got my job because Adam had offered it to me after I’d left Canada to come down to Southern California. I had given up a good job when I’d come to be with Mia during her cancer treatment and recovery.
But it hadn’t been the only reason I’d left. It had been an all too convenient time to leave the land of my birth. I’d needed to make a fresh, new start where the past and all that stress wouldn’t follow me. For a long time, it hadn’t, thank the Flying Spaghetti Monster, the Great Cat Goddess, Pan and all the other pantheons. I tried not to think about that legal letter I’d never looked at. Hopefully it was just a one-off.
Lindsay smiled, blue eyes darting from one of us to the other. “So I guess I get indirect credit for this adorable little love match of yours, since you met each other at work?”
Love match, yeah right. As in love-to-hate-him match. As in I’d love to stomp on his foot right this very moment but couldn’t. Jesus Murphy. I downed the remainder of my champagne in one gulp while she chit-chatted with her cousin.
Another guy, shorter and fairer than Lucas, appeared on Lindsay’s other side while her bored date had wandered off to grab some more drinks. The newcomer sent me an obnoxious wink and a flirtatious smile. I suspected that he’d dipped heavily into the libations long before we’d arrived.
The new guy bumped his shoulder against Lindsay who gave him an exasperated look and batted his hand away. “Don’t be annoying,” she said.
“It’s a brother’s number one job to be annoying,” he shot back.
Lucas jutted his chin out at the new guy but didn’t smile. “Hey, Henry.” Then turned to me and, without meeting my gaze, gave the quick explanation. “Lindsay’s younger brother, also my cousin.”
Henry bent exaggeratedly over my hand when I offered it to him. He then one-upped his cheese-factor by kissing the back of it and sending me another wink. Eww this one was a creeper all right. “Since you are Dutch nobility now, my lady baroness.”
Lucas stiffened. When he straightened, Henry sent a smug grin to his cousin, brows bobbing up and down quickly. That must be bro code for me meeting the requisite minimum hotness level, according to him. Jeez. Dude-bros were so gross.
“Oh hey Lucas, head’s up. I’m pretty sure I saw your ex-wife here earlier in case no one else warned you.”
Lucas’s shoulders went rigid, and he looked much like someone had shoved a stick so far up his ass it was poking out his nostrils. Then his eyes scanned the pool area as he pointedly avoided my gaze.
What the…? Suddenly there was an ex-wife now? What the hell was this shit?
Lucas had never been married before… had he? Was Henry just being cheeky by referring to an ex-girlfriend like that? My eyes flew back to Lucas. It was time he offered me some explanations. And I wasn’t going to wait until we got home. This was bullshit and it wasn’t fair of him to keep me guessing all evening.
I forced myself not to grind it out through my teeth, barely. But I did interrupt Lindsay telling a funny story about a past client who sued his neighbor’s dog for chewing a garden hose in half.
I loudly cleared my throat. “It was great to see you again, Lindsay, and nice to meet you, Henry. Now I have to excuse myself to visit the washroom if that’s okay. Lucas? Can you show me?”
Lucas took my empty champagne flute from my hand setting it on a nearby tray. He then excused himself to his cousins and forged a path through the clumps of people back into the house. I followed on his heels and luckily, he walked fast enough that we weren’t stopped by anymore well-wishers.
Once inside the house, I clamped my hand tightly onto his solid arm. He turned to me, mildly startled. “I need to speak with you in private, sweetheart,” I muttered between clenched teeth, my eyes driving darts into his. He shot a glance at me and had the gall to hesitate. As if he was afraid of what I’d do to him in private.
Be afraid, dude. Be very afraid.
Too bad I wasn’t wearing my pointiest of pointy heels. I could have really done some serious groin damage with those. Unlike most newlyweds, I had no use for that part of his anatomy. He just needed to be verbal and