Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 133213 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 666(@200wpm)___ 533(@250wpm)___ 444(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 133213 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 666(@200wpm)___ 533(@250wpm)___ 444(@300wpm)
But Tristan had found something he loved more than them, something that fulfilled him in a way no relationship ever could. If it was anything but what she suspected, they could probably work it out.
But Tristan’s secret love left no place for anything else. Not in the end.
Still, she thought she should be thorough.
“Is there another woman?” She didn’t ask about a man. Tristan and Aidan loved each other, but they’d never seemed to want to get physical past sharing her.
“No.” He didn’t hesitate. “I’ve been faithful to you. I would never cheat on you. Hell, I don’t even look at other women.”
“He wouldn’t,” Aidan said with a frown. “He’s just being a dick.”
“How is it being a dick to want to do my job?” Tristan argued.
The job was the problem. “Why didn’t you come home when you could? You had leave two months ago.”
A fine flush hit Tristan’s face, but he otherwise didn’t react. “I had some things I needed to take care of.”
She bet he did. “Were you auditioning?”
Aidan frowned. “Auditioning?”
He was a brilliant man. A truly gifted surgeon who would someday save so many lives, but he missed some of the small details of life. Carys took care of them. “For the Agency.”
A gasp came from Aidan. “He wouldn’t.”
“He did.” She knew it because of all the secrecy surrounding him. Her cousins would stop talking when she walked in a room. Her uncle was an excellent liar—not a bad trait when working in espionage—but even she could see he’d been uncomfortable talking to her when she brought up the wedding. “Did you even have to audition or did the twins finally make all their dreams come true?”
Her cousins Kala and Kenzie Taggart had grown up wanting to be like their mom and dad. Their father—Carys’s uncle—had been a CIA operative, and their mom an information broker. She loved her cousins, but they played dangerous games. Games that were about to kill her relationship.
Tristan sat there as though he wasn’t sure what to say.
Because his life was classified now.
She felt the wall between them, the wall he’d built without even asking how they felt about it.
“Have you had a chance to look at the menu?” The waiter obviously hadn’t noticed the tension.
Carys put her napkin on her plate and moved to pick up her purse. “I don’t think I’m hungry anymore.”
“Carys,” Tristan began and his voice had gone deep and low.
He was the Dom in the relationship. The one who needed control to be fully himself. Aidan liked to drift between roles, and she was the sweet sub.
But even a sub knew when to walk away.
She shook her head. “You don’t get to use your Dom voice on me, Tristan.”
Aidan started to stand.
She shook her head. “Don’t. You need to make your peace with him so we can see if we can move on. I’ll be fine because I’m going to walk one block down to Top and get a drink, and you can pick me up there when you’re done.”
“Carys Taggart,” Tristan began.
Aidan held out a hand. “Give her a minute, man, unless you want her to explode.”
Tristan settled back down. “This isn’t over.”
Carys walked out. Because it sure felt like it was.
* * * *
“I think I’ll have another Scotch on the rocks. The Macallan 20.” Tristan sat back and forced himself not to run after the love of his life. She didn’t understand. She couldn’t possibly understand, but if Aidan was still sitting here, he had a chance.
“Just bring the bottle,” Aidan said, his jaw going stubborn.
Oh, this could get nasty. Aidan was punishing him via credit card. The good news? His credit card didn’t have a limit.
The waiter’s focus went back to Tris, his eyes going wide. “Sir, the cost would be…”
Horrifically expensive. Yeah, he got it. Nothing mattered except placating Aidan right now. “We’ll take two glasses, and have the chef make some chicken wings.”
“We don’t have those on the menu.”
This poor guy. “And yet he will make them. Tell him I’m in the presidential suite.”
“Of course.” The waiter turned and walked back inside.
He should have done this in his suite. In the suite, he could have shown her this wasn’t the end. In the suite, he could have gotten her underneath him, and there would be no question about how he felt.
“You’re a coward.”
Tristan closed his eyes and took a long breath. He’d known this would be a difficult conversation. “How? Because I assure you there’s not a lot cowardly about the work I’m doing. I’m putting myself in harm’s way for my country. I’m sorry I couldn’t be some office worker for you.”
“I’m talking about how you did this.” Aidan sat back, staring at him, gesturing around at the luxurious surroundings they were in. “This conspicuous show of wealth doesn’t help you.”