Shefixed her green-fire eyes on his. “Nothing’s changed—the divorce is still on.”
Heturned. Now what? Get the hell out of here? Stay and fight through it? Hehad no idea. All new territory. He couldn’t even sort out his own chaoticfeelings. Like a yoyo on a master’s string, he plummeted into an abyss of hisown anguish only to be wrenched back up to Mega-Pissed-Off-World, lurchingalong the way at Support-Andie-Station.
Up,down. Up, down. Herky-jerky.
Tappinghis fingers against the door frame, he struggled to tamp down his fury andhurt, praying what she said next was powerful enough to soothe the zips andzaps exploding in his bloodstream. It wasn’t.
“Ididn’t tell you I was going over there because you get so aggravated whenever Imention him, and I wasn’t planning to be there more than a few minutes anyway.”
“Sowhat you did is somehow my fault now?” He crossed his arms,waiting, his anger surging, his stomach roiling like an angry sea.
“That’snot what I said.” Her shoulders sagged on a sigh. “I only went to get some ofmy stuff back. I didn’t intend to spend a minute longer than I needed to.”
Shepressed a tissue to her nose. “He pulled out a bottle of wine we bought for ourten-year anniversary, and he was … God, he cried, and I felt so bad for him …”she trailed off.
Beckett’sback went ramrod straight, as though a bolt of lightning fused it. “Jesus! Youcouldn’t see what he was doing? He manipulated the hell out of you—andyou let him. Your words, not mine. And then you gave him everything hewanted. Even after everything he did to you, you felt sorry for themotherfucker, and you fucked him out of pity!”
Howthe fuck could she do that?
Herwaterworks were full-on as she stared at him, but he didn’t care. This crazybullshit that had him coming and going six ways from Sunday was done. Over.
Hethundered out.
CHAPTER 20
Tempted
Holding up two fingers, Beckett slid onto a stool and noddedwhen Lexa pointed at the Breckenridge bottle. Maybe he could get the bad tasteout of his mouth and erase all memory of what a fucking idiot he’d been. Hell,if Andie was handing out mercy fucks, he should’ve been first in line. But no.She had to go and sleep with that pompous asshole.
“Wherehave you been, handsome?” Lexa placed his double on a napkin.
Heraised his glass and took a slow sip. “Working. Out of town.”
“Playinghockey?”
“Nope.Slaving at a real job.”
“That’stoo bad.”
“Itpays the bills.”
Lexamoved away to take more orders. Beckett’s eyes were roving over the crowd whena woman across the bar caught his eye. She was slinky, with dark hair pulledoff her striking Egyptian features in a ponytail that went halfway down herback. She wore a short skirt, and when she crossed her long, high-heeled legs,she flashed him.
Egyptmotioned Lexa over. They bent their heads together; Lexa glanced over hershoulder at Beckett, her lips curling up on one side. She nodded at Egypt andstepped away. Beckett continued surveying the bar, but every time his gazewandered back to Egypt, her black eyes were fixed on him.
Lexabrought him another double.
Hepointed at the drink. “Did I order this?”
“No, shedid.” Lexa motioned to Egypt, who licked her lips. Slowly. “Name’s Victoria. Gointroduce yourself, cowboy.”
“Is shewith you?”
Lexasmirked. “I wish. I’m not her type. But apparently you are, you lucky dog, andif you’re a good boy, I’ll bet all my tip money she’ll be with youtonight.”
Hepicked up his drink and sauntered to the stool beside Egypt. What did Lexa sayher name was? “This seat taken?”
“It isnow.”
“Thanksfor the drink. That was a nice surprise,” he laughed. “I’m Beckett, by theway.”
“Iknow.” She laid a hand on his arm and leaned in, giving him an eyeful of titshe was pretty damn sure weren’t entirely created by nature. “I’m Victoria,” shebreathed in his ear. “The surprise is that you’re alone, and that more womenaren’t buying you drinks.”
Wow.Okay. His egopicked itself up and began dusting itself off.
Shecontinued in a low purr. “Of course, as often as I’ve seen you check yourphone, maybe you left someone at home?”
“Work.”He shrugged and slipped the phone in his pocket. “No more work.”
“Oooh,lucky me.” She smiled, slow and seductive.
Theyspent the next little while drinking and dancing, and Lexa kept the drinkscoming. Veronica—or was it Valerie?—liked the slow ones, and though thereweren’t many, she made sure they danced them all. Hell, after a few morecocktails, she danced the fast ones slow, grinding against him. He didn’tcomplain.
Whenthe chick headed to the ladies’ room, Beckett and Lexa eyed her swaying ass.
“Thatgirl’s into blow. I can hook you up,” Lexa offered.
He sippedhis drink, picturing hiking up the miniscule piece of leather stretched acrossEgypt’s ass, arguing with himself. Buying Lexa’s coke didn’t mean he’dhave to partake.
Hislungs deflated a bit. “Yeah, sure. Why not?”
He losttrack of time—being shit-faced helped—and found himself in an elevator withVictoria-Valerie climbing him like he was a fourteener, her tongue halfway downhis throat. It was smokin’ hot. Or it should have been. Maybe he needed thecocaine after all to counteract the booze and get his engine revving.
Whenshe led him into her apartment, she showed him the bar and excused herself. Hepoured their drinks and dumped the cocaine on her glass coffee table. As he waschopping it and arranging it into neat lines, she emerged, her hair down, andlittle on other than lacy scraps and her very high heels.
Wow. Hewas in for one helluva night. Just what he needed.
Wasn’tit?
.~ * * * ~.
Paige startled awake, curled in a tight ball on her couch,where she’d passed out hours before from exhaustion. Her nose was stuffed, andher head ached. So did her heart. Rising up on an elbow, she reached for herphone: 2:12 a.m. No texts. No missed calls. Not that she’d expected to hearfrom Beckett, but she’d hoped his anger had blown over and he’d boomerang back.She’d seen his temper flare before, but nothing like the gale that had stormedout of her house.
Sheflopped back on the couch with an exhale, wishing for the millionth time thatshe could unwind the calamity she’d set in motion with one reckless moment.
Despair,guilt, and hollowing loss consumed her. She was a child again, awash
