NaughtyBoys Galley (8 page)

“You.” I narrowed my eyes. “Why are you here? You should contact my lawyer if you have any business with me.” I prepared to shut the door on him when he took out a paper from his Brioni suit jacket.

“You want this, right?” Sam waved the divorce paper.

I snatched it from him. The bastard hadn’t signed it.

“If you want me to sign it, all I need from you is a little of your time,” he said.

“Why?” I felt frustrated. “You got everything. What else do you want?”

“I’m sorry,” he said, which was rare for him, “but we need to talk, Simone. Now.”

“Now isn’t good. My lawyer isn’t here.”

“We don’t need lawyers. It’s about something else.”

I faltered. Behind me, I could feel the presence of Nate and Jamie. Luke wasn’t home yet. He’d called earlier to tell me he was going to be a bit late.

Nate touched my shoulder. “Hey, Sam. Long time no see. Can I help you?”

My ex’s gaze darted to the two brothers briefly. “I need to have a talk with my wife.”

“Newsflash, buddy. She’s not your wife anymore,” said Jamie sharply. He looked like he was after Sam’s blood.

“Until I sign this paper, she is.” My ex didn’t seem intimidated.

“Fine.” I quickly put an end on the pissing contest. “Let’s talk.” I pointed at the rattan tête-à-tête furniture on the veranda. “Make it quick.”

“I was thinking we should discuss this over dinner. Maybe at Massie’s? I’ve been driving for ten hours straight; I had no chance to eat. I’m starving.”

“Not her freaking problem,” said Jamie hotly. He could be hotheaded at times.

I touched Jamie’s arm. “It’s okay. I can handle this.”

Nate and Jamie didn’t look happy at all, but they respected my wishes.

“Fine, we’ll go to Massie’s. Let’s get this thing over with,” I said to Sam. “I’ll get my purse and my keys.”

“No. Just use my car.” Nate fished out his keys from his pocket. “Make it brief. If you don’t get back by nine, we’ll
come
to get you.” He said that to me, but the message was for Sam.

I took the keys from Nate’s hand. “All right.”

We drove to Massie’s Diner in separate cars. I sure as hell didn’t want to be in the same car as Sam. My ex had driven to Bellwood in a flashy Porsche that attracted everyone’s attention when he parked near the diner’s entrance.

We chose the farthest table from everyone else. Sam ordered chicken fried steak and a glass of iced tea. I didn’t want anything. I kept my silence as he demolished his dinner. I couldn’t wait to get this over with. Plus, everyone in the diner was secretly rubbernecking at us.

Finally, Sam finished his food. He gulped down his iced tea with gusto before he was ready to talk. I knew this habit a little too well. Sam treated all “talk” between us like he was negotiating his business. I knew he was planning some “spin” behind this discussion. I just didn’t know what—yet.

Sam wiped his hands with the napkin. “Simone,” he began, “I think we should reconcile.”

This caught me off-guard. I thought he’d demand my kidney or a limb if I wanted to see that divorce paper signed. “Huh?”

“I’ll cut to the chase. Arianne and I have broken up.”

“Huh?” My mind was still boggled by his revelation.

“I found out that Arianne was only after my money. I’m sorry for what I did to you. I mistreated you terribly. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me. Please, take me back.”

For a long moment, I was speechless. “Sam, you hurt me.”

“I know, baby. That’s why I’m sorry. Please, forgive me. If you take me back, I promise I’ll be different. I’m a changed man, you see? I’ve been in counseling for my sex addiction. I even enrolled in an anger management class. I’m doing everything I can to be a better man—a better husband for you. You’re right. You’re always right about my affairs. I was wrong. I should have listened to you.”

I couldn’t believe what I’d just heard.

“What do you say that we end this silly divorce thing? Look, how about we take a romantic trip to Italy? You’ve always wanted to see Venice and Rome, right? Maybe we’ll buy a villa in Tuscany as our vacation home. I promise this time I’ll spend more time with you. I’ll take extra vacation time from the firm.” Sam fumbled with his jacket and presented me with a bribe—a big diamond rock set in platinum. “This is a token of my apology. One of the kind. Heart diamond. Helzegger picked this personally for me. He said a heart diamond this size was rare. It’s over nine carats and set me back a cool nine hundred grand.”

