quietly admitted.
This was news. “What?"
She nodded before meeting his gaze. “You and the guys were out back cooking the ribs. She was in the kitchen with me and Edina and Laura. She was on her third beer or something. The other two were talking about their husbands. She made this really bitchy remark about how you were getting fat and started making fun of you. I dropped a glass on the floor, pretended it was an accident."
Fat? Hell, he'd been five pounds lighter then than he was now. And now he was only pudgy around the mid-section, not obese. But next to Kaden's trim body he looked huge. “Why?"
"To shut her up. If I didn't, I was going to slap her.” She took a deep breath. “I wanted to tell her she wasn't good enough for you. That she didn't deserve you. That she didn't know how to treat a man right."
Thank God he was in the water, because he hardened. Hopefully she couldn't see. He didn't know what to say. “Oh."
"I hated her.” Now it was out. Even after he filed for divorce from Jackie, Leah had never openly bad-mouthed her, although it was obvious she didn't like her. Leah's voice filled with emotion. “I didn't like Kelly or Paula either. At least Kelly seemed to care about you at the beginning. I despised Jackie. I was so glad you divorced her."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah.” Her voice dropped lower. “You spent more time with us when you weren't married. I know that's selfish of me but...” She finally shrugged.
Jackie hadn't been fond of Leah either. In fact, Seth had angrily defended Leah in a private argument while Kaden's house was being built. Jackie tossed out the accusation that Leah was trying to seduce him. “You should see the way she looks at you,” Jackie had said. “Almost the way she looks at her husband. It's disgusting.” He'd told Jackie she was drunk and imagining things.
What had been disgusting was his divorce, trying to ignore the stinging truth that he was only a meal ticket for her, the rumors of her catting around, and having to start over.
And now...
Kaden's voice startled him. “I told you she's always taken good care of you.” He walked over and sat at the edge of the pool with Leah, brushed a stray hair out of her face. He kissed her forehead and she closed her eyes and leaned against him.
What the fuck do you say in a case like that?
Seth didn't know, so he stayed silent.
"She spent more than one night in a gag after you left with one of those women, didn't you, sweetheart?"
Leah smiled and nodded.
"Gag?"
"She wouldn't shut up about how much she hated them, that they weren't good enough for you. On and on. There were a few nights I gagged her to shut her up."
Seth laughed despite the twisted knot in his stomach. “This is twenty kinds of über-creepy, you realize that, right?"
Kaden shrugged. “I told you, you've starred in her fantasies more times than I can count."
Okay, make that fifty kinds of über-creepy.
Leah blushed but she smiled again. “I've always thought that girl you guys shared that time was a lucky woman."
Now Seth blushed. Even in the cool water he knew he had to be beet red. “Dude, you told her about that?"
"Why not? It happened before I met her. She was curious."
Über-creepy was quickly giving way to whacked-out weird.
Kaden sensed Seth was at the end of his emotional rope again. He stood and gently tugged on Leah's hand. “Let's leave him alone, sweetheart. We've got a lot to do this weekend, there's plenty of time to talk later."
She stood. “Good night, Seth."
He dumbly nodded, sinking further in the water, watched them return to their room through the sliders.
Lucky woman?
He wouldn't deny the fantasy had crossed his mind on more than one occasion about a three-way with Leah, but those were limited to his solo sessions when he needed a little extra umph over the hump, so to speak.
Never something he would have seriously contemplated.
He started swimming again, trying to drown Leah's words out of his head.
* * * *
A
This was news. “What?"
She nodded before meeting his gaze. “You and the guys were out back cooking the ribs. She was in the kitchen with me and Edina and Laura. She was on her third beer or something. The other two were talking about their husbands. She made this really bitchy remark about how you were getting fat and started making fun of you. I dropped a glass on the floor, pretended it was an accident."
Fat? Hell, he'd been five pounds lighter then than he was now. And now he was only pudgy around the mid-section, not obese. But next to Kaden's trim body he looked huge. “Why?"
"To shut her up. If I didn't, I was going to slap her.” She took a deep breath. “I wanted to tell her she wasn't good enough for you. That she didn't deserve you. That she didn't know how to treat a man right."
Thank God he was in the water, because he hardened. Hopefully she couldn't see. He didn't know what to say. “Oh."
"I hated her.” Now it was out. Even after he filed for divorce from Jackie, Leah had never openly bad-mouthed her, although it was obvious she didn't like her. Leah's voice filled with emotion. “I didn't like Kelly or Paula either. At least Kelly seemed to care about you at the beginning. I despised Jackie. I was so glad you divorced her."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah.” Her voice dropped lower. “You spent more time with us when you weren't married. I know that's selfish of me but...” She finally shrugged.
Jackie hadn't been fond of Leah either. In fact, Seth had angrily defended Leah in a private argument while Kaden's house was being built. Jackie tossed out the accusation that Leah was trying to seduce him. “You should see the way she looks at you,” Jackie had said. “Almost the way she looks at her husband. It's disgusting.” He'd told Jackie she was drunk and imagining things.
What had been disgusting was his divorce, trying to ignore the stinging truth that he was only a meal ticket for her, the rumors of her catting around, and having to start over.
And now...
Kaden's voice startled him. “I told you she's always taken good care of you.” He walked over and sat at the edge of the pool with Leah, brushed a stray hair out of her face. He kissed her forehead and she closed her eyes and leaned against him.
What the fuck do you say in a case like that?
Seth didn't know, so he stayed silent.
"She spent more than one night in a gag after you left with one of those women, didn't you, sweetheart?"
Leah smiled and nodded.
"Gag?"
"She wouldn't shut up about how much she hated them, that they weren't good enough for you. On and on. There were a few nights I gagged her to shut her up."
Seth laughed despite the twisted knot in his stomach. “This is twenty kinds of über-creepy, you realize that, right?"
Kaden shrugged. “I told you, you've starred in her fantasies more times than I can count."
Okay, make that fifty kinds of über-creepy.
Leah blushed but she smiled again. “I've always thought that girl you guys shared that time was a lucky woman."
Now Seth blushed. Even in the cool water he knew he had to be beet red. “Dude, you told her about that?"
"Why not? It happened before I met her. She was curious."
Über-creepy was quickly giving way to whacked-out weird.
Kaden sensed Seth was at the end of his emotional rope again. He stood and gently tugged on Leah's hand. “Let's leave him alone, sweetheart. We've got a lot to do this weekend, there's plenty of time to talk later."
She stood. “Good night, Seth."
He dumbly nodded, sinking further in the water, watched them return to their room through the sliders.
Lucky woman?
He wouldn't deny the fantasy had crossed his mind on more than one occasion about a three-way with Leah, but those were limited to his solo sessions when he needed a little extra umph over the hump, so to speak.
Never something he would have seriously contemplated.
He started swimming again, trying to drown Leah's words out of his head.
* * * *
A
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