No Reservations - Megan Hart [0]
Megan Hart and Lauren Dane
Chapter 1
Standing, Kate took a deep breath and smiled tightly at the other women in the house. 'I'm going to go and read for a while. Good night, everyone.'
Adriennc, Dix's younger daughter, ignored her, continuing to chatter to her mother who'd ensconced herself on the couch, right where Kate had been sitting for the last four days. Yes, Eve, the girls' mother. Dix's ex-wife. Still, Kendall, the older girl, got up and hugged her. 'Night, Kate. Sure you don't want to watch this movie with us? Gerard Butler, tiny leather undies? Come on, what's to say no in that?'
Kate laughed, liking Kendall a lot. Still, even her secret celebrity boyfriend in leather undies wasn't enough to keep her in this wood-panelled room filled with memories and Eve Dixon who'd jus: shown up a few hours before.
Dix looked up from his paper, surrounded by the women in his life and met her eyes. He had that look in them. Oh no, he did not even think she was flicking him now!
'I'll come too." He stood, putting the paper down.
Kate took a step away from him. 'No. No, it's Pine. You don't need to. I'm going to sleep right away anyway.' She sent him a look which he conveniently ignored.
He kissed and hugged each one or his daughters and nodded at Eve before he turned back to Kate. Grabbing her, he pulled her to his body and kissed her. It was quick but he made his point. Pickles. Kate's not-so-nice nickname for the ex-wife, saw it and her eyes narrowed. Kate stifled the desire to pop her one.
'Of course I don't need to. But I'm tired and I've already seen this movie with you four times. I can give time number five a pass.' The look in his eyes told Kate he wasn't going to be swayed. He wanted what he wanted and he was certainly not above turning her into a puddle of goo if he had to.
A brittle cough interrupted their little struggle. 'Well OK then! Gosh I sure do appreciate you sharing the holidays with me, Katie. It's lonely you know, being a mom without her babies,' Pickles chirped. 'It's just you and me, girls.'
Bitch.
Resisting, only barely, her urge to slap the shit out of Pickles for calling her Katie, Kate dug her nails into her palms and left the room. She climbed the stairs towards their shared bedroom, the heat from his body right at her back so she couldn't escape. Once inside, she glared at him but he'd moved to build a fire in the fireplace.
'I know you're mad. I didn't know she was coming. I'll talk to her tomorrow.' He spoke as he worked, his back to her.
'Don't talk to me with your back." She knew it sounded petulant but so be it. His ex-wire, a woman who seemed terminally unable to do stuff like open pickle jars without his assistance, had just shown up on the porch unannounced! And she called her Katie. She was not a Katie. And if she was, that thundert wat downstairs would not have the privilege of calling her that anyway. Over [he-months she and Dix had been seeing each other, the woman had gotten worse and worse. It had gotten to the point where Dix spent most of their time together at her place since Eve wouldn't dare show up there. Unfortunately, she'd taken to showing up lots of other places and Kate found that distasteful as well as pitiable. It was beyond over between Dix and his ex. That Eve was being so pathetic now with her attempts to break him and Kate up spoke volumes about how crazy or how clueless the woman was.
Finishing up, Dix covered the grate and turned to face her, the corner of his mouth twitching. 'There, it should warm up in here soon. For now, let's preserve our body heat, shall we? I hear two people naked are good for that sort of thing.' He tossed his sweater to the side, tousling his hair and looking very tasty. Bastard.
'Well, I'm sure Pickles will be glad to snuggle up to you then. You may have noticed, Charles, I'm not in the mood. I'm going to read and then I'm going to sleep. Fully clothed.'
'Do you really want me to go downstairs to a woman I ceased loving a long time ago and have been divorced from for nine years now? When you're right