Mounting Deuce E-Book

Addison Winters

• Herausgeber: WS
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Serie: The Heat of Arrest Series
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 322

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

Arya Lucas finally had her life back. After a nasty divorce and moving across the country, freedom was finally hers and she was enjoying it to the fullest. Her small consulting firm was finally offering her the life she’d worked so hard to achieve. She had everything ― or so she thought.

With the urging of her best friend Arya joins a dating site with no desire to start a relationship with anyone, until she meets Detective Deuce. The sexy law enforcement officer was unlike anyone she had ever dated and definitely not her type.

But his enticing blue eyes and smirky boyish grin drew her to him. His witty sarcasm was undeniably charming. He was compassionate, kind, and sexy. He held a sense of mystery and adventure that she had never experienced before. She never knew handcuffs could be so enticing.

But what she hadn’t counted on was his impact on her entire world. How one day she would wake up and find herself in a life she no longer recognized; and realize she could not have been happier about it.

Still, is he worth risking her heart for?

Leseprobe

Mounting Deuce

Addison Winters

Contents

Inquiries about additional permissions

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Author Biography

Don’t Miss Other Works by Addison Winters

Making the Dean’s List, Book 2

Transferring Credits, Book 3

Mounting Deuce

~ the Heat of Arrest series ~

Book 1

Addison Winters

Copyright 2019 ADDISON Winters

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.

Attribution — You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the author or licensor (but not in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work).

Noncommercial — You may not use this work for commercial purposes.

No Derivative Works — You may not alter, transform, or build upon this work.

Created with Vellum

Inquiries about additional permissions

should be directed to: [email protected]

Cover Design by Mad Hat Designs

Edited by Charlene Burgett

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to similarly named places or to persons living or deceased is unintentional.

ISBN 978-1-948143-12-7

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019909025

Acknowledgments

I’d like to thank Linda Russell and her wonderful team at Forward PR & Marketing for taking the reins and running with them. Plus, Shari Ryan at MadHat Books for her creative genius in designing my covers. Also, Cheryl Monette, Charlene Burgett, and Melinda Rueter for your incredible insight and feedback. You all helped to shape and develop my words. I love you all!

Finally, I’d like to thank my amazing, loving, and supportive husband, Eric; without whom none of this would have been possible. You are my everything!

For the original Detective Deuce …

One

THE SUN WAS BEGINNING ITS decent behind the desert mountains filling the sky with a brilliant collage of orange and gold fire. I glanced at the GPS on my dashboard and made the next left-hand turn. The queasy feeling in my stomach made it difficult for me to recall why I was even doing this.

“I’m going home.” I announced to Shelly whose voice was ringing through the speakers in my car.

“No, you’re not. Who knows? He might be fabulous.” I could hear the wittiness in her voice.

“I can’t believe you made me join Match.” I complained once again.

“You work all the time and never go out. You need to rejoin the dating world.”

“Says you.” I muttered. “I can’t believe you’re making me do this.” I snickered without humor.

“It will do you good. You’re too damn picky. You could find something wrong with no matter what Saint asked you out!” She snickered.

“I am not picky.” I fired back. “I’m selective.” I reasoned. “Besides, my Prince Charming got hit by a bus when he was a child.”

“Good grief.” Shelly chuckled. “Are you there yet?”

“Yes,” I pulled my car down the long entryway to the golf resort. “This place is gorgeous.”

“Where are you at?”

“Ocotillo Golf Club and Resort in Chandler.” I rattled off the sign as I passed by.

“What the hell are you doing way out there?”

“I have no freaking clue. This is where he told me to meet him.”

“Dump him now. That’s too far to drive.” She stated.

“This was your idea, remember. Besides, maybe from your place, but it’s fifteen minutes from mine.” I reminded her.

“Him living out there disqualifies him automatically. I’m trying to get you over to my side of the city, not further away from me.”

“Like I said, this was your idea, not mine.”

