Page 44 of Unmasked

It was definitely something Corinna would usually have told her. The fact she hadn’t meant this wasn’t simply a change of scenery for him.

She gave her body a quick wipe-down and then wandered, stark naked, into his bedroom contemplating what to wear. Her dress from last night had barely been appropriate for an evening on the town let alone for the bright sunshine of the morning after...but it wasn’t like she had much choice.

She tugged on the stretchy dress and riffled through Damian’s wardrobe, plucking out a clean white shirt. She slipped it on, rolled up the sleeves and located the emergency ballet flats in her handbag. There she also found her touch-up makeup palette. It wasn’t perfect, but at least she wouldn’t look like something the cat had dragged in.

“Going through my clothes again?”

Lainey whipped around. “Thought I’d make an effort to look respectable. So, what are the plans for today?”

He folded his arms across his chest. “I don’t think we should be playing games like this.”

He was probably right. The little bundle of doubts was already growing, the voice in her head warning her that she was going to be flying to London with tears in her eyes. But if the end was nigh, then she’d go out all guns blazing. What was the point of small regret? Might as well go hard.

“We made a deal, so I’m staying. You can ship me off at midnight if you want. But until then...you’re stuck with me.”

“I don’t remember agreeing to that.” He closed the distance between them in two long-legged strides. “Besides, you’re too young for me—”

“Too young? I’m almost twenty-five.”

“You should go for someone your own age...”

“Ugh.” She rolled her eyes and flipped her hair over one shoulder, fully aware of just how much that action supported his argument. “You’re not that old, Damian, but you sure do act like you’re a hundred sometimes.”

“See?”

“No, I don’t see. Like I said, I’m sticking around all day, so you can stay here and argue with me—which would be pointless, because I’ll outlast you—or you can take me for a coffee. A real one.”

“What if I told you straight up I don’t want to sleep with you again?” He pulled her closer, staring down at her in what might have been an attempt to intimidate. Instead it made her body burn, need gnawing at her insides.

“I’d call bullshit.”

A smile twitched on his mouth. “Fine. Coffee it is. It’s probably safer to have you out there than in here.”

She grinned. “You’d like to think that, wouldn’t you?”

* * *

The day was already hot. Sunshine filtered through the trees lining the café strip, sending dancing speckles of light across their table. They’d found a quiet spot on the courtyard of a café, private enough for them to talk. Because Lainey had questions.

Swiping at her croissant, she tore off one end and stuffed it into her mouth. “So what’s the deal with the hotel room?”

He sighed. “It’s a long story.”

“We’ve got all day.”

He stared at his coffee cup for a moment before looking up with a blank expression. “I couldn’t stand to be in the apartment any longer.”

Lainey had known Jenny well enough to know she and Damian were completely and utterly wrong for each other, though she’d never said it to his face. They’d gotten married at twenty-four—a conservative ceremony without passion—and cracks started showing less than a year in. Jenny had been overbearing. Her family was even worse. Then one day the marriage ended suddenly and Damian had never spoken of his ex-wife again.

Not even to explain why the marriage broke down. To this day it was a mystery.

“Why?” Lainey asked. “What changed?”

“Nothing, that’s exactly the point. I thought I’d have gotten my shit together, moved on...something.”

“But you have moved on.” She sipped her coffee, shielding her eyes from the sun with her hand. “You’re like a completely different person now. Well, like how you used to be before.”

He shook his head. “I’m not.”

---