“Woman,” I growl, turning my head to glare down at her. But the second my eyes land on her lips, perfectly coloured with some plum-coloured stain, my resistance dissolves. My hand goes to the back of her neck, and I pull her roughly up to meet my lips. “Stop. Tempting. Me.”
“Never,” she whispers back, and I feel her mouth curve up into a smile.
I set her down, shaking my head at her while my own smile reflects the giddy high of confessing the feelings I think we’re both experiencing. Not to mention the ability to be affectionate in public and not worry about who might catch us. Suddenly, I realize the doors are open to the hotel lobby and the other couple are nowhere to be seen. Taking her hand, I lead her out, all the way onto the bustling sidewalk. Tucking her under my arm because I crave as much contact as humanly possible, we walk toward the restaurant.
I suppose a smarter man would keep some degree of his guard up, even after telling someone how you feel and having the most searing sex of your life. But I’m clearly not very smart.
I’m too wrapped up in Heidi, in the feel of her foot sliding up my pant leg under the table as we eat our entrées and the sexy little smirks she gives me when she catches me staring. In the elegant curve of her neck as she sips her wine and the ease with which she seems to understand me andknowme.
So wrapped up, in fact, that I don’t sense danger coming until it’s too late. After our plates are cleared and we’re enjoying one final glass of very expensive wine, a voice I had hoped to never hear again finally penetrates the bubble we’ve built around us.
“Heidi?”
The blood drains out of her face. I know if I turn around, I’ll be looking at the man responsible for so much pain and suffering in my life.
“Thad,” she whispers. I place my hand over hers, squeezing lightly, partly to show her I’m with her, but also to ground myself. He walks into view and my stomach revolts, making me feel as if I might lose the entirety of the delicious meal I’ve just enjoyed.
In the ten years since I saw him standing with Heidi at her going away party, I’ve managed to forget how powerful my body and mind react to the site of Thad Marshall. I was there with my mother through all the lawyer meetings about settlements and who was at fault. I held her while she cried when she saw Dad in the hospital the first time. I stood there, looking at my father in a hospital bed hooked up to ventilators, and wondered if he’d ever open his eyes again. And when he did and he recovered, I was the one who had to tell him Thad managed to escape any serious repercussions, earning a slap on the wrist — a fine and license suspension. The settlement he paid our family was paltry, and if it hadn’t been for my father belonging to a union with excellent benefits, my parents would have struggled financially, thanks to his forced early retirement.
None of that mattered to Thad. He was more angry about the damage to his car than he was upset about injuring a human being.
Looking at him now, I find it difficult to believe the amazing woman sitting across from me was ever with him. A woman who, as I watch, seems to be sinking in on herself. Anger bubbles inside of me, turning into a boiling pool of molten rage.
His eyes find mine and I see recognition dawn in them. I don’t look away. I don’t even blink.
“I see you found your way back to that little hospital,” he sneers. “And straight into the arms of a Donnelly.”
I push my chair back and move to stand, but Heidi’s quiet voice stops me in my tracks, surprising me with it’s steel. “Don’t. Don’t say his name. Don’t you dare speak to him or me like that. You’re nothing but a vile, horrible, selfish little man who preys on anyone he can.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I see two men in suits walk up behind Thad. But he’s so focused on Heidi he doesn’t seem to notice. Her eyes are ablaze, and I watch in wonder as she stands up to the man who hurt her so badly. Her bravery, her strength, all of it is stunning to see.
“You ruin people, Thad. That’s what you do. You almost ruined me, just like you almost ruined Max’s family. How could you hit a man while driving drunk and not take responsibility for it? What kind of monster does that? You almost killed his father and you walked away, as if nothing happened.”
“Is this true, Thad?” one of the suits interrupts. I watch Thad’s face and get no small amount of satisfaction from watching his body shrink with dread. The suit turns to me. “You’re Max, I assume? Is what she said true? Did this man injure your father and wasn’t held responsible?”
I nod, somewhat confused by what’s going on. The suit looks to his partner, then back to Thad, examining him critically. I take in the sweat beading on Thad’s brow. I might not know exactly who these men are, but they’re important to the asshole, and that alone makes me want to ensure they know exactly who he is.
“Yeah. Twelve years ago, he made the decision to drive drunk. He plowed through a crosswalk and hit my father. His leg was broken in three places and he had a serious brain bleed. Thad was fully at fault but got by on a technicality. His lawyer claimed my father was not actually at the crosswalk but just in front of it, and therefore was jaywalking.”
Suit number two lets out a snort of derision. Heidi’s hand is still warm and steady underneath mine, and I glance down to see she’s flipped hers over to thread her fingers with mine, binding us together.
The suit turns to face Thad. “Our deal is off. There’s no room for you with Klein Golder. I told you we were a company with strong values and morals, and if there’s even a shred of truth to what these people claim, you have no place with us.” He looks back to Heidi and me. “I’m very sorry to have interrupted your evening. Your dinner will be placed on our tab.”
The suits walk away, and their leaving seems to wake Thad from whatever trance he was in. “Wait!” he cries out, chasing after them without sparing Heidi and I a second glance.
“What the hell was that,” I say, bewildered.
Heidi’s light laugh draws my attention. “That was Thad Marshall getting his ass handed to him. Klein Golder is the name of the investment firm he wanted a position in when we moved to the mainland. I guess he finally got his chance, and we just ruined it for him.”
A wide, vindicated grin stretches across my face. “Well, okay then. Not how I envisioned our night turning out.”
Her eyes are twinkling as Heidi pushes back from the table and reaches out for my hand. “Me neither. But we got a free dinner and a show out of it. Now let’s go back to the hotel for dessert.” She winks at me, her intentions clear.
I stand and take her arm in mine. “Isn’t there a cheesy quote about revenge being sweet?”
Heidi leans in close. “Yes. But I’m sweeter.”
Chapter twenty-five