I turned pulled into a parking spot near the front and turned off the engine. “I don’t want to do this.” I said again.

“Have fun and call me later with the details.” Shelly chuckled. “And be nice!”

“Yeah, right.” I muttered and opened my car door, ending my conversation with her.

I took a deep breath and decided to leave my golf clubs in the car for a moment. I didn’t want to lug them around when I didn’t even know where I was going. The early June evening air was stifling as the temperature clung near the triple-digit mark. It was going to be another miserably hot summer in Phoenix.

I walked across the parking lot thinking about getting back in my car when I spotted Dylan walking towards me. There was no backing out now.

“Hi, Arya.” He embraced me briefly. “Did you bring your clubs?”

“Yes. I left them in the car.” I nodded over my shoulder.

“Okay. Well, let’s get them.” He smiled warmly.

We walked towards my car, and I noticed he was maybe an inch or two taller than my almost 5’6” stature. I tried not to chuckle recalling him saying he was 5’10”. I always found it humorous how some men were so insecure about their height. But I did notice he had beautiful blue eyes and a striking smile that was offset by a chiseled jaw. His short brown hair stood up in little spikes on top his head in a cute boyish manner. He was very nice looking.

We retrieved my clubs, and I walked back up to the clubhouse. Dylan already had his bag out on the driving range and was talking a mile a minute about his former modeling career. He even took out his phone to show me a shirtless and buffed photo of himself back in the day. I tried to act impressed and not to visibly roll my eyes. His confidence came out more like arrogance.

I nodded along appropriately and began hitting some balls on the tee. Dylan stood there for a few minutes carefully studying me.

“You realize you’re standing all wrong, don’t you?” I hadn’t.

“Oh. Sorry.”

“Keep your back straight and bend your knees a bit more.” He walked up behind me. “Like this.”

Dylan wrapped his arms around me, pressing his body close to mine. He placed his hands over mine.

“Interlock your fingers like this.” I did exactly what he did and gripped the club. He placed his hands over mine. “And when you swing, keep your left arm straight and follow through like you’re pivoting.” He moved my body like his puppet. “Now, you try.” He stepped back out of my way.

I followed his instructions to the letter and hit the best drive I’ve ever done.

“Much better.” He smiled.

“Thanks!” I grinned back.

After several more attempts, Dylan approached me again from behind.

“No. Like this.” He demonstrated in the same fashion as before.

I could feel his body pressed up against mine. His chest and abdomen were solid beneath his dark fuchsia polo. His breath was hot on the back of my neck. I felt him move in a bit closer as his hips pressed against mine.

God, let that be Chapstick in his pocket.

I could only hope.

But as he shifted his weight through the swing, I could tell it wasn’t.

Damn. That sucks!

The sun slowly sank behind the mountain as the golf balls disappeared into the orange sky. I was trying to concentrate on my swing and thinking how impressed Shelly was going to be on Sunday morning. I was notoriously bad at golf, and according to Shelly, my forty years of softball experience had severely hindered my game.

Dylan continued to ramble on about his work with the Special Olympics and various charitable organizations he was involved in. I wasn’t sure if he was being truthful or not, but if he was, he was certainly going for sainthood.

As we slowly lost light and the groundskeeper made his presence known behind us, nudging us off the range, Dylan was kind enough to clean off my clubs and walk me to my car.

“What would you think about having a glass of wine on a boat tonight?” He asked as I shut my trunk.

“That would be wonderful.” I admitted as I wiped my brow.

“I live on a lake around the corner and have a pontoon sitting on the dock outside my back door.” He smiled deviously. “We could cruise around the lake with a bottle of wine.” He raised an eyebrow.

I debated for a moment and trusted my gut feeling about Dylan. He may be an arrogant narcissist, but overall, he was harmless.

“I would like that.”

“You’re telling me that you would get in my truck and go with me to my house after you’ve known me for two hours?” He paused and studied me carefully making me feel very self-conscious.

