The Bad Boy's Biggest Mistake (10 page)

“Go and have a shower or a bath. Relax, and I’ll
make us something to eat.”

She stared at him as if he’d turned into a stranger.
“Are you serious?” she asked.

“I’m going to cook you something.” He nudged her out
of the kitchen. Tristan saw her pick the phone up off the cradle and walk up
the stairs.

Her lack of trust in him unnerved him. He didn’t
like the thought of Vicki not trusting him.

Pulling out his cell phone he dialled his lawyer’s
number. Kate had controlled him for long enough. He was tired of wanting
something and always holding himself back for fear of hurting the person he
cared about. Tristan loved Vicki, and he’d hurt her regardless even though
she’d given up so much for him. He intended to get the divorce if it was the
last thing he did and to earn back Vicki’s trust.

The call kept dialling, and he held on. His divorce
should be easy to obtain. He’d been living in Law Castle long enough without
Kate for there to be no problem.

****

“Okay, you’ve pulled me away from the best foot
massage in the country, so spill,” Zoe said.

“There’s nothing to spill,” Vicki said. She lay back
in the bath with bubbles all around her. The knots in her muscles were
loosening from the bath salts she’d added. She felt wonderful for the few
minutes of being able to relax.

“Several of the locals spotted you leaving with
Tristan in his personal car. I’ve been in Law Castle long enough to know when
you’re spotted leaving with someone, it is a big deal.”

Vicki laughed. “Have we little town people turned
you into a gossip?”

“Babe, I’ve always been a gossip. I’ve just never
had anyone to gossip over.”

“He took me to the supermarket near the city. It was
a large one with everything inside.” She didn’t mention how he bought
everything. Vicki didn’t want to know how a Sheriff could afford such luxury.

“What else did he say?”

“Tristan emptied my home of alcohol.”

“
Woohoo
, it’s about time
someone did that for you. You as an alcoholic would never be pretty,” Zoe said.

There was some mumbling in the background.

“What are you doing?” Vicki asked.

“Brent is painting my toe nails. He wants some ideas
for a book or something. I so hope
it’s
not a foot fetish.
I’ve got tickly feet.
Enough about me.
What about you
and Tristan?”

Vicki let out a sigh. “He says he’s getting a
divorce. That has got to mean something, right?”

“It should, especially if the woman is the bitch
from hell that everyone is describing.”

“I can’t speak for everyone,” Vicki said. She was
also biased on the topic of his ex-wife.

“Is it true you walked in with his wife’s pants
around her ankles?”

“Yes, and thank you for giving me back the visual.”

“Sorry. The town were talking. It’s already doing
the rounds that she got some kind of weird marks on her ass and thighs.”

“She’s a pain slut according to Tristan. His wife
liked a lot of pain. More pain than he could give her.”

Zoe stayed silent over the line.

“You can’t tell anyone this.”

“I won’t. I was just thinking about what her pain
thing would mean,” Zoe said.

“I’m not following.” Vicki sat up in the bath and
reached for the soap.

“If his wife likes pain and Tristan couldn’t give it
to her then there’s a guy out there who provides her need. What if he comes to
Law Castle?”

“I don’t know. From what Tristan told me it’s
mutually consensual.”

“Still,
it’s
freaky shit,”
Zoe said.

“This is coming from the woman in love with three
men.”

“My men are hot.”

Vicki chuckled. “I’ve got to go. He’s staying to
feed me. It should be fun, or not.”

“Okay, well give us a call with all the details.”

She hung up and placed the phone on the towel she’d
laid out on the floor. Her friendship with Zoe meant the world to her. Zoe was
older than she, but their friendship had blossomed regardless of everything
else that happened.

Smiling, Vicki took the time to wash herself. It had
been a long time since she’d relaxed enough to soap her body. She took the time
relishing the feel of the warm water against her skin. Vicki also took the time
to shave her legs and under her arms. After what Tristan said to her inside the
supermarket she had to face some harsh reality. She had let herself go.

Once she finished in the bath, she let the water
out, cleaned the mess, and then made her way through to her bedroom. She
quickly dressed in a long nightshirt and made her way downstairs. Tristan stood
without a shirt stirring some bubbling sauce at the stove. The scents made her
mouth water as much as watching Tristan work her kitchen. His arms were huge
and thick with tight coiled muscles. She remembered how those arms felt wrapped
around her. They’d never actually fucked naked or in a bed. Some part of them
was always clothed. She could imagine though, and her imagination always ran
wild.

“Did you have a nice bath?” Tristan asked without
turning around.

“How did you know I was stood here?”

He looked at her over his shoulder. “I have my
ways.” Tristan winked, dished up some food on a plate and placed their meal on
the table. “I heard you sigh from the doorway.” She was shocked he answered her
question.

Taking a seat at the table she stared down at the
meal in front of her. Something was wrapped inside beef and cooked in a tomato
sauce. Buttered pasta was served on the side.

“What is this?” she asked.

“Something I love to cook myself. I used spinach and
cheese wrapped in beef and cooked in a spicy sauce. I love it. What do you
think?” he asked.

She loved to bake, but most of her meals were always
quickly thrown together. Cutting a piece of beef she took a quick taste and was
surprised by the explosion of flavour on the tongue.

“Wow, this is amazing,” she said. In no time at all
she finished her plate. Tristan watched her with a smile on his lips. “What?”

“It’s nice to see food being appreciated.”

He refused her help cleaning the dishes. She sat
down at the table watching him. When he finished he led her through to the
sitting room. Tristan didn’t push for anything. He sat down on the sofa beside
her. Taking control of the remote he flicked through the channels and settled
on a romantic comedy.

