Page 32 of Shielding his Legacy
Eva felt like she’d been sucker-punched. She wasn’t an idiot. Of course, Gavin dated other women. He had a life.But yesterday? He’d called this womanyesterday? Yesterday Eva had stood barefoot in the HERO Force office with her head in her hands. Yesterday Gavin found out she’d had his baby. And apparently, yesterday he’d also been on the prowl, sniffing up some other woman’s skirt.
Maybe he called this Marina before Eva showed up. But that was less than likely, given that she’d arrived just after nine in the morning. What did this chick look like, anyway? Eva imagined Marina was older, sophisticated, with none of the baby fat that seemed to be permanently affixed to her own padded frame, and not a single stretch mark to mar her good looks.
In Eva’s mind, Marina wore an evening gown, long and black and clingy, that showed off her exquisite body to perfection. She’d run her long red nails along Gavin’s nape, then turn to notice Eva and Abby, the look on her face clearly asking who’d let the extras fromOliver Twistcome in from the cold.
Gavin’s door opened and she looked straight ahead, swallowing on the dryness that had taken over her throat.
Reaching forward, he took the Mountain Dew from the cup holder and twisted the top off with a crispwhhsshh. He took a long drink before putting it back. “Thanks. What’d you get?”
“Me? Chocolate.”
“I remember you got that in the hotel.”
“Did I?” she turned the candy bar over in her hands. “Just a typical woman, I guess. We all like our chocolate.”
He hesitated before starting the truck, then flipped through his texts before pulling away from the station.
“Anything important?” she asked innocently.
“Just some work stuff.” Pulling out onto the road, he made his way onto the highway ramp and quickly got up to speed.
Eva knew she had no right to be angry. None at all. She wasn’t angry, actually. More like peeved. Irritated. Annoyed on behalf of her entire gender and sexual orientation. Her next words were out of her mouth before she could stop herself. “Looked like Marina was pretty anxious to talk to you.” Her eyes stayed on the road, and she felt rather than saw the whip of his head toward her.
“Were you looking at my phone?"
Now she did look at him, though his attention was back on the road. “I didn’t pick it up and scroll through it, if that’s what you’re implying. It went off while you were pumping gas. I just glanced at the screen.”
He was quiet a moment. “You’re jealous.”
“Oh, please. I am not.”
“A woman texted me about getting together, you saw it, and now you’re jealous.”
“I’m not jealous. I’m irritated, Gavin. There’s a difference.” There was no stopping her now. She only hoped she came out on the other side of this argument looking less pathetic than she currently felt. “She said you called her yesterday. Was that before or after I showed up at HERO Force?”
“After.”
He said it so matter-of-factly, it stung like a slap. She hadn’t expected him to admit it so easily, and with such a lack of remorse for hurting her feelings. What a fool she’d been, believing he wanted her and only her. She’d gone down on him and reveled in the taste of him, thrilling at his seeming loss of control, but Gavin wasn’t interested in a real relationship with her in the slightest. Crossing her arms over her chest, she looked out her window, wishing she hadn’t said anything about the phone message at all.
“Aren’t you going to ask me why?” he asked.
“No. I am definitelynotgoing to ask you why.”
“Why not?”
She twisted around to face him. “Stop it. It’s obvious why you’re talking to this woman, and I don’t appreciate being made fun of. Forgive me if I didn’t expect you to be making plans to meet up with someone else mere hours after I walked back into your life with your baby in my arms. My bad.” She turned back toward the window.
“Eva…” he touched her shoulder.
She shook him off. “Don’t touch me.”
“She works for HERO Force.”
“How nice for you both.”
“Damn it, Eva.” He made an exasperated sound. “She’s the team therapist, okay? A military psychologist. Mac’s been on my dick to sit down with her. When you showed up with the baby…” his voice trailed off. “I thought I could use some help figuring out what to do.”
Therapist?
