Page 86 of Traitor

I slurped the few remaining drops of pineapple goodness into my mouth and shrugged. “Doesn’t make a damn bit of sense. I’m thirsty, so I’m just gonna grab another from my friend at the bar.”

Elizabeth appeared to be fighting a grin. “Okay, Lauren. Knock yourself out. Oh, there’s Katya. I want to meet her guy.”

I turned on my way to the bar and watched the supermodel walk in on the arm of a very attractive man with dark brown hair. She turned and said something to him and he broke into a wide grin, displaying blindingly white teeth and the most perfect dimples I’d ever seen in my life.

I felt a small pang of jealousy and it had nothing to do with them. I just missed the familiarity that came with being with someone for a while.

“Thought if I camped out here long enough, I’d catch you.” Mike looked up from his pint of beer.

I’d been so focused on Katya and her man that I’d unwittingly walked right into the very man I was trying to avoid.

I leaned across him and signaled for the bartender. “Um, hello. I’ll take anotherMalibu Barbie—I mean, pineapple.Malibuand Pineapple. Please.”

Mike chuckled and I frowned at him. “What’s so funny?”

“You, Darlin’. You sure you need another one?”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “I’m a big girl, I think I’ll know when I’ve had enough.” My ankle rolled at that exact moment and I stumbled in my heels.

He just raised an eyebrow and took another drink. “Yep, looks like you’ve got it all under control.”

“Why’d you tell Elizabeth not to invite Sandra?” I hadn’t meant to ask, but the rum had loosened my tongue.

If he was surprised by my question, he hid it well. “I knew today would be hard enough for you; didn’t think that you should have to deal with her shit too. I didn’t want it to even cross your mind that I could want anyone else here but you.”

I stood there, dumbfounded, until the bartender slid my drink over. Then I pulled the little red straws out and sucked it down straight from the glass.

Mike continued, “You know, Red, I’d like to think that if I got the opportunity to marry you even once, I’d die a happy man.”

I choked on the remainder of my drink. I could’ve sworn he just referenced marrying me. My body buzzed and it had nothing to do with the rum. “You can’t say things like that to me, Mike.”

He nodded and stood up. “You’re right. Dance with me.”

I sputtered, “What? No!”

Several guests turned to look over at us and Mike grinned. “C’mon, you don’t want me to cause a scene. Do you?”

I sighed and put the glass back down on the bar. “Fine. One dance. And then we’ll leave each other alone for the rest of the night.”

He agreed and went over to the deejay booth. I stood at the edge of the dance floor and watched the couples slow dancing to country music. Katya giggled as her guy spun her around and dipped her, not at all in time to the music. David had his arm around Elizabeth and Kaden asleep on his shoulder as they moved in circles around the room.

One dance.

Then we’d go our separate ways.

Mike came back over. “We’ll wait for the next one. One whole song, or it doesn’t count.”

We stood in silence until the song came to an end and then he gently took my arm and led me out to the center of the room. I closed my eyes as the first few bars began to play. It was our song—the first thing we ever danced to.

I was transported back to Galveston as he wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me into him.

“Do you feel like coming a little closer and strippin’ it down?” he whispered in my ear. My hand had to be a sweaty mess in the palm of his.

“Mike,” I protested. “Why are you doing this to me? After everything, why can’t you just let me go?”

He continued singing softly before fixing me with another one of his trademark grins. “A man protects his home. Well, Darlin’, you’ve always been mine. Twenty years from now, I’ll still want only you. So, if you ever wake up one morning and find that you’ve changed your mind, come find me. I’ll still be waiting. I know there’s still a lot of shit that needs to be said, and you can be damn sure I’m gonna clear my name. But right now, I just want to hold you in my arms and pretend that we’re Jack and Charlotte—the two least screwed up people I know.”

He voiced everything I felt. In spite of all of it, he was my home. For better or worse. I didn’t want to fight with him tonight. He waited for me to say something—instead, I used my hand on his neck to guide his mouth down over mine.

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