I carry the drinks to the booth. Katie watches me closely.
“Everything okay?”
“Of course,” I lie. “Why wouldn’t it be?”
She glances toward the bar. “Things looked a bit heated between you two. We can go somewhere else if it’s easier, Lance. I don’t want to cause trouble.”
“The hell we are,” I snap. She startles. “Sorry, it’s just… this is my local pub. I’m not being pushed out.”
I already know coming here was a mistake. Using Katie to rub Ainsley and Hamish up the wrong way was not my best plan.
We sit and sip our drinks. The conversation stutters. The excitement of our previous encounter gone, and her smile dims a little more.
She looks uncomfortable. My chest tightens. I put her in this position.
After a while, she leans forward and says softly, “Lance, did you bring me here to get back at your wife?”
My throat goes dry, every word catching as my eyes drop to my drink.
She’s hit the nail on the head, and I’m embarrassed to admit it. She covers my hand with hers.
“It’s okay. I’ve been there. I understand. Sometimes you want to hurt the cheating assholes so badly that you’ll do anything to make it happen.”
A pause.
“We need to be real, Lance. What we have between us doesn’t have longevity. We can have fun. A lot of fun.” Her lips curl at the edges. “I’m happy to be your rebound fuck.”
I burst out laughing. Of all the things she could say, that was not what I expected. “Rebound fuck?”
“Yes. Absolutely. You know the old saying...” I shake my head, and she grins wickedly. “The best way to get over one woman is to get under another. You can get under me anytime, soldier.”
My blood heats.
My heart aches in a way sex won’t fix.
I don’t only want under her. I want every part of her.
And I need her now.
Chapter twelve
Katie
It’s the most wonderful time of the year.
The festive season is in full swing—December is finally here. I love this season. My plans for my little cottage are grand. My home is about to be filled with garlands and twinkling lights. I’m basically Mrs. Claus at this point.
My time at Eden House is due up next month, but Jeffery asked me to consider staying on until the end of May. I jumped at the chance. Life has been steady, soft, and peaceful. It’s a welcome change from the hustle of London.
Lance has made it incredible. My writing is productive and colorful. It finally feels as if everything is moving forward in the right direction.
I will remain in my bubble, floating upward as long as I can. Leaving risks going back to the woman I was, and I’ve come too far. Staying here means not settling back into the norm, or risking the reverse into uncertainty, which seems to have stayedin London. The what I should be doing against the what I want to be doing. This version of myself I prefer by a mile.
The main house stands solitary, overseeing the rest of the estate. A van arrived two weeks ago to collect some furniture Jeffery claimed had been sold. They had a key to access the property, so I was to stay out of the way.
His strange requests and rules are the only downside of my stay here. I push them to the back of my mind. It’s none of my business. Only the fresh tire tracks on the gravel hint that anyone was here.
Life wrapped in Lance’s arms is unbelievable. For the first time ever, I feel loved. He makes me laugh, he makes me feel seen, and the sex is ridiculous.