One thing I hated about Sam was that he always put a price tag on every present he gave me. He seemed to expect me to drop to my knees and thank him profusely because he gave me expensive things.

The pain in my heart that was slowly healing tore open. I cast him a look of disgust. “Sam, you’ve hurt me in a way that you couldn’t have imagined.”

“I know, I know.” He held up his hand. “What I did to you was unforgivable. I’m a changed man, baby. I promise. How about I buy you a new Benz?”

“Sam,” I said coldly, “it’s obvious you don’t know the word ‘unforgiveable.’ There’s no way I can come back to you.”

Irritation painted his face. “Is it because of how the partners’ wives have treated you? I know about it. I’ll have a talk to them and everything will be all right.”

“No. It won’t be all right. It’s over between us. Go back to New York with your fancy rock and fancy car and leave me alone. From now on, use my lawyer as a point of contact if you have anything to discuss with me.”

Sam didn’t seem to be taking me seriously. “Okay, I got it. What do you want, babe? I’ll give you anything you want. Anything. Just say it, and I’ll grant it. Just like that.”

“Fine. Sign that divorce paper.”

He laughed derisively. “Simone, are you turning down this nine-hundred-thousand-dollar ring?”

“Yes. I don’t want your stupid ring. I want a divorce from you.”

It took him a few seconds to digest the finality of my words. “Let me get this straight. You’d rather be penniless living in this dump than go back to New York with me. Simone, you aren’t making sense. You can’t survive alone. I’ve always taken care of you.”

“You forgot that I put you through law school working odd jobs. I can take care of myself, thank you very much.”

“This is crazy talk. You don’t mean it.”

“I’ve had enough. My lawyer will contact your lawyer.” I stood, reaching for the car keys.

Sam snatched my hand and stared at me evenly. “You’ve changed. What’s happened to you?”

“It’s called growing up, Sam. Plus, I don’t buy in to your bullshit anymore. We’ve been through this scenario so many times. You’ve never changed, and you never will.”

“No. This is something else.” Sam searched my face. “Did you sleep with another guy?”

“That is none of your business. Goodnight.” I yanked my hand away.

“I’m right. You’ve got yourself a new boyfriend. Who is he? Whoever he is, he can’t provide for you like me.”

I didn’t want to have this conversation any longer. In the old days, I’d have taken his bait already. But the time I’d spent alone after that eventful day had taught me that arguing with Samuel Marsh was as useless as trying to carry water in a sieve. So, I made an attempt to leave.

Unexpectedly, Sam grabbed the collar of my dress and shook me. “I’m not finished talking to you.”

“Let me go, Sam.” I tried to break free of his grip.

“You’re nothing without me, Simone. You won’t survive. You’re too stupid to fend for yourself. You’ll die.”

“Let me go!”

All of a sudden, Sam’s hand jerked away from me. Luke had come out of nowhere. Everyone in the diner gawked at us.

Sam didn’t seem to recognize Luke. He only saw a man in uniform and dismissed him lightly. Since becoming a lawyer, Sam held little regard for people in uniforms. “Piss off. I’m talking to my wife.”

Luke bristled but he kept his composure. “Simone is your ex-wife. She’s my fiancée now.”

I was shocked to hear that from Luke. Fiancée?

A forced laughter came from Sam. “You wish. Not in your wildest dreams.”

I don’t know what possessed Sam to take a swing at Luke, especially when Luke was still in his sheriff’s uniform. Luke dodged effortlessly and returned the favor in full force. Luke’s powerful punch landed on Sam’s beer-belly gut. My ex doubled over and sunk like the Titanic.

Wasting no time, Luke arrested Sam and
Mirandized
him
.
“Samuel Marsh, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say and do can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand the rights I have just read to you?”

Sam was cursing a storm as Luke handcuffed him.

Luke’s deputy, a young man named Jonathan, acknowledged me. “Ma’am, would you come with us to the station to make a statement?”

I barely registered what Jonathan had said. I knew I should be upset with what had just happened, but what Luke said had made me pause.

He said
I
was his fiancée.

Chapter Seven

Sam spent the night in the sheriff office jail. Luke released him in the afternoon after advising him to never contact me in any way ever again. Luke even persuaded me to file an order of protection against Sam to stop any harassment in the future.

