Page 65 of Takeover

I pick her up bridal style. She kicks her legs and squeals like a kid when I spin her around and drop her on the bed. She yawns and I scoot in close to her. As much as I want to lose myself in her, I know she’s probably too tired to make love, but there’s one thing we need to talk about before we go to sleep.

“You know what everyone’s told me all my life?”

“That you’re hot and you have a big dick?” she asks.

“Those are the things that only you say, but people have always told me how much I look, sound, and act like my dad. Not high praise considering how he was. It ticked me off every time someone would say that. I’m not a gambler, liar, philanderer, or a cheat.”

She turns on her side and lays a hand on my chest.

“Well, those people were only looking on the surface. Yeah, Alicia Taylor is smart and interesting and fun. Those are the sides of her you got today, but she’s also flaky and self-absorbed. Everything has to be on her terms. She never has and will never go out of her way for any of her children. Sure, she loves us, but it’s always Alicia first. We left for school one morning, and when we returned, all her stuff was gone. To this day, she’s never told us why she didn’t tell us. All she’s said was that she had to get out. We’ve stopped asking. We’ve learned to accept her for who she is.”

She finishes talking and climbs on top of me. “You haven’t put the moves on me once since we got home.” She nibbles on the side of my neck.

“Home? Does that mean what I think it means?”

“Hmm, I’m considering it. Make love to me now, Ethan. I want to feel you moving inside of me.”

38

I check my watch as the elevator opens to the lobby. I only have a little over an hour before the meeting with our vice president, and with Ethan on his way to Detroit, I won’t be able to join him for lunch like I do on some days. This is also his first overnight trip since we’ve gotten together. The fact that it’s happening during the first week of my new job gives me anxiety. Bullseye never made an offer, but Dream Suites, a hotel chain did. Despite it being my second choice, I already love being here.

As I cross the lobby to the front door, eager to get to my favorite little café for a chef’s salad, I hear a familiar voice call my name. As I look around the lobby for the owner of the voice, I see a tall, leggy blonde walking over to me. She’s in five-inch stiletto boots and a red coat that ties at the waist and just barely touches her knees. As she gets closer, I realize who it is.

Lindsay Bradford.

“Dara,” she says as she waves her arms. I know for a fact she called me by my correct name the first time. But I school my features and wait for her to approach me.

Even from several feet away, I can feel her checking me over, and while I don’t usually care about clothes, I’m grateful to be wearing a designer pantsuit today.

“Cara, hi,” she says.

“That’s not my name.”

“Right. I was wondering if we could have lunch, you know. We got off on the wrong foot a few days ago.” As I look into her ice cold eyes, I know she’s not here to throw me an olive branch. Already in a bad mood because I’m missing my man, I shake my head at her.

“I don’t have time today. And even more important than that, I don’t want to have lunch with you.” I turn my back to her and start walking to the front door, but her legs are longer than mine, and despite her high heels, she catches up to me in seconds.

“Just a quick lunch. It’s on me. Please.” I look her up and down again, and just like the first time I met her, she’s dressed like she’s going to a nightclub.

“I can give you half an hour.” This time, she’s silent as she follows me across the street to the café. We both grab a salad and find the last available table in the back of the room.

“Like I said, I think we got off on the wrong foot, Dar—” she catches herself and corrects my name, “Tara.”

“Since I only have half an hour, I’m going to get straight to the point. We didn’t get off on the wrong foot. Two days after we met, you went to Ethan’s office and asked him to take you back.”

If she’s surprised by my words, her face doesn’t show it. She spears her salad with a fork and takes a small bite. She watches me as she chews, then slowly lowers her fork. “He’s my husband.”

“He’s yourex-husband. When I met him, you two had been divorced for more than two years. Please, don’t speak to me as if I’m the one responsible for the breakup of your marriage.”

“You’re right. I’m responsible for that, but you’re the one standing in the way of him giving me another chance. You’re the one who is not giving Vincent the opportunity to grow up in a house with both of his parents.”

I toss my fork down and look into Lindsay’s face. She’s looking directly into my eyes, almost daring me to challenge her delusions. This moment is the exact reason why I’ve shied away from dating men with children. But it’s too late for that now. A younger Tara would have thrown her salad in Lindsay’s face and told her to fuck off, but I check my anger and speak as calmly as I can under the circumstances. “I’m not the reason for that either and you know it.” I want to reward myself for how calm I sound, but when the plastic spoon snaps in my hand, Lindsay raises an eyebrow at me. Her lips curl into a small smile.

“If you care about Vincent, you’ll end things with Ethan.”

“Or what?” I ask.

“I’m not threatening you, Tara,” she says. “I don’t get down in the mud to fight.” She gives me a fake smile and actually reaches over and lays a hand on mine. Anyone looking at us would think we’re two friends sharing a meal. Unable to stand the feel of her cold hand, I snatch mine away.

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