Page 46 of Vegas Baby

“You’re crazy. If that little bit of foreplay I witnessed is him turning on the charm, you better buy yourself a chastity belt and strap that puppy on.”

An embarrassed giggle escaped and she shook her head, snatching another apple slice from her plate. “If I would have worn one in Vegas, I wouldn’t’ be in this mess to begin with.”

“But you are and I can see why. You did good Raina.” Trent gazed over her shoulder to the office door. Howler’s shadow could be seen pacing the small room.

“Do you want to bring him another apple and go all biblical on his ass?”

The laughter increased, amusement mingling with trepidation. It was tempting to drop the restrictions she’d placed on their intimacy but necessary. There was much at stake in keeping this marriage moving in a positive direction. Falling into bed with him had placed her in this situation and repeating the mistake would only make it worse.

But damn, it was going to be difficult.

Howler walked the length of the small office, taking in the generic desk and black desk chair. The taste of the almond butter and apple still lingered in his mouth. It had been a stupid move on his part to pull his little stunt because the fallout was more damaging to his own physical wellbeing than hers.

He paused, leaning against the window sill and gazing through a small strip of unfrosted glass on the door. Raina was talking to Trent, her roommate, her hand on his arm.

Their conversation was animated, her face lighting up at something the other man said. Her head fell back and she laughed. He could hear the muffled sound through the doors. She shook her head, the curls bouncing.

Trent draped an arm around her shoulders, bringing her in close. She nestled her head against his and a surge of something primal stirred in his gut. His earlier good mood vanished.

Raina said Trent was gay, yet it was difficult to see another man touch her, no matter how innocent. Or was it innocent? She’d lied to him in Vegas. Was she lying again? There was definitely a strong emotional connection between the two. She’d said the guy was divorced. Was he playing her? It wouldn’t be the first time he’d seen that happen. Hell, he’d had women friends before that he’d slept with. Granted, once he’d slept with them, they hadn’t stayed in touch. Had it been his fault or theirs?

Most likely his. He didn’t have a good track record with women in the broader sense. Of course, he’d never applied himself either. He’d come to the conclusion a long time ago he wasn’t commitment material and he never would be.

He shifted the phone, hearing the marketing managers talking to each other, hashing out details he should be paying attention to, but he wasn’t listening. He couldn’t stop staring at Raina and Trent.

It was stupid to be jealous and he needed to look away, only it was impossible to keep his attention on anything but them.

Where had this sudden possessiveness come from? She was his wife but he wasn’t in love with her. Lust. It had to be lust. He wanted to sleep with her and he couldn’t. He wasn’t used to waiting for what he wanted, except this had been his idea.

Another stupid, foolish idea.

When was he going to learn to keep his mouth shut?

Trent picked up a box and Raina grabbed a much smaller one. Keys in hand, she led the way to the door. By the time he was finished, she and Trent would be done

Howler clenched the phone tighter and willed back his impatience at the droning from the other end of the line. He didn’t want to be on the phone talking about superfluous shit. He wanted to be the one out there flirting with Raina, helping her move her things into their house.

Correction, your company’s house. Every dime he made he poured back into the company in one way or another. All of his blood, sweat, and tears of frustration, clawing his way to the top and for what?

To be the best.

Except even that goal seemed lofty and unreachable. Nobody was the best at anything and in the end, what mattered was who you had in your life, not the what.

You’ll have a wife and a child to provide for. Maybe more than one if things worked out. He frowned, rubbing at his temples, the closed-in space stifling. He left the office, opening the French doors and moving to the outside balcony.

Rain misted the inner courtyard, the coolness touching his heated skin. He closed his eyes, inhaling the fresh pine scent of the Pacific Northwest.

“What do you think?” a voice cut into his calm and he snapped his eyes open.

Fuck, he hadn’t been paying the least bit of attention. Luckily, it was an internal meeting with no clients. “I’ll give you a definitive answer after I review the meeting notes.” He lifted the mouthpiece up and blew out a breath, waiting to be called out. Yes, he was the boss but he wasn’t formal. He encouraged honesty from his employees because it helped cut down on the gossip and bull shit that plagued a lot of organizations.

“I’ll send them over by end of business day,” Leo said.

Howler hung up and pocketed his phone. Rushing to the living room, he grabbed up a box and exited in search of Raina. As soon as they were done packing her things, he’d take her home.

And then what? He could think of one very tempting activity.

And she’ll shoot you down so fast, your head will spin. This was a walk and not a sprint.

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