All those old feelings welled up. The dopamine hit that had come from puzzling out where my target was, serving the papers, the witty comeback in Spanish, the urge to drink champagne and make love ...
“So I got home after midnight. Didn’t turn on the lights because I wanted it to be a surprise. Stripped down to my birthday suit and slid into bed to surprise him ...”
Malone’s eyes dilated ever so slightly. His jaw worked with the effort it took not to interject. His gaze suggested he would’ve loved to have been in that bed waiting for me. At this point, I wished I could go back in time and put him there instead. Maybe trace that tattoo on his bicep—
“And?”
His question jarred me back to reality.
Focus, Stella.
“And when I slid into bed, there was another woman in my place. Literally. At first, I thought Ken was sleeping in the middle of the bed again. I reached for him. Just as the scent of vanilla suggested my mistake, my hand found a naked breast.”
He winced.
“A younger, perkier breast on a younger, more svelte woman who had the audacity to not only be sleeping with my partner but also be doing so on my side of the bed.”
“That’s . . .”
“The sort of thing that only happens in books?” I swallowed more wine than I should’ve, but as raw as the memory still felt, I felt lighter for the confession.
“I was going to go with ‘horrific.’ ‘Unfair.’ ‘Rage inducing.’”
“And mortifying.”
“I don’t see whyyoushould be embarrassed.”
“It’s bad enough to have your longtime boyfriend cheat on you, but the true mortification comes from having ever trusted him in the first place. Even worse, we worked together. I put so much effort into the business and our home, and I don’t have a share in any of it because I never officially married him. To top it all off, we financed the car in his name because my credit was so bad, and now he’s being a jackass about signing the title over to me. I feel so ... stupid.”
“You aren’t stupid. He’s an asshole,” Malone practically sputtered. “I have half a mind topersuadehim to be more reasonable. With my fists.”
“Only if you let me at the idiot who said those ridiculous things about your eyes.”
He looked down, and I was sorry I’d brought it up.
The next few seconds stretched like an eon, but his hearty exhale told me he’d come to some kind of decision, one that blessedly brought his eyes up to meet mine. He held out his free hand, the one notattached to the arm that was still serving as a kitten bed. “How about if I run across your ex, then I get to punch him. If you run across my ex, you can punch her.”
“Deal.” I took his hand, then inclined my head toward the puzzle piece on the wall. “But I don’t punch. What I do will be far worse.”
His eyes widened. “I’m going to add ‘terrifying’ to my list of adjectives for you. I can’t tell if I’m frightened or aroused or ... yes.”
I couldn’t help but give him my scariest smile. “I use my powers for good. Mostly.”
“Aroused. Definitely aroused. Are you sure we can’t add some benefits to this pizza situation?”
I could’ve taken the kitten from the cradle of his arm and escorted him to my bedroom. Fun would’ve been had by all, but would I still love me tomorrow?
I sighed deeply. “Honestly? There’s a part of me that would love to take you up on that offer, but ...”
“But what?”
But you are married to another woman, a woman who has hired me to use my special set of skills to bring karma to your front door.
“One, I made a promise to myself. Two, we’re both on the rebound. Three—by your own admission—you’re leaving soon.”
And are married.
“True,” he said. “But we could work things out while being friends. With benefits.”
