“Yeah. I just hope it’s genuine. That she’s not trying to make me jealous or something.”
“Even if she is, maybe they’ll hit it off.”
“Maybe.” He set his empty glass down and rose to his feet. He started to clear the plates to leave them on the kitchen counter for the housekeeper to take care of tomorrow. “He’s actually one of your clients.”
“Really?” I asked. “I guess that makes sense. There’re a lot of wealthy guys in the building who would love a trophy wife.” That was exactly what the older ones wanted, a sexy young woman to make them feel young forever. “Did she say who?”
“Yeah.” He turned to walk into the kitchen. “That asshole Jake Patterson.”
Thankfully, Deacon had stepped away so he couldn’t see my face.
And watch me nearly shit myself.
I couldn’t sleep.
I lay there with Deacon behind me, his chest against my back, his arm over my stomach. He was in a deep sleep, his breathing gentle and even.
I stared at the opposite wall, haunted by the silence.
We made love like usual, and his kisses stopped me from thinking about my fears, but once we were finished, I was back under the blanket of terror.
God, this was bad.
Maybe this would be a one-time date that would destruct quickly afterward. But Valerie was gorgeous, and Jake’s ex-wife was gorgeous too. He probably wouldn’t have asked her out since they lived in the same building…unless he really wanted her.
And if he told her about me, she would tell Deacon.
And I would be fucking screwed.
Fuck, this was bad.
Or worse, she would tattle on me since she was already intimidated by me.
I could talk to Deacon first and tell him what happened, but that would mean I’d have to tell him I’d slept with a married man, which was the most humiliating thing that had ever happened to me. I was ashamed, wanting to take that secret to the grave.
But maybe it would never come up at all.
Jake had never told my secret to anyone. Even if we weren’t together anymore, he knew he would put my job in jeopardy if he shared that knowledge. He had friends in the building, and he had never told them…so why would he tell her?
Especially when it could make her jealous.
The last thing he should want to do was mention the woman he had an affair with.
It could chase her off.
I convinced myself I was being paranoid, that there was nothing to worry about. Regardless of who Jake slept with, there was no reason to tell anyone what had happened between us, especially when it made him look bad.
The secret was safe.
I was safe.
I’d had Matt take care of Jake’s needs so I wouldn’t have to see him anymore. As a result, we almost never crossed paths…unless he sought me out. The chances of me seeing him were slim, especially with Valerie.
So, I didn’t think about it further.
When Valerie’s mail came in, I took the elevator to her floor and knocked on her door, knowing she was usually home.
But this time, she didn’t answer.
I let myself in and brought her mail into the residence.
I stilled when I saw Valerie in the kitchen, wearing a man’s t-shirt, shirtless Jake behind her. They were listening to music and cooking, oblivious to me.
He guided her hand as he stood behind her. “This is how you julienne.”
I crept backward slightly, hoping to slip out without them noticing me. My heart was racing a million miles a minute, fucking terrified I’d be caught. I didn’t care about seeing Jake with anyone, let alone Valerie, but I didn’t want him to see me see him with her.
Valerie raised her chin then noticed me. “Cleo?”
I jumped on the spot, dropping some of the mail. “Sorry, I thought you weren’t home…” I bent down and picked everything up and carried it to the closest surface on which to put it down. I didn’t raise my gaze because I didn’t want to see Jake look at me, didn’t want to make eye contact.
Valerie didn’t seem mad, which was out of character for her. “It’s fine. I was waiting for that Vogue magazine anyway.” She turned to Jake behind her and raised the slice of cucumber. “How about this?”
I straightened and looked at him.
His eyes were on me, awkward that I was there, uncomfortable to be seen with someone else. “Yeah…perfect.” He didn’t even look at it.
She fed it into his mouth. “I did good, huh, babe?”
Babe? Really? “Well, have a good day…” I moved back to the door and got out of there as quickly as possible, practically slamming the door behind me.
Once the door was shut, I took a deep breath, my hands on my hips. “Oh sweet Jesus…did that just fucking happen?” I had no idea why Valerie hadn’t screamed at me because she screamed at me for any little thing. But then it dawned on me.