But sometimes a woman needed a good wallow in self-pity. Just for a bit.
She wasn’t sure what had happened with Dorran yesterday. One minute, he had been flirty, kissing her and stroking her body with his hands. She was sure that he was just as turned on as she was. She’d felt the evidence pressed against her clenching center. Then, he’d made an excuse and bolted.
His rejection left her feeling foolish, which was not something that she was accustomed to. A frown flitted across her face and she pulled out her cell phone, deciding to distract herself with Twitter for the next ten minutes until her patient arrived.
Immediately, she felt as if she’d been punched in the gut as she came across a picture of Dorran, with the tagline: Embattled Hail Bad Boy CEO Spotted Outside Strip Club in Las Vegas.
The date of the picture was yesterday, and she noted that he was still wearing the same clothes that he’d had on when he was with her. Her eyes trailed to the chaise lounge across the room for a second before she focused back on the picture. This time, she studied the other person that had been photographed. The woman was young, probably in her early twenties, with fiery hair. Her body was amazing, all lean muscle and unblemished skin. Kerry could tell because she was standing on the sidewalk practically naked. They weren’t close enough to be touching, but the two of them were clearly together and Dorran was reaching out to open the door of a limousine.
She suddenly felt queasy.
This is why he hurried out of here yesterday? So that he could pick up a stripper in Vegas?
Kerry was utterly humiliated. She clicked on the article attached to the picture, but there wasn’t much information. It was mostly just speculation about Dorran’s presence in Las Vegas and how his actions could negatively impact his company. There were no other pictures and she was glad. It was bad enough that she now had one to obsess over.
Just then, the phone in her hand started to ring. The picture of Dorran and the mystery woman vanished, to be replaced by his name printed across a black screen in white letters. He was calling her. That was surprising considering the time of day. She was sure he’d be sleeping one off in a luxury hotel suite. She barely hesitated before accepting the call.
“Hello?”
“Hey, beautiful. I’m not interrupting you with a patient, am I?”
Dorran’s voice was light and cheerful. For some reason, this made her blood boil.
“No,” she replied. “I still have five minutes until my first appointment of the day. I was just doing some interesting reading.”
“Oh yeah? Great. I wanted to know if we could have dinner tonight. It’s my turn to plan the date, after all.”
“I don’t think that’s going to work for me.”
“How about tomorrow then?”
“No.”
“Uh…the day after?” His voice betrayed his confusion, and Kerry gripped the phone tightly as she responded.
“That’s no good. You see, I don’t think we should see each other anymore.” She was proud of her calm tone of voice, it didn’t betray the hurt she felt.
“What? Why the hell not?”
“Tell me, Dorran, did you enjoy yourself in Vegas?”
There was a pause.
“Look, we should talk in person—”
“No thanks,” she said. “I’ve always known that you liked to have a good time, but I had hoped that you were serious about putting that behind you. I don’t have an interest in seeing someone that leaves me wanting to go get his kicks with a stripper or whatever she is.”
“How do you know about that?”
“People recognize a man like you, Dorran. You might want to remember that next time. Goodbye.”
She disconnected the call while he was spluttering on the other end of the line and immediately blocked his number. This was hard. Harder than she would have ever guessed. Her heart stuttered, but it didn’t change anything. In fact, it strengthened her resolve. She deserved better than this. She was done with Dorran Knight.
Chapter Eight
A week later, Kerry was settled in front of her TV with a pint of strawberry ice cream in her lap and the remote control in her hand. She was scrolling through a list of Rom-Coms in her video library, trying to choose one among them to watch, even though she knew it would just make her miserable.
Suddenly, the front door of her townhouse flew opened, making her flinch as the door stopper was hit. She whipped her head around as Roxanne walked in. Her friend looked like she was ready to party, as she was wearing a short, off-the-shoulder dress covered in big, colorful flowers and white boots.
“Get up,” Roxanne said.
Kerry complied, more out of surprise than anything else.
