Five

I was seething. Hate and anger enveloped me, I felt my temperature rise.

He got what he deserved. That reputation he's been trying so hard to manage, that reputation he was willing to sacrifice his daughter for, he deserved all of it going down the sewer.

"Eva! Eva, stop right now!"

I kept walking, ignoring his yells and curses as I listened to whatever Mira and Chloe were discussing about it. 

"You think you're so clever?" He was closer now, his footsteps hard on the pavement behind us. "You think you just ruined everything and there won't be consequences? My stepbrother was supposed to be here. He was supposed to see—"

I handed Lily to Mira. “Please take her to the car.” Mira nodded and grabbed Lily, walking away.

I then turned slowly to face the bastard. The look on his face almost made me laugh. He wasn't heartbroken, Jace wasn't devastated that his wedding isn’t happening or that I'm leaving him. He was furious because his performance had been interrupted.

"Your stepbrother," I repeated flatly. "Right. The one you needed to impress, the one you needed to show what a perfect family man you'd become with a beautiful daughter and a sweet obedient wife. You know what that sounds like, Jace? It sounds like a you problem.”

His jaw tightened. "You don't understand what's at stake, you ruined everything just because of your jealousy. I told you! Selene is just a business partner."

Jealous? Of being fucked in a rundown hotel?

“Well now I'm concerned. Do you fuck every business partner you come across to please them? I'm curious. But if you don't then I believe your whore is the only exception. Since I'm no longer interested, you can have her take my position. I'm sure your brother won't care.” I took a step back. "Don't follow me, Jace. Don't call me. If you want to see Lily, you can go through a lawyer like every other divorced parent on the planet, and don't even think about custody. The video of you is circulating, you might wanna study what the law says about that..."

"We're not divorced. We're not even married, Eva. Please stop this nonsense."

"Lucky me."

I turned around and walked away. Heading for Chloe's car packed across the street. I didn't look back even when I heard him swear and kick something that clattered across the asphalt. Chloe and I exchanged a glance but said nothing. We were about to cross the road when I collided with a solid wall of chest and had to stumble back to keep from dragging Chloe down with me.

"I'm so sorry, I wasn't looking—"

Oh my fucking shit.

It…it's him? What is he doing here?

I looked at Chloe to catch her staring at me, confused.

He looked different in the daylight. Better, if that was possible. The dim bar lights hadn't done justice to the sharp cut of his jaw or the color of his eyes and the lines of sun from the room didn't do any justice either. Those impossible dark eyes that seemed to swallow light, looking at me with an expression I couldn't quite read.

I looked away again, feeling heat go up to my cheeks.

Why him of all people?

“Well,” he said, and his voice was the same low rumble I remembered from the bar, and the moment before he'd kissed me senseless. "This is a surprise."

Chloe squirmed in my arms, and I pinched her arm automatically, my face heating as the memory of last night crashed over me in full color. 

Why here of all places?

Was he also invited to the wedding?

"I—" I started, then stopped, having absolutely no idea what to say to a stranger I'd practically, shamelessly attacked in a hallway twelve hours ago.

Chloe rubbed her arm, staring at him with open curiosity. But she picked up on my mortification immediately and gently moved away.

"Let's give you a minute, yeah?" she said brightly, shooting me a look that clearly meant you're going to explain this later. “This seems to be important. I'll be in the car.” She patted my arm and crossed the street, getting into the car.

Betrayer.

He didn't say a word, as if waiting for me to do so. Looking at me with that unreadable expression, I became acutely aware of how I must look. Chloe's black dress, my hair probably windblown from the walk, and mascara that had definitely seen better days.

"I should apologize," I finally managed. "For last night. I was—it was—"

"Drunk?" He offered, and there was the smallest curve at the corner of his mouth.

"Very drunk." I pressed my fingers to my temples. "And not myself. And I'm not usually the kind of person who—who does things like that. With strangers. In bars."

Where's the earth when I need it to swallow me!

"The bar was your choice, I seem to recall. I was just walking to my meeting."

I groaned internally. "Right. Your meeting. You said you had work. And I just—attacked you."

"Kiss might be the right word," he corrected, and that curve became something closer to a smile. "There's a difference."

"Is there?"

I mean, I attacked him. It'd be rape if somehow we didn't stop, but it was assault.

"One implies force. The other implies..." He paused, considering. "Mutual interest."

My stomach flipped in a way I absolutely did not want to examine. I cleared my throat and took a step back, putting distance between us.

"Well. Whatever it was, I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

He chuckled. "I'm not sure I want an apology."

I blinked at him. "What?"

“I'm not sure I regret it. Do you?"

Yes…

…No… 

Ugh! I didn't know. I'd spent the whole morning drowning in shame, but standing here now, looking at him, all I could remember was the way it felt to be wanted for five minutes. To be kissed like I was something precious instead of convenient.

"That's not the point," I said, aiming for firm and landing somewhere closer to flustered. "I don't even know your name."

"Dante." He said it simply. "And you're Eva."

Uh..what? 

I frowned. "How do you know my name?"

He nodded toward the venue behind me, the doors still open, the chaos still audible from here. "The bride who just publicly destroyed her cheating fiancé? Word travels fast. Also, your friend was shouting it earlier from the car, I don't think you noticed."

Right. Of course. I was probably the talk of every guest in there. The jilted bride who'd gone scorched earth on her way out. Lovely.

“It's a lovely scene, if you ask me.”

Is he crazy?