold demeanor or why I want to drop to my knees for him even though everything in me rebels at the idea. Or why I feel so comfortable in his home even though it’s notmyhome—it’shis.