Kylee shook her head. It wasn’t about Rio’s money. Jake had money. They lived in a nice house. She drove a nice car. But Rio made her feel something Jake never had. Jake made her feel like a chore like being her husband was an obligation, not a gift. Rio looked at her like she was art. Touched her like she was a blessing. Spoke to her like she was worth listening to. He didn’t think anything about her was gross. Not her body, not her past, not her emotions. Not even her most vulnerable moment.
Jake thought going down on her was nasty. But fucking his receptionist on a dirty office desk wasn’t? She felt her jawtighten. The truth was simple. She just wasn’t sure what came next. But she knew one thing. She wanted to go back to Rio.
Chapter 7
Mystery Woman no more.
Kylee’s phone buzzed in her lap as the Uber sped toward home. She glanced at the screen. Kelly.
She sighed, swiping to answer. “Hey.”
“Bitch!” Kelly screamed into the phone. “Did you see the headlines?!”
Kylee blinked. “What are you talking about?”
“Open the web. Just look. Now!”
Her heart dropped. She quickly pulled up a browser, her hands trembling. There it was the first thing on the screen.
“Mystery Woman Behind Idaho Sunshine Revealed Backstage Photo Shows Her Wrapped Around Rio Riot.”
The image was undeniable. There she was, legs wrapped around Rio’s waist, his hands on her ass, their lips locked in a kiss that screamed possession.
“Fuck,” Kylee yelled, her stomach turning. “Jake is going to see this!”
Her pulse pounded in her ears. There was no undoing this. The secret she tried to keep tucked away in L.A. had just blown up across every headline in the country. Her hands shook as she tried to scroll further, but the pictures only got worse Rio kissing her neck, his hand tangled in her hair, her head thrown back in what was clearly pleasure. It didn’t look like a one-time backstage flirtation. It looked like a love story. Or worse… a scandal!
“Kelly, what do I do?” Kylee said, her voice raw. “This… this wasn’t supposed to happen like this.”
Kelly was quiet for a second. “Do you regret it?”
Kylee looked out the window. They were almost home. Just a few more turns and she’d be back to her kids, back to Jake. Back to reality.
“No,” she said. “I just didn’t want it to be like this. I didn’t want to hurt anyone… especially the kids.”
“Well, Jake kind of blew that when he decided to screw his receptionist,” Kelly said sharply. “This is just karma putting on glitter.”
Kylee let out a shaky laugh. “Yeah, well, karma’s a bitch with a spotlight.”
The Uber pulled into her neighborhood, and her stomach twisted. She already saw two neighbors in their driveways, talking and looking at their phones.
Kelly’s voice dropped low. “Are you okay?”
“No,” Kylee admitted. “But I will be.”
As the car stopped in front of her house, she braced herself. The garage door was wide open. Jake’s car was still in the driveway.
Kylee ended the call, took a deep breath, and stepped out of the car. She felt the weight of the headlines already settling onto her shoulders. The woman who left as a wife and mother just became the center of a national tabloid firestorm. She knew the second she opened that front door, the fallout would begin.
Kylee stepped into the house as quietly as she could. Jake was in the kitchen with Jake Jr., zipping up his duffel bag and talking about the game. He hadn’t seen it yet. Her heart raced. She still had time. Maybe just a little longer before the storm reached him.
“I was thinking maybe we skip the game today,” she said, forcing calm into her voice as she set down her bag. “We could order pizza, watch a movie just hang out?”
Jake looked at her, confused. “What? No way. Jake Jr. has a big game today.”
Jake Jr. threw on his cap. “I gotta go, Mom. I can’t miss it.”
Kylee swallowed the lump in her throat. “Right. Of course. I’ll go get ready.”
