Heart Lies & Alibis (6 page)

I rolled my eyes at him. "Yes, Mr. Male Model, you're right. You are too irresistible, especially to an old lady about to get divorced."

He stepped back and looked me up and down. "Old lady? I don't think so. Hot sexy woman. That I will give you."

I smiled as a small blush crept up my cheeks. "Anyway. I wanted to be honest with you now because despite present circumstances, I also believe in fidelity. Especially in marriage." I set my chin in a defiant pose. "I never planned for my life to end up like this."

"Okay then." He leaned in to whisper and his breath was like fire on my ear. "I think we can agree that I didn't fuck Mrs. McCallister tonight. I fucked Reagan. And I think I'd like to fuck her again, if that's okay?" He finished by letting his tongue trace a scorching trail from my ear down my shoulder. I closed my eyes and moaned softly while nodding.

"Yes." I whispered before he swept me into his arms and back to his bed. And we forgot all about Mrs. McCallister and her problems. At least for a little while.

The next morning, over coffee, Declan and I decided maybe we should try this dating thing a bit more past just one night. He asked if we could have a real date and because he was off work that night from the bar, we agreed it was the perfect opportunity to give it a try. He called me a cab and walked me to the door of the car when it arrived. He kissed me again before I climbed in the backseat.

. The cab driver grinned knowingly at me in the rear view mirror but I didn't care. I hadn't felt this good in as long as I could remember. I just smiled back and then looked out the window for the rest of the drive lost in my bliss.

Once home, I called Grace and after getting the much expected lecture about my behavior, told her in brief details the events of the night after she had left. I could tell she thought I wasn't making the best decision but she also was really happy to see I was moving on from Thad and she did her best to be supportive. We agreed to reschedule brunch and I hung up. I needed a shower, some more coffee and a nap. Maybe twenty-seven-year old guys could survive on a few hours sleep but this old lady needed more than that to be functional. I woke up after six and only had about an hour to get ready before Declan was set to arrive. I couldn't wait to see him again.

The doorbell rang just as I finished getting ready. I skipped down the stairs like a teenager. I couldn't remember the last time I had felt this good or free in my life.

I opened the door with a flourish and stopped in my tracks. Would this man ever stop taking my breath away? I hoped not. He was wearing a deep charcoal button down shirt that brought out the gray in his eyes, dark jeans, and a well cut black blazer. He smelled as amazing as the night before, a subtle mix of sandalwood, leather, and musk. God, I could surround myself in his scent all night and never get enough.

"Well hello there." I said gesturing for him to enter.

Instead of stepping inside and past me, he stepped toward me and pulled me in for a kiss. Stepping back he grinned. "Hi. I've wanted to do that all day and it was worth the wait."

I giggled like a teenager as he walked the rest of way inside. I closed the door, sliding the lock into place. "Hey, make yourself at home. I forgot something upstairs. Be right back."

"Sure thing beautiful."

I had reached the top of the stairs when I heard the doorbell ring again. I called down to Declan, "Can you get the door for me?"

"Of course."

I heard Thad's raised voice just as I reached my bedroom door. Oh crap! What was he doing here? I turned and hurried back downstairs just in time to see Declan blocking Thad's entrance to the house.

"Thad, what the hell are you doing here?" I said, my voice filled with anger.

Thad shot an annoyed look at me as if I was in the wrong to even question him. "Why won't my key work in the door Reagan? Last time I checked, my name is still on the mortgage too."

I glared at him as I came to a stop beside Declan. "It won't be for long if I can help it. And I changed the locks. I live here now. You chose to make" I paused seeing Amberly for the first time hovering on the step "other arrangements therefore you have no business bursting in here like you still live here"

His lip lifted in a snarl. "And you choose to hire a door boy to keep me out?" Thad looked at Declan with dismissal. Thad was a blue blood to the core and had little patience for the working class. What the hell had I ever seen in him?