"I trust my instincts, and I can follow you in my car.” I smirked.

“You really shouldn’t do that.” He set his clubs down beside my car. “It could be dangerous.”

I wasn’t sure if I felt cocky or just perturbed by his cockiness – and lack thereof.

“Are you dangerous?” I smirked.

“No, I capture criminals.” Dylan smirked back.

“Huh?” I raised my eyebrows at him. “Don’t tell me you’re a fucking cop.” I sighed heavily.

Damn it!

One of the two professions I swore I’d never date. I have a great deal of respect for law enforcement officers and firemen, but I never wanted to sit at home and wonder if my spouse was going to make it home in one piece.

“A Lieutenant actually.” He said proudly.

I tried not to roll my eyes at his confidence.

“Are you still on patrol?” I knew very little about how rankings and such worked in law enforcement.

“Yes, but I used to be in Vice. You can Google my name on YouTube, and it’ll bring up some of the news media interviews I’ve done on cases I’ve worked.” He boasted.

“Cool.” I tried to act enthused. “I thought you worked with the Special Olympics.” He had spent a good twenty minutes an hour ago bragging about his work with children with disabilities and showing me pictures of him putting medals around their necks on the podiums.

“I do. But it’s all volunteer.” Dylan explained.

“I see.”

“So, how about that drink?”

“Okay,” I shrugged. “I’ll follow you.”

I climbed back into my car as he walked across the lot with his truck. I turned over the engine, and as soon as the car sprang to life, I asked Siri to call Shelly.

“Wow, that was quick. Was it that bad?” She answered on the second ring.

“I’m going to kill you!” I put my car in reverse and followed Dylan’s truck out of the lot.

“What’d he do?” She laughed.

“One, he’s a fucking cop! Two, he was pressing up against me trying to instruct me on my golf swing and let’s just say the golf pencil was bigger … and thicker.”

“Oh, no!” Shelly laughed even harder. “I’m sorry!”

“No, you’re not.” I turned left at the light behind Dylan.

“How was I supposed to know he’s a cop. It wasn’t on his profile.” She exclaimed. “But you can look at it this way, at least you know he has his own set of handcuffs and knows how to use them.” She could barely contain herself.

“You’re such a bitch.” I chuckled.

“It’s a shame your date ended so early. That sucks.”

“Who said it ended? This is intermission.” I accidentally snorted.

“I thought you were in your car.”

“I am. I’m following him over to his place. He’s got a pontoon on the dock outside his back door. We’re going to cruise the lake with a bottle of wine.” I said with sarcasm.

“La-di-da.” I could picture her rolling her eyes.

“He’s trying to be impressive. He rambled on and on about his pontoon, his speedboat, his motorcycle, his convertible, his truck, and his house on the lake.” I droned on indicating how unimpressed I was.

“Wow, guess he is overcompensating, huh?” He giggled.

“From what I could feel pressed against my ass, he needs to.” I confessed. “Oh, and he lives in a gated community.” I stated as I pulled up behind him at the gate and waited while he punched in his code.

“On a cop’s salary? He must have family money.” Shelly stated.

“Or he’s on the take.” I reasoned cynically.

“Just be careful.” She cautioned. “Oh, and you’re following him, right?”

“Yeah.”

“What’s his plate number, just in case you turn up missing.”

I rambled it off to her as I pulled into his driveway beside her. I said goodbye to her and quickly got off the phone as Dylan walked up to my car.

“See, I told you it was practically around the corner.” He smiled.

“I didn’t even know any of this was tucked away back here.”

“It’s my own little oasis. I love it.”

Dylan’s home was a ranch style house with a three-car garage that looked fairly new. I couldn’t tell the exact color because it was too dark, but from what I could see by the courtyard lights, it was more of a cornflower blue and grey. The courtyard was beautifully decorated, and unlike anything I was expecting.

