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“How was your trip?” I asked, playing the dutiful not-wife.

He sighed and settled down into the sofa. “I don’t think that’s really what you want to talk about, is it?”

No.

No, it wasn’t.

“Have you eaten yet?” I asked.

“Yes, on the plane,” Connor answered. “You?”

“I had something earlier… since I didn’t know when you would show up,” I said, trying (but failing) to keep the accusatory tone out of my voice.

We watched each other in silence.

It reminded me of the first night we’d spent here, before we played cards and he made me crawl towards him on the floor.

But whereas that silence had been a prelude to seduction, this was just painful, with no happy ending in sight.

Pun intended.

He sighed and settled back into the sofa. “Why don’t you tell me what’s bothering you?” Then he added, with a mixture of resentment and annoyance, “Seeing as you blackmailed me into coming back early.”

I laughed once, cold and bloodless. “I blackmailed you?”

He seemed to realize he’d gone too far. “Bad choic