“Thank you again for choosing our law firm to handle your business. We hope you’ve been satisfied with the service you received,” Adam added, always thinking of the business.
Tiffany smiled her secret smile. “I’ve been very satisfied so far. And I hope this is only the beginning of a long, fruitful relationship.”
Jeremy raised an eyebrow but kept quiet and the two of them left, closing the office door behind them.
I purposefully kept the desk between us as a barrier. I didn’t want the she-wolf any closer. “What the hell do you want, Tiffany?” I demanded, my voice hard.
Her face softened. “Robbie, it’s so good to see you. I’ve missed you. So much.” She stepped closer. “You look good. Really good.” She licked her lips and let her eyes do a long, slow perusal.
“You didn’t answer my question. What are you doing in Southport? What game are you playing?” I shoved my hands into my pockets, so I didn’t reach across the desk and throttle her.
Tiffany shrugged, running a finger along the edge of my desk, looking around the room. “I like Southport. It’s quaint. And ripe for development. I’ve been...diversifying over the years.”
“And you just happened to choose the town I now live in? Come on, what kind of moron do you take me for?” I snarled.
She started pulling books off the shelf, thumbing through them. “Oh, I know you’re not a moron, Robbie. It’s one of the things I always loved about you.” She stalked toward me, coming around the desk, inching her body until she invaded my personal space.
I didn’t retreat, I didn’t want to give her that power, but I hated how close she was. It made me sick inside.
She pressed her hand to my chest. “I’ve missed you.” I opened my mouth to argue with her, but she stopped me. “I mean it. I’ve missed you so much over the years. I’m getting older—I know I don’t look it,” she giggled. “But a woman realizes there comes a point where she wants real companionship. Someone to share her life with.” She pressed her thigh against my leg.
“And that lucky someone is me?” My words dripped with sarcasm.
Tiffany frowned. “Why is that so hard to believe?”
“It’s been nearly ten years. You’re telling me that there’s not another man in all that time you could latch onto like a barnacle? Instead, you had to chase down someone who made it painfully clear he wanted nothing to do with you ever again? Does that sound like something a sane person would do?” I moved to the other side of the desk. The smell of her perfume was nauseating.
“Robbie, what you and I had was special—”
“It was twisted and messed up is what it was. Special isn’t an adjective to use to describe anything about what you and I shared.”
Tiffany’s face darkened. “Well, I’m here now. And I plan to make myself at home. Old friends are important when you’re making a huge change in your life.”
Was she serious?
“We’re not friends, Tiffany,” I reminded her.
“We used to be, and I expect us to be again.” She picked up her purse and slung it over her shoulder. She smiled again as if the fraught exchange hadn’t happened. “Don’t be a stranger. I bought a big, beautiful house in town. I’d love to show it to you. Come by some time. I’ll make you dinner. Is chicken parmigiana still your favorite?” She opened the office door, stopped, and blew me a kiss. “I’ll be seeing you soon.”
I had been around the block enough times to know a threat when I heard one.
Chapter Seven
Skylar
The sunroom was awash with every color in the rainbow. I sipped my first coffee of the morning and soaked it in. The stained glass window added so much to the room. It diffused the light in such a way that the entire space was warm and comforting. It was funny how such a small addition could transform the room. And it felt so much more special because of the man who had given it to me.
Even though I had spent the subsequent seven days denying like hell that I felt that way. But it was hard to ignore how thoughtful the gift was. Damn Robert Jenkins. Damn him to hell.
It had been overall an uneventful, yet busy week. My day of playing hooky had resulted in an extra pile of work for the week afterward. I had clients breathing down my neck for mock-ups and proofs. And then Adam called wanting to know if I would swing by later in the week to talk about the digital ads he had mentioned at his house.
I should have been ecstatic at the way business was booming. While I was happy I had successfully carved out a little space for myself in the world, there this nagging ache deep in my heart.