Page 14 of Double Take

“It wasn’t right!”

“You’re angry,” he said.

“You think?” She glowered.

The waitress set muffins on the table, refilled their cups, and departed. The café had been generous with the nuts. Large chunks of walnut poked out of the muffins. Faith couldn’t eat. She watched as he took a big bite. Chewed. Swallowed…the banananutmuffin.

“The muffin has nuts!” Deathly allergic to nuts, Mark had gone into anaphylactic shock once after inadvertently eating some. He wouldneverorder a banana nut muffin. “You are a clone!”

He flinched as if she’d hurled an epithet. “You believe me now.”

She sat in silent contemplation for a moment. “He really is dead, and I don’t need to file for a divorce.”

“No, you don’t.” He sounded relieved.

“The gala—why were you there?”

“Hammond needed to be in Russia, and he had to meet with a Chinese spy at the gala.”

“I should have known he wouldn’t have gone just to accompany me.”

“Iwould have gone to the gala just for you.” His gaze heated.

Her stomach fluttered. She looked away for a moment then focused on him. “When you left for thebusiness trip”—she made air quotes—“where did you go?”

“Back to base. Going home with you wasn’t allowed.”

Apparently, Dark Ops had a modicum of ethics. She remembered the heavy, sexual tension, the mutual arousal. There had been too many people around, but they’d stolen a few searing kisses and copped a feel in the hallway. Her face heated in remembrance, and she had to check herself from touching her lips.I kissed this man.

She took a big gulp of cold coffee.

“Why did you take down your Cosmic Mates profile?” he asked.

“Because I wasn’t the one who put it up.”

He arched his eyebrows.

“Amity did. She thought it was time for me to move on. I made her take it down.”

“You’re not over him?” he asked roughly.

“I got over him while we were still married,” she said. “That doesn’t mean I want to marry a stranger.” Been there, done that, didn’t like it much.

“What do you want?” John asked.

To meet what’s on the horizon waiting for me.That would sound stupid. “To make pottery. To live my life. To be happy.”To love and be loved in return.

“Your pottery is beautiful. You have a good balance of creativity and function. People can appreciate the beauty and use it in their everyday life.”

She blinked, wariness returning.

“You don’t believe me?” he said.

“Mark made a lot of flattering comments about my art before we married. Afterward, he was far less complimentary.”

“I mean what I say. I bought one of your pieces.”

“Which one?”

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