Page 79 of Playing With Fire
The gentleman behind the counter types something and then frowns. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Hartley, he’s already requested two keys, resort policy states we have a two-key max for each room.”
Of course it does.
I give him a tight smile. “Sure. Can you tell me the number of the room I’ll be banging on the door of then?”
“Looks like he’s in room 437, but please refrain from disturbing our other guests,” the guy says.
“I wouldn’t have to disturb anyone if you’d just use your machine right there to swipe another keycard,” I bite sardonically as I turn on my heel to head toward the bank of elevators. It’s not this man’s fault that my husband is a prick, but I’m emotionally drained, my tank is already on empty just from being here, and I’m tired of being treated like a goddamn child.
Standing outside room 437, I knock loudly three times and wait.
Nothing.
I try again.
Still nothing.
Pulling my phone out, I call Greg, but he lets it go to voicemail.Bastard!
I open up our text stream and type one more message.
Shannon
If you don’t answer me, I’m turning around and driving home.
It doesn’t even take ten seconds for him to text me back.
Greg
We’re in the conference room on the second floor. I’ve got your key.
“No shit,” I grumble to myself.
Picking up my duffle bag, I walk back to the elevators and ride down to the second floor. There are no windows into the conference room, so I just assume I’m in the right place and knock.
John Cox opens the door, and with his back to my husband—although, honestly it wouldn’t matter if Greg could see—his eyes scan my frame. I almost laugh out loud when his features display his disappointment at my baggy turtleneck and jeans.
That’s right, fuck you and your wandering eyes.
“Shannon, I’m so glad you made it,” Greg says, stepping around the table to pull me into a hug. He’sneverbeen big on PDA, so I’m completely taken aback when he grips the back of my neck and shoves his tongue down my throat in front of his colleagues.
Without thinking, I use both hands to shove him off me.
“Greg, what has gotten into you?” Completely embarrassed, I look around the room to find five pairs of eyes on us. When I look back at Greg, his face is red with anger.
“Excuse us a moment, will you?” he says to the onlookers. Placing a hand on my low back, he guides me from the room. When the door shuts behind him, he takes advantage of thefact that there are no windows and backs me into the wall of the hallway. “I thought I told you your contact with him was tostop, Shannon.”
My mouth goes dry as I try to keep my face as neutral as possible, but the more he talks, the harder it becomes.
“I let you get a job, I allowed our daughter to basically be raised by your mother, and I was even willing to overlook your little meetup at the aquarium, but you just had to fucking have him, didn’t you?” Greg says, dangerously close to my face.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I don’t necessarily mean to lie, but self-preservation is a strong instinct—as is the need to protect Hudson.
But it all goes out the window when Greg pulls up an image on his phone of Hudson holding a bouquet of flowers outside my apartment door.
“You’re having me followed.” It’s not a question nor is it said in shock. I should’ve known.
“Of course, I had you followed. And tomorrow, while we’re celebrating my new status as partner, yourboyfriendis going to be getting served with the biggest alienation of affection lawsuit this state has ever seen. And when he can’t pay it, I’m going to have his wages garnished, a lien a put on his house, and his fucking car repossessed. He won’t be able to afford his niece and nephew’s daycare bill anymore and you can definitely guarantee I’m going to his boss with this. So, come Monday, he won’t even have a job to begin paying on his debts. And if you try to leave this weekend, or don’t put on the happiest of smiles for me at tomorrow’s dinner, I’ll go after his sister too. I’d really enjoy making her look like a fool in that courtroom next week.” A wave of nausea hits so hard, I pitch forward at the waist, dry heaving, until Gregor pushes me upright by the shoulders. “Either way, I’m going to ruin your boyfriend so thoroughly he’ll wish he’d been in that car with his brother-in-law.”
