Page 156 of Sins & Secrets

“When you make an ass out of yourself in front of a client, what do you expect me to do?” she hisses.

The rain gets harder and louder as we stand off to the side of the entrance. I take a look around and there are only two other people in the entire place. Both of them women who look like they’re on a lunch break, dressed for office jobs. One on each side of the room, both of them on their phones and one with headphones in her ears.

“We can wait out the rain. Get a cup of coffee?” I ask her.

At first Kat looks up at me like I’m crazy. Maybe I am.

“And do what?” she asks. “Play let’s-keep-a-secret and hide-away-for-days?”

I ignore her brutal tone and take a chance, wrapping my arm around her waist.

She jumps back for a second, but only because I’m soaking wet.

I chuckle at her response, deep and rough and it makes her smile. She’s quick to hide it, but it’s there.

“I know you’re mad at me,” I tell her softly. “I don’t want to make you angry, Kat. I love you, and I’m trying.”

The trace of all humor fades and she peeks up at me and whispers, “I wish you wouldn’t.”

I brush the hair from her face and smile down at her as I tell her, “I’ll never stop fighting for you.”

At my words, she pushes away from me and says, “Then let’s talk until the rain lets up.” She looks over her shoulder and out of the window, as if checking to see if our time is already up.

We head to the back corner of the shop, to her spot and her safe place. I can’t count the number of times I’ve sat here with her while she rambled on and told me about her day. Although that was before. It’s been too long.

The rest of the seating in the place is all high-top tables and bar-height seats, but in the corner is an L-shaped booth. The same shiny white tabletop, but the seating is for customers who want to spend a while in here and that’s what I need with her right now, more time.

She doesn’t look at me as she tosses her purse into the booth and then fishes out her wallet.

“You like him?” I question, feeling small pieces of my heart crumble off. Kat’s eyes narrow as she huffs out a breath of frustration.

“Knock it off,” she answers and I feel torn. I saw the look in her eyes. She’s a natural flirt and so am I, but I know she liked the attention more than she should. She felt comfortable with it.

“I don’t like him.”

“Good to know,” she answers me immediately, crossing her arms as she walks toward the counter to order something.

I follow her like a lost fucking puppy. It’s quiet between us and the tension is thick as she orders a coffee or whatever the hell it is. The blood is pounding so hard in my ears, I can’t hear a damn thing.

“I mean it. He wants you, Kat,” I tell her and then nearly flinch from the look in her eyes. “I don’t want anyone else’s hands on you.”

“It was innocent.”

“The hell it was,” I bite back instantly, keeping my voice low. I don’t give her a chance to speak.

“You can’t look me in the eyes and tell me you didn’t like it.” The air between us turns hot instantly.

“He’s a client,” she says beneath her breath. My eyes dart from her to the man behind the counter. As soon as I look at him, he averts his eyes, pretending like he didn’t just hear the venom in Kat’s voice.

“Client or not,” I say, standing my ground but all it does is wind Kat up more.

“I’m not the one keeping secrets and lying, I’m not the one who’s breaking up this marriage,” she says much lower, so much so that it sounds like it was hard for her to even get the words out.

“Stop it,” I tell her and grip her hip as she tries to walk past me, back to the booth and undoubtedly to get her stuff and leave.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper in her ear and hold her closer to me. I splay my hand on her lower back, feeling the tension in her body slowly leave her. Her body is hot next to mine.

I could fight this, but it’s not worth it to upset her. I wait, giving her a moment to calm down and forget about that asshole. For now.

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