Page 53 of Friends with Benefits (Club Risqué)

Perhaps she didn't want anything to do with him now.

Christian ploughed his fingers into his hair and pulled hard, welcoming the pain.

Who the hell could blame her? He didn't exactly have the best track record, and Bianca had told the very person who would take it in the worst possible way that they were still married and were attempting a reconciliation.

Jesus! What the hell must Trinity be thinking? He needed to talk to her.

Making his way to the door with renewed determination, Christian didn't get as far as he hoped when he ran into Micah again. And yeah, there was still a hint of ongoing resentment there over the man's relationship with Trinity. Jeez! What a fucking hypocrite he was!

"Going somewhere?" Micah asked, his easy tone not fooling Christian at all.

Christian tried not to bristle, but his nerves were stretched thin. Still, the other man was built like a brick shithouse, so there was no way Christian was getting past if Micah had a mind to stop him.

So instead he opted for honesty and hoped it had the desired effect. "Yes, I need to talk to Trinity."

"Don't you think you've done enough damage there already?" Micah asked, folding his arms over his massive chest and making himself into a human door.

Was he for real? Christian grabbed hold of the doorframe with both hands and squeezed before blowing out a frustrated, rumbling breath and slapping the wooden surround with his fist.

"That's not fair!" he growled out. "How was I to know Bianca was going to turn up here and zero in on Trinity?"

"Because she's your wife?" came the curious reply.

Was he serious or just playing devil's advocate?

Whichever it was, Christian didn't have time for games. He might pride himself on his desire for privacy, but now wasn't the time to get sidetracked by it.

"Look," he declared, staring Micah directly in the eye. "I don't know what that woman did or what she said, but she isnotmy wife, and if I have to lay my eyes on her, even once, during the rest of my life, then it will be one time too many!"

"So, you've left Logan to deal with it for you?"

Christian snarled and his hands contracted into fists on the doorframe. What the hell was with this guy?

"I would be more than happy to send Bianca packing, myself, regardless of any threats she wants to sling at me, but Logan parked me in here and insisted he deal with it himself. Since it's his club, I'm respecting his wishes, and since he's a lawyer and not involved in this fiasco, I also trust him to know what he's doing."

Contemplation at his answers flickered in Micah's eyes, and Christian had the distinct impression he was weighing each one carefully.

"Very well." Clearly Micah had come to a decision. Christian could only hope it was in his favour. "I can tell you that Trinity is rather upset with everything that has transpired. So much so that she was physically sick."

Christian's heart sank, but his protective instincts kicked in at the same time. "What? Where is she? I need to make sure she's okay!" He peered over Micah's shoulder, checking out every place he could see. He tried to push past, but Micah stopped him with a hand to his shoulder.

"You won't find her. She's not here," he revealed.

That stopped Christian in his tracks. "What the hell, man? What do you mean she isn't here? Where is she?"

"She wasn't up to all of this, and I didn't want her upset any further. She went home."

"I need to get to her," Christian implored. "Let me out of here!"

It was Logan's voice that stopped him this time. "That will have to wait, I'm afraid, my friend. There are a few loose ends that need tying up, first.”

Christian pushed away from the doorway and took a step back. Rubbing his hands over his face, he sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat.

"Yeah, of course," he mumbled, stumbling back to the couch and flopping onto it.

He knew this crap with Bianca had to be dealt with, but it paled into insignificance compared with his desire to find Trinity and explain what was going on.

Of course, despite his impatience, he accepted it was probably in his own best interests to be able to give Trinity the full and unabridged version of events, rather than one that still required them both to wait for an uncertain outcome.

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