“What if we had plans?” I step away and raise an eyebrow.
“We did.” He sighs heavily and leans against the counter. “Now we have new ones. Believe me. I’m not happy about it, Day.”
“Can’t you just explain you’re not working this week? That this is a vacation?”
“No.”
“Well, who is it?”
“Who?”
I click my tongue. “The person organizing it.”
“Oh. No one important. I’m not sure they’ll even be there.” He turns away and pours a cup of coffee.
“Aaron.”
“Leave it, Dayton.”
Ass. I put my mug down with a little too much force and storm into the bedroom. There isn’t a chance in hell I’m going to stay in this room with him in a mood like this.
I change into some workout gear and pack a change of clothes and a bikini in my bag. A session in the gym and the pool followed by the spa should give him enough time to calm the hell down.
“Look, I have a couple of calls to make now. Maybe you should go out for a couple of hours.”
I put my hand on the door and look at him. My mild annoyance has morphed into anger, and I’m not afraid to tell him that I’m pissed off. “I was planning to stay out all day. Don’t worry.”
“Day…”
I yank the door open. “What time do you need me back here?”
“Four,” he sighs.
“Perfect. Don’t bother calling me unless you’ve pulled your head from your ass and calmed the f**k down.” I slam the door behind me with a childish satisfaction.
I’m not above using teenager-style defiance to let him know that I’m pissed off either.
It’s still early, so the gym is empty aside from two older guys on the rowing machines. I snap a band from my wrist and tie my hair back, heading toward the treadmill. If anything is going to work out this annoyance, it’s the treadmill.
I ease into it, starting off with a slow walk and gradually building up to a steady run. My feet pound against it with every step, and I turn the incline up a little more.
Why can’t he tell me who’s organizing the dinner? Or, more to the point, why won’t he? I know he said he isn’t fond of them, but sheesh…
Maybe it’s an old friendship turned sour. It happens in business, right? It’s a ruthless world. Or maybe it’s someone who works at the company he doesn’t like very much and is doing it to spite him.
Maybe it’s an ex-girlfriend.
I choke on my thought. God, it actually burns to think that—but it’s possible. He’s bound to have seen someone—maybe more than one someone—in that time. She could work at the company still.
But why can’t he just tell me about any of those? What about any of them is so bad that he has to keep it to himself and talk to me like I’m a petulant child when I ask?
Well, there goes burning off my anger.
I give up on the running and leave the gym as quickly as I came. The pool. Water. That’s what I need—the weightless feeling of being suspended by its remarkable force. Perhaps it’ll take away some of my crap weighing me down.
God knows there’s enough of it.
I change quickly and dive into the empty pool. I push tiny hairs away from my eyes and bob in the water.
Just when I’d decided it was worth it to stay. To give up everything I have in Seattle and take a completely different path in my life.
Just when I’d decided to give him what he’s asked for, this happens, and now I doubt my ability to make the right decision.
Maybe it’s good I couldn’t tell him yesterday.
I probably made it impulsively and need more time to make such a huge choice.
But as I dip below the water and jump into my first length of the pool, I know it’s a good thing I couldn’t tell him yesterday. My gut says so.
It also says that the happiness I’ve finally found again is too good to be true.
And everyone knows that gut instincts are never, ever wrong.
***
Aaron’s waiting for me when I enter the suite with an almost bashful look on his face. I raise my eyebrows and head straight into the bedroom without speaking a word to him. I know he follows—and I don’t care.
A long, strapless black dress is laid out on the bed. It’s one of mine. I fight the urge to roll my eyes at his presumptuous nature and drop my bag next to my suitcase.
“Are you going to ignore me?”
“Are you going to talk to me like I deserve to be spoken to, or am I still your outlet for your annoyance?”
He folds me into his arms and breathes in deeply, burying his face in my hair. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I was wrong to take it out on you.”
“Fucking right you were.” I wrap my arms around his waist and lay my head on his chest. “Don’t do it again.”
“Ever?”
“Ever. Next time I won’t be so nice to you, nor will I walk away. Talk to me like crap again, Mr. Stone, and I’m going to tear you a new ass**le. Got it?”
He bends his face into mine with a smile playing on his lips. “Got it.” He takes my mouth with his.
“Are you going to tell me who has you in a bad mood yet?” I pull away and change. His eyes rove over me as I change from my sports bra to a blue lace one.
“Someone from my past who delights in making my life incredibly hard.” He discards his shirt and pulls a new one on. “If there were a way to get out of this tonight, you can bet I’d find it.”
“Wow. I can’t imagine disliking someone that much.” I step into the dress and reach around to pull up the zipper. “Who is it?”
Aaron doesn’t say a word as he knocks my hand away and does the zipper for me. He rests his forehead against the back of my shoulder, his fingers still clasped on the pull, and exhales loudly.
“Aaron?”
“The person organizing tonight is my wife.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
I jump away from him as if his touch is burning me. And it is. So are his words.
Did he…
Was that…
“Wife?”
There’s no mistaking the accusatory tone in my whisper or the way my hands are now clasped against my stomach, shaking frantically. Holy f**king hell.
“Yes.”
I feel sick.
I clap my hand over my mouth and turn away from him. Betrayal slices through my body, leaving no part untouched by the overwhelming sting.
“She’s my ex-wife, actually. We’d be divorced if she didn’t keep stalling on the agreement.”