Deadly Games - Cate Noble [74]
Rocco needed to do the same. He shut her door and moved around the car.
“I’m sorry,” she said as soon as he climbed behind the wheel.
“Me too. But not for the kiss.”You married the wrong man. “I’m sorry you’re married.”
She laughed. “Oh, that’s right! How could I forget? You’re on your way to the airport.” Her voice took on a bitter edge. “Would you have preferred a fast fuck before you ran off—like you used to?”
“That is not how it was!”
“No? Obviously you don’t remember the last three times we were together.”
Rocco opened and closed his mouth. The last three times he and Gena had been together, he’d sneaked away from his assignment because he’d been desperate to see her. Even for just a few hours. Yeah, they had always ended up in bed because he couldn’t not want her. Just thinking of her set him on fire. Then and now.
“I can see how you’d think that,” he began. “And if I could go backward in time, I’d—”
“You’d what?”
Another car approached, this one slowing to look at them. Rocco started his SUV and pulled away.
“Never mind, don’t answer that,” she said. “Turn left at Willow, then take your first right into Brandy Aire.”
“I would have explained myself better,” he said. “Made sure you knew how much I cared and how hard it was to be away from you.”None of which matters now.
“Do you still care?”
Rocco hesitated again. Not because he didn’t know the answer, but because he wanted to know how she felt first. Why set himself up for more torment?
She sighed. “I shouldn’t have asked that.”
“So why did you? Do you still care, Gena? About me? About us? Are you happy with Harry?”
They were at her house now. Rocco pulled in the drive and turned toward her. That she was crying again made him feel like a heel.
“Let’s just drop it, okay?” he said.
“Oh, I forgot again! You’re late.” She worked to unlatch her seat belt. “No time to talk!”
“If I stayed, would you even remember what we talked about once you sobered up?”
Gena opened her door and didn’t look back. “Thank you for the lift. Good-bye.”
Rocco climbed out. “Gena, wait! I’m sorry. I’m behaving like a jackass. I wish we could talk. Just the two of us, but not here. Not like this. Meet me later.”
“Today? I thought you had a flight?”
“I’ll postpone my trip if you’ll go in and sleep it off. We can meet somewhere public, later this afternoon. What do you say? I think we owe each other that small courtesy.”
At first Rocco didn’t think she’d respond. She took three steps away, then turned. And for the first time her eyes looked focused.
“There’s a small café at Blue Mountain Square. Melita’s. They have private booths. I’ll meet you there at four.”
By four-fifteen, Rocco was pissed. He’d been at Melita’s thirty minutes, arriving early to get a corner booth. And to mentally rehearse his words one more time. Now he wondered if he’d get the chance to say them.
Was she coming? It hadn’t occurred to him that he no longer had Gena’s cell phone number. Since he and Harry worked together, he had Harry’s home phone number, but he didn’t want to call it.
If she didn’t show up in the next ten minutes, that would be his sign.
He sipped his coffee, willing her to walk through the doors. But with each passing minute his hopes sank. Finally, he stood and signaled for the waitress.
What exactly had he hoped to accomplish with this little meeting? An understanding? Of what? Of her drinking problem? Of why she’d married Harry instead of giving him a second chance?
Outside, Rocco headed west, toward his car. A familiar voice called out his name. “Taylor!”
It was Harry Gambrel.
Rocco turned as Harry and Gena approached. She had a fur coat wrapped tightly around her as if she was freezing.
“Hey, buddy! Weather screwed up your flight schedule too, eh?” Harry thrust out his hand.
Rocco shook it and then greeted Gena.
“Nice to see you, again,” she murmured.
She was dressed up and looked more like her old self except for the lack of a smile. And though she appeared sober, no recognition lit her eyes. Had she been too drunk this morning to even remember their conversation?