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"No.”
"Why not?" she continues, her shoulders lifting in a shrug.
My eyes pierce hers, and my hands clench into fists. With a deep breath, I cross my arms over my chest. "Let me be crystal clear. I will eat. Just not with you."
Cindy pulls the pouty lip act while she lays her hands on my chest. She takes a step towards me. My lungs fill with her floral perfume—it sickens me.
"Come on, Nick. Please. I've missed you, babe."
She places a lingering kiss on my cheek. I remove her hands from my chest and take a step back. "Stop it, Cindy. You and I were over the moment you cheated."
She lets out an exasperated sigh.
"But you know I'm sorry. I got drunk and made a mistake. It's been two years, Nick! I've changed." She lifts her hand and places a finger on my lips. "And I know what I want now. I want you," she purrs in her most seductive tone.
My hands clench around her wrist to remove her finger from my lips. I bend forwards until my mouth is near her ear, and she shivers as my breath feathers across her skin. Her expectations are high as she awaits my next move.
"You had your chance, and you blew it by screwing someone else. Move on, Cindy."
I push her away from me and note that she has to collect herself for a moment. Her smile fades, and her lips set in a hard line—the color of her eyes changes, hardening like the first layer of ice on a lake. From a distance, it seems calm and inviting, but God forbid when you get too close.
"It's that woman from the restaurant, isn't it? She's no woman for you," she says with a belittling scoff. "You need someone who fascinates you, excites you. Not a plain and simple housewife.”
Her description of Emma brings my blood to its boiling point. I smack the palm of my hand with force against the window for the second time.
"Leave!" my voice thunders through the office. "Get the hell out of my office."
She rolls her eyes, and her mouth shows a lopsided grin. "Nick, your reaction only shows me I'm right."
My body is fraught with tension, and I stretch my neck to both sides to release some. The door opens, and Amanda runs in. She must have heard my angry voice. Stopping in her tracks when she sees Cindy standing a few feet away from me, her facial expression turns lethal. "What the hell are you doing here?" she says, pointing a finger towards Cindy.
"None of your business. It's between your brother and me. So why don't you turn around and leave?"
I take a step forward. "Cindy, get out."
"You heard him," Amanda says. "Move your Barbie ass out of here. You're not welcome."
Cindy struts towards my office door on her stiletto heels. With her hand on the handle, she turns for the last time. "When you're done with her, you know where to find me." She gives me another one of her coy smiles and walks out.
The moment the door closes, Amanda releases her thoughts.
"She's the devil in a woman's body. I despise her,” she says while pacing through my office. "You aren't getting involved with her again, are you?"
I rub my hands over my face. "No.”
Amanda narrows her eyes at me. "Good, because she's a poisonous snake. Emma has far more class, and style in her pinky than that woman has in her entire fake body. No plastic surgeon can fix her. Her rotten personality will always shine through her exterior."
I pull Amanda into a tight hug and place a kiss on the top of her head. "Relax, sis. I'm done with her.”
"You better be. Otherwise, I will seriously consider admitting you to a psych ward." She squeezes her arms tighter around me. "It's been so long since I have seen a genuine smile on your face… With Emma and Charlotte, I've seen that sincere smile of yours more than ever. So now that the witch has left, are you ready for lunch?"
"Yeah, let's go."
* * *
The cinnamonand vanilla aroma migrates through the house as I make up the last cake for today's order. Two little feet tipple into the kitchen. Charlotte climbs onto the kitchen counter and stares into the cake box.
"Wow, I love that cake!"
