No Reservations (5 page)

He wrapped his arms around her, squeezing. 'Darling Kate, your anger makes you magnificently hot. I'm dealing with it right now. Clearly this has gone on far too long. You're right to be angry.'

Unreasonable, yes, but his niceness just pissed her off more. She extricated herself from his embrace and slapped at his grabbing hands until he got the message and backed off. 'Of course I'm right to be angry! Like I need your permission? I can open my own jars and get mad when I want to. That fucking stupid thundertwat you married is lucky I didn't pop her one right in the eye for that comment about how she forgot. Like you two divorced yesterday. She. Is. Poison.

Cancer. She's gonorrhoea! A pustule on the anus of a syphilitic maggot! I hate your ex-wife. Because she is useless. Utterly. What an offence to femininity she is.'

He tried not to laugh, she could see it. She clamped her teeth together and left the room.

He fol owed her into the en suite bath. She ran a brush through her hair and he watched as she did it, like a cat watching a bird. He crowded in as she brushed her teeth, touching her, sliding his hands over the curve of her ass and kissing her neck. 'Get off.'

I'm trying, darling Kate. But the women in this house keep trying to stop me.'

She spit into the sink and rinsed her toothbrush, barely holding back a snarl. 'If I were you right now, I wouldn't cal attention to Pickles who is now official y also too stupid to knock on a closed door. Even that cat who lives next door to you, the one who walks into wal s and stuff? Yeah, that one can figure out how to knock on a door, but, somehow, Eve can't. Thank God the girls got your intel igence.'

He snorted a laugh and continued to eye her as she dotted lip gloss over her lips. With a sigh, she moved past him to pul on socks. He'd given her a beautiful ring for Christmas - one he assured her was just an / lone you ring until she was ready to admit it was an engagement ring -- and she smiled briefly as the stones caught the light just right.

'I knew you liked that ring.'

She turned and kissed him quickly, dancing back out of his reach. 'Doesn't mean I stil don't want to hit you and your dumbass ex. But of course I love it. Who wouldn't love a ring this gorgeous?'

He nodded, seeming partial y satisfied, but he stil eyed her and she considered how she'd get out the door without him springing on her and fucking her senseless. He liked to defuse her anger with sex, which she normal y didn't find problematic, but, in this case, she didn't want it. She needed that anger right now.

'What do you need lip gloss for? You look very pretty. Al fresh faced but also with an air of I'l cut you if you mess with me, which you know how hot I always find.'

I'm going into town. I'm not a hundred and fifty, so I like to look halfway decent when I leave the house. At least I don't have to apply my cosmetics with a trowel to attempt the aging-graceful ymoneyed-divorcee-who-hasn't-been-fucked-in-a-year look. I used to think she had her act together, that she'd mel ow out when you truly moved on. How wrong I was.'

'Meow. Careful, Kate, you know how much it makes my cock ache when you're bitchy.'

Your marriage must have been a veritable fuckfest then.'

She went to the door, but he pressed her against it, his body hard against hers. His eyes sparkled as he looked down into her face.

'Our marriage wil be.' He slid his hand between her bel y and her jeans, down into them until he found her pussy, wet and ready. 'Wet.'

She writhed, jutting her hips forwards, stroking herself against his knuckle. Oh al right, just this one little orgasm and then she'd go off in a huff.

He laughed softly, his lips cruising down her neck as she rocked into his hand, total y in control of the pace. 'Take it from me, Kate. As long as you understand I'm giving it, I want you to take it. God damn you're so hot. Your cunt is so juicy I can hear you fucking your clit into my knuckle.'

She groaned at his words, at the flood of pleasure rol ing through her body. A quick rotation of his wrist and it was the pad of his thumb on her clit as he slid two fingers into her, sending waves of pleasure up her spine as she arched.

'Good thing you aren't wearing tight jeans,' he murmured before biting her shoulder.

Almost. Almost. Just a bit more . . . until she nearly lost her knees with the rush of climax. If he hadn't been holding her against the door, she probably would have slid to the floor in a boneless puddle.

'Now, we both feel better. You can go into town satisfied and I can remember this as I talk to Eve.'

