Smug Bastard - Stacey Marie Brown Page 0,85

Goat to follow me back inside, but he didn’t move from Smith’s side. “Goat! Come!”

“Kinsley, listen to me.” He snatched my arm. “Please.”

“No!” I bellowed, shaking free. “Why won’t you leave me alone? I was getting over you, moving on.” Lie. “What do you want from me? Do you get off on this? Twisting me all up inside?”

“I enjoyed twisting you all up on the outside.”

My teeth crunched together.

“Yeah, too soon.” He ran a hand through his hair. Damn, he looked good. My fantasy did not do him justice. He looked even more muscular under his clothes now. Rugged and sexy, with his worn work boots, T-shirt, and flannel under his green military-style jacket. His hair was a bit longer, his scruff almost a full beard.

I bit down on my lip, my lids batting back the emotion. “Goodbye, Smith.” I headed for the door.

“Stop!” he yelled, my fingers bumbling to find the keys to open the building entrance. “Kinsley.” He snatched my elbow, flipping me around.

“Let go of me.” I snarled, wiggling out of his grip. “You show up out of the blue after almost six months? Fuck off, Smith!”

“Five minutes,” he pleaded.

“No.” I pulled out the key. “Goat, come on.”

“Dammit.” He grabbed my shoulders, flipping me around. My spine hit the wall, my breath hitching. My traitorous body instantly reacted to the feel of him, the heat, his thighs pressing into mine. “Becca’s in jail.”

“What?”

“I needed to clean up a lot of shit before I came to you,” he growled, pressing in firmer, the months of being deprived of him had my body reacting without my say, my nipples hardening as they brushed his chest. “I’m asking for five fuckin’ minutes.” His eyes blazed into mine. “Give me that, and then I’ll walk away from you forever.”

A stab of terror pinched my ribs, a panicked response of never seeing him again.

“I know I probably don’t deserve a moment of your time, but I’m asking you to listen.” His statement was pleasant enough, but his body and tone were hard. Demanding. Firing desire through my nerves.

“When have you ever asked before?” My voice came out husky.

“This might be a first.” A sexy smirk lit up his face, melting my insides.

I took a few moments, a debate volleying in my head, greedily absorbing the sensation of his weight, his body touching mine again. He was like an addiction I tried to quit, but the temptation of tasting it again, luring me back, was far too powerful to resist.

“You get the walk to the park,” I said evenly, our mouths only inches away.

Another beat and he stepped back, the cold air attacking the empty places he had been, making me shiver.

He picked up Goat’s leash with a nod, letting me lead the way. We walked in silence before he spoke.

“You didn’t make it easy to track you down.”

“I didn’t want you to, but sounds like you have an ally in my family.”

“It took more convincing than you think. I think jail was less scary than your mother’s threats.”

I flinched, tucking hair behind my ear.

“You said Becca’s in jail?” I peered at him.

“She was sentenced a few weeks ago. Very minimal sentence. I’m thinking because of the baby.” The blade twisted in my chest looking away. “She’ll probably be released far sooner than she should. Bryan got much longer.”

I stayed silent, my gaze on the pavement.

“Shit, where do I start?” he muttered, pausing to let Goat sniff a bush and pee, Smith’s gaze moving over me. “I know what Becca told you at the wedding… the only truthful part was, yes, I was arrested and put in jail, but I was set up. Little did I know my ol’ buddy Bryan was a swindler. He embezzled money from other companies before, but it was little, not enough for him to get caught. When we started our company and he and Becca started an affair, they came up with a plan to use the business as a front to launder money. Of course, he didn’t plan on getting caught, but greed started to dictate him. He was smart though, made sure all the evidence pointed to me. Both of them testified against me in court, acting like I had totally betrayed them.”

“What?” I blurted. “She accused you, and you still let her come back into your life?” Slept with her? Got her pregnant.

“She performed her part well. She played the unknowing, distraught wife who was shocked and grieved that her husband would commit such