“Theircriminalfather, El,” she argued, but pivoted at the resolve in Eliana’s eyes. “Why would he ever do something this stupid in the first place? You know Jesse has never been my favorite person, but the jackass hasalwaysbeen obsessed with you.”
“Well, that leads me back to my first request.”
“The security technology,” Clem mused, her eyes widening. “Or surveillance . . .Eliana.” Her tone grew delightfully scandalized as she whispered, “Are wespying?”
“Yes,” she stated, pulling out her phone. “I’ve put up three cameras, and I need some help getting the recordings to save. But my main issue is this pain-in-the-ass voice recording device I put in the bedroom. It doesn’t want to connect to my phone.”
“Let me see it,” Clem said, snatching the phone and clicking through the app settings as she brooded over Eliana’s words. “What exactly are you expecting to find? Because if you’re suggesting what I think you’re suggesting, then I have to say, we’re not going to need my friend. I’ll be taking care of shit tonight with or without your bless?—”
But before she’d even completed the thought, a familiar, husky,femalevoice burst through the speaker . . . live from Eliana’s bedroom.
8
VEGAS
Jesse
Jesse pulled into the drive and sighed at the missing car. He always hated it when Eliana traveled without him, but especially when she went to visit that obnoxious friend of hers.
He’d been trying since they were teenagers to convince Eliana to move on from that friendship, but Clem was like an addiction for his wife—a bad habit that, no matter how much he intervened, always managed to worm its way back into their lives.
She was loud, rude, and ridiculously secretive about her job. He knew she must be into some real shady shit, but to his eternal consternation, it was the one topic where his opinion never swayed his wife. Even when he brought up the negative influence Clem could be having on Abby and Zoey, Eliana simply scoffed at him—like the idea was ludicrous.
He pushed through their front door with a huff, pickingup the stack of letters on the edge of the counter and leafing through them. His fingers stilled when his eyes caught the credit card statement. He sucked in a breath, flipping it hastily to make sure it was still sealed.
He’d requested the company email digital statements,notpaper. He’d been so careful, making sure she could no longer see the activity on that account, and their mistake could’ve been catastrophic if Eliana had noticed. Frustrated, he made a mental note to call the company first thing in the morning.
Thankfully, Eliana was content to let him manage those tasks, though she occasionally got one of those ridiculous urges to pretend like she actually wanted a job. Jesse rolled his eyes—as if she didn’t have it made, hanging around the house all day.
He ripped the envelope open and scanned the contents with a grimace, realizing that the paper copies weren’t sent in error, but rather due to their delinquent status. He needed to slow down. His career was lucrative, but not at this level of spending. Flowers, jewelry, and fancy dinners had a way of adding up remarkably quickly. Even with the extra income he was getting from his . . .agreement, he’d clearly gone overboard.
He pushed away the spark of guilt that rose at the financial risk this posed, reminding himself that it didn’t matter if his credit took a hit—they could always use Eliana’s in a pinch. He’d secretly listed her as a co-signer on the last vehicle they’d bought, not wanting her to think the motivation was driven by anything more than establishing a backup plan. The vehicle was paid in full already, but the foundation was laid. Just in case.
He was her rock, just like she was his. His first love. His heart. His home. She would always be the person he cameback to. The place where he belonged . . . but even the biggest homebodies took the odd vacation.
An affair was not something he’d ever planned for. He’d never looked at another woman with the conscious thought of seduction. There were no dating profiles or bar hopping in his past. He’d never wanted this . . .
But Bea was alwaysright there.
It was so easy and innocent to build a rapport with someone sitting on the porch beside your own. So reasonable to exchange numbers. Such a slippery slope to find oneself sliding down when the occasional message became a funny joke, a flirty exchange, and then a subtle invitation. Until he found himself waking up beside a woman in an overpriced hotel room and wondering how things ever progressed so far.
There was something uniquely thrilling about holding the attention of someone new, especially someone as interesting and beautiful as Bea. It was intoxicating in its difference. It was sexy . . . and addicting.
Sneaking around became the best kind of game, stolen kisses or a secret rendezvous. There was a wild passion to it, one that Jesse had never experienced.
Things with Eliana had always been so natural. Someant to bein their simplicity. She was, and always would be, his home base. His cornerstone. The very foundation of what made him tick. She was everything that was good in his life.
But Bea . . . she was that wild trip to Vegas that teased and tempted the mind, alluring and forbidden. The siren that called to him in the darkness, stealing away pieces of his soul every time he answered her summons.
And yet, that very evening, knowing Eliana had chosen to take his daughters away to visit the woman he despised so much—Jesse couldn’t help but wonder why he always hadto be the one to suffer. He hadn’t chosen to be alone that evening.Shehad taken his home and carted it away.
So for the very first time, Jesse picked up his phone and extended an invitation. That night, Sin City would come athiscall.
9
CHEATING MINDS
Bea giggled. “What happened to the rule about not meeting at home?”
