Page 21 of Their After Hours Playbook

“Share a cab to the airport?”

She tried in earnest to think of a reason to say no. The thought of a solo ride to the airport sounded peaceful. But she couldn’t come up with a single excuse. “Sure.”

As the couple at the front of the line climbed into a taxi, she and Andre stepped forward.

“I saw you and the kid in the hotel bar last night. You two looked very cozy,” he said.

A ribbon of panic ran through her. She hadn’t seen Andre at all. Had he noticed that Zach had his hand up her skirt? Had he seen the moment she’d given in to his touch? She’d been so sure that the table at their booth and the dim lighting had obscured it all. “Don’t call him a kid, Andre. That’s very demeaning. The man is thirty years old.”

He bugged his eyes. “Defensive much?”

“It’s the truth.”

Andre leaned closer. “You had sex with him, didn’t you?” he asked straight into her ear.

“Excuse me?” Paige yanked her bag as they moved another spot closer to the front of the line.

“I can always tell when you’ve had sex, Paige,” he muttered under his breath. “Judging by the way you look right now, I’d say that you had quite a night.”

Was it really that obvious? Hopefully it wasn’t to the rest of the world, and this was simply the product of having been married to Andre. He could read her like an open book. She hated feeling so exposed. “If you’re expecting me to admit to anything, you can forget it.”

“It’s a compliment. You look spectacular. I don’t mean anything nefarious by it.”

“And this is weird coming from my ex-husband.”

The man in front of them in line got his cab, which meant she and Andre were next. She was so ready to get to the airport, break away from Andre, get on her flight and escape all of this.

“Paige!” a man’s voice shouted.

Paige and Andre turned in unison. Zach, his suitcase and a big old grin approached. Unfortunately for Paige, his smile alone was enough to make her tingly.

“You guys headed to the airport?” Zach asked.

“Yes. You, too? You should join us,” Andre answered.

What in the hell was going on? Paige had lost all control of her world.

“Perfect,” Zach replied breathlessly then thrust his hand in Andre’s direction. “I’m Zach Armstrong.”

“Andre Held.”

Paige watched the two of them shake hands and silently wished for lightning to strike her dead. Her ex-husband and the too-young-for-her guy she’d just hooked up with had now befriended each other. What was next? Was her high school boyfriend hiding in the bushes?

“You three together?” the doorman tending to the cabstand asked.

“We are,” Andre answered.

Apparently, Paige thought.

“This is you,” the doorman said.

A taxi pulled up and the driver got out to help with the bags.

“Do you have a spot in the front seat for me?” Andre asked.

“Sorry,” the driver answered as he tossed the suitcases into the trunk. “I’ve got a bunch of books up there. I’m studying for my real estate license. But there’s plenty of room for three in the back.”

“Looks like you’re the pickle in the middle, Paige,” Andre said.

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