Page 14 of Troubled Water
I can’t help but be impressed. A SEAL. That explains the cockiness, the arrogance he displayed in our one afternoon together. What it doesn’t explain is why he was such a dick finding out my identity.
Turning my head, I meet Thorn’s eyes. My lips purse as his silvery orbs are eclipsed by the pupils once he recognizes me. His lips lift in a smile. “Bethany.”
Twisting a little so I face Cal, I drawl, “I’ve had the pleasure once of meeting Thorn. Spare me a second.”
“Bethany, we should talk.” Thorn rumbles.
Ignoring that deep voice, I inform my host, “I think I’ll go find Libby. We have a lot to celebrate tonight.”
Cal’s doing his best to not bust a gut laughing if the persistent lip twitch and chest heaves are any indicators. He scans the room before informing me, “I see her in the sunroom holding court with Keene and Ali.”
Ensuring I’m steady on my heels, I make my way in that direction. Thorn reaches out and grips my elbow. “Let me walk you over. We’ll…talk.”
My eyes drift down to his fingers on my bare skin before I jut my chin pugnaciously and bite out, “What would we have to talk about, Thorn? How you heard my full name after kissing me and then walked out without a word?”
Cal lets out a low whistle. “Wow. And to think I attributed some brains to you.”
“Not now, Cal,” he grits out.
“Don’t worry, Cal. It’s more like not ever,” I reassure him.
Thorn’s jaw locks. Perversely, I give myself a mental pat on the back. I guess not many women have turned down meeting Parker Thornton, former Navy SEAL. “Excuse me.”
With that, I carefully pick my way over to Libby’s side of the room. When I get there, a raucous cheer goes up. Libby hands me a glass of fresh champagne before announcing to the room at large, “Bethany McCallister, everyone! Architect and lead contractor of Hudson Investigations, DC’s new office! The reason we were awarded the Pinnacle Award.”
Lifting my glass, I toast her back. “Libby Sullivan, whose vision of what Hudson Investigations should be here in DC made it easy.” As applause breaks out around us, my eyes meet Thorn’s across the room. Something flips low in my stomach when I realize his gaze is intent on me.
It causes me to tingle, remembering that kiss.
With a small amount of regret, I turn my back on him, effectively shutting my mind down from trying to build a bridge between my past and my present. I just know if I invite Thorn in, I’ll never be the same.
13
ELEVEN YEARS AGO—AGE 33
“Now I’m going to ask you that significant life event question. How on earth did you convince your wife to ever go on a date with you?” Fox taunts me.
I glare at her as Deere and Pamola stifle laughter as best they can. “I can be charming.” When I want to be. For my wife, I really wanted to be.
“Sir, no offense, but I have no qualms about the fact you’re lying. In fact, I’m not even considering this a lie. It’s more along the lines of delusional behavior.”
“Actually, Fox,” Pamola starts.
She groans. “Don’t say it.”
My lips quirk. I don’t speak a word because Pamola does it for me. “Not kidding. He’s not.”
“How? You’re sanctimonious, smug, overly superior?—”
“You list those qualities like they’re bad things.”
Deere pipes up, “I just want details. I mean, has anyone actually ever heard the story?”
A gleam appears in Fox’s eyes. She flips through my file and I groan inwardly, knowing the answer already. No. No one knows how I managed to convince Bethany to go out with me.
I became her little bitch, supplicating myself to her every whim. I begged. I pleaded.
Ultimately, it took an act worse than any other I’ve ever done for my country.
