He tried not to laugh, she could see it. She clamped her teeth together and left the room.
He followed her into the en suite bath. She ran a brush through her hair and he watched as she did it, like a cat watching a bird. He crowded in as she brushed her teeth, touching her, sliding his hands over the curve of her ass and kissing her neck. 'Get off.'
I'm trying, darling Kate. But the women in this house keep trying to stop me.'
She spit into the sink and rinsed her toothbrush, barely holding back a snarl. 'If I were you right now, I wouldn't call attention to Pickles who is now officially also too stupid to knock on a closed door. Even that cat who lives next door to you, the one who walks into walls and stuff? Yeah, that one can figure out how to knock on a door, but, somehow, Eve can't. Thank God the girls got your intelligence.'
He snorted a laugh and continued to eye her as she dotted lip gloss over her lips. With a sigh, she moved past him to pull on socks. He'd given her a beautiful ring for Christmas - one he assured her was just an / lone you ring until she was ready to admit it was an engagement ring — and she smiled briefly as the stones caught the light just right.
'I knew you liked that ring.'
She turned and kissed him quickly, dancing back out of his reach. 'Doesn't mean I still don't want to hit you and your dumbass ex. But of course I love it. Who wouldn't love a ring this gorgeous?'
He nodded, seeming partially satisfied, but he still eyed her and she considered how she'd get out the door without him springing on her and fucking her senseless. He liked to defuse her anger with sex, which she normally didn't find problematic, but, in this case, she didn't want it. She needed that anger right now.
'What do you need lip gloss for? You look very pretty. All fresh faced but also with an air of I'll cut you if you mess with me, which you know how hot I always find.'
I'm going into town. I'm not a hundred and fifty, so I like to look halfway decent when I leave the house. At least I don't have to apply my cosmetics with a trowel to attempt the aging-gracefullymoneyed-divorcee-who-hasn't-been-fucked-in-a-year look. I used to think she had her act together, that she'd mellow out when you truly moved on. How wrong I was.'
'Meow. Careful, Kate, you know how much it makes my cock ache when you're bitchy.'
Your marriage must have been a veritable fuckfest then.' She went to the door, but he pressed her against it, his body hard against hers. His eyes sparkled as he looked down into her face.
'Our marriage will be.' He slid his hand between her belly and her jeans, down into them until he found her pussy, wet and ready. 'Wet.'
She writhed, jutting her hips forwards, stroking herself against his knuckle. Oh all right, just this one little orgasm and then she'd go off in a huff.
He laughed softly, his lips cruising down her neck as she rocked into his hand, totally in control of the pace. 'Take it from me, Kate. As long as you understand I'm giving it, I want you to take it. God damn you're so hot. Your cunt is so juicy I can hear you fucking your clit into my knuckle.'
She groaned at his words, at the flood of pleasure rolling through her body. A quick rotation of his wrist and it was the pad of his thumb on her clit as he slid two fingers into her, sending waves of pleasure up her spine as she arched.
'Good thing you aren't wearing tight jeans,' he murmured before biting her shoulder.
Almost. Almost. Just a bit more . . . until she nearly lost her knees with the rush of climax. If he hadn't been holding her against the door, she probably would have slid to the floor in a boneless puddle.
'Now, we both feel better. You can go into town satisfied and I can remember this as I talk to Eve.'
She sighed, pulling his hand out of her jeans. 'That was a mood killer.' She stomped out of the bedroom and down the stairs, pausing near the front door to put her coat and boots on.
'I'm taking your car,' she called out but of course he was right behind her, holding out the keys. 'I love you, Katherine. Please drive safe. Looks like we had more snow last night.'
I love you too. I'll be back in a while. I have my phone if you think of something you want me to pick up in town.' Just come back to me.'
He looked so vulnerable for just a brief moment, her anger melted. He did love her, she knew that. He had spoken to Eve multiple times. He wanted Kate to be happy.
'That's never in doubt. Even with your needy ex-wife. I'll be back.'
Once Kate had pulled away from the house, Dix turned, anger burning low in his gut. 'Eve? Where are you?'
