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“You’ve always had a way with men,” Evan says, smirking.
“Hey, I shared it with him!” I say. I smile, thinking about how I wrote my number on the sticky napkin he’d handed me.
And how I know he still has that napkin tucked into a shoebox in the corner of our closet.
“Yeah, you’re a peach.” Evan, ever the older brother, punches me lightly on my shoulder. “Be right back.” He pushes back his chair and heads across the restaurant, presumably in search of the restrooms.
“Okay, spill it,” Rose says as soon as Evan is out of earshot.
“What are you talking about?” I say, avoiding her eyes. I push my plate back, my appetite draining away.
“That’s bull. You’ve been mopey since we got here.” Rose clucks her tongue at me.
“Fine,” I say, sighing. I can’t hide anything from my best friend. “Things, um…things aren’t so great at home. Leon and I are always traveling for work. We can’t seem to get a schedule together that allows us any time to justbe. If I’m home, he’s gone, and vice versa. It’s starting to wear on us, honestly. We seem to be fighting more.”
“Honey, why didn’t you say something?” Rose leans forward and puts her hand over mine.
“You’ve got enough going on, planning your own wedding and all. I didn’t want to be a bother. Or make you think marriage isn’t worth it.” I shrug and try to keep the tears pricking my eyes from falling.
“Youneedto talk to Leon about this, Courtney. You can’t let a thing like this drag on. The longer you let it go, the harder it’s going to be to come back from.”
“I know, I know,” I say. “I just want to be supportive of his career. I feel like if I say something, I’m going to be the nagging wife. I’ve never been the kind of person who would ask somebody else to give up their dreams for me. Sure, Leon’s gone a lot, but he loves his job.”
“Leon lovesyou,” Rose says firmly. “And I know he’d want to know if something was bothering you. Don’t settle for less than you deserve.”
“Less than you deserve?” Evan asks, sliding back into his seat.
“Less dessert,” I say quickly. “I know you, and as soon as there’s a dessert in front of me, your fork is going to start wandering where it’s not welcomed. You stick to your own dessert.”
“Tell you what, I’ll thumb wrestle you for it. Winner gets both desserts.” Evan gives me one of his annoying big brother grins.
“Not on your life. Not with those gorilla thumbs of yours.”
I duck out of the way of the napkin that comes flying at me.
Evan and I keep on with our sibling banter, Rose laughing and refusing to pick sides. But deep down I’m still thinking about Leon and wondering if our marriage is going to survive.
Chapter Four
Leon
Ihear the sound of eighties pop music blaring before I even open the door. Smiling, I stick my key in the lock, pop the door open, and quickly tap in the code for the alarm before it can beep. I don’t want my wife, who I know is dancing in the kitchen right this second, to know I’m home yet. I managed to get home a day early, and I want to surprise Courtney.
Shoving my suitcase to the side, I follow the music into the kitchen.
Courtney is at the counter, her back to me, her hips swaying as she dances. The woman has a slight obsession with eighties music, but as long as I get to watch her plump ass rock back and forth like that, I don’t carewhatshe listens to.
I watch for a couple seconds longer, the song switching over to a new track before I clear my throat. “Looking good, Mrs. Torres.”
Courtney gasps and spins around, her face fearful and her hands covered in flour. The fear instantly fades away when she sees me, and she almost takes me off my feet as she launches herself across the kitchen and into my arms.
“Oh my God, Leon! What are you doing here?” Her flour-covered hands fling around my neck and she jumps up, wrapping her legs around my waist. “You aren’t supposed to be here until tomorrow. Is everything okay?” She peers up at me, and I can tell she’s looking for any sign of trouble, illness, or injury.
“Just missed you, is all,” I say. “I left the last meeting to Samson and changed my flight. I needed to see you more than the client needed me.” I grab her around the thighs and hoist her up higher. “I’ve missed you so damn much, Court.”
Her face lifts to mine, almost in slow motion, and then her hot mouth closes over mine. She smells like rosemary and lemon and her lips taste like sweet red wine. I drink her in, sweeping my tongue across her mouth and parting her lips, slipping my tongue over hers in a dance that’s familiar but intoxicating.
My wife. I tighten my arms around her, pressing her more firmly against me.
