I bundle up and make my way to the market. Needing the assistance of one of the workers to find a few of the ingredients, I check my list, and when everything I need is in my basket, I make my purchases and head out.

“Surprised to see you on this side of town,” I hear a familiar voice call out, and when I close the trunk, I’m greeted by Richard’s snide smile. My heart jumps, and being caught off guard ignites a fire up my neck. Thank God for winter and concealing scarves.

I quickly collect myself, going into my well-crafted act, saying, “Richard. I could say the same about you. What brings you to River North, or, better yet, a grocery store of all places?” turning the question around on him.

“My attorney’s office is here. Had a meeting I just got out of and needed to pick up some formula for the baby.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be in Dubai with Bennett?”

“Had to come back early,” he snips before going back to his original question, “What are you doing here?”

“I’ve been cooped up for far too many days and needed a drive, so I thought I’d spend a few hours roaming some of the galleries,” I tell him, figuring it was a good enough lie considering River North is known for its trendy array of art galleries.

“And yet here you are, buying groceries,” he snarks. “Finally figuring out what it means to be a housewife?”

God, he’s such a womanizing dick.

“As if any of my doings are your business, but since you seem so concerned with my takings on of wifely duties, yes, I thought I’d try my hand at cooking since I’m growing tired of Clara’s freezer meals.”

“Hmph,” he remarks, eyeing me suspiciously.

His doubting look pisses me off, and when I move to walk around him and open up the car door, I ask, “Is there anything else you’d like to question me about?”

“Jacqueline said she’s stopped by your building a couple times since Bennett’s been gone. Said you haven’t been around much.”

“Tell Jacqueline that I have a life and things to do, and if she’d like to schedule time together, then she best call or text me instead of making random drop-ins only to find that I have other obligations that call me away from home,” I snap, trying to cover for my lack of presence on my side of town.

He nods with a look of spite before commenting, “I’ll be sure to relay your friendly message.”

“You do that, Richard.”

Getting into the car and closing the door, my heart pounds with anxiety, wondering what the fuck Richard is really doing on this side of town, because I already know that we share the same attorney, and he isn’t located in River North.

I drive back towards Declan’s loft, all the while looking in my rearview mirror to make sure Richard hasn’t followed me. When I’m sure that no one is watching, I turn into the parking garage and park in one of Declan’s assigned spots. Turning the car off, I lean my head back, pissed at myself for being so careless. But that quickly morphs into being pissed that I have to be so guarded. That I’ve created such elaborate lies that they can’t simply be washed away. I’m in way too deep for any possibility of that.

I think about Pike and everything he’s sacrificed for me. Everything he’s given up for the past few years while I work this con. And as I sit here and start to doubt what we’re doing, the guilt of what that would do to Pike surfaces. I can’t pull out of this that easily anyway. I’m married. If I walked away—disappeared—Bennett would come looking for me. He loves me too much and it would devastate him to lose me. But it’s not Bennett that I care about—it’s Declan. And how do I find my way out of this without revealing all of my wicked deceit to him. No one would be able to look past it or forgive me for what I have already done. The only option I see right now is to keep doing what I’m doing and cherish every last second I have with him before Pike and I flee.

I GIVE THE sauce a quick stir after Declan calls to let me know he’s on his way. So far, I’ve managed not to set the smoke alarm off in my quest to cook dinner. I walk over to the wine cage and select a nice white to go with dinner and place it in the fridge to chill.

When Declan arrives a while later, I laugh at the shocked expression on his face as he enters the loft and sees me in the kitchen.

“What are you up to?” he says inquisitively.

“What does it look like?”

“Well, you should be naked and on your knees, but instead, you’re cooking. Which I hope you’ve alerted the fire department to be on standby,” he chuckles as he rounds the bar, moving close to give me a hug.

I swat his arm, saying, “I’ll have you know that I’ve yet to burn anything.”

“Is that so?” he mocks as he grabs my wrist and yanks me with force against his chest, giving me a sexy smirk.

“Yes. That’s so.”

His mouth instantly finds my neck, licking its way up to my ear where he gently nibbles on the lobe, causing a rush of goosebumps along my arms. I shiver in his hold, and he growls in pride at my body’s response to him. I sling my arms around his broad shoulders when he reaches behind my thighs and lifts me up, setting me on top of the counter. With my legs wrapped around him, I feel his cock harden against me as he stands between my legs.

“Just know, next time I say I want you on your knees, you better be on your knees. I won’t punish you for your disobedience though, because I love that you cooked for me,” he says after kissing me thoroughly.

“Do you?”

He begins to laugh against my lips before saying, “Clearly my cock approves and is eager to thank you,” which causes me to burst out laughing right along with him.

“You’re such a dork.”

“A dork, huh?”

“Yeah.”

“No one has called me that since the fifth grade,” he teases, and I giggle when I respond, “Well, maybe not to your face.”

He buries his head in my neck, biting me and growling at my snarky remark, but it only turns me on. With my ankles crossed behind him, I urge his hips into me, needing the friction against my heat.

“Needy,” he remarks.

“You have no idea.”

He leans over, flipping off all the switches on the stove, and then hikes up the skirt of my dress. Leaning down between my legs, I hear him inhale deeply through his nose, scenting me.

“Fuck, I love the way you smell when your body readies itself for me,” he says before violently ripping my panties right off of me, the lacy fabric shredded as they hang from my one thigh.

My hands take fistfuls of Declan’s hair as he kneels before me, spreading my legs wider. I look down at him as he takes in the sight of me.

“You’re so fucking beautiful,” he says as he flicks his eyes up to mine. He then takes his fingers and sinks them between the lips of my already wet pussy, adding, “This . . .”

“Mmmm.”

“This is so fucking beautiful,” he says before plunging a finger inside of me.

My hands tighten around the locks of his hair as I release a heady moan. He keeps his eyes on mine while he slowly fucks me with his finger, peering up at me in raging heat.

“You like having me inside of you?”

“Yes,” I answer.

“This is mine.”

I moan in approval when he takes his thumb and starts pressing smooth circles over my swollen clit. He then crooks his finger to reach the most sensitive spot inside of me, causing my body to lose control as he sparks the live wire that’s burning in me. But it’s when his hot mouth covers me that I come undone, allowing him to possess me however he chooses.

With the flat pad of his tongue, he massages my clit in tender strokes before baring his teeth and with their razor edge, clamps down and bites me.

“Shit,” I hiss as my body jerks away in pain, but he grabs my hips and keeps me in his mouth with a forceful grip. He quickly replaces his teeth with his tongue again, soothing the infliction, blurring the lines between pleasure and pain.