Last Kiss by Laurelin Paige Page B

the ranch since I’d arrived. “Jenkins,” I said, recalling the name Brent had used. “Isn’t he a stray?” Not that I cared much about the dog, but it was a far safer topic of discussion than the previous one.
    Reeve nodded. “He’s hung around the last few weeks. I’m pretty sure Parker’s feeding him even though he says he isn’t.”
    “Parker.” Amber waited until she caught my eye. “Have you met him, Em?”
    “I have.” I remembered the drunken references Parker had made to me about Amber one night. He’d referred to her as a pain in the ass and a bunch of trouble.
    He’d also been in the stable when Reeve had stripped me of my clothing and bridled me like a horse. I bit back a smile at the memory.
    Amber’s face lit up with a naughty gleam, and I suddenly realized she had memories of her own.
    Before I could wonder too long, Reeve clarified. “Emily doesn’t know him like you know him.”
    It had been obvious in the stable that sometimes Reeve had shared his women with Parker. I’d felt pride that he hadn’t wanted to share me.
    Now, as it became clear that Reeve had shared Amber, I felt sick with jealousy. “Oh. No. I don’t know him like that.”
    At least Reeve had helped keep my cover, his words shielding me from her speculation about us without being dishonest. I told myself I was, but with as much as he’d withdrawn since Amber joined us, I had to wonder if his discretion had anything to do with me.
    It was also possible I was overthinking the situation.
    More wine. That’s what I needed. Clearly.
    Amber laughed. “Well. Anyway.” She chuckled again as she sat forward to put a spoonful of food in her mouth. “Good potatoes.”
    I concentrated on finishing my meal, focusing on the mechanics of eating, thoroughly chewing each bite before swallowing. It was tempting to race through so I could excuse myself and run away from the awful awkwardness. Thankfully, the silence resumed, but it stretched so taut I feared it would create a perilous chasm when it finally broke. A chasm that would consume me entirely.
    I’d just set down my fork when Amber jutted out her chin and declared, “I have something to say.” She cleared her throat. “This might not be the best moment for this, but who knows when I’ll be feeling this good again, and with your busy schedule, Reeve, it might be the only chance I get.”
    I bristled at her use of his name, as if it were mine to use and she had no right to it. Which of course was ridiculous.
    Reeve placed his napkin over his empty plate and cocked his head. “I’m listening.”
    “I want to say that…” Her lip quivered, and it hit me that she was nervous, that she’d been nervous through the entire meal. And why wouldn’t she be? This was the first time she’d spent any time with her former love at length.
    She cleared her throat again, then plunged forward with slightly more confidence. “I want to say I’m sorry for how I left things between us.” She paused, and my pulse jolted up in speed. “And about how I reacted. Running to Micha—to Michelis – was one of the worst decisions I’ve made in my life, and I’ve made quite a few. But I deserve what he —”
    Reeve interrupted, his words softer than I’d heard him use with her since the night she’d arrived. “You didn’t deserve anything, An—” He stopped himself before the nickname crossed his lips completely. “You didn’t deserve it.”
    “I disagree, but that’s not what —”
    He cut her off again. “No. That’s not acceptable. He’s the lowest of scum, and it doesn’t matter what you said or did —”
    She raised her voice to quash his. “The point is that I made a mistake. I was overly confident, and I was stupid to —”
    “You weren’t stupid. He’s good at manipulating.”
    “He is.” She let a beat pass. “Can I finish?”
    “Go ahead.” His voice was tight with reluctance, and I wondered if he was as apprehensive as I was.
    Probably not. The