He unlocked the front door and turned off the alarm. We were immediately overrun by an excited Pitbull mix that jumped up on each of us.

“This is Rex.” Dylan petted the solidly built dog roughly, yet playfully. “He’s a big baby.”

“He’s beautiful.” I scratched his head as he jumped up on me.

“Get down, Rex. She doesn’t want you on her clothes.” He pushed the dog down.

The foyer opened into a huge living room with a cathedral ceiling. It was breathtaking. I could not have imagined his place looking like this. I was shocked.

I followed him into the kitchen and great room area. His home looked like something out of country Home and Garden magazine. It was simply gorgeous with all its hardwood floors, custom cabinets, and colors in faded blues, smoky greys, and rustic brick. I was astonished by how immaculate it was. I was in love.

With the house, not the man…maybe the dog!

It had to have been decorated by his ex-wife. I have never met a heterosexual man with such style. I could be wrong, but not in my personal experience.

Dylan took me on a tour of the place, and each room was as elegant as the next. It was unbelievable. I had not encountered many men with such an incredible homestead. I had no clue what the Phoenix PD paid their officers, but I was pretty sure he was either mortgaged to his boxers or came from family money.

Rex and I followed Dylan back into the kitchen where he fixed us a Rum and Coke. He was yammering on about all the improvements he’d done on the house since his ex-wife moved out two years earlier. He claimed to have done all the decorating himself.

I scanned around the family room and kitchen as we stood at the bar and wasn’t sure if I believed him or not. Either way, it really didn’t make a difference to me.

The three of us walked out onto the back patio. There was no backyard to speak up. It was maybe twenty-five feet to the water's edge. Dylan opened the gate on the pontoon and held out his hand to me. Rex scampered up after us and jumped into the captain’s chair.

“He likes the boat.” Dylan shrugged.

“I can tell.” I giggled and took a seat across from him.

Dylan started up the pontoon and eased it out onto the open water. I relaxed back in my seat and enjoyed the warm breeze blowing through my hair. The temperature was still in the high nineties, but the night sky was enchanted with bright stars. It was romantic and peaceful.

“How long were you married?” I asked between sips.

“Which time?”

“You’ve been married more than once?” I raised an eyebrow at him.

“Yes, twice. Seven years the first time. Five the second.” He lifted his glass to his lips.

“And no kids?”

“Nope. My first wife didn’t want any and I did. My second wife had an affair with another woman and is now living with her.”

“Oh.” I wasn’t sure what to say.

“And you just have the two?”

“Yes. My son is twenty-six and in the military. My daughter is twenty-three and goes to ASU. She lives with me.”

“That’s nice. And you’ve lived in Arizona a couple years now?” He asked.

“Three last February.”

“Do you like it here?”

“It’s different. I miss the green, but not the snow.” I smiled.

We cruised around the lake and chatted casually about his job. He was a nice guy once he let down his guard and dropped the arrogant attitude. I wasn’t sure if his rough exterior was a defense mechanism or if the rum and Coke were exterminating the bug up his ass.

Dylan tied the boat back up at the dock and escorted me into the house. I set my glass on the bar and picked up my purse and keys where I’d left them.

“Are you sure I can’t interest you in another drink.” He offered.

“No, but thank you. I still have to drive home.” I paused, not sure what else to say.

“Yeah, I’d hate to get you into any trouble.” He flashed a devilish grin.

“I guess the officers in this city are real assholes.” I smirked.

“Only when provoked.” He took a step forward and placed his hand on my arm.

Dylan drew me nearer to him and leaned in towards me. He kissed me gently. I could taste the rum on his lips. A small smile eased across his lips as his deep blue eyes caressed mine. I kissed him a little more firmly. His arms wrapped around me and pulled me against him.

With the sad reminder of the Chapstick in his pocket pressed hard against my pelvic bone, I took a step back.

