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“Don’t you dare. At this point, I couldn’t care less about your numerous girlfriends, your past or present prowess, your deep secrets. I don’t want any explanation.”
“I can’t stand losing your trust, babe. As you told mykids, you’re my best friend.” He’d lowered his voice, speaking eagerly. “The children need you. Don’t dump them, please. They’ve suffered enough. Listen, tonight I’ll explain things. If you don’t want to see us, I’ll have to prepare the children for you disappearing from their lives.”
“I won’t dump the children, but I refuse to allow you to act as if you own me. I’m not part of your harem, Rick Lambert. I don’t want you to touch me.”
“Damn it. “ He stepped back as if she’d slapped him. “Have I ever forced you into anything? I’ve never talked about my past because I hate it. But if you want to know all of the sordid details, I’ll give them to you tonight. And don’t worry. I won’t touch you, not even your little finger.”
Anger oozed from his body, his chest heaving. He grabbed a towel and hollered, “Boys, out of the pool. Dry yourself and come inside.”
“I’ll get dressed and leave. Tell your mother and the kids that I said goodbye.”
“Okay. See you tonight.”
She sighed but didn’t protest anymore. What was the use?
Wasn’t Mr. Lambert always doing whateverhe wanted, whateverhe thoughtbest for everyone?
Silently, she gathered her handbag and clothes and locked herself in the patio bathroom to change.
A moment later, she left the deserted backyard, her heart heavy. Her brief romance hadn’t lasted long. Nothing new for Rick. Hadn’t Mark mentioned that‘every month there was a new beautiful lady around?’
Bracing herself, she blinked away her disappointment and drove home. She’d been content alone, before getting involved with Rick, and would be again, once she resumed her simple life, free from his problems.
Dang, a simpleemptylife, with no problems, no excitement,and no passion. Could she really forget the hours spent in Rick’s arms?
Dang and dang, why was life so darn unfair?
She wanted Rick more than ever, but she wanted him body and soul, without any secrets between them.
Would he give in to her demand, trust her, and reveal his past?
Chapter Fourteen
After Madison left, Rick surprised the children with a visit to a dog shelter. Squealing with excitement, they chose a cockapoo puppy, black with a white spot on his chest. They named him Douby to remind them of Dubai, the country where they’d spent many happy years.
With the puppy nestled in Mark’s arms, they went to buy him a blue mattress, a crate, and a dog pen. They decided the puppy would sleep in their room at night and spend the day in the playroom where they set up the pen. The crate occupied a corner of the kitchen for Grandma to supervise him while the boys were at school.
Rick left the house at eight-fifteen after he made sure the boys were asleep, their new puppy curled up on his mattress at the foot of their bunk beds.
His good mood restored by the children’s joy, Rick headed to Madison’s building, determined to do his best to please her. As he knocked on her door, he remembered his promise to keep his hands off her and groaned, hoping they could clear the air right away and resume their easy-going friendship with benefits.
When she opened the door, he glanced at her face and repressed a sigh. Dark circles lined her beautiful eyes, and her frown seemed etched into her forehead. If anything, her irritation had escalated.
She glared at him without a word, didn’t even tell him to come in.
“Hi, Madison. Can we have a drink and talk?”
She stepped back. “Help yourself.” She led him to the kitchen and sat on a dining room chair, her hands primly clasped on the table. Head straight, lips stretched, and eyes shooting daggers, she watched him pour two Manhattans.Frankly, he could use more than one strong drink, and she probably needed a few to loosen up. He placed a glass in front of her.
Not bothering with a toast, he swallowed half of his drink and cleared his throat. “When I came out to the pool, I heard you and my little skunks discussing my private life.”
She didn’t flinch. “They were talking about their friends, Aly and Tarek, and mentioned they used to sleep at their friends’ palacewhen Daddy’s girlfriend came. Then Mark explained they were used to Dad having girlfriends, a different one every month, because they didn’t have a mother anddad needed a beautiful lady friend to go out with.” She tilted her head, her gaze daring him to explain.
Suppressing an amused smile at his boys’ naïve explanations, he sat across from her and held his glass. “They told you the truth. After my wife passed, we left England and settled in Dubai. Their nanny, Maria, came with us to continue caring for the boys, and I threw myself into my work. Business boomed, and I traveled a lot. Business meetings multiplied, often ending in dinners, conferences, or parties. I met many career women, beautiful, interesting women who convinced me I shouldn’t continue to live as a hermit. So I started going out, but I made it clear that I wasn’t planning to remarry, at least not anytime soon.”
“So you dumped them after a month or so?” Her icy tone froze the air.
“Most of the time, they didn’t believe me, then got fed up with my unyielding attitude and left. Didn’t you say you shared my no-commitment philosophy?”
