Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 100873 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 504(@200wpm)___ 403(@250wpm)___ 336(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100873 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 504(@200wpm)___ 403(@250wpm)___ 336(@300wpm)
“Oh, I’m so happy to meet Clive’s baby girl at last!” Gloria beamed.
Tiny and dark-haired with bronzed skin and bright eyes, Gloria looked surprisingly close to Clive in age. Her hug was as warm as her smile. Catie swallowed a sigh. Oh dear, she was one of the nice ones, the ones who believed in Clive’s spiel about finally finding “the one.”
He meant it every time; that was the thing of it. He conned everyone—including himself. In fact, Gloria was so nice and sweet through the ride up to the restaurant that Catie was seriously tempted to break her “no interference” rule when Clive left for the restroom after they’d been seated.
“You really love him,” she ventured as they looked at their menus.
Gloria gave her a soft glance. “So much.” A pause. “It’s all right, sweetheart. I know who and what he is.” Smile fading into a quiet sadness. “We used to date when we were younger. He broke my heart then too.”
Catie blinked, put down her menu. This was the one type of conversation she’d never had with one of her father’s girlfriends. “If you know, why would you subject yourself to this?”
A lopsided smile that put the sparkle back in Gloria’s eyes. “Love makes us stupid,” she said, then laughed. “I’m divorced now with two adult children. I got married to the son of a family friend at twenty-three, was a good, faithful, and loving wife—and my ex traded me in for a younger model who dresses him in purple shirts and tight jeans that make him look like an overstuffed eggplant.”
Catie was glad she hadn’t taken a sip of her water. She’d surely have snorted it all over the table. “That bad?”
“Oh honey, you have no idea.” The way she waved a hand as if swatting a fly said she was long past the pain and could afford to be amused. “Now that I’m free, if I want to have a wild fling with a man who’s all wrong? I figure I’ve earned it.”
Catie had caught more than a hint of steel in Gloria. “I think my dad might have met his match.”
Gloria lifted one delicate shoulder. “Whatever happens, your charmer of a father will never see me cry—don’t you worry about that. If anything, I intend to leave him crying.” A wink.
Catie shook her head in mingled amusement and admiration. This should be interesting. “You know he hasn’t changed at all?”
“Sweetheart, we’ve been hitting casinos both in Australia and here. I know.” Gloria took a sip of her wine. “But like I said, it’s my time to be wild and make terrible mistakes.”
Catie liked her. She had a “no fucks given” quality about her. It would all end in tears one way or the other, but she silently wished Gloria luck. At least she was going into the situation open-eyed.
As had Catie.
Into a love affair with a sports star who was the favorite of women around the world. If it were acceptable to throw underwear onto a rugby pitch, Danny’s position on the field would be festooned with them.
Gloria shifted her hand as she put down the menu, and Catie couldn’t help spotting the time on the woman’s delicate gold wristwatch.
Danny’s plane would’ve just landed.
Her phone, which she’d put into a slender clutch that she had on the table beside her, vibrated at that second. Her heart thudded even though she knew it was stupid. There was no way he’d be messaging her right now. He was probably still on the tarmac.
Clive returned to the table while she was still arguing with herself, and he and Gloria began to talk about the menu. Glad for the cover, Catie slipped out her phone, telling herself to expect a message from Jacqueline. The Dragon had a way of messaging at late hours.
Catie had a sneaking suspicion that Jacqueline had actually put Catie on her schedule so she didn’t forget to stay in touch—but that didn’t bother Catie. It wasn’t the greatest that her mother needed to put her in her diary to remember her, but then again, Jacqueline only put important things on the schedule.
Taking a deep breath, she touched her screen to bring up the message. The message ID said: Hotshot
And her heart, it went boom.
28
THERE MIGHT BE A SEX SHOW
After quickly using her face to unlock the screen, Catie read what Danny had written: Landed. Time zones aren’t that far apart, but I still feel like a zombie after sitting that long.
A zombie emoji that made her grin.
Sun hasn’t set yet, but captain said it’s cold out. Meant to be picked up by someone from the club, but if he’s not there, I’m planning to book myself into a love hotel and play with all the erotic gadgets.
Catie stifled a giggle before quickly typing back a message: I’ve always wanted to try a love hotel. I saw one online that has a slide down to the bed. I mean, I could do a lot for a man who took me to a hotel where you literally slide in to bed.