“I really must be going.” I exclaimed. “I have a 5:30 tee-off in the morning.” I lied.

“Yeah, I have a busy day tomorrow too.” He took my hand and led me to the front door.

“I had a really wonderful time this evening.” Dylan opened the door for me.

“Me too.” He leaned in and kissed me once again. “I’ll call you this weekend. Maybe we can get together on Sunday or something.”

“Sounds good.” I embraced him and gave him another quick kiss before making my way to my car.

⁓

My daughter, Brylee, arrived home from an evening out with the girls as I was getting out of the shower. I was wrapping my hair in a towel and sat down at my vanity.

“Hey momma, how was your date?” She flopped down across my bed.

“Fundamentally, it was the perfect date. We met at the driving range. He helped me with my swing. We had a drink and cruised around the lake on his boat. But the guy, not impressive.” I summed up my evening for her. “How was your night?”

“Same ol’, same ol.’” She rolled her eyes. “We went down to the Sandbar and had a couple drinks. Hanna broke up with her boyfriend, so we spent the night listening to her bash him. Thrilling.”

“Exciting.”

“So, what was wrong with the guy?”

“Arrogance for starters.” I shook my hair out of the towel and turned to face her. “He was handsome. Sexy. Cocky.” I started brushing my hair. “Oh, and a fucking cop.” I snorted.

“Seriously? Ugh.” Brylee brushed her long, chestnut hair out of her eyes. “But cops can be sexy. Remember Casper?” She giggled.

“Oh, right. Casper. Damn, he was the epidemy of a sexy cop.” I agreed.

“And a little arrogance isn’t all that bad.” She shrugged.

“Yeah, but it wasn’t the arrogance on him that was little.” I raised my eyebrow at my daughter.

Our relationship had shifted in the last couple years to one of a close friendship as well as mother and daughter. She had moved with me after her father, and I got divorced, and while she still talked to him frequently, the divorce had strained their relationship. He was a topic I rarely discussed with her.

“You slept with him on the first date? Damn mom.” Judgment rang through her voice.

“No. Of course, I didn’t. Like I said, he was helping me with my golf swing. And in doing so, he was pressed up against me.” I set my hairbrush on the vanity.

“Ouch. That bad, huh?” I lifted my little finger at her.

“I thought he had Chapstick in his pocket.” I laughed. “It wasn’t Chapstick.”

“Poor guy.” Brylee chuckled.

“It’s sad cause he was so cute. Plus, he had this gorgeous home on the lake in this beautiful gated community. Not to mention all the freaking vehicles and boats. Worst of all, he had the coolest dog, Rex. I could have taken him home and spoiled him rotten.”

“You cannot date a man for his dog, Momma.” She smirked. “Didn’t you say he was a cop?” I nodded. “How can he afford all that? I thought cops didn’t make crap.”

“They don’t. He must have family money or something.” I shrugged.

“Maybe he’s on the take.” She raised her eyebrows at me. “We are only two hours from the border.”

“Nah. He’s so straight and narrow, he squeaks when he walks.” I explained. “He thinks too highly of himself to do anything unethical.” I rolled my eyes at the memory of his endless ‘me talk.’

“So, I’m guessing you won’t be going out with him again.” She climbed off my bed and walked over to me. “You do realize, momma, that someday you may actually have to go on that second date with someone.” She leaned over and kissed the top of my head.

“Why? What’s the point?” I made eye contact with her in the mirror. “It’ll never last anyway.”

“Not all men are like Dad, Momma.” My daughter said in a low voice. “You’re going to meet someone amazing someday. I promise.” She smiled and gave me a gentle squeeze.

“Not on Match.” I smiled.

“Give it a chance.”

“Good night, sweetheart.” I patted her hand before she headed to her own room.

Two

I MET SHELLY FOR LUNCH the following Wednesday. She had chosen a Mexican restaurant inside an old church in the heart of Phoenix. She always enjoyed upscale and unusual places, and this was one of her favorites.

