A tall, lean, fit man, wearing just a stark white towel wrapped around his hips treads toward us. His thick silver hair is slicked back as if he’s just stepped out of a shower.
Our eyes clash as he stops dead in his tracks. If either of us took another step, it would be a fatal head-on collision.
Looking at me coyly, Kayla fidgets with her sparkling engagement ring. “Darling, I can explain.”
“Explain what!?”
I answer my own question. “Explainhim!” I stab the pronoun at her.
“Oh, you mean Jim?” The nonchalant tone of her voice makes my blood curdle. I can feel my body heating as I hold her hot in my gaze.
“Are you screwing him?” Silence. “Answer me, Kayla!”
Composing herself with a fling of her head, Kayla bats her thick eyelashes, then plasters a smug, confident smile on her face.
“Darling, please, it’s just business. Jim is a new client. He’s even interested in acquiring one of your works to expand his collection.”
“Are you fricking kidding me? Are you on drugs?” I bark. “Maybe the bastard’s got other interests.”Blow and blowjobs.
The silent observer swaggers up to us and stands behind Kayla. Barefoot, he’s about my height. Meeting me eye to eye, he snarls. “Did you just call me a bastard?”
“I should have called you one years ago.”
He scoffs at me. “What the hell do you mean?”
“For screwing my wife over. Skye deserved to have her own show.”
Hartley snickers. “She was too nosy for her own good.”
“So obnoxious,” singsongs Kayla.
“You would know.” I spit out the words, my teeth clenched as tightly as my fists. My nails bite into my palms as my eyes stay gridlocked with the prick.
“So now, you screw my fiancée.”
Cupping his hands on her shoulders, he shrugs dismissively as if he has my permission. You know what? He does. Suddenly, I remember, through my shock and anger, I came here to break up with Kayla. I mentally grin like a Cheshire cat. He’s made it so goddamn easy for me.
“Guess what, bastard. You can fuck her as much as you want.”
Overtaken by surprise, Kayla’s eyes widen again. “What are you saying, Phineas?”
“Read. My. Lips. It’s over.”
“Over?” She repeats the word like a toddler learning it for the first time. Ha! Maybe I should spell it for her.
“O-V-E-R.”
Do tears leak from her eyes? Hell no. Not a single one. Instead, they narrow into two sharp jade blades that can cut through anything. But me.
“Are you out of your mind?” she shrieks.
“No.” Pause. “I’m out ofhere.” For a brief second, I glance down at the ring I gave her. The three-carat diamond twinkles like it’s winking at me. My eyes return to hers. “Keep your damn ring. I don’t want it back.”
“Good,” she bites back as I pivot on my heel and lunge toward the elevator. I punch the down button in victory, the word “Yes!” loud on my breath. I’m done with Kayla. I can’t wait to get back home and gather Skye in my arms. And that’s just for starters. Impatiently, I tap my foot.Tap, tap, tap, tap.
Goddamn elevator. Slower than torture. I jab the button again, feeling Kayla’s eyes on my back.
“What about our contract?” Her voice is shrill. “Don’t forget, I represent you till the end of the year.”