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Right on cue, her eyes started to sparkle with tears, and she added a throb in her voice like she couldn’t hold back her emotions. She must have been practicing in front of a mirror, but I still wasn’t fooled.
“Yeah, we can agree on that,” I muttered. What had I ever seen in her? “At least you figured that much out.”
“All I want is another chance. I really want to make it up to you. I want us to start again.” She swayed a little as she came closer before melting against me. “I miss you. You have no idea how much I miss you.”
“I might burst out crying,” Ari whispered behind me.
I wasn’t going to burst out crying, but I wouldn’t snicker like my friends did. She wanted to start again? She wanted to show me how much she missed me? “I’m going to have to think about it.”
Hope flared in her eyes, tugging at the corners of her mouth before she could stop it. There she was. The ruthless, mercenary little slut. “Really? Do you mean it?”
“Yeah, I mean it.” I had never meant anything less in my life. “But I need a little time. Can you give me that?”
She lowered her brow and gave me a look that used to get my dick hard. “Baby, I will give you anything you want.”
I should’ve seen it coming before it happened. The hand she snaked around the back of my neck. The way she stood on her tiptoes and strained upward for a sloppy kiss that turned my stomach. I had to fight like hell not to shove her away with both hands and knock her on her ass as soon as her lips fell on mine. It wasn’t my style, hurting a woman, but dammit if she didn’t test my resolve.
“We’re on our way out.” I managed to free myself without having to get forceful before backing away. “But I’ll think on it.”
“That’s all I ask. Just think about giving me a second chance.” She somehow managed to seem grateful. Why wouldn’t she be? As far as she knew, she was on her way to getting her meal ticket back.
I was barely able to wait until we were outside before wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. “Fuck, she’s disgusting.”
“What the hell are you thinking?” Connor asked with a disbelieving laugh. “Tell me you’re only leading her on. Tell me you’re not going to give her another chance.”
“I’d have you committed first,” Ari announced in a flat voice.
“No fucking way,” I muttered, heading for the curb. “She’s fucking deluded.”
“Then what’s the idea?”
I turn to Ari. “Leave it to me, all right? I haven’t lost my mind.” Or maybe I had because there was something I wanted even more than the sight of my ex-wife sobbing and begging for forgiveness after I pulled the rug out from under her, preferably in public.
I wanted Evelyn.
Needed Evelyn.
In fact, it was starting to look like I couldn’t live without her. While my friends gaped in surprise, I hailed a cab and jumped into the first one to pull up, leaving them behind.
19
EVELYN
“Oh.” Pepper’s eyes widened as she gasped out.
I looked up from what was left of our feast to find Pepper’s normally rich, olive complexion looking pale. “Are you all right?”
“Too much of that spicy tuna?” Olivia suggested as she slid into her Gucci flats, then yawned. “I swear, I’m in a sushi coma.”
Pepper was still staring down at her phone like she was looking at something awful. “Is everything okay?” I forgot about cleaning up for a second and went to her.
Her spine stiffened, and she immediately held the phone to her chest. The international symbol of somebody trying to hide something. “Everything’s fine.”
“And who is supposed to be the bad liar around here?” I asked.
“Spill,” Olivia urged. “What’s got you looking all spooked?”
“He said it didn’t mean anything. She just sort of came up out of nowhere.” Pepper slapped her forehead with her open palm. “Why did I have to go and check my phone?”