“We’re going out.”
Kerry shook her head, looking down at the pajamas she was wearing. “No. I’m in for the night.”
“It’s seven o’clock,” Roxanne replied, rolling her eyes.
“So?”
“And it’s Saturday night.”
“Well, that’s…okay, you got me. I’m pathetic.” Kerry plopped back down on the couch, placing her ice cream and spoon on the coffee table.
“You’re not pathetic,” Roxanne said. She took a seat beside her. “But your aura is dark. You, my friend, are in a funk.”
“My aura?”
Roxanne nodded. “Yep. It’s something I’ve been working on, reading auras. Really helps in understanding people. You don’t necessarily have to be a witch to do it, either. You want to try? I can walk you through how to do it. Might help with your work.”
“No thanks. That’s not really my thing.”
“Fine. But you’re coming out with us tonight.”
“Us? Who else will be there?”
“Just my friend, Jocelyn. She’s cool. A little weird, though.”
“Did you just call someone else weird? Well, now I have to go meet her.”
“You’re coming?”
“I guess,” she replied unenthusiastically.
Kerry headed into the bedroom while Roxanne trailed close behind. She appreciated what her friend was doing. She knew she had been a drag lately. She was just having a hard time getting over Dorran. She liked the guy, more than she had even realized. He might not be the perfect man, yet, but there was an undeniable attraction between them. Regardless, she couldn’t spend all her free time moping.
“So, where are we going?”
“We’re hitting up a new club downtown, Thrive.”
“Thrive? I think I’ve heard of that. Are you sure we could get in?”
“That’s one of the reasons I invited Jocelyn. She knows the owner and got us on the list.”
Kerry pulled a blue dress out of her closet and started to change while they were talking. It was a little more revealing than her day-to-day clothing, but she figured it was a good idea to let her hair down a little. She wasn’t going to pick up any men, but sometimes it felt nice to know that she looked good.
“How does she know him?”
“They’ve been friends for years, but she’s totally in love with the man. From what I understand, he’s some rich guy that’s engaged to a B-list actress, so they’ll never get together, but Jocelyn has been crazy about him for years. I’ve offered to try a love spell, but she keeps refusing.”
“Another one that’s unlucky in love, huh? Must be something in the water.”
Kerry smoothed down the dress she had just pulled over her head, checking out her reflection. Her hair was a bit of a mess, but it worked for her, looking like an intentional styling choice, instead of a result of not caring enough to mess with it on her day off.
She applied a little concealer and mascara while Roxanne prattled on about her research in to love potions. Kerry grinned to herself as she listened to her friend. On the surface, they seemed like such an odd pair, but she loved her witchy friend. She was great at finding ways to make Kerry smile.
They set out for the club, a large grey building that took up half a city block. The oth
er half was the parking lot, but they still had trouble finding a spot and ended up parking on the street. Kerry could hear and feel the bass thumping as they drew closer to the building. There was a long line of people waiting to get inside, and they all glared daggers at Kerry and Roxanne as they passed, heading to the entrance.
“Rox!”
Kerry turned toward the voice just as a tall woman in a hot pink dress threw her arms around Roxanne. She looked to be squeezing the life out of her friend, then she pulled away and embraced Kerry, who stiffened in surprise.
“And you must be Kerry. Rox has told me all about you. Come on.” Jocelyn grabbed her hand and Roxanne’s, pulling them toward the entrance. Apparently, this stranger had issues with recognizing personal space.
The bouncers at the door barely looked at Jocelyn before stepping aside and let the troika pass. Kerry heard a girl at the front of the line complain and couldn’t help smirking. It really was all about who you knew.
She studied Jocelyn as they made their way into the club. The woman was wearing a big smile that brought out a dimple in her left cheek. Her blonde hair was gathered under her ear, the curls pinned in place and what looked like a real peacock feather was tucked in among the locks. She had an eye-catching sense of style, and it worked for her.
