“I don’t know.” Kristen squared her shoulders when she saw the couple making a beeline for her. No way would she behave like a shrinking violet just because that woman expected her to. She intended to let Robin know that her days with Matt had long since passed and suggest she move on and spare herself the embarrassment of making another play for him.

  “Kristen, so nice to see you again,” Paul said, taking her hand. “You’ve really outdone yourself. The place looks great, and everyone seems to be enjoying themselves.”

  Wish I could say the same. “Thank you.” She smiled politely as she extracted her hand from his. “I’m surprised to see you here. I don’t recall seeing your name on the guest list.”

  With a wave, he said, “It must have been an oversight on my brother’s part. One my mother was happy to rectify.”

  Of course Nancy would include her younger son. Kristen was quite certain she never would have expected him to ask her former daughter-in-law to be his escort though. Before Kristen could ask whether Rennie and Paul had met, Rennie excused herself. Given the tension emanating from their small circle, Kristen couldn’t blame Zach’s wife for wanting to make herself scarce.

  “Kristen, I’d like you to meet Robin, Matt’s—”

  “I know who she is.” Kristen gave Robin a feral smile. “I’m even more surprised to see you here. I thought Matt made himself clear when you stopped by his house earlier.”

  “So he told you about that?” Robin tipped her head back, her sleek black hair grazing her prominent cheekbones.

  The other woman towered over Kristen, and she was certain Robin was trying to use her height to intimidate her. Little did Robin know it would take more than that to make Kristen back down.

  “I’m willing to bet there’s a whole lot more my ex-husband didn’t tell you.” Robin’s self-satisfied smile revealed blindingly white teeth against red lipstick and flawless skin.

  Paul cleared his throat. “I’ll let you two get better acquainted. Can I get you anything?”

  “I don’t think we’ll be staying long enough to enjoy a drink,” Robin said, looking amused. “Once Matt or one of his cronies spots me, they’ll waste no time tossing me out.”

  “You’re probably right.” Paul looked more amused than alarmed at the prospect as he made his way through the crowd.

  “Why did you come if you know you’re not welcome?” Kristen asked, getting the sense she wouldn’t like the answer.

  “I thought you and I should chat.” Robin tapped a French-manicured nail against her beaded designer clutch. “For your benefit, of course.”

  Kristen had met women like her before. The only interests Robin was trying to protect were her own. “I’m really not interested in anything you have to say.” Before she could walk away, Robin stopped her.

  “Oh, I think you might be interested in hearing about how my ex-husband is a liar and a cheat. You know, before you get in too deep. I wouldn’t want to see you get your heart broken the way I did.” For the first time, she offered what seemed like a genuine smile.

  Kristen was too stunned by her accusation to take much notice. “You honestly expect me to believe Matt cheated on you?” Kristen infused just the right amount of incredulity into her voice as she folded her arms. “If anything, I’m sure it was the other way around.”

  “I know that’s what Matt would like you to believe, but he wasn’t an innocent victim, I can assure you.”

  Kristen wouldn’t believe anything that came out of her mouth. Robin would clearly do or say anything to create a rift between them. “I don’t know what makes you think I would—”

  Matt’s body was rigid when he moved into Robin’s personal space. “What the hell are you doing here? Didn’t I make myself clear this morning? I have nothing to say to you.”

  Robin looked around him, her eyes locking with Kristen’s. She raised an eyebrow, looking totally unaffected by Matt’s rage. “I came to see Kristen. We were having a nice little chat about what really ended our marriage.”

  Kristen watched the color drain from Matt’s tanned face as she got a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Surely there couldn’t be any truth to Robin’s claim. Could there? She would have sworn Matt wasn’t the kind of man who would cheat on his wife, but the little voice in her head reminded her that she would have said the same about her father.

  “You need to leave before I have you thrown out on your ass,” Matt said.

