Page 49

SINCLAIR

Monty’s tail is wagging as we stand outside Denver’s front door. I take a deep breath, trying to push down the annoyance that’s fizzing inside my stomach like a shaken bottle of soda.

I’m overreacting. Acting spoiled.

So he didn’t call me back last night? So what?

But then I think about the way I called Sullivan after not hearing back from Denver, and he informed me Denver had left work hours before.

I’m pissed. And… worried. But mostly pissed.

I huff in frustration. His text couldn’t have been vaguer. That’s why I’m standing here at seven a.m. after barely any sleep because I was thinking about him all night.

I’ve brought our two travel mugs, his filled with vanilla coffee, exactly the way he likes it. Maybe something’s wrong and he’ll be grateful for it as he lets me inside and I can help him with whatever it is he has going on.

“You ready to bust some balls, Baby?” I ask Monty.

He looks up at me.

“Yeah, some sidekick you are. You’re going to lick Denver all over the minute you see him, aren’t you?”

His tail wags faster the second he hears Denver’s name.

I smile at him and bang on the door.

Nothing happens for ages.

Then the door finally opens.

“Hello.”

I stare at the woman who’s answered, then glance up and down the hallway, and back at the door, checking the number. But I’m definitely at the correct door.

“Um… Hi,” I reply, bringing my attention back to her.

But it’s not her face that catches my attention. It’s her long, bare legs, and the shirt she’s wearing.

The one I bought for Denver in London.

“Are you here to see Denver?” she asks.

She’s not wearing any makeup, and her hair is tousled like she’s just gotten out of bed. Her cheeks have a glow to them.

She’s beautiful.

And familiar.

“Uh… you’re Dixie’s mom, right?” I ask, still taking her in. She looks exactly like she does in all of the photographs at Denver’s cabin. Only better. And less dressed.

“Yeah, I am. I’m Lizzie.” She smiles at me, and I force myself to return it out of politeness, when in reality I just barfed a little in my mouth.

“Mommy?”

My eyes move to the little girl who’s appeared beside her. Lizzie wraps an arm around her as the little girl looks up at me with big green eyes. Dixie.

“I’ll go and fetch Denver and tell him you’re here…?”

“Sinclair,” I offer as Lizzie looks at me.

There’s no recognition in her expression. Zero. She has no idea who I am because Denver’s obviously never mentioned me.

The realization twists at my stomach, sharp and unexpected.

My grip tightens on the coffee mugs as Lizzie leans back, keeping her hand curled around the door as she calls out Denver’s name into the apartment.

“We’re here to visit my daddy,” Dixie says, smiling at Monty as his butt wiggles at the prospect of more attention. He loves Molly and kids in general.

I loosen my grip a little on Denver’s mug, the same hand I’m holding his leash in, so he can move closer to her.

“He’s really friendly. You can pet him if that’s okay with your mommy,” I offer, my attention fixed on her, looking for more similarities to go with the green eyes.

Lizzie nods, and Dixie bends, giggling in delight as Monty licks and fusses around her.

I’m still staring at them both when Lizzie calls for Denver again.

“I’ll go and get him,” she says when he doesn’t appear.

I lift my eyes upward, but I only get as far as her bare thighs in Denver’s shirt before Dixie is ushered back inside and the door is closed in my face.

“Oh my god!” I scoff.

She really has no idea who I am. She’s probably thinking I’m some weird woman with a crush, or a jilted one-night stand who’s turned up uninvited. She’s not even comfortable enough leaving the door open as she goes to get him.

I stand like an idiot with Monty, hovering on the doorstep.

A few seconds pass before the door flies open.

“Sinclair?”

Denver’s naked except for a towel wrapped low on his hips, one that’s doing nothing to hide the outline of his dick. His hair is wet and there are beads of water running down his chest.

The same delicious masculine herbal scent that surrounded him when he showered in my apartment that first time hits my nose as his stormy eyes capture mine.

“I told you I’d call you. What are you doing here?”

His brusque tone is like a slap to the face.

“I’m sorry, I…” He glances back into the apartment, his voice lowering to a soft whisper. “What are you doing here, Princess?”

“I brought you coffee,” I say lamely. I regain my composure, jerking it toward him, and snapping, “What’s going on?”

Our hands collide and the mug gets knocked to one side. It falls to the floor and the lid shoots off, spraying the dark liquid all over the floor.

I step back, tugging on Monty’s leash so he doesn’t step in it as it forms a puddle.

“Sinclair.”

I look up into Denver’s eyes. There are small creases at the corners. The same ones he gets when he’s tired because we’ve been up all night together… fucking.

He reaches for me, but I take a step back, my eyes dropping over his freshly showered torso. “I didn’t realize you had company.”

“Lizzie and Dixie are…” He glances back into the apartment again, turmoil swimming in his eyes as he looks back at me. “I didn’t know they were coming until they showed up last night. I was going to call you, but… they hadn’t planned on staying over.”

“I figured as much, judging by the fact she’s wearing your shirt.”

Denver’s brows lower. “It’s not like that. Nothing happened. I told her to grab something of mine. I didn’t know she picked up that one until just now.”

“I believe you,” I say, rather unconvincingly.

“But I get it… she’s turned up to see you, and she’s Dixie’s mom, who is adorable, by the way.

” I sniff, flicking my eyes away from his as I fight to hold myself together.

“You guys must have a lot to talk about. And once you’re done, you and I should talk too. ”

I meet his eyes, faking a composure that is rapidly crumbling.

“Sinclair,” he rasps. “Don’t… it’s not like that. She’s not…” He drops a hand to hold the waistband of his towel together as he steps closer to me. “I’m in…” He searches my eyes with a determined intensity, but exhales without finishing what he was going to say.

His minty breath hits my lips, and I ache to lean forward and be kissed by him. And for him to not have the woman he loved and lost half naked in his apartment right now, wearing the shirt I bought for him.

“It’s fine.” I swallow hard, flicking my hair over my shoulder for something to do that will stop me from touching him. “I only came to see if you were okay. I can see that you are, so we’ll talk later, okay?”

“Sin—”

“It’s fine, Denver,” I lie, meeting his gaze with a final cold flick of my own.

I walk away before he can say another word.