On the Steamy Side - Louisa Edwards [63]
Lilah set her mouth in a stubborn line. “For you not to swear so much. That would be an excellent start. Beyond that . . . I guess I’d like to understand your situation a little better.”
Devon appraised her coolly, arms crossed over his chest, making his biceps bulge intimidatingly. “My situation. You mean you want to know how I became famous and successful?”
“More like how you ended up bitter and alone.”
The words dropped into the alley like rocks into a pond. Strung tighter than a fiddle string, Devon still managed to deliver a credible smirk.
“Ah, but that’s easy. The answer to both questions is the same.”
Lilah shook her head. “I don’t understand.”
A hard light glinted in his blue eyes, turning them steely. “You’re ready to blame Heather, aren’t you? Sweet Lilah Jane. If I told you Tucker’s mother blackmailed me into signing my rights away, you’d believe me. If I tearfully confessed how she keeps me locked out of my son’s life, never lets me speak to him or see him, you’d cry for me. But as happy as I’d be to paint Heather as the evil bitch here, and God knows the woman has her issues, it’s just too tired and hackneyed a script. I mean, come on,” Devon warmed to his theme, voice dripping with cold disdain. “Poor, misunderstood guy wants nothing more than to be a great daddy to his son, but vindictive, alcoholic mom won’t allow it.”
Bewildered, Lilah said, “So that’s not what happened? Heather didn’t cut you out?”
Devon laughed, a cutting noise that scraped over Lilah’s nerves. “Shit, no. I opted out. You think I could’ve built a media empire including a hit TV show, five restaurants, and my own line of cookware if I’d been running around changing diapers and watching Little League games?”
Lilah felt like someone had snatched the piece of pavement she was standing on out from under her. Devon gave up his paternal rights to further his career?
Standing stock-still, Lilah puzzled it through. “Why on earth are you saying this?”
“Because it’s true.” Devon shook his head in mock amazement. “It figures. For once, I’m being ruthlessly honest with a woman and she doesn’t even believe me.”
Lilah narrowed her eyes. “I believe you believe it. What I’m trying to figure is if you really are the kind of person who’s so self-involved you couldn’t go to a funeral without wanting to be the corpse—or if maybe, just maybe, you’re every bit as confused when it comes to your own motivations as everyone else on this complicated planet.”
“That’s cute, honey, but I haven’t made an uncalculated move since I was Tucker’s age. Fair warning.” Devon shrugged.
Lilah snorted indelicately. Shoot, she’d really been hanging around these uncouth chefs too much. “Right. That’s why every time Tucker even comes up in conversation, much less enters a room you happen to be in, you either hem and haw or downright freeze like a raccoon facing down the barrel of a shotgun.”
Devon ground his teeth audibly. The way his jaw tightened made the chiseled planes of his face stand out stark and dangerous. “Look. I’m trying, for once, to be a stand-up guy, and give you all the facts before you start building up dream castles in the sky where I’m the handsome prince under a curse and you’re the only maiden pure and brave enough to break it.”
Ouch. That one hit too close to home. Feeling blood heat her cheeks, Lilah shot back, “It’s a little hard to take you at your word when you’re telling me you don’t care about your own child. I’ve seen the way you look at him, Devon. You might be fooling yourself, but you’re not fooling me.”
Devon smiled. It was a nasty one. “Wow. Never underestimate the blinders on a do-gooder who happens to be hot for you, I guess.”
A haze clouded Lilah’s vision for a second—long enough for her to make a fist, bring her arm back, and land Devon a good one right on his beautiful, mocking mouth.
He doubled over, probably more in shock than pain.
“I might should’ve prefaced that with ‘Them’s fightin’ words,’ ” Lilah panted. “But I think you got the message anyhow.”
Wringing her sore hand, she turned on her heel