He tooka sip of wine, appraising her. “Because I loved you. Why else?”
Hereyebrows squeezed to her hairline. “‘Loved’? As in past tense?”
With aneye-roll, he said, “You know what I mean. Don’t look for drama that’s notthere.”
Sheopened her mouth only to close it again.
“Itwasn’t for your ability to pick lots, that’s for damn sure.” He smirked.
“What?”Her cheeks heated from the rebuke. No matter how playfully he tried to presentit, it was definitely a rebuke. A poke at her dream of building houses from theground up, creating new homes from dirt, taking eyesores and razing them—likethe property she’d shown him. She was still kicking herself for driving himpast it when he’d been dog-tired, when he’d looked at it through a jet-laggedlens and pointed out everything wrong with it, dismantling her vision brick bybrick.
Hisexpression softened. “I’m just trying to protect you from costly mistakes.Remember, you have a lot less experience at this sort of thing than I do.”
“Whatabout the one you told me to pass on last year?” Her voice began rising. “Itjust sold for a small fortune. I could have built that. That could’vebeen my small fortune.” That deal poked at her like a scratchy garmenttag, persistent and inescapable, and she couldn’t tear it away.
Adriansighed. “Luck.”
“Itwasn’t luck. It was imagination and hard work.”
Hestood and kissed her cheek. “Let it go, sweetheart. There’ll be others.”
She bitdown on her thumb, holding her inner grumbles in check. No disharmony of anykind tonight. Maybe Adrian was right. After all, he knew so much more thanshe did. What he did, he did for her, driven by his concern. Of course.
Aftershe loaded the dishwasher and set pans to soak in the sink, she curled upbeside him on the couch, intent on distracting him from watching business news.She kissed him and dragged his hand up her body. Fondling her through herclothes, he kissed her back, soothing her ruffled feathers until he pulledaway.
“Sweetheart,I have to check email.” He pecked her lips.
“I’llfinish up in the kitchen and meet you in the bedroom.” She smiled at himseductively.
Paigepadded back to the dirty pots and cleaned them quickly, then locked the doorsand turned off the lights. When she got to the bedroom, he’d already climbedunder the covers and drifted off.
With adrawn-out sigh, she slid in beside him and lay on her back in silence, herfingers laced over the quilt she’d pulled over her chest. A streetlight bathedthe room in blue-white shadows, setting objects aglow like the bridge of avessel traveling in deep space in a sci-fi movie.
Adrian’sbare back faced her, and she ran her hand across his warm skin. She rolledtoward him and caressed his side, his stomach. When she headed south, his handcaptured hers and hauled it back up.
Awakeafter all.
Hekissed her fingertips. “Wake me up early, and I’ll take care of you properly,you little sex fiend.” His back rumbled with a laugh.
Didwanting your husband after he’d been gone make you a sex fiend? Was her libidoout of control? Like Mom. She shuddered at the thought.
Paigepunched her pillow and rolled onto her back, giving Adrian space—he hated beingcrowded in bed. If only she could sleep. As she lay there wide-eyed, her mindwandered to a time when nightly lovemaking was a given. Back then, shestruggled at her business and worked nonstop, coaxing tiny sparks ofopportunity to catch on fire. Now her business was blazing even as her marriagewas faltering. She needed to blow on those embers too and fan them into a fire.How perfect her world would be if both home and work hummed along in parallel.
Squeezingher eyes shut, she pushed the thought away for another day.
.~ * * * ~.
Beckett boarded his Denver flight, stuffing himself in aneconomy-class middle seat with no place to put his legs. No charter flight, nofirst-class seat this time.
Unableto sleep, he plugged in his earbuds and stared at the lit seat belt sign abovehim, trying to ignore the fat guy wedged against him from the aisle seat andthe one in the window seat who probably hadn’t bathed in a year. Beckett blewout an extended breath.
Hismind returned to his downward spiral. If he were honest with himself, it hadbegun soon after he started with LA ten years ago, when he’d been injured.Scared shitless he’d lose his job, he popped pills and played through the pain.It had been easy to do and even easier to justify. After that came therecreational drugs. He’d been at one of those parties where he’d been dazzledby so many fucking hotties he’d corkscrewed his neck looking at them all. Amongthem, he’d recognized a dark-eyed swimsuit model whose glossy magazine spreadhad been his inspiration for many a jack-off session. He’d gawked, just gawked,incredulous he breathed the same air she did. When she’d come on to him,he’d been marble-mouthed, uncomfortably aware of how outclassed he was. She’dlaughed and led him to the bathroom, where she’d given him his first taste ofcocaine—and a damn fine blow job. He’d been awed she’d deemed him worthy.
He’dnever seen her again, but it hadn’t mattered. Over the years, he’d gainedconfidence on and off the ice. As his own celebrity grew—aided in partby his reputation as the “Iron Man” who could play every game—a long line ofwomen had followed. Beautiful actresses, lingerie models, and Playboy Playmateshe’d never imagined being with before offered themselves up on platinumplatters. So long as he was ready to party and buy whatever they wanted—drugs,jewelry, cars, private jet rides, wild times, pieces of whatever lame-assedventure they were peddling—they were his for the picking. They’d used him, andhe’d used them. He’d been too stupid—or too addicted to the good time hechased—to understand how expertly they were working him, until the day he’dgrasped he was giving up far more than he got. By the time that epiphanystruck, he was too far gone.
Suckedinto a vicious, wicked whirlpool, he had no idea how to climb out.
Athunderbolt zapped him, and he jerked in his too-tight seat. Mom. Tearssprang to his eyes. Fuck! Where had that come from? Was she watching fromheaven? He hoped not. No, Mom would not be proud of her oldest son.
Despitethe millions