  “Come on now, big brother.” Paul shoved a bottle of beer into Matt’s hand. “Have a drink, lighten up. It’s a party. We’re all here to have a good time, right? To celebrate your success.”

  “You did this?” Matt looked torn between hurt and rage. “You brought her here knowing her only intent was to cause trouble for me?”

  Kristen wondered how Robin could cause trouble for him if she was lying.

  Jaxon appeared, shooting Paul and Robin a look that told anyone who witnessed it he didn’t consider them good enough to polish his overpriced shoes. “Do we need to get security over here?” Jaxon asked Matt. “’Cause believe me, it would be my pleasure.”

  “No.” Matt glared at his brother. “I think they’re smart enough to leave on their own. Am I right?’

  “My work here is done.” Robin looked positively gleeful. “I think it’s time for a real party,” she said, linking her hand with Paul’s. “Your place or mine?”

  Matt cringed and turned his back on them. “I’m sorry about that. I had no idea they would be here.”

  “Matt,” Kristen said cautiously, “Robin implied you cheated on her while you two were married. That’s not true, is it?”

  “Uh… I think I’ll give you two some privacy,” Jaxon muttered before slipping away.

  Before Matt could utter a word, Kristen had her answer. Torn between disbelief and heartbreak, she wished she could walk out without causing a scene, but she knew Matt wouldn’t let her get away without trying to explain his side of the story. Adulterers always had a story. Their wives didn’t understand them. The daily grind wore them down and they needed to escape reality for a while. They’d gotten married for all the wrong reasons and regretted the decision. Kristen wondered which excuse her father had used with his mistress… or what Robert had said to the woman sharing his bed when he was supposed to become her husband.

  “I have to go,” she said, slipping her wrist free of his grip.

  “Please, just give me a minute before you walk out on me,” he said, sounding desperate.

  “Just answer one question, the only one that matters to me. Did you sleep with another woman while you were married to Robin?”

  “Yes, but it’s not that simple.” He reached for her again. “We were in a really bad place. She was traveling all the time—”

  Stepping back, she attempted to clarify what she already knew. “But you were still sharing a home and a bed?”

  “Technically, but—”

  “No buts. That’s all I needed to know. Good-bye, Matt.”

  “No.” He grabbed her upper arm. “Damn it, I love you, Kris. I would never even look at another woman as long as I’m with you. You’ve got to believe that.”

  She looked at him and got lost in his eyes for what she knew would be the last time. Matt had committed an unforgiveable sin. It didn’t matter that he hadn’t betrayed her. His actions told her he wasn’t the man she thought he was.

  “How can you expect me to believe anything you say?” A shaky breath helped her find her voice. There would be time for tears later. “Did you ask her to believe you too? Did you tell her you’d never betray her, never cheat on her, that you’d always love her?”

  “I admit I slept with someone else while I was married to Robin, but she drove me to it!”

  A few people turned to stare when he raised his voice, but they quickly diverted their attention when they saw Matt’s corded neck and flaring nostrils. He looked like a bull ready to charge, and no one wanted to be in his path when he did.

  “She drove you to it?” Poking a threatened snake was foolish, but she couldn’t help herself. “You can’t seriously expect me to believe that.”

  “If you’d just listen—”

  “I’ve heard all I need to hear.” Squaring her shoulders, she walked away, politely excusing herself as she made her way through the crowd. She spotted Shell a few feet from the door talking to one of the security personnel. No doubt flirting, but Kristen didn’t have time to worry about that. She reached for her assistant’s arm and hauled her away before she had a chance to talk. “Shell, do you have a minute? I need to get away for a few days. Do you think you could hold down the fort?”

  “Where are you going?” Shell asked, looking stunned.

  Kristen never took a vacation, especially a spur-of-the-moment one. She knew if she stayed in town, Matt would come to her work and home, demanding she give him a chance to explain why he felt compelled to cheat on his wife.

