game play shit or where my dick finds itself.” His own breath came in jags as anger built at the unprecedented accusation which rivaled all others thrown at him.
“Does Jill think you’re still getting married?”
Tripp hesitated and knew she’d catch on. “I hope not. Who was that guy, anyway?”
Lexi pulled her arm free. “A man I thought I’d marry—at one point in time.” She waved in the air as if to disperse bad air.
“And you dumped him when you found out he cheated on you.”
“Of course.” She spit the words at him, curling her arms around herself. “I haven’t spoken to him … since the night I found out.”
“I’m not him, Lexi. I’m someone else. I want you to trust me and, yeah, so far, what you’ve seen probably hasn’t done a great deal of showing why you should, but I promise—”
“Never promise, Tripp. Those are the single most difficult statements to keep.”
He swallowed a string of expletives. Ian’s suggestion to make her want him fell flat like a popped tire. Still, promises should never be broken, and he didn’t make them unless he intended to keep them.
“Fuck.” He let that one go for the sake of stress relief. “If Ian were here, he’d tell you the truth. I may toe a gray line, but not there. I don’t cheat on women.”
Lexi crossed her arms over her chest, but stayed quiet.
Tripp wrapped his arm around her and bumped her back against him. “I don’t cheat.”
“What … about … Jill?”
“Will you please just trust me on that?”
The soft, subtle movement of her head sent figurative stabs to his heart. “I don’t think I can,” she said.
“That’s all been taken care of.” He laid his lips against her forehead. “Happy now?”
The creases smoothed out. “Did you have Ian do it? Or were you too chicken to do your own dirty work?” A soft laugh accompanied her sarcasm.
“Whatever you need to believe, baby.”
10
Rather than spend another moment surrounded by what Lexi called ‘bad air’, she pulled Tripp out of her office and down the sidewalk toward Dulces.
“Candy?” Tripp’s mirth bled through as he angled his gaze up to the sign above the shop.
“You’d be surprised at what they concoct in here, but yeah, essentially, anything sweet. They have a dinner menu that’s awesome, too.” Lexi proceeded into the foyer, breathing in the scents of sugary treats. The key to Dulces had always been the entry and the exit. If she’d had a bad day, she’d walked through just to bring a smile to her face.
The walls, lined with bins of homemade candy, held some of the very best desserts ever made, or so said every food critic who sampled Dulces’ offerings.
“Lexi!” Sweet southern charm rang from the voice.
“Janine.” Lexi accepted a hug from her high school friend. “What are you doing out front today?”
“Kevin’s home with the baby and Casey, so I’m kinda manning both the front and the back, though Marco’s got the kitchen. He’s happy as a sugar cube in one of my candy canes.” Her smile warmed as much as it welcomed. “You brought company, Lex?” She turned to Tripp, slapped her hands against a clean apron before she extended one. “Janine Parker.”
“Nice to meet you. Tripp Fox.”
“Want a table, or is this to go?” She bumped her hip against Lexi’s.
“A table, please. I wanted to show off your culinary successes. And he’s paying, so you can bill me your real rate.” Lexi hid the smirk behind a hand as she eyed Tripp.
“C’mon then. I’ve got the perfect spot.” Janine led them to a two-person table the size of a large pizza.
“This okay?” Lexi looked to Tripp.
“It’s great.”
To one side, a wide pane of glass opened to the confectionary. Silver bowls, giant mixers and long spoons accented the stark white walls.
“Nothing going on today, Jani?”
“Nope. Got a massive shipment out yesterday. Today’s my break.”
“And yet you’re working.”
“Yup.” She handed them
“Does Jill think you’re still getting married?”
Tripp hesitated and knew she’d catch on. “I hope not. Who was that guy, anyway?”
Lexi pulled her arm free. “A man I thought I’d marry—at one point in time.” She waved in the air as if to disperse bad air.
“And you dumped him when you found out he cheated on you.”
“Of course.” She spit the words at him, curling her arms around herself. “I haven’t spoken to him … since the night I found out.”
“I’m not him, Lexi. I’m someone else. I want you to trust me and, yeah, so far, what you’ve seen probably hasn’t done a great deal of showing why you should, but I promise—”
“Never promise, Tripp. Those are the single most difficult statements to keep.”
He swallowed a string of expletives. Ian’s suggestion to make her want him fell flat like a popped tire. Still, promises should never be broken, and he didn’t make them unless he intended to keep them.
“Fuck.” He let that one go for the sake of stress relief. “If Ian were here, he’d tell you the truth. I may toe a gray line, but not there. I don’t cheat on women.”
Lexi crossed her arms over her chest, but stayed quiet.
Tripp wrapped his arm around her and bumped her back against him. “I don’t cheat.”
“What … about … Jill?”
“Will you please just trust me on that?”
The soft, subtle movement of her head sent figurative stabs to his heart. “I don’t think I can,” she said.
“That’s all been taken care of.” He laid his lips against her forehead. “Happy now?”
The creases smoothed out. “Did you have Ian do it? Or were you too chicken to do your own dirty work?” A soft laugh accompanied her sarcasm.
“Whatever you need to believe, baby.”
10
Rather than spend another moment surrounded by what Lexi called ‘bad air’, she pulled Tripp out of her office and down the sidewalk toward Dulces.
“Candy?” Tripp’s mirth bled through as he angled his gaze up to the sign above the shop.
“You’d be surprised at what they concoct in here, but yeah, essentially, anything sweet. They have a dinner menu that’s awesome, too.” Lexi proceeded into the foyer, breathing in the scents of sugary treats. The key to Dulces had always been the entry and the exit. If she’d had a bad day, she’d walked through just to bring a smile to her face.
The walls, lined with bins of homemade candy, held some of the very best desserts ever made, or so said every food critic who sampled Dulces’ offerings.
“Lexi!” Sweet southern charm rang from the voice.
“Janine.” Lexi accepted a hug from her high school friend. “What are you doing out front today?”
“Kevin’s home with the baby and Casey, so I’m kinda manning both the front and the back, though Marco’s got the kitchen. He’s happy as a sugar cube in one of my candy canes.” Her smile warmed as much as it welcomed. “You brought company, Lex?” She turned to Tripp, slapped her hands against a clean apron before she extended one. “Janine Parker.”
“Nice to meet you. Tripp Fox.”
“Want a table, or is this to go?” She bumped her hip against Lexi’s.
“A table, please. I wanted to show off your culinary successes. And he’s paying, so you can bill me your real rate.” Lexi hid the smirk behind a hand as she eyed Tripp.
“C’mon then. I’ve got the perfect spot.” Janine led them to a two-person table the size of a large pizza.
“This okay?” Lexi looked to Tripp.
“It’s great.”
To one side, a wide pane of glass opened to the confectionary. Silver bowls, giant mixers and long spoons accented the stark white walls.
“Nothing going on today, Jani?”
“Nope. Got a massive shipment out yesterday. Today’s my break.”
“And yet you’re working.”
“Yup.” She handed them
Similar Books
