Served Hot: Best Revenge, Book 2

by Marie Harte

  Didn’t Maya say she had gone to look for Dex at the food vendors, and had run into Selena, who Connie had been…

  Riley kicked ass when it came to murder mystery games and now, putting the pieces together, she wanted to bolt after her friend. It sounded as if Connie’s comments might have been taken out of context, no doubt helped along by Selena.

  “So no idea where Maya might have gone?” Dex asked her again, and she realized his mother watched her with curiosity.

  “She was tired,” Riley lied. “Felt a little under the weather. She gets over-excited about these events, so I’m filling in. She said she’d be back to see you tomorrow, though.”

  His face fell. “Oh. Okay. I was going to invite her to dinner with us.” He hugged his mom.

  Riley smiled at the cute picture they made. “I’m sure she’ll be happy to go another time.” The two left after buying a few of Maya’s high-end pieces, but not fast enough for her liking. The moment they departed, Riley frantically texted Maya to call her, to tell her overemotional friend there had been a misunderstanding. Trust Maya to blow something like this out of proportion.

  Ann showed up with Jack in tow, and Riley explained to them what might have happened.

  “Oh boy. I was afraid she’d end up in a mess like this.”

  “Like this?” Jack asked.

  Ann nodded. “Maya and Riley have dealt with prejudice for a long time.”

  Jack sighed. “Bend is a pretty white town. I get you.”

  “Even though we’re lumped in with progressive Portland and Seattle, this place can be a bit redneck,” Ann added. “If Maya’s scared of where this thing with Dex is going, my bet is she’ll pull the plug before he can.”

  Jack snorted. “Then she’s in for a surprise. Dex has been hot for Maya forever. No way in hell he’s giving her up over a misunderstanding. And sure as hell not because of Selena ‘man-eater’ Thorpe.”

  Riley slumped back in Maya’s seat. “I don’t suppose you guys would help me watch her stuff, would you?”

  “Sure.” Jack agreed before Ann could.

  “And that’s why I love you, Jack.” Riley wished she could find someone like Jack, or even Dex. “For Ann, you’d help out her mouthy friend. And by mouthy, I mean Maya.”

  He smiled. “Of course you do. You’re the sexy cook. Maya’s mouthy, and Ann’s the brainy one.”

  Ann pouted. “I thought I was sexy.”

  “You are, honey.” Over her head, he mouthed to Riley, “She can’t cook.”

  “I heard that.”

  Riley laughed with them, pleased that at least one of her friends had a happy future mapped out for her. She just prayed Maya read her messages before she ruined the best thing to happen in her life since the three of them had formed the Terrible Trio.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Maya had thought long and hard about how to break things off with Dex. She ended up deciding on the truth.

  When he arrived at her house Sunday evening, she’d already spent a long weekend stressing about his mother, Selena and how to handle this. All that after dealing with the art festival and then the massive teardown packing up her crafts this afternoon.

  After entering her house, Dex leaned down to kiss her. She gave him her cheek, and he seemed puzzled. “Maya? You okay? You look terrible.”

  “Let’s talk.” No point in beating around the bush.

  “Ah, okay.” He stood next to her until she pointed at the couch. He sat, but she remained standing, needing the position to boost her self-confidence. Despite Riley’s texts and calls to try and convince her she’d been mistaken, Maya knew what she’d heard. It wasn’t like she hadn’t known an end with Dex was coming anyway. This just forced the issue.

  “Dex, it’s over.”

  He blinked up at her.

  “We’re done.”

  “Excuse me?”

  She swallowed hard, unable to summon another tear after crying all night Saturday and half of the morning. “We had a nice run, and the sex was amazing. But I can’t be with a man whose mother is a racist.”

  Calmly said, maturely pointed out. Not even the real reason they were breaking up, but he couldn’t argue against someone sullying her heritage.

  “What the hell are you talking about?” He rose, negating her air of superiority.

  She moved around the coffee table, putting some space between them. “I overheard your mother and Selena palling around on Saturday. Your mom said some nasty things.”