They reached the bar and Jocelyn released their hands. Using her elbows to shove her way past the throng of people gathered in the area, she made her presence known by leaning across the bar and shouting out to the bartender, who she seemed to know.
“Jack! Three cosmopolitans, please!”
“Wow,” Kerry said, turning to Roxanne. “She’s a bit wild.”
Roxanne smiled. “Little kooky, too. But she’s a lot of fun.”
Kerry soon found that to be true. Jocelyn was as loud as her brightly colored dress, and she was shameless about checking out men. The things that came out of her mouth could be downright scandalous, but Kerry could sense that it was just talk. Maybe it was the psychologist in her, but she just knew that Jocelyn would never follow through with any of the men here. It was all a front.
The three of them were sitting in a booth, and Kerry wasn’t quite sure how they’d gotten it. The place was packed, and all the seats were taken, including this table. But Jocelyn had walked right up to the men sitting there and had a quiet conversation with them. Next thing Kerry knew, they were settling around the table while the men relocated elsewhere.
“Okay, I’ve got one for you,” Jocelyn said as a waitress dropped off another round of drinks for them. “Jake Gyllenhaal, John Hamm, and Dwayne Johnson.”
“I think I’d marry John Hamm,” Kerry answered, giving the question some real thought, “and kill Jake Gyllenhaal. Which leaves me taking The Rock to bed.”
“You’d kill Jake?” Roxanne put a hand over her heart and pulled a dramatic face that made the other two women laugh. “Girl, you’re crazy.”
“What? I didn’t like that movie where he played a Persian prince.”
A sardonic smile filled Jocelyn’s face.“So, a death sentence was in order?”
They all laughed and sipped their drinks.
“Okay, I’ve got one,” Kerry said. “Let’s go with older gentlemen. Kevin Costner, Bruce Willis, and Pierce Brosnan.”
“I got this,” Roxanne said. “Marry Kevin, fuck Bruce, and kill Pierce.”
“Kill Pierce Brosnan? Are you crazy? He was James Bond,” Jocelyn looked at Roxanne like she was insane.
“I never got into those movies.” Rox shrugged. “But I’ve loved Kevin Costner since I was a kid and saw Robin Hood.”
Her eyes got a faraway look, and she swooned. Kerry felt a sudden wave of affection for her silly friend as she pictured a younger version of her crushing on Kevin Costner, of all people.
Suddenly, Jocelyn’s eyes zeroed in on something behind Kerry.
“Holy shit. Don’t look now ladies, but I’m pretty sure a sex god just walked through the door.”
Kerry started to glance over her shoulder when Roxanne gasped.
“Oh, no.”
“What is it?” Kerry asked. She reached out and placed a hand on top of Roxanne’s, concerned about her friend.
“Try not to get upset,” Rox said, meeting her eyes, “but it’s Dorran.”
“Who’s Dorran?” Jocelyn asked.
“The guy,” Roxanne said.
“Oh, the one that she’s crazy about?”
“Excuse me,” Kerry said, “I’m sitting right here. And I’m not crazy about him. I tried to make something work between us, but he’s too much of a party boy and not open to changing his ways.”
“Uh-huh.” Jocelyn didn’t sound convinced. “Well, I hate to break it to you, but party boy seems to have spotted you.”
“He’s heading this way,” Roxanne added.
Dorran recognized Kerry the second he looked her way, even though her back was to him. She’d been unreachable for the past two weeks, and it was driving him crazy. Running into her here felt like a miracle, and he wasn’t going to let an opportunity to explain what happened to slip by. As he approached, both the women seated at her table were watching him, and Kerry’s body tensed when he was just a few feet away.
So much for an element of surprise.
But she didn’t attempt to flee him. She just sat there stiffly and polished off her drink, like she needed the liquid courage to deal with him. He came up beside their table, and a familiar smirk slid into place on his face without effort.
“Evening, ladies.”
