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She raised her chin. “When she had cancer.”
“I didn’t.”
“Good!” Her face went bright again. “That’s what I told him!”
“But you didn’t really believe that.”
“I did. I told him you’d never do that.”
“Thanks. I wouldn’t. But if you didn’t believe him, why are you asking me if it’s true?”
“Well…because I think you’re a good guy obviously, or I wouldn’t have slept with you. But I haven’t known you as long as Jamie, so…”
“Ah. Well, Jamie and I weren’t quite as intimate.”
“You know what I mean. You’ve known him for years.”
“No. I knew him years ago. There’s a difference. Clearly.”
She nodded. “Okay. I’m sorry. So your divorce… It was already happening?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
His words immediately returned the stiffness to her spine. She snapped straight and frowned at him. “What do you mean?”
“I mean what I said. I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Ever?”
“Well, certainly not right after you asked me if I walked out on my sick wife.”
“Luke, that’s not fair. Only an idiot wouldn’t have asked you after hearing that story.”
“Fine. But that doesn’t mean I’m in the mood to talk about my feelings right now. Got it?” He spun on his heel and started back the way they’d come.
“Hey!” she called, her footsteps quick behind him. “What was I supposed to think? I didn’t even know you’d been married!”
His steps slowed to a stop. Tessa caught up with him and met his gaze. “I don’t know what you were supposed to think, Tessa. But I do know, for example, that there’s something going on with you and your family. You and Jamie are hiding something from Eric. Something you feel guilty about. But I didn’t immediately think, ‘Oh, maybe they’re embezzling money from the company.’”
“What?” she gasped.
“You see, I like you, so I give you the benefit of the doubt.”
“I did the same for you.”
“Oh? So why did you make a point of putting yourself in front of Simone tonight?”
Tessa blinked and took a nervous step back. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Really? Because it seemed like you were making damn sure she saw your hand on my arm, making a point that you had the right to touch me.”
Pink floated up her neck, then her jaw. By the time it reached her cheeks, Luke was resenting just how pretty she looked when she felt guilty.
“So even though you’d already asked about Simone, you weren’t quite sure you believed me.”
“I’m a woman,” she whispered. “And there are some men who’ll lie about anything.”
“You think I don’t know that? Ninety percent of my job is dealing with men like that. So I get a little sensitive about being lumped in with them. And your brother is a…” Luke took a deep breath. “He’s protective of you. I get that. But I already told him that story wasn’t true.”
