“Then what are you doing here? Why haven’t you gone across and confronted him yet?”
Aria believed showdowns were futile. If life with Jay taught her one thing, it was to seek revenge rather than make an ass of yourself. “I couldn’t.”
“Bullshit,” Kelly started, then grasped the basket from Aria’s hand, set it on the floor, and placed a hand on her hip. “Now, leave Prisha with me and go find out what the hell’s happening with your man. You’ve just discovered happiness, honey. Don’t let it walk away. Fight for what you want. Go.” Kelly stuck out her hand, her finger pointed toward the door, and blue gaze intense.
Aria swallowed. She’d never seen her friend this upset. “Sweetpea, please stay with Kelly for a few minutes.” She ran a hand through the child’s hair. “Mommy just needs to run across the street for something.”
“Okay,” Prisha answered half-heartedly. Her interest locked within the pages of the magazine.
“Thank you.” Aria dropped a quick kiss to Kelly’s cheek and hurried toward the exit.
Outside the diner, she halted and heaved tiny breaths to calm her shaking body. Once she was sure her heart would no longer implode, she climbed the steps to the entrance. However, the minute she stepped inside, and her searching gaze fell on Reece and his companion, her body heated once more. She stood her ground. He was deep in conversation with the woman. His face a mask of concern. Aria suddenly found her head abuzz with questions. Reece looked way too solemn. Who was this woman? She brought out a serious side to Reece that Aria hadn’t seen before. Were they a couple? Were they fighting?
Aria shook the buzz out of her head. With three long strides, she approached Reece’s table. As she neared him, he looked up and waved. An instant smile replaced his frown. He stood. “Hi, babe—”
“Don’t you hi babe me. Are you for real, Reece?” Her gaze riveted on his face, Aria fumed. “Play with one woman’s emotions while you bed another. Is that your game?” Her steely words elicited the desired response.
His eyes nearly popped out of their sockets in apparent shock. “What’s wrong, Aria?”
“What’s this Reece? Was I not good enough for you?” Out of the corner of her eye, Aria noticed the other patrons shift their attention toward Reece’s table. God alone knew what they were thinking.
The other woman cleared her throat with something akin to stifled laughter. “Aria?”
The soft feminine voice distracted Aria briefly. She spared the woman a hasty glance before switching back to Reece’s face. Then recognition dawned, and Aria swallowed. She turned slowly and gave the other woman her full attention. Nothing could’ve prepared Aria for the vision comfortable in the opposite chair.Oh, God, what have I done?She blinked in momentary confusion and focused fully on her cousin’s gorgeous face. “Samantha?”
“Hi.”
“Oh, shit,” Aria slapped a palm to her brow. Shame washed over her for a couple of agonizing kill-me-now seconds. Appalled at her lack of ethics, she snuck a peek at Reece. Instead of anger, he wore a self-satisfied grin. Her jealousy thrilled the man. “You two know each other?” She looked at her cousin, then Reece, and back at Samantha.Duh. Of course, they knew each other.Hadn’t she seen Reece at Samantha’s wedding? The thought registered as her cousin nodded.
“Samantha’s my sister-in-law, babe,” his sexy drawl stole her gaze once more.
“Wait. Reece is Cody’s playboy brother?”
“Yep. One and only.” Samantha nodded.
“Guess my reputation precedes me.” He uttered a throaty laugh. Aria grinned.
“Join us?” Her cousin gestured to a chair.
“What are you doing here?” She slipped into the seat.
“I wanted to visit my brother-in-law and see what mischief he’s been up to.”
“Oh, I’ve been up to plenty. Trust me.” Reece winked with a soft chuckle, reached for Aria’s hand, and gave it a gentle squeeze.
“Why am I not surprised.” Samantha chuckled. “Well, I’m glad you two met again.”
“What do you mean again?” Aria eyed her cousin suspiciously. “You knew about our first meeting? How?” She reddened.
“You planned this, didn’t you?” Reece’s shock was just as evident.
Samantha leaned back in her seat with a soft laugh. “To answer Aria’s question, yes. At my wedding, Reece told me he met a beautiful woman, but she disappeared. When he mentioned gray eyes, I knew it was you.” Her cousin smiled at Reece. “Aria and her dad are the only two people in our family with gray eyes. When I told him you were married...” She laughed. “In the time I’d known Reece, I’d never seen him so depressed. I believe he never fully recovered since meeting you.”
Aria grinned. “I guess our first meeting overwhelmed us a little.”
“A little? Not exactly the word I’d use.” He wiggled his brow playfully then for her cousin’s benefit, said, “We met the night before your wedding, and my bad boy status took a nasty beating.”
Samantha probably caught on, and her jaw dropped momentarily. “Reece, you didn’t?”