Kerry’s face was inscrutable, while her companions smiled at him. He swept an assessing gaze over them quickly, their attire suggesting that Kerry hung around some interesting people, before he focused on his girl. Because that was how he thought of her, even if she was mad at him and trying to break things off. She was his now, whether she knew it or not.
Kerry was gorgeous, as always. The dress she wore was low cut, exposing plenty of cleavage that made him painfully aware that he hadn’t slept with anyone since before they met. God, had he ever even gone this long without sex?
He didn’t think so.
“Hello, Kerry,” he said, holding her gaze.
“Dorran.” Her voice was tight, and he fucking hated that.
“Could we talk for a few minutes?”
“I’m trying to have a girl’s night out here.”
“You guys don’t mind, do you? If I steal Kerry from you for a little while?”
“No, that’s fine,” the woman with wavy brown hair said, pulling the other woman to her feet. “We were just going to go dancing anyway.”
Kerry glared at her friend.
“We were?” asked the woman wearing the brightest shade of pink he’d ever seen. Dorran could hear her protesting as she was pulled away. “But I want to hear what happens.”
Kerry shook her head as her mouth twisted into a frown. Dorran took a seat across from her.
“You’ve been a very difficult woman to get ahold of.”
“Yeah, that was intentional.”
“That’s cold, baby. Are you really that determined not to allow me to explain?”
“I don’t see what needs to be explained. You left my office when we were getting hot and heavy, flew to Vegas, and picked up a stripper. Beginning and end of story.”
“That simple, huh?” Dorran felt his temper rising. “So, I guess you just know everything?”
“I know that I was wasting my time trying to make this work.”
Kerry started to stand, but he reached a hand out, clasping her forearm to hold her in place.
“Don’t. Just stay here a minute. Because you don’t know everything. I didn’t ‘pick up a stripper.’” He considered his own words for a couple of seconds, then added, “Well, okay, I did, but Gia isn’t just a stripper. She’s…”
“She’s what?”
“Oh, hell . . . She’s my wife.”
Kerry froze, her eyes wide and mouth dropped open. It would have been a funny expression under dif
ferent circumstances. He had a feeling that she
“Wife? Are you fucking kidding me right now?”
“Unfortunately, no.”
“Oh my God.” Kerry’s eyes blazed, “I’m the other woman? Of all the things you are, I never would have expected you to turn out to be a married man.”
“It’s not like that. You’re not a side piece, Kerry. Do the math here. She’s a Las Vegas stripper. It should be obvious that this was just a drunken mistake.”
“It was?”
“Of course. Come on, you have to realize that. Hell, it happened six months ago, and I hadn’t even seen her since then until I showed up out of nowhere last week.”
“Then why didn’t you get it annulled?”
“That’s the real reason I left you to go to her. I needed to get her to agree to an annulment before we took our relationship any further.”
Kerry looked at him, mulling over his words.
“Why?” She asked, finally. “I know the kind of life you’ve led, that you’ve been going through women at an alarming pace for the past few years. So why wait until you’re with me before you suddenly need to take care of this Vegas marriage?”
“Because you’re different. You matter to me. And you’re right, you shouldn’t be ‘the other woman.’”
Kerry’s manicured fingernails tapped against the table over and over and she appeared lost in thought. There was an unfamiliar emotion in the center of his chest, a curious mixture of longing and fear.
When did he get so attached to this woman?
“So, you just went to talk to her? You didn’t sleep with her?”
“No. Believe it or not, I’ve never slept with her. At least, I don’t think so.”
Kerry’s face reflected her stark disbelief. Dorran couldn’t help chuckling, and some of the tension seemed to bleed out of the air.
“It’s true. I was trashed the night we got married and passed out.”
“You’re one class act, Mr. Knight.” The teasing tone of Kerry’s voice coupled with a smirk on her face, and it was a sweet relief that there was no trace of anger or mistrust in her expression.
“I do what I can,” he agreed, and she rolled her eyes at him.
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