I had met Shelly a couple years ago when I’d first moved to Phoenix. She owns a small business with about fifty employees and was wanting to restructure it. As an organizational, industrial psychologist, with a small consulting firm, she contacted me for help. We worked together for more than three months, and now her revenue had doubled.

During that time, she and I had become good friends. Shelly was five years older than me and had a bit of a wild side in her. When we’d first met, she was in a twelve-year relationship with a man a decade younger than her. She had found out early last fall that the bastard, Matt, had been cheating on her for the last couple years. And sadly, he rarely worked as a mechanic and lived off her money in her home.

Shelly had been devastated. She had kicked him out, but in doing so put down the deposit on a new apartment for him and paid off his car. I couldn’t understand her reasoning, but instead just listened to her vent and cry over him.

A month later she had decided to join Match and pestered me to join it with her. She claimed it was so I could view the profiles of the men she was interested in or who messaged her, but then she finally revealed that her ulterior motive was to get me back into the dating world as well.

And I had tried. I went out on several first dates, and so far, only one-second one. Aaron was a high school principal, nice looking, charming. We had a great first date, and a week later, he and I joined Shelly and her date, Brendon on a Sunday morning for 18 holes. It was disastrous.

Aaron spent the entire morning criticizing and critiquing everything I did. I was on my third mimosa in as many holes. As much as I dearly loved playing golf and enjoyed our Sunday tee-offs, I could not wait to be rid of him. It was the longest morning.

Aaron and I parted ways in the parking lot that morning, and I never saw him again. He tried to reach me several times, but I let his calls go to voicemail. By the end of the second week, he had given up.

That was my last date on Match before Dylan ― six months later, and I knew already, there would be no second date.

“Hey, it’s about time. You’re late.” Shelly informed me as I sat down across from her.

“Am not.” I set my purse down on the seat beside me. “You said 12:30, and it’s five of.”

“Whatever.” She picked up her menu. “I ordered you a Mai Tai and some queso dip. I’m starving.”

“How’s the diet going?” I smirked.

“Fuck you, bitch.” She said with a smile.

“You love me.”

“Keep telling yourself that.”

The waiter came around and dropped off our drinks, dip, and chips. Shelly immediately started snacking while I ordered a couple carnitas tacos. She ordered a steak burrito with refried beans.

“Have you heard from teeny weeny?” I wrinkled my forehead at her.

“Teeny weeny?”

“Well, calling him Chapstick lacks a certain poetry. Don’t you think?”

“Needles. Short for needle dick.” I chuckled. “Fits him perfectly.”

“Such a shame. He’s so cute.”

“I know. But his arrogance was a bit much for me.” Shelly shook her head in agreement. “Look at what he sent me this morning.” I pulled up my text messages and handed her my phone.

“A gym pic? Seriously?” She looked at the photo again. “He’s got a great body. It sucks he has no gun in his holster.” She handed me my phone back.

“Even if he did, his personality is a bit much for me.”

“Okay, so you move on to the next one. You have to kiss a few toads to find your prince.” She shrugged.

“No, thank you.”

“You can’t give up now.”

“Look, I’m not like you. I enjoy being alone. I’ve never had it before. It’s kinda nice.” I sipped my drink.

“You’re too damn picky.”

“It took me three years to get my freedom from that SOB, and I’m still fixing the damage he did. I never want to go through all that again.” I explained.

“Not all men are like your ex.”

“I understand that, but I’m not willing to take the chance.”

“So, you’re just going to give up on love?”

“I enjoy what I have with Ryan. I don’t need anything else.”

“You could have so much more with him if you’d simply let him in.” Shelly cocked her head to the side and looked at me with judgment.

“Ryan is not the sort of man you have a relationship with. You know that.” I reminded her.

“You mean, that you don’t have a relationship with. Not me. Ryan’s sexy as hell and you have so much fun with him.”

