But it had to be agony for Beth.
How had Copper found out? There’s no way Beth told him. At the very least, she’d have mentioned it so they could run through the pros and cons. Plus, she’d seemed as stunned as Saint by the course of events. He refused to believe Gator spilled the beans. As mouthy and unpredictable as that crazy man was, he’d never out Saint that way.So who?Did someone see them together? It didn’t seem possible. They were beyond careful, spending all their time behind closed doors.
He sighed. It was a question for later. Now he had to figure out how to comfort Beth.
When they arrived at his house, she broke contact and left the car without a word. He followed up to his front door, then inside, all without talking.
“I’m going to take a shower,” she said, finally breaking her silence. She spoke in a flat, lifeless tone and carried herself as though beaten down and exhausted. After her announcement, she walked straight into the primary bathroom.
Ten minutes. He’d give her ten minutes before barging in and demanding she tell him what was happening in her head.
As he listened to the shower turn on, he went to his bar cart and poured himself a healthy shot of tequila. After downing it, he poured another, this time a double. They both needed something to dull the edges of pain and shock.
After another minute, his phone chimed with a text from Gator.
Gator: It was Melody.
Christ, Melody was the one to tell Copper. Of course, she fucking ratted them out.
But why? What the fuck did she gain by blowing up so many lives?
What a shit show.
He pinched the bridge of his nose and breathed in and out, trying to calm the raging storm in his bloodstream. The first order of business was to console Beth. They could worry about Melody’s motivation and how to fix this catastrophe later. He set his phone on the back of the couch and stripped his clothes off right there in the den, leaving a pile for later. Then he grabbed the glass of tequila and walked naked toward his en suite bathroom.
Beth had shut the door, which she didn’t usually do. More often than not, they showered together, but even when they cleaned up separately, she left the door open. He loved watching while she was in his shower. Light and steam came from thebottom of the door, while the sound of rushing water called to him. He reached out and twisted the doorknob. It turned with ease.At least she hadn’t locked him out.
“Thank fuck.” He’d tear it off the hinges if he needed to, but it wasn’t his preference.
Warm steam engulfed him as he entered the space. He fanned it away with a few swipes of his hand. As the room cleared, the sight before him cracked his heart in two. Beth stood in the center of the shower, her back to the spray and her face buried in her hands. Her shoulders shook with the force of her sobs.
Fuck no. This was unacceptable.
Saint opened the walk-in shower door and stepped into the warm stall with Beth. She didn’t so much as glance up when he moved in front of her, showing how lost she was in the sorrow.
Fuck, he hoped he never had to hear the gut-wrenching sound of her crying again.
“Baby…” he said, in a low tone so as not to startle her.
She dropped her hands and peered up at him with her gorgeous, red-rimmed eyes filled with gallons of sadness and pain.
He couldn’t keep from touching her a second longer. He set his drink on the built-in ledge, then wrapped his arms around her and cradled her against him as she wept. Her body jerked every few seconds as her breath hitched from the force of her sobs.
“I’m so sorry,” she eventually whispered, voice agonized.
What?She wassorry?
“Christ, Beth, what the fuck are you apologizing for?” he asked as he gently moved her a step back. He smoothed wet strands of hair off her forehead and handed her the glass of tequila. “Drink this.”
She swallowed half in one gulp, eyes locked with his. His dick stirred when her lips hit the glass, then thickened as her throat swallowed the liquid. “Your turn.” She handed him the glass.
“I already had some. That’s for you.”
“Please,” she said, still offering it to him. Her eyes darkened with need. “I want to taste it on you.”
His gut clenched, and his cock went from semi to rock-hard. An army of soldiers couldn’t keep him from fulfilling that request. He brought the glass to his lips and poured the rest of the tequila down his throat, staring at her as he swallowed. Then he set the empty glass back on the shelf next to his shampoo.
Beth raised on her tiptoes, and he grabbed the back of her head, pressing his mouth to hers. He immediately plunged his tongue inside, giving her a taste of the tequila on him and tasting it on her as well.
