Total pages in book: 190
Estimated words: 181992 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 910(@200wpm)___ 728(@250wpm)___ 607(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 181992 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 910(@200wpm)___ 728(@250wpm)___ 607(@300wpm)
But keeping what happened from him wasn’t an option. Not after the promises we’d made to each other. So I was going to have to tell him something that would piss him off, wreck his mood for the evening, and quite possibly hurt him. I would sure be hurt if one of Lake’s relatives acted in such a way, and I’d hate that Dax was forced to deal with that crap.
In no rush to spill the earlier confrontation to him, I tried to once again bury myself in my book. But, too on edge about the upcoming conversation, I failed miserably.
I was just considering whether to go track him down when I heard footfalls heading toward the den. Moments later, he strolled inside with a casual, easy grace. Despite the rock of aggravation in my stomach, I felt my mouth hitch up slightly at the sight of him.
He hummed. “Thought I might find you here.”
I let out a mock long-suffering sigh. “I don’t have much of a choice in the matter. I mean, you gave me several books. They aren’t going to read themselves.”
Sparks of amusement danced in his eyes. “Right.” He planted his feet. “On another note, my mother is finalizing her plans for Thanksgiving. She wants to know if we’re definitely going to be eating dinner at her table.”
“I told you we would,” I reminded him.
“Yes, you did. But I know that your parents have been trying to change your mind.”
Oh, they’d given it all they had. I had no clue why. It wasn’t fresh news that I was more stubborn than both of them put together. “I refused to reconsider but promised we would have dinner with them next year if—and only if—my dad and Ollie’s behavior toward you improves.”
One side of Dax’s mouth kicked up. “Cunning.”
“Thank you, honey pie.”
And his smile faded. “You really have to stop with that.”
“Nu-uh, I’m on a mission to find the perfect pet name for you. I don’t give up easily.”
“Make an exception,” he said, enunciating every word.
“Oh, but—”
“No, I don’t need or want a pet name.”
“Sometimes, we think we don’t want something. But then when we get it, we can’t imagine life without it.”
“I can safely assure you that at no point would I want anything but to live without it.”
I gave him a haughty look. “I beg to differ, but we’ll see.” I closed my book and took a preparatory breath. “So. Something happened today.”
His eyelids lowered slightly. “I’m not going to like this, am I?”
“It’s doubtful that you will,” I admitted, setting the hardcover on the nearby table.
“Go on.”
I shifted position, untucking my feet from beneath my butt to straighten my legs. “I had a visitor at work.”
His eyes went slitted. “Grayden?”
I gave my head a slow shake. “Mimi.”
Something dark crawled behind his mismatched eyes as tension crept into his muscles, turning his posture from lazy and casual to stiff and wooden. “She went to your office?” he asked, his voice dead.
I swallowed. “Yes.”
“When?” The quiet question was as abrupt as the lashing of a whip.
“This afternoon.”
One brow slinked upward. “And you sent her away, yes?”
Hesitating, I pulled a face. “Not exactly.”
A hoarsely spoken curse flew out of his mouth. “Why would you agree to see her, Addison? And why the hell didn’t you call me?”
Uh, apparently there was something we weren’t straight on. It seemed best to rectify that problem now. “Where there’s a chance of physical danger, I will call you. Other times? No. I’m not some fragile creature that can’t handle her own shit.”
He clenched his jaw. “I told you that Mimi can get handsy.”
“I’ve got news for you—so can I. If she ever comes at me, she won’t walk away unscathed. So I suppose it’s fortunate for her that causing me physical pain wasn’t on her agenda today.”
“What did she say to you?”
“A lot. To summarize … she would never talk to the tabloids about you, she loathes herself for wanting you, she’s certain you’ll never love me or anyone else, she wants to understand why you married me, and she believes that only one woman from your past other than her sister really meant something to you.” My belly began rolling at the mere thought of the latter part. “Mimi talked about her quite a bit.”
His brow knitted. “Who?” he asked with complete bewilderment, as if he had literally not one idea who Mimi could possibly have named.
“Angel.” Careful to keep my tone even, ignoring the way my gut twisted, I added, “Mimi said you were obsessed with her. Very protective and possessive.”
His frown deepening, he gave a dismissive shrug. “Angel and I had a brief fling—nothing more,” he stated so firmly I couldn’t doubt him for even a second.
And once again, the world became a fabulous, most wondrous place.
My insides no longer churning, I said, “Either Mimi doesn’t believe that, or she just wanted to convince me differently. She certainly tried convincing me that you were still involved with Angel.”