more.
This is not working. I need to burn off some energy fast . John pressed the icy glass to his forehead and tried to think about gas prices, changing the oil in his truck or how much his ticket would have been. Nothing would erase the erotic image of Livvy naked, those violet eyes pleading for him to take her. That image morphed into angry brown eyes, spitting fire.
Inez Kelley
113
Everything got too loud. The refrigerator hummed like a bee. The swoop-click of the second hand on the clock grated and he swallowed.
His pulse rate jumped, booming in his ears like a kettledrum. Sweat popped along his upper lip. His gaze flicked to the doorway. Three steps and he could be out of the kitchen. Another forty-four steps to his deck staircase. Less than a minute and he could be in his house, safe and in control. His feet twitched to move.
The patio door shot open and John bolted
straight, his grip nearly shattering the glass in his hand. Without thought, he put his body between Livvy and the door.
“Divorce attorneys should never get married anyway so maybe there won’t be a wedding.
How’s that for a compromise?” Tow threw over his shoulder. He left the patio door open and stalked down the hall. Eyes wide, Livvy hurried into the back yard.
John crossed to the counter and peeked out the curtained window. Andrea was crying, her head bent into her arms. Livvy rubbed her shoulders as her mouth worked soundlessly. Yeah, two emotional women, time to bail.
Tow stormed up the hall carrying a gym bag overflowing with clothes. The deep flush on his face was almost comedic but there was nothing funny about the wrath in his eyes. He jammed the 114
Sweet as Sin
bag onto the counter. “Want to go grab a couple beers?”
Alcohol sounded fucking perfect right now.
“Yeah. Let me tell Li—”
“Don’t do it, man. Escape the noose while you can. Before you know it, you’ll have to ask permission to take a leak and she’ll have your balls in her purse, too. Screw it, let’s just go.”
“It’s after 2 a.m., Liv. He’s been gone for hours.
He won’t answer his phone. He’s left me, I know it.”
Livvy rubbed her eyes. Her baby sister was a melodramatic mess. When they found Tow’s
overnight bag, Livvy had taken it as a good sign.
Andrea had nearly collapsed with her wailing. She had barely stopped all night and Livvy had a raging headache because of it. The living room was dark except for the muted TV, and the flickering light aggravated her throbbing temples.
Curled on the chair by the window, Andrea watched the empty street. She cradled her cell phone in the hope Tow would call. She’d already irritated her coworkers by calling the hospital three times to check the patient list for his name.
He wasn’t in jail. He wasn’t in the morgue.
“Was I being that bad about the wedding?”
Andrea looked at her with swollen red eyes.
Inez Kelley
115
Livvy longed to lie to her but knew it wouldn’t be doing her any favors. “You are a bit of a Bridezilla, Andy. Just stop trying to make everything so perfect. You’re marrying the man you love. That’s what’s important.”
“Not if he’s left me. I chased him off. And he took your boyfriend with him.”
Livvy opened her mouth to deny that John was her boyfriend but stopped. What was he to her?
He wasn’t her lover. He wasn’t her boyfriend. He wasn’t a boy at all. What was their relationship?
Other than neighbor, she couldn’t answer
completely. But she’d never had Mr. Truman’s hands in her panties nor kissed Ethel Lowenstein with blazing passion, and they’d been her neighbors for years.
She’d been disappointed when she realized John had left without saying anything.
Disappointed and a little hurt. He couldn’t have stuck his head out the door and told her he was leaving? Livvy assumed he was with Tow only because the two had disappeared at the same time.
But where could they have disappeared to?
Where did most men go when they had
This is not working. I need to burn off some energy fast . John pressed the icy glass to his forehead and tried to think about gas prices, changing the oil in his truck or how much his ticket would have been. Nothing would erase the erotic image of Livvy naked, those violet eyes pleading for him to take her. That image morphed into angry brown eyes, spitting fire.
Inez Kelley
113
Everything got too loud. The refrigerator hummed like a bee. The swoop-click of the second hand on the clock grated and he swallowed.
His pulse rate jumped, booming in his ears like a kettledrum. Sweat popped along his upper lip. His gaze flicked to the doorway. Three steps and he could be out of the kitchen. Another forty-four steps to his deck staircase. Less than a minute and he could be in his house, safe and in control. His feet twitched to move.
The patio door shot open and John bolted
straight, his grip nearly shattering the glass in his hand. Without thought, he put his body between Livvy and the door.
“Divorce attorneys should never get married anyway so maybe there won’t be a wedding.
How’s that for a compromise?” Tow threw over his shoulder. He left the patio door open and stalked down the hall. Eyes wide, Livvy hurried into the back yard.
John crossed to the counter and peeked out the curtained window. Andrea was crying, her head bent into her arms. Livvy rubbed her shoulders as her mouth worked soundlessly. Yeah, two emotional women, time to bail.
Tow stormed up the hall carrying a gym bag overflowing with clothes. The deep flush on his face was almost comedic but there was nothing funny about the wrath in his eyes. He jammed the 114
Sweet as Sin
bag onto the counter. “Want to go grab a couple beers?”
Alcohol sounded fucking perfect right now.
“Yeah. Let me tell Li—”
“Don’t do it, man. Escape the noose while you can. Before you know it, you’ll have to ask permission to take a leak and she’ll have your balls in her purse, too. Screw it, let’s just go.”
“It’s after 2 a.m., Liv. He’s been gone for hours.
He won’t answer his phone. He’s left me, I know it.”
Livvy rubbed her eyes. Her baby sister was a melodramatic mess. When they found Tow’s
overnight bag, Livvy had taken it as a good sign.
Andrea had nearly collapsed with her wailing. She had barely stopped all night and Livvy had a raging headache because of it. The living room was dark except for the muted TV, and the flickering light aggravated her throbbing temples.
Curled on the chair by the window, Andrea watched the empty street. She cradled her cell phone in the hope Tow would call. She’d already irritated her coworkers by calling the hospital three times to check the patient list for his name.
He wasn’t in jail. He wasn’t in the morgue.
“Was I being that bad about the wedding?”
Andrea looked at her with swollen red eyes.
Inez Kelley
115
Livvy longed to lie to her but knew it wouldn’t be doing her any favors. “You are a bit of a Bridezilla, Andy. Just stop trying to make everything so perfect. You’re marrying the man you love. That’s what’s important.”
“Not if he’s left me. I chased him off. And he took your boyfriend with him.”
Livvy opened her mouth to deny that John was her boyfriend but stopped. What was he to her?
He wasn’t her lover. He wasn’t her boyfriend. He wasn’t a boy at all. What was their relationship?
Other than neighbor, she couldn’t answer
completely. But she’d never had Mr. Truman’s hands in her panties nor kissed Ethel Lowenstein with blazing passion, and they’d been her neighbors for years.
She’d been disappointed when she realized John had left without saying anything.
Disappointed and a little hurt. He couldn’t have stuck his head out the door and told her he was leaving? Livvy assumed he was with Tow only because the two had disappeared at the same time.
But where could they have disappeared to?
Where did most men go when they had
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