  “I thought I’d visit my mother and stepfather for a few days. You know they’ve been after me to come out and see the new house.” That was true, but she had always told them she couldn’t squeeze a visit, no matter how brief, into her packed schedule. For the first time in years, work was the last thing on Kristen’s mind.

  “I think that’s great,” Shell said, squeezing her hand. “Lord knows you deserve to get away. Are you sure there isn’t more to the story? I mean, it’s not like you to be so impulsive.” Shell glanced at Matt, who was engaged in a heated conversation with Jaxon.

  She had to tell Shell a variation of the truth if she didn’t want Matt to know where she was. “Matt and I are through. He’s having a hard time accepting that. I think a little distance might do us both some good.”

  Shell look deflated. “But I thought you guys were so great together. What happened?”

  “I’ll tell you another time.” Matt no doubt wanted to go after Kristen, and Jaxon was probably encouraging him to give her a little time to cool off. But Jaxon couldn’t keep the lion caged forever. “Will you cover for me? I mean, just tell him you don’t know where I went, okay?” The nagging little voice in her head reminded her that a lie was a lie, but she decided a little white lie for a good cause wouldn’t hurt.

  “Take all the time you need,” Shell said, glaring at Matt. “I can handle things here.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  The next morning, Matt pounded on the door to Kristen’s office suite as Robert stepped off the elevator. After Matt’s sleepless night, calling Kristen every hour before driving over to her place only to find out from the security guard that she wasn’t home, he was in no mood to make nice with her ex.

  “Just keep walking,” Matt growled, hoping Robert had the good sense to know that a smart-ass remark would cost him a few teeth. Matt couldn’t think of a better person to take his frustration out on.

  “And pass up the chance to find out what’s got you so pissed off?” Robert asked smugly. “Not a chance.”

  “Where is she?”

  “Why are you asking me? I thought she was your girlfriend.”

  “She is,” he muttered, knowing Kristen would likely argue with that characterization.

  “You look like I felt when she dumped me.” Robert propped one shoulder against the wall beside Matt. “Sucks, doesn’t it?”

  Matt thought he didn’t have anything in common with the jerk, but maybe they weren’t so different. Kris certainly didn’t seem to think so. “Why’d you do it? Cheat on her, I mean. You had to know you couldn’t do any better.”

  He looked at Matt a while, obviously trying to decide how much he should reveal. “Why don’t you step inside my office? You look like you could use a coffee, and I know I could.”

  Deciding he might as well kill a little time until Kristen showed up, Matt followed Robert down the short hallway to his office suite. It was clearly too early for his receptionist or associates to make an appearance, so they had the privacy they would no doubt need if Robert intended to explain what happened with Kristen. Matt didn’t know why it was so important to him that he hear Robert’s version of the story. Perhaps he needed to convince himself that he was nothing like him, that their stories shared no similarities.

  Robert prepared coffee, asking Matt, “Cream or sugar?”

  “Black.” Matt was antsy from sitting around doing nothing when he should be scouring the city for Kristen. He waited for Robert to set the coffee down and settle in on the other side of the desk. “So were you drunk or high? Come on, what’s the story?”

  Robert stared at him, jaw slack, before he burst out laughing. “Drunk.” He shook his head. “Not that I’m making excuses. I know there’s no excuse for what I did.”

  “You’re right.” Matt knew Kristen would argue he was no better. Cheating was cheating, no matter the circumstances, but unlike Kristen, his ex-wife couldn’t claim to be an innocent victim. “So why’d you do it?”

  Robert stared at his non-descript ceramic mug in for so long Matt began to think he would ignore the question. “I was crazy about Kris. I’d never felt like that about anyone, ever.”

  “So why’d you do it?” That was the only thing Matt really wanted to know. He wasn’t interested in a play-by-play of their entire relationship, only the events surrounding Robert’s adultery. He needed to convince himself there were no parallels between their stories.

