I pull the robe around me more tightly. “That’s right. Can I help you?”
“I’m R.J. Banks.” He looks at me expectantly. “We spoke on the phone.”
I search my brain for the name. Recognition slowly dawns. “You’re Josh’s lawyer.”
“That’s right, and as his lawyer, we need to talk.” His eyes narrow a fraction. “I’m sure you know why.”
Dread washes over me, sending a flush of ice through my veins. He knows. Of course, he knows. It wouldn’t take any lawyer with his retainer much to learn more about me. About my history.
About the skeletons that are in my closet and won’t ever leave.
I should have known they’d come back to haunt me. Maybe part of me did. I’d just hoped the ink would have already been dried on the annulment papers when they finally came out.
That way, Josh would know I wasn’t one more person trying to take advantage of him.
Now, it’s too late. Or is it? There’s still one thing I can do.
I push the door open wider and step back, motioning the suit inside.
“Can I get you anything to drink?” I ask. “This might take some time.”
SEVEN
JOSH
People keep smiling at me.
It isn’t until the tenth stranger flashes their teeth at me that I realize why. I catch my reflection in a store window and do a double-take at the man grinning back at me.
Can you blame me?
Yesterday was unforgettable. Last night was… fucking incredible.
It wasn’t just the sex, though, as far as that went—and it went pretty damn far—it was on a whole new level. But somehow, in one day and two nights together, I feel more connected to Tina than I ever have to any other person.
She makes me laugh. She makes me think. She makes me feel seen and heard for who I am. Not what’s in my bank account.
That’s what had me slipping out of bed while she was still smiling in her sleep. Wondering if she was dreaming about me, I pulled on some clean clothes and grabbed my wallet to make a run for some coffee.
I’m sure I could call down to housekeeping for some, but I want to show Tina she’s worth the effort.
We still have twenty-four hours before our meeting with my lawyer. And that has me thinking about how we should spend the day.
I don’t know what we have planned for our day. Maybe we can grab brunch somewhere near the strip and go for a walk after. I can take her to see the fountains. She might want to go to a show.
Maybe we can have a lazy day in bed. Tina can read her horoscopes and do puzzles on her phone. I can watch the video about aquatic systems during the Roman Empire. We can curl up together, listening to a podcast and drinking our coffees and just… coexist.
I can’t remember the last time I sat and just relaxed. I can’t remember the last time I wanted to. There’s always something I need to do or should do.
Right now, the only thing I want to do is spend more time with this woman.
And maybe reevaluate whether or not an annulment is necessary.
As if sensing I’m thinking about legal matters, my lawyer’s name flashes on my phone.
“R.J.,” I answer. “About the papers I asked you to put together. I’m thinking?—”
“I’m glad I got through to you. There are some things you need to know about the woman you married.”