She sighed, pul ing his hand out of her jeans. 'That was a mood kil er.' She stomped out of the bedroom and down the stairs, pausing near the front door to put her coat and boots on.

'I'm taking your car,' she cal ed out but of course he was right behind her, holding out the keys. 'I love you, Katherine.

Please drive safe. Looks like we had more snow last night.'

I love you too. I'l be back in a while. I have my phone if you think of something you want me to pick up in town.' Just come back to me.'

He looked so vulnerable for just a brief moment, her anger melted. He did love her, she knew that. He had spoken to Eve multiple times. He wanted Kate to be happy.

'That's never in doubt. Even with your needy ex-wife. I'l be back.'

Once Kate had pul ed away from the house, Dix turned, anger burning low in his gut. 'Eve? Where are you?'

I'm right here, Charles. I see she's left and now I'm to expect some sort of warning from you?' Eve swept into the room looking perfectly coiffed. He'd ceased to wonder about what he'd ever seen in her. She was stil beautiful albeit went a little hard with the cosmetics since Kate had become a regular part of his life. But she lacked the fire Kate had. Kate took things head on, much like he did. But Eve had always been passive-aggressive and he'd always let it go.

Don't start. You're wrong and you know it. First you showed up here total y uninvited.'

This is my house too. I'l show up when I please and your little girlfriend has no say in that. God, Charles, are you so desperate to have sex with her that you've forgotten about your family?'

He took a deep breath, seeking calm. No. You won't.

Because in the divorce decree, we share this house and we have a schedule for that. This week is mine. We decided on that last December. You do not have any right to come here when it's not your week. I let you stay last night because you put our daughters in the middle and it is unconscionable to me that you wil again. You do not use them to get at me, or at Katherine. Or for that matter, at anyone. Only one of us has forgotten about her family, and it's not me. You're leaving.

Today.'

Then you can explain to Adrienne and Kendal just why you're making me leave when we have plans to go shopping tomorrow and the three of us have lunch plans the fol owing day.' She crossed her arms and he realised Eve had total y played him. He was in a place where it would be impossible to get rid of her without involving his daughters.

'You bitch. You manipulative, needy, psycho bitch. How dare you use those girls like that?' It was over. His semi-friendly relationship with his ex-wife had just burnt to ash. In that stroke, adding in al the things she'd done over the last months, he'd lost every last bit of respect he'd ever had for her.

'I'l thank you to keep your language civil.'

'Here is how it's going to go from today on. Listen up and don't interrupt me, I'm on my very last nerve with you right now. First, you wil not intrude in my activities with the girls.

You wil not invite yourself along, period. From now on, we wil keep things total y separate. Do not include me in your plans with them either. If this is how you act, I do not want any part in it. Your destructive selfishness when it comes to our children has stunned me. I'm ashamed I ever loved you. You've kil ed any positive feelings I've ever had.' He held up a hand and shook his head.

'Don't do it. Additional y, you wil not step one foot on the third floor where Kate and I are sleeping. You won't needle her or use the girls against her. Katherine is my girlfriend and if I have my way she'l be my wife. That means she'l be part of your daughters' lives and I'm asking you to be a fucking parent and not harm them due to your own failings. She is very good to our girls and she completely respects my role as a father and wants me to put them first. I wish you felt the same. I'm going to be moving to Lancaster but keeping the other house. I'm tel ing you this because we'l have to work on the scheduling more closely. I'l be in town when the girls are with me for school. That's al real y.'

Her mouth dropped open and he fought the urge to laugh.

'You actual y expect me to help you expose our children to that woman? That foul-mouthed nasty lawyer you're sleeping with?'

'I don't need your help, thanks. I'm just warning you not to attempt to use them to harm her. Because that would harm our daughters and Katherine. I won't al ow it. Don't test me on this thing. Above al , the girls are my top priority, I won't let you use them like they mean nothing. You're welcome to not like Kate, the feeling is quite mutual. But I'm warning you, don't use our children. I wil take you to court on this. I wil take them from you if you abuse them in such a fashion. Don't be ugly.

Just be their mother and back the fuck off my life. We're not married any more. We're not even friends thanks to your behaviour.' He turned and left her there, not wanting to say anything else to her.