“Fun. Yes. But anything serious? No.”

“Fun can be good, Arya.”

“I know that. But that’s all Ryan is. He could never be more.” I let out a deep sigh in exasperation.

“Why not?”

“Because as beautiful as he is to look at, as talented as he is in bed, and regardless of how much fun I have with him; I’ve had dinner with the man, and it was painful.” I told her.

“Why? Did he not use the right fork?” She smirked.

“No,” I laughed. “But the man is not exactly intellectual. I’m honestly surprised he can tie his own shoes.” I picked up a chip and scooped up some queso before taking a bite. “Don’t look at me in that tone of voice. I tried dating Ryan when I first met him.”

“And you’ve pushed him away every chance you got.”

“That’s not true. I still see him.”

“And when was the last time you saw Ryan?”

“I don’t know. January. February maybe.” I’d lost track.

“Yeah, it’s a meaningful relationship.” Shelly laughed.

“It’s all I want right now.” I told her.

“Whatever. I refuse to give up on love.”

“You can’t give up on something you don’t believe exists.” I mumbled.

“You’re becoming cynical.”

“And if this is all that is out there,” I held up my phone with Dylan’s picture still on the screen. “I’ll happily buy more stock in Duracell.”

“I’m not giving up on you.” She shook her head slightly at me.

“How is Brendon doing?” I tried to change the subject.

Shelly, a nervous eater, spent the next hour finishing two more drinks, emptying the queso, her plate, and snacking on the remainder of the chips while telling me she’s decided to loan this man thirty-five grand to start a landscaping business. She rambled on about her reasoning and her feelings for him. I bit my lip and tried not to ask how someone so intelligent could be so dumb. She was an incredibly intelligent lady, but her low self-esteem made her a bum magnet for all worthless men.

“Say something.” She finished off the last of her drink and waved to the waitress to bring her another.

“What do you want me to say?”

“Sometimes I really hate your psych degree.” She muttered.

“I didn’t say anything.” I shrugged.

“You’re judging me.”

“I am not.” But I kind of was.

“I can see you want to say something.”

“Just be careful.” I advised.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” The waitress dropped offer another round for us; my second, her fourth.

“All I’m saying is be careful. This is the same man who hasn’t exactly been honest and straightforward with you since day one.” I reminded her.

“He was scared it would frighten me off.” She made another excuse for the human excrement she was dating.

“You meet him, he tells you he’s divorced and has a six-year-old son. Two weeks later, he says he has another ex-wife and a 21-year-old daughter plus a 19-year-old daughter.” Shelly tried to interrupt me, but I continued. “And if that wasn’t bad enough, you find out a month after that, that he has a three-year-old son and an eight-year-old daughter from yet another ex-wife ― one that he spent two years in jail with for kidnapping. Each of these ex-wives left him for adultery and if my math is correct, having a six-year-old in the middle of this eight and three-year-old’s, should tell you he’s not known to be the faithful sort.” I reasoned.

“He’s made some mistakes.” She took a long drink of her martini. “Brendon is nothing like that now.”

“I’m just saying, be careful.”

“He loves me.” She said flatly.

“He’s living with you, isn’t he?” I already knew he was.

“I asked him to stay with me while he’s building his new business.” She explained.

“With your money.”

“Haven’t you ever helped someone? Given them a second chance?”

“Yes, but you are going into this blind. You only know what he tells you. Have you checked into his arrest?” I asked.

“No. I believe him.”

“Well, just be careful is all I’m saying.” Shelly knew how much I didn’t like or trust the man. He had too many secrets, and his stories didn’t add up.

“I love you for looking out for me, but Brendon is a good man who made a couple mistakes with the wrong women. And they were psycho bitches. Hell, look at my ex. I had no idea what he was doing until he was arrested. I got completely blindsided, and none of it made sense, even after he committed suicide in jail.” Her voice dropped to a whisper.