  “Like what?” He seemed genuinely confused. “You sure it was my mother?”

  “Apparently you shouldn’t be hanging out with ‘those people’. Meaning me.”

  “Those…” He glanced away, then smiled. “Wait, Maya, she was talking about food vendors operating without permits. They have these great fish tacos, and I—”

  “I know what I heard, Dex. But you know what? Even if I was mistaken, there’s no point in us going any further.” Ripping her own heart out word by word. This was worse than she’d anticipated.

  His grin faded. “So you’re telling me we’re breaking up.”

  “Yes.”

  “Because…?”

  “Your mother isn’t enough?” Apparently not, because he just stood there. “We’re too different. You’re rich. I’m not. You want a girlfriend, and I can barely say the word boyfriend without flinching. I’m not a long-term relationship girl. You know that.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “We’ve fucked like bunnies, which was great. Really. But I’m done now. I have to get back to my regularly scheduled life, complete with deadlines, friends and family. Frankly, you’re a distraction I don’t need.” And desperately want. She should have ended this before it started, because now he was in the bloodstream. It would take forever to get him out.

  He stared at her, and she prepared for an emotional confrontation.

  Instead he smiled, taking her completely off guard. “The sex was amazing, wasn’t it?” He chuckled. “Well, we’re done then.” He shrugged. “I’ll let myself out. See you when I see you, I guess. I had fun with you, Maya. Take care.” The bastard waved goodbye, still smiling, and left.

  She wanted to throw something. Instead, more tears leaked down her face. She tried to convince herself she hated him. But the jackass had been nothing but nice, even at the very end. She cried some more, then moved into her bedroom and tried to sleep off the sad.

  When that didn’t work, she counted the cracks in her ceiling, each one a wrinkle on Selena Thorpe’s smarmy face. She remembered breaking the blonde’s nose and replayed the moment in slow motion. But that only made her think of Dex saving her from herself, and she teared up again.

  Dex, you jerk. Why did it have to be you who broke the heart I didn’t know I still had?

  Dex smiled all the way to Shevlin Park and went on a hike. A long one. The sun had set, and he tripped as much as he walked, but fuck, he wanted to pound something. Namely, Maya’s stupid ego for letting pride and fear get in the way of a good thing.

  “We’re done, my fucking ass.” He nearly ripped a sapling tree out of his way when he stumbled again. Then he felt bad for trying to crush something that hadn’t done anything to him and hustled back to his car. By the time he returned to his wet, musty house, Jack and Anson seemed to be in full argument mode.

  Great. More tension he didn’t need.

  He stomped past them up the stairs to his room and slammed the door.

  Unfortunately, Anson opened it, and Jack followed.

  “What happened?” they asked at the same time.

  “Shit.” He yanked off his shoes and chucked them at the closet. Then he ripped off his shirt and threw it at the hamper, seeing Maya’s sad, stubborn face glaring back at him.

  “That good, eh?” Anson must have had a death wish.

  “Why are you talking
to me?” Dex would love a fight. Anything to keep him from rushing back to Maya and shaking some sense into her.

  “I knew it. She dumped you, didn’t she? I told her not to mess with you. That little—”

  “That little what?” Dex took a step in Anson’s direction, then Jack was there between them.

  “Jesus, Dex. Are you eating small children for breakfast or what? Anson, has he gotten bigger since being back?”

  “Who knows? Mr. Fat Head spends so much time with his heartbreaker he can’t think straight.”

  “What did you say to her?” he roared.

  “Anson, shut up,” Jack said. He shoved Dex back. “You too, Dex. Whatever happened, this isn’t about Anson. Hell, I’m not even sure it’s about you. Ann and Riley were talking, and this seems to be Maya’s problem.”

  “Her problems are my problems,” Dex said. “Unfortunately, we’re done because apparently my mother is a racist and apart from the amazing sex, I’m an unwelcome distraction.”

  “Well, there you go.” Anson rubbed his hands clean of the discussion. “Move on with your life.”

