Games of the Heart (The 'Burg #4)(33)

Mike burst out laughing.

Through his laughter he heard, “Though, not Debbie’s. I know her contact info and I’m not gonna go there. If she knew I left her off that list, I think she’d thank me.”

He kept laughing but this time Dusty stayed silent and let him sober.

Then he explained, “Hunter told me LeBrec came calling.”

“He did. Get this, he did this to inform me he was done with our separation. Separation!” she hooted the last word. “Told you he was clueless.”

Clueless. Definitely. Psycho was also a possibility.

“You have any more problems with him?” Mike asked.

“Not so far but seeing as I’m entertaining half of the local PD and the Sheriff’s police, handing out cups of my expensive, exclusive, only available on the internet and in some countries it’s so revered it’s used as currency coffee even Beau’s not stupid enough to go there.”

“Good,” Mike muttered thinking Rivera’s donut payback went from a dozen to about ten of them.

“Been crazy busy but since I’ve looked everywhere and can’t find it, I’m giving up the ghost and going to the mall tomorrow and getting a new cell. I’ll text you with the number.”

“Right.”

“This sucks,” she went on. “I need this like a hole in the head. Totally behind already and the closest mall is half an hour away in the city. Not to mention, my life was in that phone. I lost everything.”

“You got it backed up on computer?”

“Yeah, seeing as I’m so organized, I think the last time I did that was 1997. So it’s all good.”

Mike chuckled through his, “Sorry Angel.”

“Me too,” she muttered.

Mike moved the conversation into territory he needed to take her pulse on just to get it over with. He got confirmations on what he guessed was that Dusty had not yet called Debbie to broker their deal, Rhonda was still in a state and her parents had decided that the initial one week would be three.

“Good news is,” she finished, “my schedule I did keep on my computer and after the show, I’m pretty clear. So I hope to head back up.”

That was good news.

“Look forward to that, darlin’,” he said softly.

“Want a preview of things to come?” she asked softly back.

“And those would be?”

She told him. She did it in detail. He listened to her come while she did it and then she kept doing it until she gave him the same.

Her imagination was a f**kuva lot better than his was.

And her voice was sweet and breathy when she whispered, “That sounded nice.”

His voice was low and growly when he whispered back, “It was.”

“God, I’m getting excited again just thinking about doing those things to you.”

Jesus. Dusty. She let it all hang out.

He liked that.

“Next chance we get of bein’ together and naked, I call first go,” he declared.

“I’m not gonna argue with that,” she murmured.

He grinned.

“Mike?” she called.

“Yeah, Angel?”

“I missed you. I know you’re busy too and I don’t want to ask you to call around the houses to find me but, you know, you’re welcome to call any phone. That’s why I gave you all my numbers. So when you were thinking of me, you could let me know.”

Fuck, he liked that too.

“Got it,” he replied quietly.

“I know you understand, having been married and all. You can catch hints. But when I’m telling you I’m busy and things are nuts, that doesn’t mean I’m too busy to hear from you. I’m never too busy to hear from you. Okay?”

And f**k, he liked that too.

“Okay, sweetheart.”

“Don’t worry about Beau,” she told him.

Impossible.

“Right,” was all he said.

“And Clarisse is your girl. You’re a good guy and I’m sure a good Dad. She’ll sort her shit out.”

That he wasn’t certain of.

“Right. You done making me feel better?” Mike asked.

“Unless you faked it, I think so,” Dusty answered.

Mike chuckled again.

Then he said softly, “Right, Angel. I need to clean the proof I didn’t fake it off me and hit the sack.”

“Okay, honey.”

She was back to breathy.

She liked the idea of him jacking off while she whispered dirty shit in his ear and she liked it a lot.

Jesus, he liked that too.

“Later, darlin’,” he whispered.

“Later, gorgeous,” she whispered back.

Mike hit the button to disconnect. Then he got up, went to the bathroom and cleaned up. Then he went to his bedroom, pulled on a tee over his pajama bottoms, left his room and moved down the hall.

Clarisse’s door was closed. He opened it, shoved his head in and looked through the dark at the lumps her body caused under the covers.

He loved his girl. Definitely. He had it perfect, one of both, a boy and a girl. He’d had suspicions early he had far from perfect from their mother but she gave him perfect with their two kids.

But she’d also taught them to lie early on. This she did by taking them shopping with her and making it a game, keeping what she bought from their Dad.