I'm right here, Charles. I see she's left and now I'm to expect some sort of warning from you?' Eve swept into the room looking perfectly coiffed. He'd ceased to wonder about what he'd ever seen in her. She was still beautiful albeit went a little hard with the cosmetics since Kate had become a regular part of his life. But she lacked the fire Kate had. Kate took things head on, much like he did. But Eve had always been passive-aggressive and he'd always let it go.
Don't start. You're wrong and you know it. First you showed up here totally uninvited.'
This is my house too. I'll show up when I please and your little girlfriend has no say in that. God, Charles, are you so desperate to have sex with her that you've forgotten about your family?'
He took a deep breath, seeking calm. No. You won't. Because in the divorce decree, we share this house and we have a schedule for that. This week is mine. We decided on that last December. You do not have any right to come here when it's not your week. I let you stay last night because you put our daughters in the middle and it is unconscionable to me that you will again. You do not use them to get at me, or at Katherine. Or for that matter, at anyone. Only one of us has forgotten about her family, and it's not me. You're leaving. Today.'
Then you can explain to Adrienne and Kendall just why you're making me leave when we have plans to go shopping tomorrow and the three of us have lunch plans the following day.' She crossed her arms and he realised Eve had totally played him. He was in a place where it would be impossible to get rid of her without involving his daughters.
'You bitch. You manipulative, needy, psycho bitch. How dare you use those girls like that?' It was over. His semi-friendly relationship with his ex-wife had just burnt to ash. In that stroke, adding in all the things she'd done over the last months, he'd lost every last bit of respect he'd ever had for her.
'I'll thank you to keep your language civil.'
'Here is how it's going to go from today on. Listen up and don't interrupt me, I'm on my very last nerve with you right now. First, you will not intrude in my activities with the girls. You will not invite yourself along, period. From now on, we will keep things totally separate. Do not include me in your plans with them either. If this is how you act, I do not want any part in it. Your destructive selfishness when it comes to our children has stunned me. I'm ashamed I ever loved you. You've killed any positive feelings I've ever had.' He held up a hand and shook his head.
'Don't do it. Additionally, you will not step one foot on the third floor where Kate and I are sleeping. You won't needle her or use the girls against her. Katherine is my girlfriend and if I have my way she'll be my wife. That means she'll be part of your daughters' lives and I'm asking you to be a fucking parent and not harm them due to your own failings. She is very good to our girls and she completely respects my role as a father and wants me to put them first. I wish you felt the same. I'm going to be moving to Lancaster but keeping the other house. I'm telling you this because we'll have to work on the scheduling more closely. I'll be in town when the girls are with me for school. That's all really.'
Her mouth dropped open and he fought the urge to laugh.
'You actually expect me to help you expose our children to that woman? That foul-mouthed nasty lawyer you're sleeping with?'
'I don't need your help, thanks. I'm just warning you not to attempt to use them to harm her. Because that would harm our daughters and Katherine. I won't allow it. Don't test me on this thing. Above all, the girls are my t
op priority, I won't let you use them like they mean nothing. You're welcome to not like Kate, the feeling is quite mutual. But I'm warning you, don't use our children. I will take you to court on this. I will take them from you if you abuse them in such a fashion. Don't be ugly. Just be their mother and back the fuck off my life. We're not married any more. We're not even friends thanks to your behaviour.' He turned and left her there, not wanting to say anything else to her.
Kate took her time in town. She stopped in at the diner for a huge breakfast and three cups of coffee while she read a novel. She shopped along the main street, choosing a pretty scarf pin for Kendall, a pair of earrings for Adrienne and a very handsome tie forDix. She then bought a ridiculously huge coffee mug with a moose on it for Leah. She'd give it to her friend, pretend she loved it and wait to see how much effort it took Leah to respond as if it were a fabulous gift.
A few hours later, she finally made her way to the tiny grocery store, stocked up on the basics, grabbed some freshly made lemon curd to go with the French bread she'd make for Dix the following morning when Pickles had cleared off. By the time she headed back to the house, her anger had fled.
