Derek raised an eyebrow and she laughed.
“I guess I deserved it. I was being just a little bitchy.”
A little? “Why?”
Dawn shrugged, her dangling earrings shaking back and forth. “Like I said, I’ve never seen you look at a woman like that, except for me. A little reactive jealousy, I guess.”
“You left me, remember?” He spoke casually, not interested in an argument. Not caring anymore why Dawn had left him. Hewas done psychoanalyzing her, had done enough of that in their marriage to call himself Freud.
Now he was more concerned with wresting Reese from Chatterton, whose short hairy fingers had dropped another inch, coming perilously close to the curve of her ass. His ass. The ass that he wanted to be touching. Right now.
Tonight.
For hours.
“I know I left you.” Dawn clicked her tongue. “And I got everything I wanted, but that still doesn’t mean I want you falling in love and getting remarried.”
That pulled his attention off Reese’s satin covered backside to gape at Dawn. “Hold it. First of all, Reese was telling you the truth. It’s a casual relationship. Second, you can’t leave me, remarry and start a family, and then get pissed if I do the same thing. It doesn’t work like that.”
Her fingers went up to smooth her perfect salon-created hair. “I’m selfish, you know that. And part of me wishes I’d never left.”
With that little gem of a parting comment, she walked off, leaving him catching flies with his wide-open trap.
Christ. He really didn’t want his ex-wife expressing regrets for their divorce. Not when he didn’t have any at all.
Reese touched his arm, her breathing hard as she tucked her hair behind her ears. Her cheeks were two bright spots of color, and the strap on her dress had fallen over onto one shoulder.
“Well, that was a waste, not to mention disgusting. Chatterton didn’t want to talk about anything except having me spend the weekend out in the country with him.”
Fanning herself with her hand, she said, “Where’s the waiter? I need a drink.”
She turned towards him and frowned. “What’s the matter with you? You look stunned and horrified and while Chatterton is disgusting, I can handle myself.”
“My ex-wife just said she wished she hadn’t left me.”
Reese took it with great aplomb. “She wants you back? Why?”
No chance of his ego inflating around Reese. “You don’t need to act so damn surprised. Some women appreciate my many fine qualities.”
Not her, apparently. She shrugged, looking baffled. Then she fixed her dress strap and said, “Well, she can’t have you back until I’m done with you.”
“You make me sound like a vibrator.”
It wasn’t meant as a joke. He was feeling a little put out and sick of this whole day…year, whatever.
“Why would I borrow someone’s vibrator?”
“I just…” felt off. Reese was right—he was cranky.
But he suddenly felt a whole lot better when Reese moved closer to him. Her finger toyed with her bottom lip, before she nibbled on her fingernail.
The sight of her pink tongue, dampening her finger, perked him up.
“You’re way better than any vibrator. Much more…interactive.”
That really perked him up. “And I can go in the shower with you.”
“Oh, my vibrator can go in the shower.”