Page 53 of Innocent Intent

He chuckled lightly, and the heavenly vibration settled into her bones. Or it could have possibly been the wine.

“I pride myself in being honest.”

“That you are. Which I appreciate, considering . . .”

That my husband lied to me for years.

“Can I ask you a question?” His expression turned serious, and she nodded.

“Fire away.”

Davis downed more of his drink before lowering the glass onto the table next to his empty plate, keeping his finger wrapped around the fine crystal.

“Why did you bury him?”

“Why not?”

A hard line formed between Davis’s brows. “I can think of plenty of reasons why not. The most important being that he conned you for years when you trusted him with your heart.”

A tight lump seized Cassidy’s throat, which she struggled to swallow, along with the very raw truth, before lifting a shoulder in a lazy shrug. “I can’t say why, really, other than I needed closure. Burying Niles allowed me the peace of mind to accept that I wasn’t okay and the space to move forward with my life so that I could eventually be. It’s important to embrace the past, and not having answers makes it that much worse, but at least I can have closure somewhat, you know.”

“I get it.”

“Do you?” Her eyes intently bored into his while she waited, seeing the truth before he spoke it.

“Yes, I do.”

“And what was it that you needed closure for, Nathaniel?”

His name on her tongue felt like sin, but sin of the best kind, so she embraced it, but the moment was interrupted by another woman’s voice shattering the lingering possibilities.

“Nathaniel, I thought that was you.”

17.

Davis lifted his eyes to the woman he hadn’t seen in a little over a year while thinking how insanely small the universe had to be for this very moment to exist.

“Stacy,” he greeted dryly before his eyes shifted to the right, where her husband stood protectively, peering at him. His body language almost made Davis offer reassurance that he didn’t have to fear competition for his wife. She was the last person he wanted in his life.

“I didn’t know you were in town.”

“Why would you? We don’t talk, Stacy.” Davis noticed how she cringed at the truth, but she quickly recovered, plastering on her fake smile. One he didn’t miss in the least.

“You’re right; we don’t. I suppose I meant I’m surprised to see you here. Didn’t think you’d find your way back to the city after you left so abruptly.”

Davis could feel Cassidy staring, and his mind quickly shifted to what she might have been thinking, watching the exchange between him and his ex. There was no doubt he’d have to explain later, but now he needed to get rid of his ex-fiancée and her insecure husband.

“Well, here I am.”

“Indeed you are.” Her eyes moved to Cassidy. “And who’s this?”

Warmth covered Davis’s hand, and when his eyes lowered, he found Cassidy’s delicate fingers layered over his before she answered, “A close friend. And who are you?”

“Nathaniel’s ex-fiancée, and I didn’t get your name.”

“Because I didn’t offer it to you.”

Davis chuckled at the snarky way Cassidy responded. He’d have to thank her for that later, if only for the way her reaction grated Stacy’s nerves.

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