She noticed though that Eve's Volvo was still in the drive. It would be dark soon, which did not bode well for her leaving because Kate was quite sure the queen of all misery couldn't bear to drive in the dark with her precious wee special self.
Dix met her on the porch, another thing that didn't bode well. His smile was tight and the tension wafted from him as he kissed her and popped the back of the SUV open to get to the grocery bags.
You were gone a while.' He hugged her tight and she breathed him in. He kissed her, his mouth owning her just the way she liked most. He tasted like oranges and coffee.
'Mmm, you taste sexy. I worked off all my mad. It took time and some retail therapy.
You're going to get it all back, I'm afraid.'
He leant against the car and told her about how Eve had set up dates with the girls to prevent her exile. She absolutely understood why he couldn't make her leave then. Kate respected the fact that he didn't want to harm his girls and the devastation she saw in him was real. She knew it had to have really hurt him to see Eve unmasked that way.
'I'm sorry. Sorry that you had to see her that way.'
He looked surprised. You're not mad?'
'Not at you. There aren't words for her. But not at you. You're in a hard place. I understand that. But I'm really not happy at the prospect of another three days with her until they leave before New Year's Eve.' Her phone rang just then, 'Salt Shaker'. Leah. 'Take her call. Tell her I said hello. I'll bring the bags in.'
Chapter 4
'I have to get out of here.' Leah paced the narrow strip of bare floor between the twin bed and high polished dresser. The comforter, a quilt neatly sewn with blocks cut from T-shirts emblazoned with school names, sports teams and concerts, brushed her thigh as she passed. She went to the window to look out, and pressed her forehead to the frosted glass.
'Uh oh. Mama Bear too much to handle?' Kate sounded appropriately sympathetic.
If she only knew.
'No. Not at all. Caroline's been great.' Leah twisted to peer down to the driveway, ploughed clear' of the feet of snow covering the rest of the yard. 'But, Christ, Kate. . .'
'What?' Kate's voice went from sympathetic to concerned. 'What's going on?' 'His dad,' Leah said in a low voice, with a glance towards the open door. 'He's an asshole?'
'No. God, no.' Leah shook her head and twisted the iPhone in her palm, switching hands. She sat on the bed, for a moment, then got up almost at once, too twitchy to relax.
She'd come up here with an armful of sheets and towels, ostensibly to help Caroline with putting away the laundry. In reality, she'd needed a place to get away from Caroline's sunny, bright smile and constant stream of chatter, and the basement room she was sharing with Brandon wasn't going to work. Not after what she'd found when she was putting away a pile of his socks and shorts, freshly washed, dried and folded by Mama Dearest.
'Dude, you're totally freaking me out. Tell me they're not fattening you up for sacrifice or something, please!'
Leah laughed, grateful for her friend's drama. 'No. They've been great. All of them. His mom's really, really sweet, and his dad . . .' 'You. Are. Killing me. What?'
'He's hot,' Leah whispered, looking again out the window where Brandon and his father, both incredibly and stupidly bare-chested, even though it had to be below freezing outside, were playing a game of one-on-one basketball. 'Hmm.' Kate chuckled. 'Well, are you surprised?'
'He's seriously hot," Leah said. 'And not old. He's way too young to be a dad, Kate, to be my dad, anyway. Shit.'
'He hasn't hit on you, has he?' Kate sounded suspicious.
'No.'
Bill Long, in fact, probably had never hit on any woman since he'd met his wife. The love between them would have been sickly sweet if it hadn't been so unselfconscious. So sincere. And, Leah had to admit, enviable.
'Brandon's dad is what I imagine he'll be like at the same age,' Leah said quietly. She heard a muffled sound through the glass and watched her lover - fuck, her boyfriend - no point in denying that's what he was — and his dad wrestle over the basketball.
From downstairs she heard Scamp bark, followed by Caroline's murmur and the sound of the back door opening. In moments Scamp joined the men, dancing around their feet as they played. It was the perfect picture of domesticity. Of a family.
Of a future.
'It scares the hell out of me,' she said.
Kate was silent for a moment, i hear that. But you've dealt with worse, haven't you? What else is going on? C'mon, don't hold out on me. If you're freaking out enough to cut your trip short, something big must've happened. Band Boy didn't buy you a sweatshirt with kittens on it for Christmas, did he? Because I will so kick his ass for you.'