“Please be careful.” I reached across the table and laid my hand over hers.

“I trust him. He loves me.” She assured me.

“Well, I’ve got to get going. I’ve got a presentation to work on for tomorrow.” I reached for my purse.

“It’s on me. You get the next one.” She smiled.

“Deal.” I stood up. “Are you okay to drive?”

“The office is one block over. I walked.” She laughed a little.

“Good girl.” I smirked. “I’ll see you on Sunday. 5 a.m.?”

“Yep.” She laid her debit card on the table. “I’ll see you there. And remember, Arya. Love is a good thing.”

“If you say so.” I shook my head and walked towards the door.

⁓

Highway 10 was backed up across the city. I hated rush-hour traffic and had very little patience for it. I had hoped that it wouldn’t be so bad just yet considering it was not quite three in the afternoon, but I was wrong.

But it gave me time to think. Here was a woman who was beautiful, tall, blonde; with a strong business sense but no common sense whatsoever. Her business was successful, but I had warned her that employing her son Garrett, who was merely days older than my own son and putting him in charge was not the smartest business decision. Garrett didn't have the maturity to lead the team that he was responsible for, and it was the only thing we disagreed on when I completed my assessment of her company.

Still, I had never seen a woman so unsure of herself and so desperate for love that she would allow any man into her life and into her bed that showed her any attention. I tried to warn her against it, but she was convinced that Brendon was a good man.

The stories he had told her about his past did not add up. When she had met him, he was living on the couch of some friends of his and had just been released from prison. She had met him on Match and immediately jumped into a bed with him. For months she had carried on a fling with both him and Matt.

She told me she couldn't make up her mind which one of them she wanted to be with. She still loved Matt despite his cheating ways. But in the end, she had chosen to be with Brendon despite his flaws and the mystery behind his past.

I wanted her to consider at least digging into his past. I felt that if she could at least get ahold of his arrest record, it would give her some information regarding the kidnapping. He had told her that his ex-wife had shown up to his work and was making a scene. After asking her to step into his office, she refused. So, he picked her up and carried her into his office to stop everyone from overhearing his personal business. He claims that because he forcibly moved her, he was charged with kidnapping.

The story didn't make sense to me. The fact that he received a couple years in jail for it made even less sense. Now she had moved this man into her home and wanted to build a life with him, as well as a business. I knew she could barely afford to give him the money that she was talking about, and it was the money that she had put back for her business to get off the ground. I warned her about taking risks, and money management was something she didn't understand well.

Shelly's desperate need for love and attention baffled me. I knew many women like her; insecure and unsure of themselves. They desperately wanted to be loved, and the last thing I wanted was to be like one of those women.

After the horrible divorce that I had experienced, I doubted that there was a man out there that could turn things around and make me fall in love with him. My best friend from home assured me that this man existed; that he was out there somewhere, and I would find him someday. I told her I was positive that my soul mate, my true love, the one man who was meant for me, had been hit by a bus when he was a small child.

After such a long and drawn out divorce, the only thing I could think of was focusing on my career. It had taken me so long to get where I am now and to think that someone could come along and destroy my life the way my ex-husband had was something I would never allow again. I couldn't believe that I had spent almost my entire adult life with someone who was so narcissistic, cruel, and downright mean. The damage he had done not only to myself but to my children was something that I just could never rationalize.

Three

I CAME HOME FROM WORK on Friday from my last business meeting and started a fresh pot of coffee. I sat down at my desk and started going through the piles of paper on the new company I had just signed a contract with. They were trying to look for new ways to expand and stay competitive in an overly saturated design market.

I pulled out my laptop and started going through my emails. In the middle of all the business messages, there was one message from someone named Deuce that was sent from Match to my email as well as my phone. Out of curiosity, I opened it and began reading. He had responded to each little silly statement and sarcastic quip that I had put on my profile. Intrigued by his quick-witted comical replies, I opened his profile and began browsing.