Page 6 of Without Judgment

CHAPTER THREE

Avery

I marched in through the country club doors with one thing on my mind. Finding my ex-fiancé, Edward, and confronting him face to face. He didn’t want to return my calls? Fine. I’d go where I knew he spent his Tuesday afternoons.

Luckily, no one asked me for identification at the country club since I’d been here quite often with my father over the years. It was a beautiful old building, but I barely noticed. Instead, I gave the maître d’ a tight smile as I surveyed the room. Finally, I found my target. He was alone at a table. Probably waiting on one of his stupid friends to come along.

As I sat down in the other chair at his table for two, I enjoyed the astonishment in his expression.

“Beth, what are you doing here?”

“Don’t call me that.” I hated him calling me by my given name. It used to feel special, but now it felt dirty. “You mind telling me why you made a sex video with some woman and are telling everyone it’s me?”

His face started to heat and he glanced around, obviously worried about people overhearing us. “Not here.”

“Fine. Let’s go outside. Now.”

I followed him out onto the balcony where we wouldn’t be overheard. Also, the spot would hopefully buy me some time before my irritable bodyguard found me.

Edward turned at the end of the verandah, raking a hand through his sandy brown hair. A face that I used to think handsome did absolutely nothing for me any longer. All I saw was a cheater and, now, a complete coward.

“Look, I know you’re angry,” he started out.

“Angry doesn’t even begin to describe it. What did I ever do to you, huh? That you could hate me this much?”

“I don’t. Hell, I tried to get you to forgive me. To give me a second chance.”

And he had, for months. “So this is—what? Revenge for not taking you back after finding you balls deep in my best friend?”

He winced. “No. But it’s out of my hands.”

“What do you mean by that?

“The video is already released.”

“But it’s not me on it. You may have everyone else fooled, but I know what our sex life was like, and that wasn’t it.”

He turned red at the implication. “Come on. You’re getting notoriety from this. Hell, so am I.”

I couldn’t believe he’d suggest I should be enjoying the situation. “I don’t want notoriety. I want the truth. That wasn’t me on the damn video. Tell people the truth.”

“It’s too late.”

“When it comes out that you’re lying, and it will, you can kiss your precious notoriety goodbye. I hope it’s worth it to you.” I turned to leave, but he reached out and grabbed my arm, jerking me back to him.

“Don’t, Beth. If you know what’s good for you—”

He was interrupted by Mason’s voice coming from behind me. “Let go of her arm now.”

Edward swallowed hard. I imagined he was noticing a pissed-off face behind me.

“I suggest you don’t make me repeat myself.” Mason’s threat left no doubt he meant it.

My arm was dropped like a rock. Meanwhile, I felt goosebumps. The authority in Mason’s voice was both alarming and downright sexy.

“Who the hell is he?” Edward asked.

“Bodyguard. Thanks to your lies, I now need one. Otherwise, I’ll get accosted outside of my own home by paparazzi calling me names.”

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