Comical how she played this off as being worried about my reputation. "I have plenty of experience slipping past cameras, Lainey. I came to talk to you."
She hugged her purse to her chest, and her cheeks were the color of a summer sunset. Her lip snuck its way between her teeth as she asked, "Why are you here?"
Her eyebrows dipped in the center in a painful expression. I didn't have a number to call ahead. Price gave me the address, not her number, or else maybe I would have called to be polite. But maybe not. It was hard enough to gear myself up for this.
"You're my wife, remember?" Her nervous energy seemed to be catching. I lowered my hands and slid them into my pockets as I swallowed around a knot forming in my throat. I should've done this immediately when I first got lectured by my parents. If we'd only exchanged numbers or something back then it would have been easier.
As it stood, I was fighting off my urges. Lainey was hot, and not just in the physical sense. Most women threw themselves at me, and she was one who wanted to get away from me, or so it seemed. It made her feel unattainable, and it made me want to chase her until I conquered her and she wanted me. Which I knew was wrong, but my dick didn't care.
My eyes dropped to her hand, which was trembling as she held the purse to her chest. I noticed the ring I put on her finger that night was no longer there. Of course, she'd remove the ring. The wedding was just a farce to put on a show, which I wasn'tsure whether she'd followed through with or not. Based on how shocked she was to see me, I was betting no.
But the ring on my finger was very real, and very much still on my finger.
I kept my hands buried in my pockets as my own cheeks warmed, and I decided that my own subconscious was playing tricks on me. Why hadn't I removed the ring yet? I wanted her, but it meant nothing, right?
After a few seconds of awkward silence, I said, "I came to talk about the annulment." The words were hard to spit out, not only because of how they reminded me of my own failure, but also because they left a bitter taste in my mouth. This woman had been treated so poorly by her ex that she’d ended up in a drunken rebound that wound up like this, with us hitched. Now I was probably adding insult to injury by throwing her to the side too.
And I actually cared.
"Yes, I get it. It's just..." Her eyes flicked nervously at a Toyota sedan parked a few spaces down. "I was on my way to do something just now, and..."
"It's okay. I get it. We don't have to do it here. I could stop by your place later and..."
A loud thumping bass vibrated through the entire alley as a massive black Range Rover rolled into the parking lot behind the bakery. I looked up at the flashy neon glow under the front end, barely visible with the sun still up so high, and I knew whoever it was, they were one of those show-off types who wanted the attention. Sort of like me.
"Oh God," Lainey mumbled, and took a step back. "Kade, you have to leave."
"What? Why?" I asked, chuckling. Lainey was embarrassed to be seen with me? I knew it sounded arrogant, but shouldn't that have been the other way around? I was the celebrity and she was the nobody.
But the way the blood drained from her face and the way that Rover rocked right up and stopped beside us told me enough.
The window dropped slowly and a blond-haired, green-eyed pretty boy leaned out the window with a scowl on his face. His elbow hung over the sill and his eyes danced over the two of us like he was inspecting me for faults, then he looked directly at Lainey and pursed his lips.
"Hey, baby, you okay?"
The instant he spoke I knew who he was, and a shot of dread washed through me. This was the infamous jerk of an ex-fiancé who had broken her heart. With a car like that I knew he came from money just like me, and the way he glared at me I could see he was feeling territorial.
"Brandon," Lainey hissed, much the same way she had hissed my name only seconds ago. She had that deer-in-headlights expression as he opened the door and slid out of this fancy luxury SUV holding a bouquet of long-stemmed red roses. It put me to shame.
This douche brought her flowers. Why? Did he really think she was going to fall for something that vain? He slept with the stripper at his bachelor party. Lainey was never going to fall for some fake apology. She was principled and headstrong, and she was smart. And while my pulse raced and I fought myself backfrom decking the jerk, she held up her hand and proved me right.
"I'm fine, Brandon. Thank you." He held the flowers out toward her but she backed away, refusing to take them. "You shouldn’t be here."
I almost laughed, God help me.
Seeing him get put in his place made my day. He didn't deserve her at all. Lainey was perfect and pure and all that was good in the world, and men like Brandon Whateverhisnamewas didn't live up to the standard she set just by breathing.
His eyes locked on me for a second before he turned back to her with a hardened glower now. "What's the fancy rich boy here for?"
I could assume that was a jab based on the fact that I was leaning against a six hundred thousand dollar vehicle, but I saw the recognition in his eyes. He knew who I was, even if he wasn't willing to admit it out loud.
"Kade's uh... he's..." Lainey failed to come up with any excuse. Meanwhile I silently slipped the ring from my finger and refrained from talking to him, but I did rub my chin methodically, looking down my nose at him.
He might've come from some money, but nothing compared to my family. If this were a pissing contest to claim ownership over her, I'd win hands down. But I didn't feel threatened. I knew what he'd done to her, and she’d just rejected him right in front of me. Not to mention I was actively married to her, and?—
And oh God, what was I thinking?
I stood there as I realized what I was doing in my own head. Defending her, posturing like an idiot. I liked her.