She settled down into the soft cushions and was
about to fall asleep when he hurled her onto his lap. Vicki didn’t have the
energy to fight him. His hard body surrounded her. For once she wanted to relax
in his warmth knowing he wasn’t going to push her away at the nearest
opportunity.

“I’ve got you,” Tristan said. He stroked her hair
with one hand and with the other he caressed her thigh. She moaned as pleasure
gripped her in the pit of her stomach.

“You’re really staying?” she asked, letting out a
yawn as she spoke.

Tristan chuckled. The sound vibrated out from his
chest. “Yes, I’m really staying. I called my lawyer, and he’s going to start
proceedings. He thinks it could be a smooth divorce because of our separation.”

Vicki rested her hand against his chest. “Do you
want the divorce?”

“There is only one other thing I’ve ever wanted more
than my divorce and that’s you.”

Love and hope filled her up. Wrapping her arms
around Tristan’s neck she gave him a brief kiss.

His arms moved to her back and pulled her close.
Vicki tensed as his lips pressed more urgently against hers.

She pushed him away first. “What’s the matter?” he
asked.

“I’m not ready for this. I don’t know if I can trust
you.”

“I said you can trust me.”

“All the other times before you pushed me away, and
I don’t know what to believe.”

Tristan let out a sigh. He stroked her cheek. She
saw the sadness lurking in his eyes.

“I really hurt you with my actions.” He made the
words sound more like a statement than a question. “I promise I’ll do
everything to make it up to you.”

Vicki believed every word he said.

Chapter
Nine

 
Over the next
few days Tristan spent every opportunity presented to him to show Vicki his
true feelings. He went to the florist and sent her flowers, picking out the
reddest roses he could find. Nothing was ever too much for him. Stefan spent a
great deal of time trying to woo Marla on the front desk. Tristan used the
other man to find out exactly what Vicki liked. He intended on getting her
weight back in check and also showing her with words and actions exactly how he
felt.

He knew she wasn’t ready to hear his true feelings
of love. Treading carefully with Vicki was important to him. Kate hadn’t left
town. He’d watched her walking around the town square talking on her cell
phone. She was being difficult to divorce. He didn’t understand why Kate was
being a hard-ass over their divorce. They hadn’t lived together, and they
certainly weren’t compatible in the bedroom department. There was nothing
keeping them together, not even love or hatred.

Tristan hung up the phone after ordering lunch for
Vicki and
himself
. She worked for Stefan throughout
the week. Instead of her eating at Stefan’s house he made sure to collect her
so she’d spend lunch with him.

Vicki wouldn’t budge on working for Stefan. She
refused to go back to The Dugout, even though he’d talked to Steve, who would
have Vicki back in a heartbeat.

Shaking his head, he opened the file in front of him
on several of the business propositions for the fair this coming weekend.

“Tristan, some man is here to see you. He says it’s
important,” Marla said. Her hands were fisted at her side.

“Who is it?”

“Cameron Jones,” the male voice said, interrupting
Marla’s introduction.

He stared up at the other man. Cameron stood in an
all over black suit as he waited to be let through to Tristan’s office space.
Tristan recognised the man, and his hackles rose at the sight of him.

“Let him in, Marla, and close the door behind you,”
Tristan said.

Cameron took the seat opposite his desk, smiling.

When the door closed Tristan sat down. He glared at
the man opposite him.

“This is a quaint little town you’ve got yourself
embroiled in.
Law Castle.
It has a nice ring to it,”
Cameron said.

“Why are you here?” Tristan asked. He didn’t want to
talk to this man any more than he needed to.

“I thought you’d need my help.”

He burst out laughing. “The last time I saw you, you
were about to fuck my wife.” Cameron Jones was the man Tristan had walked in on
giving Kate the release she needed. The other man was one of the few men
Tristan knew who enjoyed inflicting pain.

“Kate was experiencing a pain high. I was riding the
wave with her.” Cameron gave a little smile. The bastard was clearly
remembering the experience. “I’m here because I heard about the divorce threat,
and I’m here to offer you support.”

Leaning back in his seat Tristan watched the man
before him. Cameron was into some seriously kinky shit, but he was also a
businessman. The man had funding in some technology or something.

“Why would you help me?” Tristan asked, intrigued by
the idea of Cameron helping him.

“Kate’s a gold-digging whore.” Cameron’s blunt words
shocked him.

“What?”

“It didn’t take me long to realise, and I’m sure
when I tell you everything you’ll be thinking the same stuff as I am. You
haven’t spent much time with her. Even when you were together you didn’t spend
more than an hour or so a day. I spent a lot of time with Kate. I saw through
her lies.”

“Kate’s a lawyer. There’s no need for her to be
concerned with money.”

“She’s also a woman who came from very humble
beginnings. Her dad owned a small business, which he ran into the ground.
Little Kate has been looking for the right man to give her the lifestyle she
wanted.”

Tristan frowned. “That doesn’t make any sense. Don’t
most gold-diggers have children to get what they want?”

“Kate’s vanity exceeds her need for children. She figured
with you both sharing in the lifestyle she’d be able to keep you in place. Her
thoughts not mine.” Cameron stood and walked around the small office. “I like
this place. It’s nice. Kate knows about your wealth, Tristan.”

“If you hate Kate so much why are you with her?”
Tristan asked.

“I’m not with Kate. The moment I knew the real type
of woman she was I got rid of her. I don’t like my women greedy, and knowing
that about her turned me off. She’s a bitch. Kate wants your money. That joint
account you have will be taken away from her. Use your eyes, Tristan and see
the real woman you’ve been dating. I bet Kate knew who you were by the second
date. She’s a lawyer, smart, cunning and gets what she wants.”