“She looked pretty torn up just now for a heartless bitch.”
“We both know how well women can play a role.” The minute the words left his mouth, he cringed. He shouldn’t have brought Rachel into this. Funny thing about words, once they were out, he couldn’t take them back. Tristan winced as his eyes darted towards the door Devlin had exited and back to him. “It just doesn’t feel right, Jace.”
It was bittersweet to have his best friend finally notice a woman and it be Devlin. A muscle in his jaw ticked as his conscience got the better of him.
“Go after her.”
“Ja—”
“It’s okay, Tris.” Jace raked a hand through his hair and released a breath as he willed his body to relax. Devlin hadn’t been here more than fifteen minutes and she’d already bewitched his best friend, putting them at odds. He knew the dazed look well. He’d worn that very expression for years.
Doubt crept in as he watched Tristan maneuver his way from the waiting area and out the door. Had he misjudged her somehow? Her brown eyes had been clouded over with pain. A scowl curved his lips. She’d played him for a fool once. Was he really going to give her a chance to do it again?
After all this time, you still love her. That has to count for something. If nothing else, he needed to gain some sort of c
losure. He just hoped he hadn’t lost his chance to do that.
Chapter Two
Tristan’s heart pounded in his chest as he gave chase to the girl who’d wakened him in more ways than one. There’d been something in those soulful brown eyes that had gotten through the walls he’d built around him. He hadn’t been able to achieve arousal since his spinal cord injury, and the doctors had been unsure if the condition was physical or emotional. With one look at the bombshell, his cock had twitched to life and his balls had grown heavy for the first time on their own since the wreck. These days a hard-on took a hell of a lot of stimulation and the right mindset.
Since the end of his sports career, which was followed by a bitter divorce from his wife, he’d been distant from women. Not that many of them showed any interest in him while he was in a wheelchair or his braces for that matter. Rachel had wanted him for his money and the prestige being the wife of an English football player brought. When the car accident had taken his ability to walk and scarred his body, she’d tripped over her own feet in her haste to leave their marriage. The realization that his entire life had been based on a lie had thrust him into a downward spiral. After a childhood with parents who cared more for their own pleasure and whims, Rachel was supposed to be his prize, the light at the end of the long, dark tunnel his life had once been.
He couldn’t have been more wrong. Tristan should have known something was off when Jace didn’t like her. He’d met his wife before his career had taken off, so he’d felt secure in the assumption she wasn’t after him for his money or fame. Since his judgment was obviously flawed, perhaps he should proceed with more caution this time.
Someone up there really must hate my guts. He’d spent months trying to get an erection going only to wish it was gone the moment he achieved it. Thank God the sun had set so she wouldn’t see it. She—Devlin stood a few feet away from the building with her arms wrapped around her middle.
“Devlin?” The name sounded foreign on his tongue.
“Did he send you out here?” She spat the words out, her nose crinkled up, her lips twisted as if she'd tasted something sour.
“I came because I wanted to. But he was worried too.” Her harsh snort of disbelief made him wince.
“What happened with you two?” he asked, the words out of his mouth before he could really think the question through.
“Didn’t he tell you about the girl he made a fool of? I gave that bastard everything I had to give and he threw it in my face.” Devlin’s voice was sinful. Rich and smooth, it made him think of silken sheets and massage oils. He’d think about it tonight when he was stroking his cock to completion with her name on his lips and her image in his head. Heat filled his cheeks. She was pouring out her heart and he couldn’t get his libido under control.
“His version reads a lot different. You’re the heartbreaker who left and never bothered to look back.”
“Bullshit! I called, I wrote. I did everything but hop on a plane and fly back to California.”
“I think you two should talk.”
“You see how well that worked. The man’s always had a temper like a powder keg and a stubborn streak a mile long.”
“That hasn’t changed,” he said. His words made her laugh.
“I’ll keep that in mind. Apparently old age doesn’t mellow everyone.”
“Hmm, you don’t exactly scream tame.”
“Astute observation, tall, blonde, and British.” She tilted her head and gave a saucy wink. “I like you.”
And I like you, more than I should.
“Glad to hear it, Ms. Devlin. Do you think you’re calm enough to go back inside?”
“I think I am, Tristan. Thank you.” Her eyes sparkled like amber jewels in the glow cast from the lights above the door that shone in their direction. She lifted up onto her toes and placed a gentle kiss to against his cheek.