  “Fuck you. Why don’t you try taking your own advice and leave Riley alone?”

  Jack groaned. “Not you too.”

  “I haven’t done anything. I’m building a restaurant. Expanding my career. I’m not the one boning the hot-tempered artist who can’t see the truth when it slaps her on the fucking face.”

  “That’s it.” Dex flew past Jack and would have nailed Anson in the gut if his cousin hadn’t moved. “Quicker than you used to be.” Dex took another swing and knocked him to the floor. Hard. “But still predictable.”

  They wrestled, Dex got in a few jabs that made Anson swear and Jack wince before rolling off his cousin.

  Dex lay on the floor and stared at the ceiling, breathing hard. “I owe you.”

  “Yeah, I think you do,” Anson croaked.

  Jack stared at the pair of them. “What the hell was that?”

  “Dex feels better when he lets off some steam. I took one for the team.”

  “You two are loony.” Jack sat with them and sighed. “When things between Ann and I weren’t working, I had to take some time to figure it out, not go all Fight Club. We had some ugly history, nothing like you guys have with Maya or Riley.”

  Anson frowned. “Why the hell do you two keep pairing me up with Riley? I don’t—”

  “Save it,” Jack and Dex said as one. Jack continued, “But I do know that if she’s important, you’ll fix it, Dex.”

  “Of course I’ll fix it, dumbass. I just don’t know how yet. At least I left with a smile on my face, all happy Dex and hey, Maya, no problem. See you later.” He snorted. “She bought it, I think.”

  “You ask me—” Anson started.

  “I didn’t.” Dex paused. “Okay, what?”

  “Do what works best for you. How did you get her to go out with you twelve years ago? Hell, a month ago?”

  “Three weeks.” But who was counting? Dex blinked, then smiled. “I blackmailed her.”

  “Right. You’ve been out with her long enough to have something on her. Force her to listen to you. Hogtie her until she has nowhere to go but into your meaty, stinky arms.” Anson grimaced. “You could use a shower.”

  “I hiked a bit at Shevlin before coming home,” Dex said absently.

  Jack looked at him. “So you’re going to trick her into listening to you?”

  “Into admitting she loves me. ’Cause yeah, she does.”

  “You sure you want to deal with her for the rest of your life?” Anson asked. “You could just date and leave it at that. But…” He sighed at Dex’s determined look. “You won’t, will you? Hell. You’re going to make her family.”

  “Yep.”

  “Good luck.” Jack started laughing. “You big sap. Ann’s sweet. Riley’s rational. Maya…” He laughed harder.

  This time Dex and Anson joined him. And Dex planned.

  Late Monday afternoon, just as Dex thought he’d figured out how to handle Maya, Selena Thorpe walked in to his studio with two of her girlfriends. God, just what he didn’t need.

  He pasted on a professional smile. Damn. Just five more minutes and I’d have been closed for the day. “Hello, ladies. Something I can do for you?”

  Selena smiled. “I’m sure you can help me,” she all but purred. “We want some pictures take by a real photographer.” She walked around the studio, trailing a scarlet-painted nail over some props. “So quaint. Not what I would have pictured for you, Dex.”

  “I like it.”

  She focused on him. “I admit it’s…handsome.” The smoldering look on her face told him she’d meant the compliment for him and him alone.

  Her friends tittered. He recognized the pair as sisters and a complete waste of space. They acted as if they shared a brain and were easily led by a stronger personality. In this case, Selena.

  He ignored Selena’s blatant come-on. “So did you want individual photos or a group?”

  “Both.” Selena gestured to the blonde with her. “Shelly wants one with me then a separate one with her sister.”

  “No problem. Let’s go pick a background.”

  After taking a bunch of shots of Selena, he reset the background for her friends. Grateful Selena didn’t hover while he photographed her friends, he concentrated on finishing without fuss and had the ladies join him at the selection counter, where he’d show them the digital pictures they could choose from.

  After the siblings had chosen their pictures, Selena leaned close to pick hers. “I’ll meet you guys at Townsend’s.” The tea shop down the street.

