The Stand-in Wife's Deception

around the hem of my sl

oo

said n

gave him Vivienne's bored little smile, the one that made men feel stupid. "Half thi

to sell

step, taking in the shelves with a sweep of my hand the way she wo

me for a

curved, just

good,"

sive. It's

stured at the aisle behind him,

. He didn't have to. I could feel him

aid, when my hand

top

as pleasant. "She'd have said value. She'd have said pric

as cold un

etter wife than you exp

ld in a ballroom built t

pieces, so the whole room threw cold light. The floor was marble. The ch

erade, and it was not a game. The masks came off at midnight. Until t

gown that cost more than my f

the east doors who kept touching their cuffs - armed. A woman by the orchest

a man in a silver wolf

eezed, and I made myself not pull away

ss

at had been handsome once and had since been used. Hi

ir above my knuckles. "I've h

it true,

like her. Caspi

does," Cas

. I let it wash over me and I watched his

h times, the left eye twitched. Small,

ile

ight through Sable's north docks,"

ch. Ther

ad his hands. "You kno

want. "That's why I read the port records

h came out a h

. "Filed twice. Once by the registry, once by a broker I couldn't find a lic

us. The orchestra played. So

did not chang

There always is. But it isn't in the papers,

ted his cuff. The twitch h

very quietly, "you've

." I smiled at him. "It's the sa

and closed

the dance floor without a word, and when he turned

reckless

work

"In a week, Kessler will know who found the second filing, and he'll come looking for the person

etting him thi

that's why

r eyes, the flat light on the

ou're angry because it w

rned once, twice, and I could feel his breathing and I

rn to read a man l

dge

s don't

looks like when someone's life depends on it being believed. Kessler's not

moved, and it wa

be a great deal of

ended. I stepped back out of his arms. "Those

at him, and I have thought about that ever since - whether I walked aw

ed my shoulder

y, ma

. There was a matchbook in my clu

ld line. A phone nu

lpoint: Terrace. Midnight.

across the room. Caspian was talking

out the

ed an hour ago but the stone was still w

wet and shining, the

. Cr

f the wall. Immaculate. Dark c

ng a cartel ru

three feet away. "T

s to the rail. He had put himsel

oing to stand there and listen, because you're a

you came

at and took out a phot

At my desk. In a cardigan

d wrong. She led with her hips and you lead with your shoulder, like

. I put them behind my back

. I don't care. What I care about is that you're in that house, an

do you

ograph away. "It's a small thing. A bug. You'll be i

f I sa

pletely still, the way it always

te," he said. "Along with your real name. They wa

ent. Somewhere belo

r seconds

nd me, the doo