Page 78 of Perfect Satisfaction

I nod sharply.

She rakes her eyes over me before giving me quid pro quo. “Nothing I do is meaningless.”

Snatching her briefcase, she strides for the door. Just as she reaches it, I call out, “What about our marriage?”

A suffocating pause fills every inch of the spacious penthouse. I hold my breath as her heels make a tapping sound on the floor when she returns to face me. In her expression is something different, something that churns my gut into a million pieces. That’s before she meets my eyes and levels me by saying, “The day we married was the single most significant moment of my life.”

Before I can recover to ask her what she means, she spins and heads through the vast penthouse.

I jolt when I hear the door slam.

It’s time to do some research on my errant little wife.

Hours and a notepad later, I realize that most of the information I know about Ursula Moore is only available from media speculation. I exploded a bit when I learned the British tabloids have her pregnant when she was twelve. “Christ, she wasn’t even living there then!” And “Oh, this is rich. Viego Martinez speculated after the BAFTAs she’s related to Joshua Basset because they have the same color eyes. Big whoop. We do too. Does that mean I’m married to my sister? What was he smoking that night?”

Still, the British press speculate at their close relationship but that’s all they’ve ever done. Speculate.

I pick up the phone and text Liza to get her take on this because what I’ve found—or not found—impacts us both.

Her response shocks me.Leave it alone, Arek.

Why?I demand.

Because we made a mistake.

I capitalize the next words.WE DIDN’T DO ANYTHING!

Her response shocks me.Didn’t we? In our hurt, didn’t we do the same thing we thought they did to us?

I catch on to her verb usage.Thought?

She doesn’t reply.

Liza, is there something you’re not telling me?

Still nothing. Then after the dots move for a long while,You’re playing a dangerous game with your wife’s heart, Arek. Just ask her what you want to know. I did.

I start and stop typing until I finally settle on,You’re back together with Basset?

Yes.

I curse soundly. “What is it about women falling all over Joshua Basset? Fucking bastard.”

That’s when Ursula’s voice answers instead of Liza’s. “Despite what you think about me, he’s a good man.”

I surge to my feet and see her leaning against a pillar, shoes in hand. “I was going to ask if you wanted to grab a bite to eat, but I think I need to rest more than I need food.”

“I’d love to get some food.” I scurry around the couch before she’s had time to move more than a step. When I get close enough, there’s exhaustion as well as exhilaration on her face. And something I can’t quite pinpoint in her eyes. “You sealed the deal?”

“Two billion.” Just as my shock fades and I’m about to congratulate her, she whispers, “I knew if I told you the truth, you’d never believe me. After all, the press is always right.”

Her eyes aren’t on me. I follow her gaze and see where my computer hasSexy and Socialspeculating about when Joshua Basset is going to pop the question—to Sula. “No, Sula... you see...”

Her face is tragic but proud when she lifts it back to meet mine head-on. “I’ll give you a little bit of inside knowledge about Joshua Basset. He inherited a ring that was his mother’s. It’s about four carats. Gaudy as hell, but the stone is exquisite. He was in the process of having Shaun Leane design a new ring when... God, what’s wrong with me? I’ve said too much.”

“Who the hell is Shaun Leane?”

“Look it up. You’re good at that,” she taunts.