Declan stepped slightly aside until I could face Thad directly. I could tell, in the few short hours I had known him, he was ready to beat the living daylights out of Thad at the slightest invitation from me. I liked having someone else besides Grace in my corner for once. I had to bite back a smile.

I ignored Thad's comment. "I will ask you again, what are you doing here?"

He sighed as if my question was ridiculous. He liked to be condescending to people when they annoyed him. "I came to get some of my things from our bed... from upstairs, of course. What did you think Reagan, I wouldn't need to come by at some point and retrieve my things?"

I crossed my arms and snarled "Hoped was more like it. Fine. You can get your things but I am coming upstairs with you."

Thad turned to Amberly, "I'll be right back darling." His voice was nauseatingly sweet as if he was talking to a child rather than his lover. I rolled my eyes as I followed him up the stairs.

Once inside our room I leaned against the door and watched him gather his stuff. He was precise in his packing as always, carefully folding each piece of clothing before it was placed in his suitcase. At first, I found his neatness a relief, a nice change from my chaotic childhood but the last few years it had come to grate on my nerves. The man was more neurotic about wrinkles than an old lady.

I exhaled loudly, making my annoyance with him as apparent as possible. "Can you try and hurry this along? I have plans for the evening, which you interrupted by arriving without calling first. Something you will not do in the future by the way."

Thad stopped in mid fold and looked at me. I crossed my arms and glared back.

"Plans with Mr. Tattoos downstairs, I assume?" Thad had always found tattoos trashy, thus making them all the more appealing to me.
Fuck you and your judgmental ass!
I continued to meet his glare.

I kept my tone cold and flat. "That is none of your business anymore."

He snorted in dismissal and resumed folding his things. "Already found someone new have you Reagan and such a unique choice I might add." His tone made it clear exactly what he thought of Declan and his audacity made my blood boil. Thad shook his head as he turned back and finished collecting his things.

I had had enough of this conversation for tonight. "I will tell you again, who he is to me is no longer your concern and I will not be discussing this matter with you any further tonight. Oh and I think your little girlfriend is getting pretty anxious downstairs. She looked terrified to be left alone without you to tell her what to do. I suggest you hurry up so you can get her home soon. You don't want her late for curfew." The jab was meant to annoy him and I almost smiled seeing it had done its job well.

But in an instant I also felt sad. My shoulders slumped in resignation to the situation we were in. How had we become these people, the kind who could say such hateful and mean things to a person they had shared a life with for over a decade? I didn't hate Thad, not really, and I needed to put on my big girl panties and let this moment go. I needed to stop letting him hurt me. It was time to move on.

I started again, this time with less attitude. "Thad, I don't want to fight with you. We are no longer responsible for each other and soon won't have to be in the other's life at all. It isn't any of your business, but yes, Declan and I have plans. Let's leave it at that and try to make this moment as civil as possible so we can both get on with our evening." I watched as my words sunk in and for a brief moment, I could see the man I had fallen in love with when his shoulders slumped a bit and he nodded, his face softening and losing some of the anger and sadness that had filled it for so long.

But that man quickly vanished and was replaced by the asshole who I had come to despise. "His name is Declan? You can't be serious." He smirked. "And I heard his Irish accent. So fitting. I remember you always had a thing for guys like that before you met me. And I suppose he works in a bar too?"

In spite of my best efforts I felt my cheeks flame at his accurate assessment. I looked away in annoyance. Thad still knew me well and I hated him for it in that moment.

He sucked in his breath, a cross between surprise and laughter filling his voice when he spoke. "Oh my god, he does. Wow Reagan. I see you are already returning to the same slutty behavior you were engaging in when I met you back in law school. I can't believe you are already giving it up to first thug you met at the pub. Way to go. You should be proud at how far your life has come." I turned a glare on him but didn't speak right away. He simply shook his head, a look of disgust filling his face.