Leah laughed again, wishing the humour would chase away the nausea bubbling in the pit of her gut. 'God, no. They gave me gloves and a scarf. You know, something sort of neutral but appropriate. And bath stuff.'
'Spill it,' Kate demanded. 'I can hear the freak-out in your voice.'
Leah swallowed and sat on the bed again. Brandon's mother had made this quilt from shirts he'd worn as a kid. He'd lived in this house, slept in this room. His soccer trophies still decorated the shelves, his prom picture - so fucking cute, complete with the skinny tie and hair in his eyes, his date a punk-rock girl in a purple gown and Doc Martens - beside them. He had brought her here to share all of this, and she loved him for that.
'I love him, Kate.'
'Dude. Of course you do. Who could resist a guy like Brandon?'
That Kate hadn't called him Band Boy meant an awful lot, and half-forced away the tears of panic clogging Leah's throat. But only half. She swallowed again, hard, against the ball of emotion choking her.
'I was helping Caroline put away the laundry, and I found something." Leah closed her eyes.
'Something like secret porn-stash something? Or secret. . . uh oh. No way.' Kate, Leah's best friend since the eighth grade, had always been able to nearly read her mind. 'Secret little velvet box sort of something?'
Leah, grateful she hadn't had to say it aloud, nodded, though Kate couldn't see her. 'Yes.'
'Let me guess. Not a pair of earrings.'
'No.'
'Well... I'd tell you I was surprised, but that would make me a liar,' Kate said. 'But were you surprised?'
She hadn't been, exactly. They'd talked about marriage, in that roundabout, vague way that included the future, as in someday we'll name our first kid after Marlon Brando' sort of talk. But it had always seemed so far away. Six months hadn't been such a very long time, not when Leah considered the rest of her life. Yet coming here, seeing Brandon's parents, his brothers and his entire family, Leah had no doubt that Brandon had been thinking about it.
'I was,' she admitted. 'Not by the idea he might be thinking about it. But by the ring? Yes. Hell, yes. Shit,
Kate. Shitdamnpissfucktits.'
The curse, a favourite since high school, leaked out under her breath and she rubbed at the sudden pain in the centre of her forehead. Downstairs, the door opened. The dog barked. She heard the low, familiar rumble of male laughter and Caroline's fond scolding.
'He hasn't asked you yet, though, right? I mean, you just came across the ring. He hasn't actually gone down . . .' Kate giggled. On one knee, I mean.'
'I'm glad you can make crude sexual innuendos.'
'Sorry.' Kate didn't sound the least bit sorry, but she did sound sympathetic when she spoke again. 'If it's any consolation to you, I'm about ready to wring Pickles' neck for being a total douchetwat.'
Leah, guilty at not having even asked her friend how that was going, snorted lightly. 'Ah, good old Pickles. She figure out how to open a jar yet?'
Are you kidding me? She'll be lucky to have a hand left to open anything with if she doesn't keep them off Dix.' 'But to answer your question, no. He hasn't asked. God. I don't want him to. I need time to figure this out. . .' Leah trailed off as Brandon called her name from downstairs. 'Kate. I need to get out of here, seriously. I just. . .'
'So get out of there,' Kate said. 'To tell you the truth, I think I might need to get the hell out of here, myself. How's Vegas sound?'
'Are you serious?'
'Would I lie to you about Vegas?'
Brandon called her name again. Leah stood. 'Yes. I mean no, you wouldn't lie. Yes. Let's go.'
There were details to be discussed, tickets to book. A hotel room to reserve. But for now, this minute, just knowing they were really going to do it lifted Leah's spirits. The knowledge of escape made everything else seem bearable. Well.
Maybe not another plate of Caroline's homemade broccoli and processed cheese casserole, or another BeDazzled baseball cap. She disconnected the call and thumbed the controls on her phone to bring up the airline website. In moments she'd checked out the flights. One left tonight, just after eleven. She sent Kate a quick text message to let her know. Then she went downstairs.