Page 170 of Sin City Lights

Her eyes gleamed as they raked over his chest and down his arms. “No, you certainly are not.”

Once, he would have given anything to be on the receiving endof such a look from her. Now, all it did was irritate him and make him question her ulterior motive.

“The therapist said we should give it a try.”

What the hell?

“Give what a try?”

She gripped his wrist and held it tightly.“We were good together, Adam. Do you remember how it was?”

His eyes widened. He pulled out of her grasp, leaning back in his chair to gain much-needed distance.“I do. But your recollection and mine seem to differ substantially. And if you believe I spent seven years on standby for you and will jump right back in because you think you’re ready to be married again, you’re sorely misguided. It doesn’t work like that.”

Her lips curved into a knowing half-smile.“You haven’t been seeing anyone.”

He blinked.“According to whom?”

She waved her hand dismissively.“It doesn’t matter. I know you’ve only been hiring escorts. While consistently making deposits into my account. Thank you for that, by the way.”

Unbelievable. She’d taken his generosity as some sort of hopeful pining.

“Tell me something.” He kept his voice neutral, his gaze trained on her face.“Why do you suddenly want a committed relationship instead of continuing to have the freedom to see who you want, when you want?”

Her lips thinned, and she averted her gaze.“I don’t want a divorce.”

“You don’t want a divorce? Or you don’t want the payments to stop?”

She raised her chin.“You are about to make a fortune with that 2024 plane of yours.”

Ah, there it was. For some reason, he had a sudden urge to laugh. His mother had always said that if something can be resolved with money, thank your lucky stars, pay, and move on.

His lips curved into a humorless smile.“How much, Ingrid?”

She fixed him then, with that cold, unfeeling gray-eyed stare heremembered so well.“Meaning?”

Once, she could slice him with that stare. Not anymore.“How much will it take to get you to sign the divorce papers and finally put this thing out of its misery?”

Her eyes narrowed to slits.“You aren’t getting an uncontested divorce.”

But he was getting a divorce, and that was all that mattered.

Adam’s heart kicked up in a victorious beat.“I’ll text you my attorney’s information.” He tossed back the last of his old fashioned and surged to his feet with renewed energy.“Don’t worry about your tab. It’s on me.” He gave her his most charming smile.

Time to say goodbye forever.“Farvel, Ingrid.”

•

“Lars 63, you’re cleared for takeoff.”

Adam placed his hand on the throttles.

Ted adjusted his headset.“Lars 63, cleared for takeoff.”

Adam advanced the throttles, and the G550 charged ahead, turbines whining, picking up speed.

“Eighty knots cross-check V1. Rotate. Positive rate.”

“Gear up.”

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