The Convenient Wife
by Kelly

chapter 33

Carly cast a furtive glance around the restaurant for the fiftieth
time and Ric sighed. "No one can see us back here at this booth,
Carly. That's why I chose this place. It's private and off the beaten
path. We can have a quiet breakfast all to ourselves."

The woman didn't relax, but rather ran both hands through her hair in
a nervous gesture. "If anyone sees me here and tells him…"

"What do you care?" Ric demanded in a biting tone. "He's off with
Alexis laughing at the court, laughing at the cops, and laughing at
you."

The fear in her eyes was replaced by fury. "Shut the hell up, Ric. No
one laughs at me!"

Ric inhaled and covered his utter disdain for this woman behind a
mask of false sympathy. Carly was all about her image of the feisty
mob wife, irresistible to all males but particularly to Sonny
Corinthos. If Ric played his wrong…if he attacked her ego…if he
insulted her…then she would cut him off and this would be over before
it started.

"I'm sorry," he murmured. "That came out wrong. I wasn't trying to be
disrespectful. I'm just telling you what it looks like to the rest of
the world: that Sonny's used you. After you were loyal to him for all
these years, he's turned to that woman and played you for a fool."

Carly's mouth worked without sound for a moment, but Ric reached
across to cover her hand on the tablecloth. "I know you're no one's
fool, Carly. But that's what he's making you out to be."

He saw her swallow, and imagined that she was taking his bait hook
line and sinker. The thought made him smile inside. She reached for
her glass of OJ but her hand trembled on its stem.

"Is that why I'm here?" she queried, bitterness thickening her
voice. "So you can ridicule me as Sonny's cast away wife like
everyone else is?"

Ric injected just the right amount of warmth into his voice and his
facial expression. He leaned in closer to her, his hand still
covering one of hers on the table. "You're here because of all the
people involved in this, I think YOU are the victim. You and your
kids. I mean, how could my brother live with you…offer you all that
false hope of getting back together…then the second things get tough
for him he leans on Alexis Davis? Who isn't even his lawyer anymore…
or his friend…or his lover."

He allowed just the briefest pause to ensue. "Allegedly."

Carly's mouth trembled. Her gaze averted.

"What is it?" Ric asked her quietly.

"Nothing."

"Has something changed between them? I thought you said that their
marriage was phony?"

Her eyes darted back to his too quickly. Ric sensed his misstep. He'd
moved too fast. The girl was a nut case, but she wasn't completely
stupid. She snatched her hand from his on the table and he knew the
jig was up.

"So that's it?" she whispered furiously. "All this syrupy sympathy
and attentiveness. You want me to help you prove the marriage is a
fraud? You want me to send him to prison?"

Ric shook his head and leaned in close to her again. "No, Carly, I
want you to prove to the world that you aren't an idiot. That you
have an ounce of pride. And that Sonny Corinthos can't control your
life."

And this time when she looked at him, he could tell that she was
really considering it.

***

"The guy'll be here to deprogram the ankle bracelet soon, then we can
go to the hearing."

Alexis fiddled with her mother's necklace as she stared out of the
window in her apartment. Sonny could tell she hadn't heard a word
he'd said.

He slid his arms around her waist and she literally jumped as if
shocked by electrical current. "Whoa, what's up? You're wound up
tight, Lex."

He felt her relax against him slowly. "I'm just…this whole thing
makes me nervous."

"What? You don't think Justus can out argue Grayson and his lackey,
Ric?" Sonny said. "I'll bet the waterfront he makes `em both look
like idiots."

Alexis nodded. "I know Justus is up to the job. It's just that this
hearing doesn't feel right to me. They don't seem to have much to
prove their case that we faked this marriage. So I can't help but
wonder why they're going through with it…and what they have up their
sleeves for us today."

"You think Grayson has a surprise waiting for us?"

She turned in his arms to face him. "Yeah, something like that."

Sonny lifted her chin with his finger and met her gaze
steadily. "Then whatever it is we'll face it together. We've come
this far, baby. We're gonna make it the whole way."

She nodded biting her lip. A clear sign she was still anxious. But he
kissed the spot her teeth had worried and then soothed it with a
subtle swipe of his tongue. Instantly, the now familiar heat unfurled
low in his belly; she shuddered against him seeking his mouth. Her
arms tightened around his body. He marveled at how swiftly each of
them could reach this place where need outweighed logic and
discipline was defeated by desire.

She groaned against his adventurous mouth. "Why would you start this
when we can't finish it?"

"Who says we can't?" he queried and dragged her out of the living
room and into the bedroom where he shut and locked the door.

"Sonny, I just put this suit on," she protested halfheartedly as he
unbuttoned her jacket and tossed it onto the bed.

"So I'll help you get it on again….after." Off went the skirt.

"You are incorrigible."

"Ooh, more twenty dollar words, please. They turn me on." Her
stilettos were tossed aside.

"Give me a word that means I never tire of making love to you."

"Ummm, your desire is indefatigable."

He repeated the word on a moan, syllable by syllable. Up went her
camisole. Down went her silk hose. She stood in only her slip.

"Wow, nice word. Betcha can't come up with another."

"Your appetite is voracious."

"Damn, your good." Off went his belt. His shirt was out of his pants.
He toed off his Italian shoes.

"Sonny, I'm much better than good." His zipper was properly attended
to. She pushed him down to the bed.

"When you're right, wife," he murmured,"you're right."

And then all talking---at least in complete sentences---was over.

chapter 34