Anger and a strange sense of satisfaction flooded me when Stephanie Webb turned at the sound, shame and embarrassment flashing across her features before she settled on unease.
“You can’t be here without a visitor’s pass,” she said, lifting her chin and trying to put as much strength behind her words as her worry allowed.
“You shouldn’t shove your fake tits in my husband’s face, but here we are.”
Her eyes widened and darted everywhere, as if the entire town didn’t already know some version of the truth, and landed on me when I stopped a few feet in front of her.
“As much as I love your version of what took place, you really think he wouldn’t come home and tell me what actually happened?” I asked, voice edged with steel. “But beyond that, you think you would’ve ever had a chance with him? Bitch, he’s married. And despite what you deluded yourself into thinking, I know how to keep my man satisfied and keep him from straying to whores like you.”
Anger and humiliation flared in her eyes as she pointed behind me, her voice rising to match mine. “It’s time you leave. This is incredibly inappropriate behavior for a school.”
A sharp, disgusted laugh burst from me. “Says the woman who stripped naked and waited for my husband to find her in his school office,” I ground out, enunciating the last words. “You were trashy in high school and you’re trashy now. Next time you try tricking someone into fucking you, make sure he’s single . . . or at the very least interested.”
Beau was suddenly there, pushing past Stephanie and coming for me. The corner of his mouth twitching like he was fighting a smile, eyes like fire and burning with a look that had my heart pounding out a wild beat as my stomach erupted into chaos.
All primal need and blatant hunger.
Without slowing, he curled his arm around me and pulled me against his side, quickly leading me back the way I’d come.
“God damn,” he whispered under his breath as we pushed out of the main office and into the hall, turning for the large doors that led outside. “Do you have any idea how badly I want you right now?”
I glanced up at him, taking in the sharp line of his jaw as he clenched it tight, and felt a small smile tug at my lips. “Show me.”
A groan rolled up his throat as he stopped us a handful of feet outside, turning to face me while keeping me in his arms. “Tempted,” he said tightly. “I gotta finish a meeting in there. I’m also supposed to be at Sawyer’s right now, so I’ll have to run by there for a second after school’s out.” His head dipped low, eyes holding mine when he continued, voice all gravel and sex. “But when I get home, I’m fucking you wherever I find you.”
A shiver rolled through my body at the words that held a hint of warning. “I’ll be waiting.”
He pressed a hard kiss to my mouth, his tongue slipping between my lips and giving me the cruelest tease before he pulled away and took a step toward the doors again, mischief lighting his eyes. “As much as I loved it, maybe don’t come into the school, yelling and calling people whores . . . especially when they’ve just been fired.”
I inhaled quickly but tried to recover. “Oh no,” I said dully. “How sad.”
“Right.” The word was all disbelief as a whisper of a laugh scraped up his throat. “Go enjoy the rest of your day.”
“Hey!” At the questioning lift of his chin, I gestured over my shoulder in the direction of our house. “Thank you for my flowers.”
One of his rare smiles flashed, his dimples greeting me for a moment before he pushed on the door. “Angel,” he murmured before disappearing inside.
I turned, heading for my SUV and already feeling infinitely lighter than I had hours before and wondering if I should feel bad for any of the things I’d unloaded on Stephanie Webb before deciding I didn’t care.
Not then, at least.
Later, when talk in the town shifted to her, I knew I might. I knew I would go over all the other ways I could’ve handled it. But as I climbed into my car and started toward my original destination, I kept thinking of all the hate-on-Beau messages I’d been receiving because of what Stephanie had done. What she’d tried to do, happily taking Beau down and dragging our marriage through the streets of Amber even when she hadn’t gotten what she wanted.
And I knew if I had to do it all over again, I’d go right back into the school and unleash every pent-up thought.
But as I pulled up to Madison Black’s childhood home, there were no pent-up thoughts, and that lighter feeling seemed to be disappearing with every second because I had absolutely no idea how this would go.
I just knew it needed to be done.
With a steadying breath, I turned off my SUV and climbed out. Taking in the two-story house I’d spent so much time in growing up before landing on the window of Madison’s old bedroom, mostly hidden behind the large tree that had always been our source of mischief.
Stepping onto the porch, I lifted my hand to knock just as the door was opened, revealing a bouncing Avalee and Madison.
“We—” Madison’s words cut off when she saw me there, shock covering her face.
“Wyatt’s mommy!” Avalee shouted. “Did you bring my friends, Wyatt and Quinn, with you?”
“Not this time,” I said and tried to offer her the biggest smile even though my emotions had gone all over the place when they opened the door. “They’re hanging out with their grandparents this week—but next time, okay?”
“Did you hear that, Mommy?” she asked, looking up at Madison. When Madison didn’t respond, Avalee looked back at me. “We’re going to see my Hunter.”
“Oh,” I said, stepping back.
“No,” Madison said so quickly it stopped me in place. “No, uh . . . later. We’ll go see him later.” She dropped her bag unceremoniously on the floor and then placed her hands on Avalee’s shoulders, turning her back into the house. “Go find Mamaw. Ask if you can help her water the flowers.”
I gestured awkwardly between Madison, my car, and where Avalee was already darting away. “I don’t wanna stop y’all—”
“It’s fine, trust me,” she said just as fast, voice pleading. “You wanna come in?” Her face creased in a mixture of regret and hope. “We can sit on the floor and plan out a woman-scorned revenge against me.”
Confusion moved through me as I took a hesitant step inside until her words tugged at a memory, forcing a stunned laugh from me.
“I can’t believe you’re not screaming over this,” I’d said to Madison when she’d explained all about her ex-husband’s long-term affair. “Or breaking down—something. I’d be an inconsolable mess, curled up on the floor, planning out a woman-scorned revenge.”
“Yeah,” Madison whispered as she shut the door behind me and led the way into the living room. “I imagined you doing exactly that if you ever found out.”
“I never did.” My head slanted as I amended, “I did end up on the floor a lot . . . just not planning my revenge.”
Her smile was all pain when she faced me as we reached the couches. Just as she started to sit, she stopped and asked, “Can I get you anything? Water, coffee . . . whiskey . . .”