Page 59 of Bride Games

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Paige stared at a clearly confounded Zach while her comment hung in the air.

Zach’s eyebrows shot up. “We need to talk? That’s never a good thing to hear in a relationship.” He set his wineglass down. “Are you breaking up with me? I know we’re being cool about”—he made air quotes—“us since you’re the boss now, but in private, I thought we had something really spec?—”

“You might change your mind after I tell you this.”

Zach’s brows furrowed. “You feel okay? Any health issues?”

His sweet concern made Paige lose it. As a few tears trailed down her cheeks, she noticed his eyes widen. “It’s not my health. It’s my stupid mis—it’s about Trent.”

“Trent?” Zach leaned forward with the attention of a new Army private. “Please tell me you’re not going back to that asshole.”

“Absolutely not.”

“Phew.” Zach blew out his breath. “Don’t scare me like that. What is it? The suspense is killing me.”

Reaching for Zach’s hand, Paige decided to blurt everything out. Every ugly detail. “I went to the airport two days ago. Iwanted to see you in action at the Vikings game. I even dressed in purple to blend in. I didn’t want to be recognized.”

“Wait. What?”

“Shh. Listen for a second before I lose my nerve. I wanted to see you and Marie in action, to be perfectly honest. I guess I’m a little jealous.”

Zach squeezed her hand. “No need for that. She’s fun but not my type.” He kissed the top of Paige’s hand. “You’re my type.”

Swallowing, Paige continued. “Thanks. As I was saying, I made it to my first leg of the flight, but the second leg was grounded. Canceled. All that bullshit. The airport was packed with travelers, so I escaped to an airport bar near customer service after hearing they couldn’t rebook me.”

“That’s a bummer but where does Trent fall in all of this?”

“Actually, it’s a blur, but I saw Trent at the customer service line, rather he spotted me. He suggested we go to the bar when we realized there were no flights out for the rest of the day.”

“Oh, I bet he did suggest the bar.” Zach rested his chin on his hand. “Go on. You’ve got my attention.”

Paige’s heart hammered. “Trent did his usual magnanimous gestures. He ordered a bottle of wine, insisted on a corner booth, and?—”

Snorting, Zach said, “And I let you buy the pizza tonight. I’m such an idiot.”

“You are not. Please let me finish.” Paige’s mind raced as she recalled the events. “We ate dinner, had some wine, and then went to a hotel near the airport.”

Zach locked eyes with her. “I don’t think I’m going to like this. Same hotel? But separate rooms, right?”

“That’s where this gets complicated.”

“More complicated? Guess I’m gonna need this.” Zach reached for the wine bottle and poured what was left into his glass. “I’m all ears, Paige.”

Paige took a deep breath. “Hear me out. The hotel was totally booked. They only had one room left. I was against it but Trent convinced me we could sleep in the same bed as friends.” She watched as Zach’s face crumpled and quickly added, “We didn’t have sex.”

Zach eyed her front door as if he were ready to bolt. “Did you make out? Were you both fully clothed?”

Paige weighed her options. She could lie and he’d never know the difference. However, she knew she couldn’t trust Trent. He’d be more than happy to tell Zach every sordid detail. “Listen, I complained to the desk clerk. I complained to Trent. I offered to sleep on the floor.”

“Wasn’t there a sofa?” By now, Zach was jangling the car keys in his pocket.

Paige shook her head. “It wasn’t a suite, so unfortunately not.”

“I see. Just a big ol’ bed.” Zach paused. A muscle in his jaw twitched. “Were you both wearing clothes? I need to know.”

Paige reached for his arm. “I went into the bathroom to put on my pjs, and when I returned, Trent was naked.”

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