Page 71 of Takeover

“You know what, baby?” I say while I caress his shoulders. “Let me go get Vince’s dinosaur. The sooner we can get on with our day, the sooner we can move on from this boring, and frankly embarrassing encounter.” He smiles at me before two strong hands land on my waist and lifts me off the counter. Lindsay’s a tall woman, and I’m not, but I feel like a dwarf standing in front of her barefoot while she’s in six-inch heels.

“Thanks, Cara. You’re such ahelp,” she sneers.

I get on my tippy toes and give Ethan a sloppy wet kiss before walking away. She narrows her eyes at me when I walk past her, and as much as I want to punch her in the face, I smile.

I take the stairs two at a time, run to the master bedroom and find the dinosaur. The bed is a disaster of tangled sheets, and the floor is littered with our clothes, including my torn dress. If I inhale deep enough, the smell of sex still lingers in the room. For a second, I wish Lindsay had been allowed up here to find the dinosaur, if only so she could see the evidence of our passionate night.

Once I grab it, I tiptoe down the hall and stairs. When I get close enough to the kitchen, I stop and lean against the wall.

“You need to get the hell out of my house now, Lindsay. Take the dinosaur when Tara gets down here and get the fuck out,” Ethan hisses. I can tell he’s doing his best to keep his voice low.

“I thought you would have gotten that out of your system by now.”

“If by that, you mean Tara, I suggest you shut your goddamn mouth.”

“I’m yourwife, Ethan.” I can’t see his face, but I can imagine him taking a deep breath and trying to find control.

“Ex-wife. I have the divorce decree to prove it. I don’t know what you’re after, but whatever it is, I’m not interested.”

“What I’m after is my family back. You loved me once, and I believe you still do. Don’t you want our son to live with both of his parents? I’m sorry, I failed you both, Ethan, but I’m better now.” The room goes deadly silent until she speaks again. “I know you want more children, and I’m willing to give them to you.”

The toy dinosaur almost slips out of my hand. My heart skips a beat, and my stomach drops at the same time. My mouth is suddenly dry as I wait for Ethan to respond.

“I love Vincent, Lindsay, I really do. He’s one of the best things that ever happened to me in my life, and I don’t regret having him. Not even for a second, but I’d sooner catch a bullet in the head than touch you again, never mind create another life with you. You’re a lot of things, but I never figured you for pathetic. You’re throwing yourself at a man who doesn’t want you. A man who has moved on with someone else. Where’s your self-respect?” She gasps loud enough for me to hear, then I hear a sniffle. I hear a choked sob and several clicks of her heels.

“You’re that invested in this woman?” Lindsay chokes out.

“I’m not going to discuss my relationship with you.”

“Like hell. I’m still Vincent’s mother, Ethan. If you’re going to have that woman in his life, youwilldiscuss it with me.” The house goes silent, and even though I can’t see Ethan, I can sense how tense he is.

“Just who the fuck do you think you are?” he hisses. I imagine him standing in front of her, towering over her while he points a finger in her face. “You forget I have full custody. You get one weekend a month, and anything else is given to you by me. You have no power here, do you hear me? So, no, I will not discuss my relationship with you. If you want to talk about our son, fine, but that’s the extent of any conversation we will ever have. And button up your coat.”

I clear my throat and walk into the kitchen. Lindsay’s cheeks have gotten only redder while she quickly and angrily buttons her coat. After meeting my eyes, she quickly averts her gaze and gives me her back.

“Here’s the dinosaur,” I say, setting it on the counter. When Ethan holds his hand out to me, I reach for him. He pulls me to his side, kisses my temple, and puts a possessive arm back around my waist.

“See yourself out, Lindsay,” Ethan says. Once she finishes buttoning her coat, she walks out of the kitchen, not bothering to take the dinosaur that she came here for. I grab it and follow her to the elevator. When Ethan starts to follow me, I shake my head at him, and he stops

“Lindsay,” I say to her. Her finger hovers over the elevator call button, but she doesn’t press it. She straightens her spine, takes a deep breath, and turns to face me.

A lesser woman would have taken a step back at the look she graces me with, but I’m not a lesser woman. In fact, she’s onmyturf.

“You forgot this.” I hand her the dinosaur, and she rudely snatches it from me. “It’s the reason why you came here, right?” I taunt.

She doesn’t bother to dignify me with a response. She juts out her chin and holds my stare.

“Did you really just throw yourself at Ethan? You know he still has me on his body, right? All over his body. He smells and tastes like me. The woman he spent the night with.” I lower my voice, take a step closer and say, “Every single night.” She purses her lips tight, but to her credit, she doesn’t look away. “We have no barriers between us.” She finally raises one eyebrow. I stand tall, giving her a full view of me in Ethan’s shirt and nothing else. After she eyes me up and down, she gives me her back and presses the button to the elevator. The doors open immediately, and she steps inside. “Remember what I told you? I’m always around.”

The doors close, taking Lindsay away.

“I’m sorry,” Ethan says. I turn around to find him standing behind me. He wraps his arms around my waist. “I don’t know what’s gotten into her.”

“She wants you back.”

“That ship sailed a long time ago.”

I nod at him, unsure of what else to say. “How about a shower and then breakfast?” The energy from before Lindsay walked in is gone, and I escape from Ethan’s arm and walk away.

---