Thad was right about a few things he said. I did have a fairly wild past and had made some less than stellar choices back in the day but who the fuck was he to call me on my life choices when he had cheated on me first? And he had the balls to call me a slut on top of everything else? Well, what the hell did that make him? I swallowed down my rage to keep myself from screaming.

Instead, I pushed off the wall and stalked toward him, pointing my finger in his face. "Get the fuck out of my house and don't you dare come back or I promise you will regret it. You have no right to judge me or comment on my life or have any say in what I do ever again. We will deal with the rest of this shit through our lawyers. I want you to leave, now, or I will call the police and have you removed." My breath came in jagged burst and my fingers hurt from the clench of my fists. It took all my restraint to keep from physically pushing him out of the door.

He slammed his suitcase closed, ripping it off the bed, before stomping towards me. "I'll leave now Reagan as you have asked but you make sure you have a real good time fucking the local trash for me. Okay?" he hissed as he passed me in the doorway. I slammed my back against the wall trying to bring my temper under control when I heard him laugh as I headed down the stairs and something in me broke.

He had barely reached the last step of the staircase when I snatched the crystal vase off my dresser and threw it at the wall above his head, He ducked as the shards of glass flew about his head and all over the stairs around him. Amberly screamed and cowered by the door. Declan looked up at me, his face a mask of concern more than anything else. I pointed my finger at Thad again, my voice two octaves two high when I screamed at him. "Next time, I won't miss asshole. Now get the hell out of my house." My breathing was ragged and my body trembled with rage as I glared at him.

He straightened up, flicking off the bits of vase that clung to his jacket before continuing to walk to the door. When he reached the threshold, he stopped and turned to look back up at me his face twisted in distaste. "Always the class act aren't you Reagan. I can't say I will miss your tawdry outbursts or any of the other trashy behaviors you liked to display. Have a nice evening with your new boy toy."
Mother Fucker never knew when to shut up.

In a fury I reached for something else to throw at the bastard but was relieved to see Declan helping Thad to the door at that exact moment. Like the trained bouncer he was, Declan had Thad outside before Thad even knew what was happening. Amberly scurried after him without a word. When my front door slammed shut behind them I slid to a seat on the stairs and dropped my head in my hands. This would certainly go down in history for the worst start to a date ever. I had behaved like a crazy woman and left quite an impression on Declan. I'm sure he had to be wondering what he had gotten himself into by pursuing a relationship with me right about now. How had my life become this sad version of a bad soap opera and what was I going to do to fix it?

Chapter 5

The familiar creak of the bottom step brought my gaze from the floor to Declan. I watched as he climbed the stairs towards me without a word. He held his hands up in mock surrender as he got closer, which brought a smile to my face. He hadn't run the other direction when my crazy had surfaced. That was a good sign. But what the hell must he be thinking right now after my explosive display of anger?

"I come in peace. Are you armed with any more vases?" He teased, his smile melting the icy hate that had started to choke my heart.

I gave him another tired smile in return. "Yeah. You better watch out. See what happens when an old woman gets pissed off?"

He knelt on the step in front of me, taking one of my hands in his and using the other hand to place under my chin gently bringing my head up until our eyes met again. "First of all, I thought we established last night, you are not an old lady and secondly, and please forgive me if this is out of line, but that guy's an asshole and should be glad you didn't do more damage to him." He winked.

I laughed and shook my head. This guy really was pretty awesome. "Thanks. I needed to hear that." I sighed and stood up. "Well, let's not let him ruin our night. Are you ready to go out?" I asked, plastering a bigger smile on my face that I didn't feel. Thad had ruined yet another thing in my life, the son of a bitch, but I was determined to have my first real date with Declan no matter what.. In all honesty, though, the last thing I wanted to do was go out and be social. I felt broken and tired. It had been a hell of a start to my 40th year of life, that was for sure, and I wasn't sure how much more I could take.