Kate took her time in town. She stopped in at the diner for a huge breakfast and three cups of coffee while she read a novel. She shopped along the main street, choosing a pretty scarf pin for Kendal , a pair of earrings for Adrienne and a very handsome tie forDix. She then bought a ridiculously huge coffee mug with a moose on it for Leah. She'd give it to her friend, pretend she loved it and wait to see how much effort it took Leah to respond as if it were a fabulous gift.

A few hours later, she final y made her way to the tiny grocery store, stocked up on the basics, grabbed some freshly made lemon curd to go with the French bread she'd make for Dix the fol owing morning when Pickles had cleared off. By the time she headed back to the house, her anger had fled.

She noticed though that Eve's Volvo was stil in the drive. It would be dark soon, which did not bode wel for her leaving because Kate was quite sure the queen of al misery couldn't bear to drive in the dark with her precious wee special self.

Dix met her on the porch, another thing that didn't bode wel . His smile was tight and the tension wafted from him as he kissed her and popped the back of the SUV open to get to the grocery bags.

You were gone a while.' He hugged her tight and she breathed him in. He kissed her, his mouth owning her just the way she liked most. He tasted like oranges and coffee.

'Mmm, you taste sexy. I worked off al my mad. It took time and some retail therapy.

You're going to get it al back, I'm afraid.'

He leant against the car and told her about how Eve had set up dates with the girls to prevent her exile. She absolutely understood why he couldn't make her leave then. Kate respected the fact that he didn't want to harm his girls and the devastation she saw in him was real. She knew it had to have real y hurt him to see Eve unmasked that way.

'I'm sorry. Sorry that you had to see her that way.'

He looked surprised. You're not mad?'

'Not at you. There aren't words for her. But not at you.

You're in a hard place. I understand that. But I'm real y not happy at the prospect of another three days with her until they leave before New Year's Eve.' Her phone rang just then, 'Salt Shaker'. Leah. 'Take her cal . Tel her I said hel o. I'l bring the bags in.'

'I have to get out of here.' Leah paced the narrow strip of bare floor between the twin bed and high polished dresser.

The comforter, a quilt neatly sewn with blocks cut from T-shirts emblazoned with school names, sports teams and concerts, brushed her thigh as she passed. She went to the window to look out, and pressed her forehead to the frosted glass.

'Uh oh. Mama Bear too much to handle?' Kate sounded appropriately sympathetic.

If she only knew.

'No. Not at al . Caroline's been great.' Leah twisted to peer down to the driveway, ploughed clear' of the feet of snow covering the rest of the yard. 'But, Christ, Kate. . .'

'What?' Kate's voice went from sympathetic to concerned. 'What's going on?' 'His dad,' Leah said in a low voice, with a glance towards the open door. 'He's an asshole?

'

'No. God, no.' Leah shook her head and twisted the iPhone in her palm, switching hands. She sat on the bed, for a moment, then got up almost at once, too twitchy to relax.

She'd come up here with an armful of sheets and towels, ostensibly to help Caroline with putting away the laundry. In reality, she'd needed a place to get away from Caroline's sunny, bright smile and constant stream of chatter, and the basement room she was sharing with Brandon wasn't going to work. Not after what she'd found when she was putting away a pile of his socks and shorts, freshly washed, dried and folded by Mama Dearest.

'Dude, you're total y freaking me out. Tel me they're not fattening you up for sacrifice or something, please!'

Leah laughed, grateful for her friend's drama. 'No.

They've been great. Al of them. His mom's real y, real y sweet, and his dad . . .' 'You. Are. Kil ing me. What?'

'He's hot,' Leah whispered, looking again out the window where Brandon and his father, both incredibly and stupidly bare-chested, even though it had to be below freezing outside, were playing a game of one-on-one basketbal . 'Hmm.' Kate chuckled. 'Wel , are you surprised?'

'He's seriously hot," Leah said. 'And not old. He's way too young to be a dad, Kate, to be my dad, anyway. Shit.'

'He hasn't hit on you, has he?' Kate sounded suspicious.

'No.'

Bil Long, in fact, probably had never hit on any woman since he'd met his wife. The love between them would have been sickly sweet if it hadn't been so unselfconscious. So sincere. And, Leah had to admit, enviable.