  “I always got the feeling she was with me because she was tired of being alone.” Robert reached for his coffee. “I pressured her to make a commitment she wasn’t ready for because I was afraid of losing her.”

  Matt tried to silence the nagging inner voice that told him he’d done the same. “Kris doesn’t seem like the kind of woman who could be pressured into accepting a marriage proposal.”

  “You might think that, but given how many times I had to ask her before she finally broke down and said yes…” He shook his head, a self-deprecating smile tugging at his lips. “In my business, we call that coercion.”

  Matt already knew Kristen was a woman he could easily spend the rest of his life with, but he knew when and if that time came, she had to want it as much as he did or it would never work.

  “I told myself she was just gun-shy because of her parents’ lousy marriage. I thought that as time went on, she’d get more comfortable with the idea. I assumed planning the wedding would be the fun part for her, given her line of work.”

  “But that wasn’t the case?” Matt didn’t want to feel an ounce of sympathy for Robert, but to holding onto his hatred wasn’t easy when it was obvious how much he loved Kristen. If he was guilty of anything, it was loving her too much.

  “No, she kept putting it off. Every time I talked to her about setting a date, she told me she was swamped at work and couldn’t think about it for a few more months.” He picked up the mug. “I just wanted to marry her, ya know? To start a family and have the kind of life I’d always dreamed about with the woman I loved.”

  Matt’s gut twisted. There were too many similarities between his situation and Robert’s. “I hear ya. So what happened?”

  “We had a fight.” His hand trembled as he set the cup down. “Some of my buddies wanted to take me out, you know, to celebrate my engagement. I didn’t want to go, but I was so damned frustrated trying to get through to Kris that I thought, what the hell? Might as well go and blow off a little steam. One drink led to ten. You know how that goes.”

  Matt had been there a time or two. “Yeah. So who was she?” Not that it mattered. Matt was still waiting for Robert to tell him something, anything, that would color the differences between them. So far he’d heard nothing.

  “Just some waitress.” Robert rolled his eyes. “How’s that for a cliché?”

  “You told Kris about it?”

  “I had to. The guilt was eating me up. It was one night. It meant nothing, she meant nothing, and I knew it would sure as hell never happen again.”

  “Did it occur to you to just keep your mouth shut and forget it ever happened?”

  “Sure. But the girl was a little wacked. She thought that was the start of something between us. When she found out it wasn’t, she threatened to tell Kris.”

  “So you had to tell Kris before your one-night stand beat you to the punch?”

  “Something like that.”

  Matt would have had more respect for Robert if he’d told Kristen the truth because it was the right thing to do, but he was in no position to judge him. “How did she take it?” As if he didn’t know. If there was one thing he knew about Kristen, infidelity topped her list of unforgiveable sins.

  “She threw the ring in my face and told me to get the hell out of her sight,” Robert said through clenched teeth. “I pleaded with her to give me a chance to explain, but she was having none of it. I can’t say I blame her. If she was the one with another guy, it would have killed me.”

  Just the thought of Kristen making love to someone else set Matt off. “So that was it?”

  “That was it,” Robert confirmed. “Kris doesn’t believe in second chances, at least not when it comes to cheating. I guess I can understand, given what happened with her old man.”

  “Yeah, I guess.” Matt saw his chance with her slipping away, and he didn’t know what the hell to do.

  “So what’d you do to set her off?” Robert asked.

  A few hours earlier, Matt had thought Kristen’s ex was the last person he’d confide in. “She found out I slept with someone else while I was still married to my ex-wife.”

  Air hissed through Robert’s teeth. “That couldn’t have gone over well.”

  “Ya think?” Matt drained his cup before setting it on the desk.

  “How’d she find out?”

  “My ex showed up our party last night, trying to cause trouble between me and Kris.”

  “Sounds like it worked.”

  “Oh yeah.” Robin couldn’t have choreographed the scene any better. “She definitely got what she wanted.”

 

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