Page 50 of The Villain

What else would she be talking about, Athena?My jaw snapped shut. Of course, he hadn’t told her about…the bath.What was I thinking?

“I’m okay,” I said slowly, unsure truthfully of how I felt. “I think I’m still in shock. I don’t know.” I started to shake my head when she set the smoothie back in my hands. I clutched the cup like it was a nice, cold lifeline. “I stopped loving Brandon a long time ago, but to think he’d agree to try and…for money…”

“Sometimes, I think it’s harder to lose the idea you have about someone to reality than it would be to just simply lose them.”

“Yeah.” She was exactly right. I had this idea in my head of who Brandon was—even in spite of our issues. And losing him—divorcing him—wasn’t as hard as learning he was never the man I thought he was. I took another sip and then added, “Andto learn Rich…Ray…whatever his name is…” I shivered. “I’m surprised, but I didn’t really know him that well.” A sad laugh bubbled up. “I’d say lucky me, except Dare said you think it’s his enemies that paid Brandon.”

“It’s a possibility. We showed him several photos of those men, but he didn’t recognize any of them. We didn’t expect him to, though; they’re the kind of men who don’t get directly involved.”

I made a soft sound and continued to drink the last of my breakfast.

“I’m sorry, Athena.” Her concern was genuine.

A sad smile tugged at one corner of my lips. “Like I told Dare, I really have a knack for picking winners.”

“You told him that?”

“Not exactly. I asked what it was about me that only attracted men who wanted to hurt me.”

“I’m sure that…did a number on him.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, feeling the edge of the bed dip under her weight.

“Never—”

“Please.” There were many of Rob’s characteristics that I’d probably never know, but how smart she was wasn’t one of them. She had to see there was something between me and Dare, even if she had no idea what happened last night.

“Dare carries a lot of…weight…that doesn’t belong to him,” she finally said quietly, as though she were revealing something she shouldn’t. She took the empty cup from my hands. “Especially for those he feels…protective of.”

I could feel that. It vibrated through his entire being when he was around me—when he was trying to keep himself away from me.

I don’t deserve you.

“Do you think he’ll be by today?” My voice trembled. Ididn’t want him to feel that way around me, especially after last night.

The way he’d spoken to me…kissed me…touched me…I’d felt more worshipped in that short span of time than in the culmination of minutes of my entire marriage.

“I’m not sure. He went out to the gallery earlier?—”

“The gallery?” I interrupted her. “Why?”

“He wanted to speak to the woman who was working the morning of the explosion. She wasn’t in yesterday when Ty went to talk to her—oh.” The bed shifted, a buzzing sound growing louder. “Speak of the devil,” she muttered, and a second later said, “Hey, Dare. Were your ears ringing?”

He’d called her.I held my breath.

“I’m with her right now. I’ll put you on speaker?—”

“No, don’t?—”

“You’re on speaker. Athena is right here,” she interrupted him, but not before I caught the start of his protest.He didn’t want to talk to me.

Was I now one more weight he carried? Was last night one more guilt piled on his shoulders? Or was it because I’d begged him to kiss me—to touch me? Had I made him feel so guilty for saying no that I’d guilted him into saying yes?

“Hello, Athena.”

Instantly, I was back in the water. Those lips of his on my chest. His hand buried between my thighs.Heat bloomed in my cheeks, but I refused to let it bleed into my voice. “Hi.”

Rob spoke when the silence became pronounced. “I figured this was easier than you asking me to ask her…I already told her you went back to the Tableau this morning to talk to Carol.”

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