  “Okay.” The women gave a knowing look then left.

  Hell.

  “So what’s this nonsense about you and Maya Werner dating?” Selena spat Maya’s name like an epithet.

  “You have a face for the camera.” Perhaps some flattering honesty would get her to drop questions about his personal life.

  She lit up. “I do, don’t I? I’ve always been photogenic.” After dithering over her selection, she grabbed him by the wrist when he would have moved away to finish her order.

  “Selena?”

  “You have large hands. Why, I can barely get my fingers around you. So thick.” She flicked her nails over his wrist and gave him a thorough once-over.

  Only an idiot would have missed her innuendo.

  She left Dex cold. He tugged his arm free and left to get her a paper copy of her order. While she paid, he tried to ignore the way she stared at him.

  “Werner is trash, Dex. You know it and I know it. But I know pickings are slim in this town.” She leaned over the register counter and showed an ample amount of cleavage. If the rumors were true, she’d paid a fortune for her breasts. He could admit she’d gotten her money’s worth. Nothing as fine as Maya’s but still…

  “You’re right.” He handed her back her credit card and squarely met her gaze. “Pickings are slim. Good thing I hooked Maya when I did. She’s the most beautiful, talented woman I’ve ever met.” He didn’t smile. “Don’t you think you’ve gone far enough, Selena?”

  “What are you saying?”

  “I’m saying your petty jealousy is ugly. Get over your animosity. Try and be happy without taking others down, why don’t you?”

  She glared at him. “You’re going to be sorry about this.”

  I’m already sorry I let you in to my studio. He sighed. “Selena, you need to—”

  She turned on her heel and stormed out the door.

  Dex wondered what Maya would think if she knew Selena had made a move. Despite them being supposedly broken up, he could just see Maya fly-tackling Selena and beating her head against the ground on principle alone.

  No. Better not to mention this small incident. To anyone. He went back to plotting, wondering how best
to win Maya back.

  “Can you believe he just smiled and waved goodbye? Like it was no big deal?” Maya yelled Friday night, still infuriated that Dex had left days ago with so little fanfare.

  Riley sighed. “Maya, you ended things with him. What did you want him to do?”

  “It’s been a goddamn week! Not a call, a text, an email, nothing. It’s like he got what he wanted and left.”

  “And what would that be?” Ann asked drily. “I know we keep saying this, but you dumped him, not the other way around. And for your information, his mother is the sweetest woman. Not a racist at all, you drama queen.”

  “Does it even matter?” Maya paced around Riley’s living room, glad Ann hadn’t brought Jack to this particular movie night. She froze and pinned Ann with a glare. “What do you know of his mother?”

  Ann cleared her throat. “Jack and I had dinner with Dex and his parents the other night… Anson might have stopped by too,” she said by way of an apology to Riley.

  Riley shrugged. “His family. Not my business.”

  “It’s so weird how he acts normal around Connie and Theo—Dex’s parents. I mean, normally Anson is such a pain. But Wednesday night, he was actually sweet and I—”

  “Hello,” Maya interrupted. “We’re talking about me, not Riley and Anson. Ann, why are you cozying up with Dex?”

  Ann crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m cozy with Jack. Jack is friends with Dex. Do the math.”

  “Why are you mad at me?”

  “Because you’re a moron, maybe?” Riley piped in.

  “There’s that.” Ann nodded. “Look, Maya. Dex is a wonderful person. You dumped him, not the other way around. He’s been nothing but nice to you. You told us how he was there for you when you dropped the bomb on him about your mom. He never said a thing to the guys about it. At least, not to Jack.”

  Riley nodded. “Dex keeps to himself. He’s nice. He’s kind—your opposite.”

  “Fuck you.”

  “Yeah, you’re not mean at all,” Riley scoffed. “The guy is hot enough to handle himself. You get guys hitting on you all the time. Dex gets girls wanting him. You’re a pain. He’s sweet. You’re a dork about money. He’s rich. You’re yin and yang. Why are you fighting him so hard?”