Page 14 of Driven to Love

“Then why did you?”

“I… uh, I was under pressure to make a decision. The choice was out of my hands.” He reached across the linen-covered table for her hand. “I miss you, Addison. Losing you was like trying to focus without having my morning cup of java.” He chuckled at his own joke.

She glanced at his hand then back to his face. She didn’t laugh, not even a smile, but just slipped her hand free and waited.

“What I’m trying to say is… we’re good together. I want you back.”

Now, Addison leaned in, a bright smile on her face. “I’m sure it was hell in the office without me.”

“Not too bad. Amber came in yesterday, and she’s taking over your position.”

She stiffened. Air clogged in her lungs. Did he just say his wife was taking her job? Addison rolled her shoulders back. She could feel the steam building in her ears. “Excuse me? What did you say?”

“Amber is going to be my new administrative assistant. She had the position before we had children.”

Addison suddenly went very still.

“It’s perfect. She’ll be preoccupied in the office. I know it’s not ideal, but we can still find time to be together. The thought of not seeing you every day is agony.”

The balls on this man. He wanted to continue the affair. She had broken up with him months ago, and he acted like it had never happened. Like they were still together, and this was a minor bump in the road.

That son of a bitch. How dare he? The urge to throw hot coffee in his face had her fingertips itching. No, if there was one thing she learned from her cat Lu, it was that the joy of revenge was in playing with your prey.

A feline smile crossed her lips. She leaned in and played with his tie—his overpriced, designer tie.

“So, you want to pick up where we left off last spring? Take our relationship to the next level?” she whispered.

Leaning in, he nodded. His eyes sparkled at the possibility of rekindling their relationship.

She looked down at his tie as she stroked it, then back at him. “But how would that work? You would be working with your wife. When I ran the office for you, I knew where you were at all times. Wouldn’t she?”

“I’ll figure it out. She has me over a barrel at the office, but she doesn’t own me. I’m leaving her for real this time when my son goes off to college in the fall.”

Yeah, right. She’d heard that one before. He was salivating to continue their relationship. Addison cut it off before they consummated it. No doubt he’d pay the bill and take her to a hotel right now if she said the word.

But it would be a cold day in hell before she’d give him that word. Instead, she said, “I’ll let you know.”

She cocked her head to the side, then dropped her gaze to the tie one last time before she looked him squarely in the eyes. She smiled, dropped his tie, and patted his cheek, then slipped gracefully from the booth.

Mark sat back. He looked down and frowned. “What the…?”

She grinned.

His expensive tie, his favorite—the one she’d soaked in coffee for the last five minutes—was dripping all over his shirt and suit, leaving a nice size wet spot on his crotch.

Purse in hand, she flipped him the finger, then pivoted on her heels and walked away.

He had his answer, and it was a big, fat “fuck you.”

Chapter 6

Addison checked her lipstick in the visor mirror. Her makeup—flawless. Now if she could curb the stress in her eyes. After her lunch with Mark, there was no way she’d be going back to her old company.

“You need this job.” She blew out a breath and smiled into the mirror. Better. Between Lu’s dietary restrictions and her spending habits, Addison needed a job sooner rather than later, and from what Cade had told her about the position after the party the other day, she’d be a perfect fit.

This would be good. Eric McBride was a nice man. A happily married man. No worry of him hitting on her. Besides, Addison had learned her lesson. But that wasn’t what worried her about working at Busted Knuckle—it was the close proximity to a certain mechanic.

She closed her eyes and exhaled. If things became too difficult, she could always look for another job. Heck, she might not even get this one.