Page 95 of Five Days to Be Mine

She’s leaning down to him, touching his shoulder and I swallow hard on the bile.

This doesn’t look like someone random.

Did he really mean everything he told me if he can flirt with someone so casually like this? I don’t know what compels me, but I take a step forward, and I see Evan lean back. The woman purses her mouth, and leans forward, her long nail grazes his cheek. Evan startles, jerks forward, crosses his arms. The woman shakes her head at him and marches out of the café as if she owns the place.

Oh wow. I hurry across to him, because I realize who that woman must be.

“Hey, Sir,” I place my hand on his shoulder as I lean down to kiss his cheek.

His eyes are bright, but the tension in his face is an expression I haven't seen before, and it makes me feel so mad that he’s been hurt.

“How’s the set-up coming, princess?” Evan takes my hand in his, but I don’t want to be here with him in the middle of the café.

“Can we go to your apartment?” I ask.

“I wanted to take you out to lunch.” His voice is hollow.

He looks like someone has come along and shaken up his world and for a man who is normally super confident and sure of himself, this slip of the mask is heartbreaking.

I want to claw the woman who did this to him.

“Lunch later.” I softly press a kiss to his mouth.

He kisses me back, the tension leaving his body.

“Okay.”

He places his hand on the small of my back, through the walk to the elevator. The doors open, two smiling women are each holding an arm of a tall, broad shouldered, very attractive man.

“Hey Evan!” The man dislodges himself from the women.

They stare at me and I return their stares unflinchingly.

“Hi Julian.” Evan pulls me to his side. “Didn't think you were back until next week.”

“Afraid I’m going to miss your birthday bash?” Julian raises an eyebrow and claps Evan on the back.

“No, you’re a guest of honour. This is Mara Cotter.”

“Pleased to meet you.” Julian holds out his hand to me. His handshake is firm, his smile is warm.

“I’m still on vacation and going to enjoy it, right girls?” Julian waggles his eyebrows at the women.

They blush and laugh.

“I’ll see you soon, birthday man!” Julian gives him a salute before taking the arms of the women. Evan and I step into the elevator.

“So that’s Mr. Madden Hugo.”

“In the flesh.” Evan holds the door to the apartment open for me.

“Can’t he ban your ex-wife from the hotel?”

Evan’s toeing off his loafer and stares at me. “Noel says the exact same thing. I’m sorry you saw our encounter.”

“Can I ask why you still meet with her?”

“I don’t. She’s supposed to go through my lawyer, but once or twice a year she does this and I know it shouldn’t jostle my brain, but it does,” he brushes a hand through his hair and looks so wrung out.

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