Page 54 of The Talk Around Town

It took a moment for her meaning to click. When it did, Darby’s face went white.

She put her hands on Emma’s face. “No! He would never! And if there had been he would’ve flattened anyone who dared take it. Max would’ve had his turn too. There would’ve been a huge uproar about something like that,” Darby insisted.

Emma’s eyes teared up, despite her best intentions to keep control of herself.

“Then where is he?”

Darby’s hands fell from Emma’s cheeks. “I don’t know. Have you tried calling him?”

Emma shook her head. “No. I only woke up a few minutes ago.”

Darby pulled her phone from her pocket. “Okay. We’ll have this sorted out in a moment, you’ll see.”

She hit a speed dial… and waited. Darby’s expression became expectant, then she frowned. “It rang out. I’ll try again.” Darby swore after a few seconds. “It went straight to voicemail. Maybe he’s out of range or on an emergency call-out?”

Emma’s stomach plummeted. It had rung the first time. He wasn’t out of range. He just didn’t want to talk. That didn’t bode well for her.

“Listen, I’m going to have a shower. Help yourself to some coffee, okay? I might be a while.” She turned and walked to the door without waiting for an answer.

“Emma?”

Emma half turned in Darby’s direction. “Yeah?”

The concern in Darby’s grey eyes almost broke her heart.

“Don’t give up on him, okay?” she pleaded. “Please. There’s a good explanation for this, you’ll see. I know it.”

Emma nodded, and continued down her hall. She was going to have a very long shower and try to wipe the last eighteen hours of her life from her head with the hot water. Along with the man who had filled those hours.

Darby had asked her not to give up on Gabe. But there was nothing to give up on.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Gabe shook hishead and swore.

Darby.

He pressed theoffbutton and tossed his phone onto the passenger seat. He wasn’t going to talk to her, or anyone. Not now, not today. Not at all about this. He knew that was why she was calling him. He leaned forward and rested his head on the steering wheel, doing his best to wipe the images of Emma from his mind.

It wasn’t working.

He kept seeing her. Her lips, her body, her reactions to him. Over and over again in his head. Someone needed to tell his idiotic brain she was no good for him and that she was out of his life, because he couldn’t seem to get it through his own thick skull.

Emma’s reactions had been real. He knew enough to realise that. It was just that she was a liar and a cheat, and he couldn’t go there. It was too damned painful. She couldn’t be trusted, so he’d done the only thing he could.

He’d left.

Before he could wake her up and take a piece out of her for her lies. How the hell was he supposed to make peace with what had happened last night? She’d been every man’s dream, responding to his touch, his kisses, his body, and wanting more and more until he thought he’d just about die in bliss.

All that didn’t change the most important thing.

She had a husband.

Named Alex.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Three days.

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