a—”
“Date?” He grinned. “Yeah. Let’s forget all about this myth surrounding our lives and see where it goes—the two of us.” He reached out, fingered a lock of hair falling from her clip. “Let’s try this the old fashioned way and go on a date. I’ll even pay and everything.”
“Will wine be included with this meal?” Her earlier wariness must have faded as her tone turned sultry.
“Absolutely.”
“Dessert?”
He bit his lips together to prevent a laugh. “Whatever you want.”
“Okay then, since you’ve asked so … nicely.” She mimed crazy hands in the air. “There’s a place about two blocks up and around the corner. It’s a little hole in the wall, but—”
“Those are the best kind.” Tripp tugged again on the lock of her hair. Lexi’s body swayed and brushed his, but she kept her hands behind her. He resisted the physical urge to haul her into his arms. “Shall we then?”
“Let me shut down my computers and lock up the office.” She disappeared into the back.
Tripp sat on one of the red leather couches in the lobby prepared to wait the who-knew-how-long for a woman to get ready.
The outer door opened, sending a chime through the space. The man who stood within the frame leaned down toward Tripp before he walked straight toward the back room. As Tripp started to get up, Lexi returned, her attention on her bag.
“Lexi,” the man said.
Her head whipped up. “Ken. What are you doing here?”
“I needed to see you. I know it’s been a little while—”
“A little while? It’s been—”
“I swear I’ve come to my senses. I should’ve a long time ago.”
Tripp waited for the tender moment—or the slug given the full-on scowl on Lexi’s face.
Her eyes narrowed even more. One hand flew to her hip. “Get out.” She extended a finger toward the door as if Ken needed direction. Even her tone suggested he should pack himself up with expedient efficiency. “Get the hell out, and don’t ever contact me again. You didn’t leave because of you, you son of a bitch. I kicked you out, and I did it for a damn good reason. You cheated on me, and you lied about it. That was a year ago. A year … not ‘a little while’.”
Ken remained in place. As his mouth formed another word, Lexi cut him off.
“What the hell are you thinking? Did you think something changed all of a sudden? Did you really think I didn’t know what you did? That I threw you out on your ass because I was bored?” She tapped her temple. “You slept with the biggest mouth in the state. Twice. Get out of my office and don’t ever, ever step foot in here again.”
“But—”
Her finger pointed at the door while her body vibrated with what Tripp took as absolute fury.
When the chime signaled again, Tripp stood and stepped toward Lexi.
“Don’t.”
“I didn’t do anything.”
She growled a breathy, feral sound. “That’s what all guys say.” She spun to face him, her eyes burning with hurt anger and confusion. “I’d never catch you in that same act, now, would I?”
That’s true. “I’d never cheat—”
She cut him off with a hand through the air. “I knew this was a bad idea.”
He closed the gap between them in two strides. “I don’t cheat, Lexi. You can’t compare what you think might happen with me to what did happen with some asshole.”
Back and forth, her head bobbed. “I can’t deal with the idea that you could and I wouldn’t even know, Tripp.” Her hands crossed over her chest. “I’ll never know if you’ve been faithful because you can get away with it. It’s like the ultimate win for you. Think about it. You were with Jill, found me and moved on, and she probably has no idea why, knows nothing about me.”
Tripp grabbed her wrist with his free arm and tugged her closer to him. “You ask Ian about this … Miss Shepherd, and he’ll tell you … if there is one thing I abhor, it’s cheaters. In relationships, I don’t cheat. Not in emotional
“Date?” He grinned. “Yeah. Let’s forget all about this myth surrounding our lives and see where it goes—the two of us.” He reached out, fingered a lock of hair falling from her clip. “Let’s try this the old fashioned way and go on a date. I’ll even pay and everything.”
“Will wine be included with this meal?” Her earlier wariness must have faded as her tone turned sultry.
“Absolutely.”
“Dessert?”
He bit his lips together to prevent a laugh. “Whatever you want.”
“Okay then, since you’ve asked so … nicely.” She mimed crazy hands in the air. “There’s a place about two blocks up and around the corner. It’s a little hole in the wall, but—”
“Those are the best kind.” Tripp tugged again on the lock of her hair. Lexi’s body swayed and brushed his, but she kept her hands behind her. He resisted the physical urge to haul her into his arms. “Shall we then?”
“Let me shut down my computers and lock up the office.” She disappeared into the back.
Tripp sat on one of the red leather couches in the lobby prepared to wait the who-knew-how-long for a woman to get ready.
The outer door opened, sending a chime through the space. The man who stood within the frame leaned down toward Tripp before he walked straight toward the back room. As Tripp started to get up, Lexi returned, her attention on her bag.
“Lexi,” the man said.
Her head whipped up. “Ken. What are you doing here?”
“I needed to see you. I know it’s been a little while—”
“A little while? It’s been—”
“I swear I’ve come to my senses. I should’ve a long time ago.”
Tripp waited for the tender moment—or the slug given the full-on scowl on Lexi’s face.
Her eyes narrowed even more. One hand flew to her hip. “Get out.” She extended a finger toward the door as if Ken needed direction. Even her tone suggested he should pack himself up with expedient efficiency. “Get the hell out, and don’t ever contact me again. You didn’t leave because of you, you son of a bitch. I kicked you out, and I did it for a damn good reason. You cheated on me, and you lied about it. That was a year ago. A year … not ‘a little while’.”
Ken remained in place. As his mouth formed another word, Lexi cut him off.
“What the hell are you thinking? Did you think something changed all of a sudden? Did you really think I didn’t know what you did? That I threw you out on your ass because I was bored?” She tapped her temple. “You slept with the biggest mouth in the state. Twice. Get out of my office and don’t ever, ever step foot in here again.”
“But—”
Her finger pointed at the door while her body vibrated with what Tripp took as absolute fury.
When the chime signaled again, Tripp stood and stepped toward Lexi.
“Don’t.”
“I didn’t do anything.”
She growled a breathy, feral sound. “That’s what all guys say.” She spun to face him, her eyes burning with hurt anger and confusion. “I’d never catch you in that same act, now, would I?”
That’s true. “I’d never cheat—”
She cut him off with a hand through the air. “I knew this was a bad idea.”
He closed the gap between them in two strides. “I don’t cheat, Lexi. You can’t compare what you think might happen with me to what did happen with some asshole.”
Back and forth, her head bobbed. “I can’t deal with the idea that you could and I wouldn’t even know, Tripp.” Her hands crossed over her chest. “I’ll never know if you’ve been faithful because you can get away with it. It’s like the ultimate win for you. Think about it. You were with Jill, found me and moved on, and she probably has no idea why, knows nothing about me.”
Tripp grabbed her wrist with his free arm and tugged her closer to him. “You ask Ian about this … Miss Shepherd, and he’ll tell you … if there is one thing I abhor, it’s cheaters. In relationships, I don’t cheat. Not in emotional
Similar Books
