and took a sip. He wasn’t sure what he’d done, but if it made her that happy, he’d do it again.
“You want cream? Or sugar?”
“Cream would be amazing.” She gave him a dazzling smile that lit up the entire room.
He rose and pulled the cinnamon creamer from the refrigerator. He only kept it for Bailey, but if it put a smile like that on Lyssa’s face, he’d buy her every flavor he could find. He passed it her way. She poured a dollop inside and took a sip, closing her eyes and sighing.
A jolt of desire kicked him square in the groin as she moaned softly, pressing her lips together. Her reaction sucked the oxygen from his lungs. If she reacted this way for coffee, what would she be like . . . Justin dragged his thoughts, kicking and screaming, back to the present.
“You do realize it’s just coffee, right?”
Pure delight lit her face. “You have no idea how long it’s been since I was allowed to have coffee.”
Allowed? Justin let the comment slide but couldn’t stop his mind from running through the reasons she might have said it.
“So, have you heard from Bailey? Any idea when she might be back?”
He sat back down at the table. “Not since last night, and she’s not answering my calls. If her text was any indication, she’ll be back when my ego downgrades from ‘arrogant prick’ to ‘horse’s ass.’ ”
Lyssa leaned against the counter, cupping the mug between her palms, trying not to smile. “So, it might be a while.”
“Did you just make a joke at my expense?” He grinned up at her, enjoying her light-hearted mood. She blushed as Justin arched a brow. He needed to bring up the news article under his hand, but he didn’t want to ruin this moment. She seemed relaxed, happier than he’d seen her since her arrival. She was just beginning to let her guard down, and he wasn’t in any hurry to turn into the jerk Bailey had so colorfully accused him of being.
“I think we need to talk, Lyssa.” Justin saw the hesitation in her movements as she sat at the table across from him. He tapped his hand on the table and spun the morning paper so she could read the headline. “Something you want to tell me?”
She slid the paper closer, setting the mug aside as she read. He watched the anxiety return to haunt her eyes. “He’s crazy,” she whispered, more to herself than to him.
“I know I asked you about the paparazzi last night, but now I’m wondering if I’m going to have police knocking on the door, looking for you.” She reached for the mug again, holding it between both hands and staring into it, as if divining her future. “I don’t think the answers are in there, Lyssa.”
“I really don’t know anymore,” she confessed, her eyes still not meeting his. It was a start but he needed more. He wasn’t sure he wanted to hear the answer to his next question, but he had to ask it.
“How did this get to the point that he’s telling people you’re missing?”
“I married Elijah Cole six years ago. He was handsome, charming, attentive.” Justin felt his gut clench with jealousy as she spoke about the man. His only consolation was that her tone was bitter instead of affectionate. “I thought I had it all—the perfect career, the perfect husband, fame—but little by little, everything changed. He changed. He changed me .”
She looked up at him and he could see the fear he’d seen back in her eyes. “He’s been cheating on me for years with my best friend.” Her expression begged him to believe her, but she couldn’t hide the worry in her emerald eyes. She brushed back those uncontrollable bangs. “He told me to leave, that he wanted out, and he didn’t love me.”
It was taking every bit of his self-control to refrain from spitting out a few choice words about Elijah Cole.
“Justin,” she said, tapping her finger against the paper, “this is all lies.”
He wanted to believe her. It was easy, staring into her open face as she met his gaze. She might be
“You want cream? Or sugar?”
“Cream would be amazing.” She gave him a dazzling smile that lit up the entire room.
He rose and pulled the cinnamon creamer from the refrigerator. He only kept it for Bailey, but if it put a smile like that on Lyssa’s face, he’d buy her every flavor he could find. He passed it her way. She poured a dollop inside and took a sip, closing her eyes and sighing.
A jolt of desire kicked him square in the groin as she moaned softly, pressing her lips together. Her reaction sucked the oxygen from his lungs. If she reacted this way for coffee, what would she be like . . . Justin dragged his thoughts, kicking and screaming, back to the present.
“You do realize it’s just coffee, right?”
Pure delight lit her face. “You have no idea how long it’s been since I was allowed to have coffee.”
Allowed? Justin let the comment slide but couldn’t stop his mind from running through the reasons she might have said it.
“So, have you heard from Bailey? Any idea when she might be back?”
He sat back down at the table. “Not since last night, and she’s not answering my calls. If her text was any indication, she’ll be back when my ego downgrades from ‘arrogant prick’ to ‘horse’s ass.’ ”
Lyssa leaned against the counter, cupping the mug between her palms, trying not to smile. “So, it might be a while.”
“Did you just make a joke at my expense?” He grinned up at her, enjoying her light-hearted mood. She blushed as Justin arched a brow. He needed to bring up the news article under his hand, but he didn’t want to ruin this moment. She seemed relaxed, happier than he’d seen her since her arrival. She was just beginning to let her guard down, and he wasn’t in any hurry to turn into the jerk Bailey had so colorfully accused him of being.
“I think we need to talk, Lyssa.” Justin saw the hesitation in her movements as she sat at the table across from him. He tapped his hand on the table and spun the morning paper so she could read the headline. “Something you want to tell me?”
She slid the paper closer, setting the mug aside as she read. He watched the anxiety return to haunt her eyes. “He’s crazy,” she whispered, more to herself than to him.
“I know I asked you about the paparazzi last night, but now I’m wondering if I’m going to have police knocking on the door, looking for you.” She reached for the mug again, holding it between both hands and staring into it, as if divining her future. “I don’t think the answers are in there, Lyssa.”
“I really don’t know anymore,” she confessed, her eyes still not meeting his. It was a start but he needed more. He wasn’t sure he wanted to hear the answer to his next question, but he had to ask it.
“How did this get to the point that he’s telling people you’re missing?”
“I married Elijah Cole six years ago. He was handsome, charming, attentive.” Justin felt his gut clench with jealousy as she spoke about the man. His only consolation was that her tone was bitter instead of affectionate. “I thought I had it all—the perfect career, the perfect husband, fame—but little by little, everything changed. He changed. He changed me .”
She looked up at him and he could see the fear he’d seen back in her eyes. “He’s been cheating on me for years with my best friend.” Her expression begged him to believe her, but she couldn’t hide the worry in her emerald eyes. She brushed back those uncontrollable bangs. “He told me to leave, that he wanted out, and he didn’t love me.”
It was taking every bit of his self-control to refrain from spitting out a few choice words about Elijah Cole.
“Justin,” she said, tapping her finger against the paper, “this is all lies.”
He wanted to believe her. It was easy, staring into her open face as she met his gaze. She might be
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