Meanwhile, the news about Luke being my fiancée had spread across town like wildfire. In a way, it was a blessing in disguise. I didn’t need to choose one of the brothers. I’m not sure if I could do it anyway. And the next night, I entered the bizarre relationship with the Codys. Nate drafted our secret polyandry contract. As their life partner, I would love and respect and treat them equally. For the legality, I would marry Luke so I could establish my status and be protected in the eyes of the law.

Nate volunteered himself as my attorney and took care of any loose ends with Sam’s problems. Exactly one month after Sam’s fiasco at the diner, our divorce became final. Not only had Nate successfully helped me to sever any connection to Sam, he also renegotiated the divorce settlement as well. Instead of ending up with nothing, I received about forty percent of the assets Sam had accumulated during our twenty-years of marriage. I was so thankful. Even though they didn’t see me that way, I didn’t want to be a charity case in the eyes of the Cody brothers.

On the weekend that my divorce became final, Luke and I drove to Las Vegas to get married. We were to rendezvous there with Jamie and Nate. They drove separately. Luke and I got married in a small chapel with Jamie and Nate as witnesses. After the nuptials, Nate and Jamie left us newlyweds to enjoy our honeymoon. Nate had booked us a posh suite at the Venetian as a wedding present.

That night, we dined at Bouchon before retiring to our suite. We got complimentary champagne from the hotel and to our surprise, a small wedding cake. Luke corked open the champagne while I slipped into something more comfortable.

I got a surprise from Jamie in the form of a present. A box was in the bathroom with a rose and a card on it. It read:
To our beautiful bride. Ours. Not Luke’s.
And the postscript said:
Don’t let Luke go crazy on you. Remember, we haven’t consummated our married life yet. Or Nate’s.
I couldn’t stop grinning like an idiot. I must have been crazy when I agreed to this arrangement. But if that’s what it took to make everyone happy, I’d do my best.

Jamie’s present was a set of white, lacey lingerie. I shouldn’t have been surprised when the baby-doll bra and panties were exactly my size. I put them on and admired them in the mirror. The lingerie fit well on my body, and I stared at my reflection, realizing I hadn’t felt pretty or sexy in a very long time. The image in the mirror wasn’t the image of a woman who’d been forsaken by her husband. She had become somewhat confident, true to herself and… happy. For years, I’d clung to my marriage thinking I could change Sam into my ideal husband if I forgave him hard enough, when all I needed was to start over.

Yeah. Starting over. Open a new chapter and fill it with new adventures with Luke, Nate, and Jamie.

It’d be challenging, but it’d be wonderful as well.

I donned a bathrobe over the lingerie and came out to my new husband.

Luke smiled and gave me a glass of champagne. He studied me from head to toe. “Hmm, dare I ask what you’re wearing underneath that robe?”

I sipped the champagne and put it on the table. With one hand, I untied the robe and gave him a peek.

He drew a hard inhalation through his teeth as his eyes zeroed in on my chest. “That is so cruel of you to keep me waiting like this.” Luke abandoned his champagne and started pushing me toward the bed.

“Are we not going to have cake first?”

“Oh, I’ll be having
my
cake, all right. You.”

Luke kissed me long and deep. This was the second time he’d kissed me. The first time was after we were pronounced husband and wife. I wouldn’t count the kiss in the truck when I first got to Bellwood. That kiss was skirting danger.
This
kiss was full frontal hazard. I found myself burning with arousal when he finally parted his lips.

I was drunk with lust. I caressed his cheeks, wondering if this feeling had always been there. His five o’clock shadow was rough on my hands, but I loved the sensation so much. He kept pressing his body against mine, and I had no choice but to fall back on the mattress.

His eyes ravaged my sprawling form. He seemed to go from horny to feral in a matter of seconds. He climbed on top of me, slowly, like a predator that had cornered his prey. My heart beat so fast, I was hyperventilating.

“I love what you’re wearing.” Luke swallowed hard. His voice had been reduced to a growl. “It’d be a waste if I were taking them off, wouldn’t it?”

“I think so,” I whispered.

“Hmmh. But I do want to see you naked, want to see your everything.”

“Decisions, decisions,” I teased.

He laughed and kissed me again. He pressed his body against me. His fast heartbeat rivaled mine. His erection against my sex. The bulge underneath his jeans was as hard as rock, and alarmingly huge. A shiver of thrills ran down my spine. Before long, I was wet for him—so ready to be fucked.