rd pe

as the first

r sharp tone and icy look sen

erent person, she still felt so sm

kill her again now, an

don't even know t

g for the restroom," answered Ashle

her's eyes narrowed, and h

in. "Uh, Mrs. Harrison,

arrison asked, her g

, ma

he stared at her for a few seconds bef

ed, her mind searching for suitabl

me?" Kate snapped, her voic

ice trembling slightly. "I... I

huh? One would think that Ada

g off Adam's remark. "What's your name, you

e, ma'am. Va

to her toe. "Well, I don't like her," she annou

ley's parents behind. "She's really compet

ner office behind him, he turned to give Ashley

*************

he bar did little to pierce the f

er glass of vodka and then wiped h

to the bartender, her strained voic

of the music hammere

t supposed to love her unco

hey try to

she immediately wiped them away.

bartender pushed

of whiskey. The burning liquid was a fleeting dis

r counter. Glancing up through tear-b

and a dark suit that seemed to mol

lighting, held an intensity th

rumbled, his voice low,

her lips. "Sure, why not?" Her eyes me

r absurdity of the situation, but she found her

yes seemed to pierce through her skin. "And

hed with heat, and she swal

imacy, even the hostile kind,

lammed a crumpled bill on the counte

e drink

************

unning water w

nd opened her

r eyes roamed around, and then she re

d her gaze caught the clot

G

; those were her clothe

the

ly assess the situation when she

sore... S

ng she remem

g back for that "dri

e recalled the way he was positioned a

ower lip, rolled her eyes, and let ou

he smack

he wa

asn't the time to be thin

ger, just after you found out that you

e angry and hurt, and so she imm

ke all of

efore the man came out, so she

her eyes widened. Jumping out of

e room, Lucas's phone beeped. She'd decided to

on the nightstand, the ca

t her harder than t

an? Se

sity and spite, she

erful voice replied, "Luca

n short-circu

etrayal flashed before her eyes, igniti

sorry. Your husband is, uh, in

ush off the guilt of what she'd just said. It

eared with a towel wrapped around his waist.

ough his well-muscled legs, hi

wallo

e'd had sex with? N

He cocked an eyebrow, in

The voice on the other end of

shley, realizing the full ext

ed Lucas's phone on the nightstand

yelled. "Come