He seems to consider my words for a moment, but they don’t appease him. “I’m just supposed to be okay with sharing her love with you? That’s your solution?”
“Unless you want her sharing more than that,” I state mildly. “Unless you don’t want it to be sharing at all. She can leave you now,” I remind him. “Mia doesn’t like hurting people; she’s not going to initiate anything between us. As long as I don’t, you’ll be fine.”
Vince scoffs, shaking his head like he can’t even believe what an asshole I am. He should be able to believe it by now. He’s been around for nearly twenty years. “That puts me right back at square one, doesn’t it? I pour my heart and soul into that goddamn girl and as soon as you get bored, you blow up my relationship just for shits and giggles. Even if I could trust her not to start anything, I damn sure can’t trust you.”
“You can if you make her happy. If you can make her legitimately happy, I’ll let you keep her. I won’t make waves. But actual happiness, none of this bullshit where she pretends everything is fine every Sunday. I’m tired of that. Mia’s a terrible actress.”
“The worst,” he agrees, rolling his eyes.
I smile faintly, glancing down at my drink and bringing it up to take a sip. I think that’s part of her charm, but I don’t add that, for obvious reasons. “She wouldn’t need me if you—” I stop short of the truth, because it’s tactless. It’ll just piss him off if I finish that sentence. Sparing his pride, I redirect. “You’ve never been with someone like Mia before, so it’s perfectly understandable that you don’t know what to do with her.” He’s had a while to figure it out, though. That he hasn’t by now if frankly fucking appalling. I don’t say any of that. “I do. If you can put your pride aside, I can teach you.”
Whatever moment of camaraderie I thought we shared for a split second must’ve either been a misread on my part or a misstep on his. His eyes have a frankly murderous gleam as he stares at me now. “Are you fucking serious? You want to give me Mia lessons? She’s my girlfriend. Mine. I don’t need you to tell me how to handle her.”
My eyebrows rise with surprise. “Are you serious?” This kid has to know I could summon Mia to the study right this moment and have her sucking my dick in front of him in under five minutes. He’s her boyfriend, and he couldn’t manage that with five months of prep time. Yeah, obviously I can’t teach him a damn thing. “If this is your idea of handling her, I’d love to know what you think failure looks like.”
This pisses him off. I kind of figured it might, but if he can’t even keep his cool now, he doesn’t stand a chance dealing with Mia. She doesn’t like his temper. I mean, she could, if he’d wield it the right way, but he probably never will. This is probably a waste of my time. He’s not too old to learn, but he is too stubborn.
“Well, since my cock is the one inside her every night, I think I’m doing all right.”
He thinks that’ll piss me off, since it would piss him off. So I give him a smile that tells him I couldn’t give fewer fucks and place a mocking hand over my heart as if wounded. “Ouch.” Vince rolls his eyes in disgust, but since he brought it up, I lower my hand and remark, “Why don’t we call this lesson one? Fuck her more frequently than that.” His face goes completely slack, but I keep talking. “Mia likes to be fucked more than once a day. Give her a good morning fuck, too. Pull her hair, kiss her neck, give her an orgasm—it’s a good way to start the day anyway, isn’t it?”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” he demands, astonished. “Are you…?” His astonishment is turning to red-faced anger. He’s so livid he’s lost the ability to finish sentences.
I shrug. “It’s good advice. I have more; I’m happy to share.”
“You’re a sick fuck, you know that?”
“And you’re too nice,” I inform him. “Toughen up. If you can be set off that easily, you’ll never be in control of anything, especially not Mia.”
His jaw clenches and he can’t even look at me. His knuckles are white as he grips the glass like it’s my throat. “Are we done here?”
“I suppose so. You’re making a mistake, but it’s yours to make. I let you have her back and you’re squandering it. You’re not making her happy. You’re not letting her make you happy. There are much better ways to do this, Vince.”