Page 25 of Mr. Infuriating

“They do. Your children are in good hands.” She traced her finger around the base of her martini glass. “You said kids. You have more than your son?”

“My daughter is in fifth grade.”

“A boy and a girl. You’re lucky. I want two, but my cheating prick of a husband bailed before...”

Her eyes grew wide, and a small hiccup escaped her. I knew she’d been far more forthcoming than she normally would be without the alcohol coursing through her tiny body.

“I can’t believe I just said that. I swear I’m not really a bitter divorcée.”

I chuckled softly. “No one would blame you if you were, darlin’.”

You’re entitled when you catch your husband fucking his secretary.

Of course, I kept that bit of knowledge to myself, since she hadn’t shared it with me tonight.

“It’s just my clock is ticking, ya know? And I wasted so much time with him.”

A part of me was jealous of the man who got to put a baby in her.

I leaned closer to whisper in her ear, “Your ex was a fool to ever let you go.”

Chapter Eight

Gretchen

Gabriel’s lips touched the outer shell of my ear, causing my body to break out in goosebumps. A tiny shudder ran down my spine as my nipples became hard points.

Laura was right. Toys were no substitute for the real thing, because if this man just whispering in my ear affected me like this, I could only imagine how my body would react if I were naked underneath him.

And telling me Troy was a fool to let me go? That felt like balm to my bruised ego.

“What makes you say that?”

“No man in his right mind would.”

Still, I wasn’t a believer, and I brushed off the compliment with a flippant, “You’re very sweet.”

I was hyperaware of his arm along the back of my chair and his masculine, woodsy scent, when he chuckled, “Darlin’, I’m a lot of things, but sweet ain’t one of ‘em.”

I stared up at his handsome face. The scruff along his cheeks was probably four or five days old and had hints of grey mixed in with the black stubble. I found myself wanting to lean against his frame and run my fingertips along his jawline as I softly kissed his neck.

“I find that hard to believe. You just came from your son’s lacrosse game, so you’re obviously a caring father. You haven’t bad-mouthed your ex once, so that tells me that you’re a decent guy. And Derrick looks at you like you’re the best big brother in the world. If that’s not sweet, then I don’t know what is.”

That made him laugh out loud.

“I’ll give you I’m a pretty great dad.”

His admission made my heart ache for my son who would never have that. At least he had my dad and my brother for male role models.

Gabriel continued, “The worst part about being divorced is not being with my kids every night.”

Okay, I might have swooned a little while he continued, “Bad mouthing my ex would mean I’d have to spend energy thinking about her, and I try not to do that. And as far as the best big brother award, that would have to go to our oldest brother, Pete—also known as Maverick. He’s a silent investor in all of the brothers’ businesses, and he’s as wise as he is rich. For the most part.”

That made me cock my head. “For the most part?”

“Well, after his oldest two boys were all grown up and moved out, he had a baby with his now-second wife.”

I felt my mouth turn down at what he was implying.

---