Page 125 of One Wild Wish

Chewing her lip, she lined up our hands, bottoms of our palms even, like she was measuring me. “Attitude I can handle. These men are lying cheats. Most have mistresses.”

My heart rate sped. Cheating meant they were looking for women to use and discard. Meant they might be hitting on Ainsley. “Are some of them inappropriate? Making advances you don’t want?” The green grass clouded my vision, jealousy and protectiveness surging. If someone had made her uncomfortable or worse, they’d be having a conversation with my fist.

She shook her head firmly. “Nothing like that. I mean, it’s happened. I’ve been propositioned. But it’s never been uncomfortable, and I’d never get involved with a married man. Ever.” Stiffness edged her joints. “I know how damaging that can be.”

She didn’t offer more, but her words were a reminder that, technically, I was still married, and Ainsley didn’t have a clue. Tessa wasn’t part of my life in any meaningful way, but the knowledge weighed on me. I also sensed something ugly in Ainsley’s past. Without even knowing the details, it made me want to rewrite her story. Fill it with nothing but laughter and smiles and success. That wasn’t real life, though. I knew what it was to be discarded, deemed not good enough. My mother leaving her kids wasn’t the same as some prick sneaking around behind his spouse, but it all came down to loyalty.

Cheating was a hard limit of mine, too. Unacceptable. It’s why Tessa’s accusations were such a blow. She should have known me better. Believed I’d never treat my partner with that little respect.

Tired of poking those thoughts, I brushed Ainsley’s hair behind her ear. “So these men you work for, you don’t like being around them?”

Her jaded sigh was dredged from her bones. “It’s more than that. I don’t just buy clothes for them and their wives. They ask me to send gifts to their girlfriends, and I know it’s wrong. Like so wrong. I’m facilitating their affairs, and I get sick every time I think about their wives finding out. I’m friendly with some of these women.” She nuzzled her head under my chin. “I’m sorry. I’m ruining our we-just-found-out-you’re-not-gay time.”

Another laugh rumbled through my chest. “Baby doll, don’t ever apologize. I don’t like seeing you this stressed, but I’m glad you told me. I’ll help you figure something out.”

“Yeah?”

“We’ll brainstorm. Try to find ways for you to expand your client base before making any rash moves. Get you away from those assholes without taking a pay cut.”

“Can we do this brainstorming naked? Like tonight? I’m feeling a wave of insight coming on, but my clothes are distracting me.” She placed two fingers on my chest and walked them toward my belt buckle. “Yours are distracting, too.”

I exhaled a pained grunt. “As tempting as that sounds, I have bad news.”

“You only have four hours left to live?”

“If you keep looking at me like that, I do.”

She screwed half her face into a beastly grimace. “Like this?”

“Yeah, weirdo. Like that.” I dropped a kiss to the end of her adorable nose. “A friend’s in San Fran for a visit, and we have plans. Then I’m heading out of town for a few days.” The way her face fell shouldn’t have made me grin. The defeated slump in her posture shouldn’t have had me wanting to run a victory lap. I was in trouble. “I need to head back to D.C., tie up some loose ends there.”

Meaning I had to surgically remove Tessa’s talons from my neck.

“Work stuff?”

My lungs stilled. Each nob of my spine scratched into the coarse tree bark.

Ainsley had never asked about my past. She’d obviously assumed I was seeing Emmett and left my romantic history at that. I should open my mouth and tell her about the clusterfuck of a divorce chasing me, but it had taken me months to tell Nana the lewd details, worried she’d believe the slander. Ainsley and I were just finding our feet. If I told her about my divorce, there would be questions, and I’d have to explain the extent of Tessa’s accusations.

I offered her a partial truth. “I have a house that hasn’t sold yet and some furniture pieces I have to ship.”

“That sucks.”

“It does.”

Unaware of my unease, she pushed away from me and flopped on her back, pouting like a child. “I am not disappointed at all. I will not be using Blue Bunny while wishing you were between my thighs. Won’t happen.”

Leave it to this hellcat to ease my discomfort with her ridiculousness. I straddled her, pinning her wrists by her sides. “Who is this Blue Bunny? And do I need to be jealous?”

“You do. His stamina is remarkable.”

“Explain yourself, doll.”

“He’s my fuck buddy, and he’s rechargeable.”

My blood burned hot again, and my grip on her wrists tightened. “Sounds like a busy bunny.”

She tried to blow away the blond hairs streaking across her face. “You know what they say about rabbits. Plus I’ve had some issues to work through lately.”