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I didn’t want to take him to my bedroom, so we stepped onto the back patio. There wasn't much to the backyard, but we’d strung up some discounted Christmas lights and put a used picnic table out. The setup made it look so magical and happy back here.

“What did you need to talk about?” I asked.

His expression quickly changed from amicable to accusatory. “Griffen Industries canceled all their accounts with Green Line.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Okay?”

“I know you had something to do with it.”

His anger had no place back here, but neither did my own. “Caleb, I don’t know what you want me to do about it. I work in interior design. It’s not like I have anything to do with the company’s insurance decisions.”

Raising his eyebrows, he gestured at the house behind him. “Where did all this stuff come from?”

What the hell did this have to do with insurance? “I told you I bought it online, but I'm not really sure how that's any of your business anymore.”

“I know how much things cost, Farrah. The average salary for an interior designer in Dallas couldn’t afford all this. You're lucky to be making rent and utilities and getting the kids what they need for school. And I know you're not that great with money.”

I was already getting angry, but that last line shoved me over the edge. “The only reason I'm not great with money was because you insisted on controlling it for our entire marriage. And now I know it’s because you didn’t want me to see all the shit you were buying for your mistresses. The only thing that I had control over was a budget for activities with the kids and groceries. I've had to figure this out on my own, get a job after sacrificing my career to take care of our children and support your career. But I'm figuring it out.”

A smug look dawned on his face. “I’m sure you are.”

“What the hell does that mean?” I practically growled. I didn't know why it was important to me, but I needed him to know that I’d been thriving without him. “For your information, I got a job, a great job. And I work for a man who believes in me and supports me, and he pays me what I'm worth.”

A sneer curved Caleb’s upper lip. “I knew it. You’re fucking him.” He pointed his finger at me. “That’s why they fired Green Line and that’s how you have all this shit.”

White flashed over my eyes. “Get out of my house,” I said through clenched teeth.

“You're kicking me out?”

“You do not speak to me like that anymore. This is my home that I pay for with my money from my job. And while I will always give you access to the kids and make sure that you have chances to visit them and talk to them on the phone, staying inmyhouse is not a necessity. You are welcome to book a hotel tonight or drive back to your place, but you cannot stay here unless you sincerely apologize and change your behavior.”

“You're such a bitch,” he spat.

My voice shook with rage, and I barely held back angry tears. “No. I'm just not your doormat anymore. Go tell the kids that you need to go.”

He glared at me before walking inside and said, “Kids, your mom asked me to leave. I'll see you later.” And then he walked out the front door, leaving me to deal with the fallout as his engine roared in the night.

24

Gage

After a morning session at the gym, I showered and grabbed one of the blue suits from my closet with a tie Farrah had complimented me on a few weeks back. On the way to The Retreat, I stopped by a coffee shop and got Farrah her favorite drink. It was called a “turtle mocha,” and even though I liked my coffee a little sweet, this was practically dessert for breakfast.

My mind flashed back to Friday night, in the early hours of the morning as we sat cross-legged on the bed, breakfast between us. She’d looked so damn cute with one of the hotel robes wrapped around her, a smile on her lips only for me, as she fed me a piece of a chocolate chip pancake.

I hoped we could do that again, and soon.

Parking my car in the lot, I grabbed the coffee before heading to the front door. Cliff lifted his chin in a nod as I walked inside, not quite meeting my eyes. Luckily, I’d had the foresight to make security sign an NDA, requiring them not to share private details about me. But Cliff was a good guy. I trusted him anyway.

When I got to the conference room, I set the coffee in front of Farrah’s chair. The place felt so empty and cold without her here, making me wonder how it would feel when I moved back to my regular office. Working alongside her was some of the best fun that I'd had in years.

I liked accomplishing tasks and reaching new goals, but hearing the way she spoke to vendors and listening to her funny stories about her kids... it added a light to my day I wasn't used to.

On top of the incredible sex?

I was screwed.

Because we both knew this relationship couldn’t go anywhere. Honestly, I’d hoped banging one out with her would help me get her out of my system, but it was like the more I had of her, the more I wanted.