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I swallowed my laugh at her exaggerated begging. I wanted her so much I was ready to drag her to the closest hotel, and town gossip be damned. “Let’s go.”

Chapter 27

Jane

Carter had barely locked the side door behind us when I pushed him against the fridge. The whole ride home, he’d held my hand, our fingers entwined. That simple connection had been enough to keep me buzzing with desire. Now that we were here, I gave in to it.

I laced my fingers through his hair, loving the feel of the silky strands. I pulled his head down and pressed my lips against his, sending a burst of heat through me. Carter ran his hands over my bare arms, warming my chilled flesh, before gripping my ponytail tight. He held me immobile as he devoured my mouth, catching my sensitive lower lip in his teeth.

Something felt different, and not only because the alcohol had lowered my inhibitions. This felt like something more.

Carter nipped at my neck under my ear, where I was super sensitive, making me jump. My breasts pressed against his chest, my nipples aching as the friction added extra stimulation. I let out a quiet moan. The room flooded with light.

“Well, isn’t this cozy. I knew you were sleeping with him.”

Chad’s voice penetrated the desire clouding my consciousness, jerking me back to an awareness of where we were. Fuck.

I pulled back from Carter, but he kept his arms around me, shielding me. Chad did not sound happy, but this was my house, and none of his damn business. He’d given up any right to have an opinion about my life when he cheated on me.

I shifted in Carter’s arms so I was facing Chad. “What’s. Your. Point?”

“Double standard much? I can’t have overnight guests, but you can fuck Carter in the kitchen?” Chad’s face was bright red, and he’d curled his hands into fists.

I wasn’t afraid, because he’d never once raised a hand to me, but I was done taking his crap. “My house, my rules. Don’t like them? Leave. Please.”

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you? Seeing me fail again, reduced to couch surfing at the dealership, or renting some shitty apartment. All while you’re acting like a fool, sleeping with a guy almost young enough to be your kid.”

Carter tensed, and I reached up to touch his lips. “I’ve got this.”

I appreciated Carter wanting to defend me, but I could handle Chad all by myself. I looked over at the man I’d been married to for two decades, and realized I wasn’t even mad. I just wanted him out of my house.

“You never were any good at math. Carter is hardly young enough to be my son. He’s definitely older than your last girlfriend, you hypocrite.”

Chad’s face flushed an even deeper red. “You’re calling me a hypocrite? Tell me, what does that make Carter, considering he’s the reason we’re divorced in the first place. Or didn’t he tell you? He was the one who told the reporter where to find me.”

Carter’s arms squeezed around me, then fell away. “I’m so sorry. I can explain.”

I reached up and stroked my finger down his cheek. “You don’t have to. I already know the whole story.”

I looked back over at Chad. “I’ve known for years that it was Carter who tipped off the reporter on where to find you. The reporter told me when she called me to apologize for the shitstorm her article turned my life into after the gossip websites posted shitty videos of me from around Dallas. She wanted me to tell my side of the story. You should be glad I didn’t want to upset the kids more than they already were. None of it was Carter’s fault, and I never blamed him.

“It was you cheating, it was you who got caught on video talking trash about me to the women you were sleeping with. You ruined our marriage, not Carter. Carter wasn’t even playing for Texas when it happened. There was no way for him to predict how badly my life would blow up. But you? You should have treated me better from the beginning. You just never thought I’d leave you.” It felt good to finally tell Chad that I knew everything and to hold him accountable.

Chad was making goldfish faces, and it was almost enough to make me laugh, but I wasn’t done yet. I’d been carrying this for years, and he deserved to hear all of it.

“The cheating was bad enough, but the video those women recorded humiliated me. You called me fat, and old, and undesirable. Maybe that was your justification for cheating, or maybe you were flattered that a couple of college-age girls agreed to have sex with you. Either way, you let them record everything.”

“When the gossip sites posted that along with comparison videos of me, they went viral. It was the worst I’ve ever felt. That’s what killed our marriage. You didn’t respect me. I’m done being disrespected. I let you stay for Ethan’s sake, but that’s over. Pack your shit and get out of my house. I want you gone. Now.” I’d tolerated him for too long. I was done.

“You don’t mean that.” A hint of fear tempered Chad’s normal belligerence. It was almost like he finally understood he’d gone too far.

“I do mean it.” I reached for my purse and pulled out my wallet. I shoved a handful of bills in Chad’s direction. “Take this. Consider it a refund for the rent you’ve paid this month. Use it to get a hotel room. Or don’t. I don’t care. Just leave.”

Chad opened his mouth as if to argue, snapping it shut when he realized I was dead serious. I was done with his shit. I was proud of myself for standing up to him and prioritizing me. Chad turned and stormed down the hall, slamming the basement door behind him.

I melted back against Carter’s chest, and he wrapped his arms around me. I was shaking, and him holding me calmed the adrenaline buzzing through me. We stayed that way, standing silently in the kitchen, until Chad came back upstairs.

Carter seemed tense, and I was waiting to see if Chad left without another fight. He did, slamming the door behind him. Once he was gone, we separated and Carter went to secure the door while I set the alarm and removed Chad’s code from the system. He wouldn’t be able to come back without me knowing.