before plunging ahead. “I also owe you an explanation. The other day when you asked about my history with Milton, I wasn’t entirely truthful with you. You were right, the animosity between us goes beyond business. It’s personal.”
“Just how personal?”
“Milton helped himself to my fiancée.”
“You were engaged to Melanie? No wonder animosity was radiating off her in waves when you introduced me as your wife.”
“I’m not proud to admit I came close to marrying her.” He’d already made up his mind to call off the engagement when his father had confronted him with evidence of Melanie’s deceitfulness. The irrefutable evidence the private investigator had gathered proving his fiancée was having an affair with his ex‒business partner had only reinforced his decision.
“Can I ask you something?” Lauren inquired.
“Sure.”
“I’m curious about what drew you to Melanie. She’s gorgeous, that part I get. But I know you’re not that superficial, so there had to be something more to make you want to marry her.”
“There was. At least I thought so. Thankfully I awoke to my mistake before it was too late. I realized the woman I’d fallen for didn’t really exist. Melanie’s smoke-and-mirrors act fooled me for a while, but it wasn’t long before I caught on to the fact that she wasn’t in love with me, only the lifestyle I could provide her with. She deliberately set out to create a persona she knew I’d fall for.”
“How sad.”
“Actually, I consider it a lucky escape.”
And he’d vowed never to be played like that again. But Lauren had deftly wormed her way past his defenses. That made the two women birds of a feather, didn’t it? So why was his gut screaming that Lauren was nothing like Melanie?
“Thanks for telling me about your past with Melanie. I’ll be on the lookout for misdirected tennis balls. Speaking of which, we’d better get ready.”
Lauren emerged from the ensuite bath after changing into a white tennis skirt and matching tank top to find Rafe waiting for her. If her rusty playing skills weren’t enough of a handicap, now she’d have to try to focus on her game while facing the very sexy distraction Rafe presented in a white polo shirt and shorts.
Rafe in competitive mode on a tennis court was a sight to behold. Beautifully honed muscles flexed as he attacked hard. His skill on the court more than made up for her deficit, but she was pleasantly surprised to find she could still hold her own.
It didn’t take her long to get into the rhythm of the game, and they soon had the Paynes on the defensive. As the points racked up in their favor, the Paynes’ game turned dirty. Lauren found herself the target of a brutal backhand Melanie fired her way.
So that was the way she wanted to play it, hmmm , Lauren fumed, sending the ball whizzing back across the net. She could give as good as she got, and she did just that. She wasn’t about to let the fashion-plate blonde best her.
“Great shot, agapi mou ,” Rafe complimented with a wink in her direction that made her heart leap. It wasn’t long before they easily won the match.
“Nicely played, Mrs. Dimitriou,” Rafe murmured before rewarding her with a passionate kiss.
The for-appearances’-sake kiss was the antithesis to the chaste one he’d marked their marriage with. Her toes curled with the intensity of it. When he finally broke away, her heart was racing faster than it had been when she was pursuing Melanie’s volleys.
“Good game, Payne,” Rafe offered, shaking the other man’s hand.
Sweaty and flustered, Milton let his smooth veneer slip for an instant. An angry scowl creased his face, revealing the ugliness beneath. “Obviously Lauren could give Melanie some pointers. My wife’s game was pathetically lacking today.”
“How could I concentrate when I broke a nail?” Melanie whined.
Milton ignored her, swinging his racket in agitation. “There’s plenty of time for a rematch before
“Just how personal?”
“Milton helped himself to my fiancée.”
“You were engaged to Melanie? No wonder animosity was radiating off her in waves when you introduced me as your wife.”
“I’m not proud to admit I came close to marrying her.” He’d already made up his mind to call off the engagement when his father had confronted him with evidence of Melanie’s deceitfulness. The irrefutable evidence the private investigator had gathered proving his fiancée was having an affair with his ex‒business partner had only reinforced his decision.
“Can I ask you something?” Lauren inquired.
“Sure.”
“I’m curious about what drew you to Melanie. She’s gorgeous, that part I get. But I know you’re not that superficial, so there had to be something more to make you want to marry her.”
“There was. At least I thought so. Thankfully I awoke to my mistake before it was too late. I realized the woman I’d fallen for didn’t really exist. Melanie’s smoke-and-mirrors act fooled me for a while, but it wasn’t long before I caught on to the fact that she wasn’t in love with me, only the lifestyle I could provide her with. She deliberately set out to create a persona she knew I’d fall for.”
“How sad.”
“Actually, I consider it a lucky escape.”
And he’d vowed never to be played like that again. But Lauren had deftly wormed her way past his defenses. That made the two women birds of a feather, didn’t it? So why was his gut screaming that Lauren was nothing like Melanie?
“Thanks for telling me about your past with Melanie. I’ll be on the lookout for misdirected tennis balls. Speaking of which, we’d better get ready.”
Lauren emerged from the ensuite bath after changing into a white tennis skirt and matching tank top to find Rafe waiting for her. If her rusty playing skills weren’t enough of a handicap, now she’d have to try to focus on her game while facing the very sexy distraction Rafe presented in a white polo shirt and shorts.
Rafe in competitive mode on a tennis court was a sight to behold. Beautifully honed muscles flexed as he attacked hard. His skill on the court more than made up for her deficit, but she was pleasantly surprised to find she could still hold her own.
It didn’t take her long to get into the rhythm of the game, and they soon had the Paynes on the defensive. As the points racked up in their favor, the Paynes’ game turned dirty. Lauren found herself the target of a brutal backhand Melanie fired her way.
So that was the way she wanted to play it, hmmm , Lauren fumed, sending the ball whizzing back across the net. She could give as good as she got, and she did just that. She wasn’t about to let the fashion-plate blonde best her.
“Great shot, agapi mou ,” Rafe complimented with a wink in her direction that made her heart leap. It wasn’t long before they easily won the match.
“Nicely played, Mrs. Dimitriou,” Rafe murmured before rewarding her with a passionate kiss.
The for-appearances’-sake kiss was the antithesis to the chaste one he’d marked their marriage with. Her toes curled with the intensity of it. When he finally broke away, her heart was racing faster than it had been when she was pursuing Melanie’s volleys.
“Good game, Payne,” Rafe offered, shaking the other man’s hand.
Sweaty and flustered, Milton let his smooth veneer slip for an instant. An angry scowl creased his face, revealing the ugliness beneath. “Obviously Lauren could give Melanie some pointers. My wife’s game was pathetically lacking today.”
“How could I concentrate when I broke a nail?” Melanie whined.
Milton ignored her, swinging his racket in agitation. “There’s plenty of time for a rematch before
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