But before I could deepen it, she was backing away. “Not tonight, Jeremy. Please.”
I wouldn’t let her see how that hurt me. Instead, I shrugged. “Fine. I’ll see you on Monday then.”
I started to head out the door when she stopped me.
“Call me tomorrow,” she called out.
Of course, I’d call her. But I sure as shit wouldn’t let her know that.
“Let’s see what the day brings, shall we?”
And then I left hoping my dignity was still in one piece.
But we both knew she had me.
Chapter 11
Lena
Having sex with Jeremy Wyatt was proving to be my favorite past time. Pretending at work that there was nothing going on was like some kind of messed up foreplay. It turned me on to brush past him in the hallway without acknowledging the sexual tension brimming between us. I became aroused watching him make coffee in the morning knowing that in a few hours he’d rip my clothes off and make me scream. Screwing Jeremy was akin to a religious experience. I never knew I could come so hard and so often. I didn’t want to think about why he was so good with his hands and tongue. Or how he learned that particular trick he did with his hips that drove me wild.
We insisted it was only sex. It was the mantra I repeated in my head after every interlude. So, why was I seething with barely contained jealousy as I stood in the middle of the grocery store, trying to engage in polite chit chat with Nicola Bennett?
Yes, that Nicola Bennett. The woman Jeremy fingered at their launch party all those years ago.
“I heard you were working with Adam now. That’s great news!” she enthused, obviously meaning it. I had always gotten along with Nicola. She was nice, if not a little flighty. She was married with a kid, but when I looked at her all I could see was her pressed against the wall with Jeremy’s hand between her thighs.
What the hell was wrong with me? She was a wife and a mother. She was with Jeremy four years ago. Yet, I felt my hands clench and I had a brief fantasy of punching Nicola in her cute, button nose.
I was being absurd.
“Yeah, it’s been a steep learning curve, that’s for sure, but I’m loving every minute,” I responded, trying to push all thoughts of chick fighting and bloodshed out of my mind.
“I can imagine. He and his partners sure seem busy these days. They’re always in the paper. It’s nice to see a local boy doing so well.” She grabbed a box of pasta off the shelf and dropped it into her basket. “And that partner of his is something, am I right?” She made a show of fanning herself.
My jaw tightened. “You mean Rob?” I asked dumbly.
Nicola giggled. “Robert Jenkins? No! I mean, he’s a good-looking man, but he’s not really my type. I’ve never been into the cute dorky look. I like my men with some muscles.”
I grabbed random items and threw them into my cart, not really caring what they were. “That’s funny, I thought your husband was your type.” I sounded catty and more than a little bitchy.
Nicola blinked, clearly unable to read my mood.
Tread carefully, I silently warned her.
“Oh well, of course, but a girl can still look, you know. Just because I’m married doesn’t mean I’m dead. Especially when you’ve been with Jeremy Wyatt.” She giggled like a schoolgirl.
Damn it, they had slept together. Why did he have to be such a slut?
“Oh, okay.” My tone was clipped and clearly not inviting further conversation. But Nicola had never been the sharpest tool in the box.
She dropped her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “You know we slept together years ago. Back when he first moved to town.”
“I don’t think this is appropriate—” I started to say, maneuvering my cart so I could squeeze past her and try to forget about this whole horrible exchange.
Of course, Nicola followed me. “Oh, come on, it’s not like I’m the only one to spread my legs for that man. With a face like that, it’s no wonder we were all lining up to get a piece. And I know for a fact they still are. Diane Blevin was telling me about the time they hooked up in the bathroom at Sweet Lila’s. She said it was the single most erotic experience of her life.” She giggled again. It really was a grating noise. “Todd doesn’t like to know about my previous sexual partners and that’s fine, I don’t want to know his either. Knowing those kinds of things can only damage a relationship,” she said sagely.
She was definitely right about that. The more I learned about Jeremy’s past, the more murdery I felt.
“Some things are definitely best left to yourself,” I told her pointedly, hoping she’d get what I was saying.