Beautiful Broken Promises(30)

I slowly retreated backward out of the bathroom. “Oh, don’t even try that playboy smile on me. It won’t work, mister.”

I clutched my chest. “Playboy smile? I’m offended!” I exclaimed teasingly.

She shrugged her shoulders in a knowing fashion, the action causing her breasts to rise and fall heavily. I wanted to pounce on her.

I started to speak and she held up a finger to stop me. “You’re probably about to defend yourself, but I don’t need you to. Guys who look like you are playboys. I knew guys like you before...” She paused and seemed to consider her words carefully. “I just knew guys like you.” Her sexy smile told me she was messing with me, but I could tell she still believed her words.

“I’m sure you didn’t know anyone like me,” I had to add.

“Oh yeah? Tell me this, Lane, when was the last time you had sex?”

I cringed instantly. I knew I had just given myself away, but I still didn’t want to answer. I couldn’t tell her that I had actually been in bed with a girl when I got the call to go to Mexico.

“Wow, that recent, huh?” She chuckled at my unease and gently pushed me out of the bathroom so she could finish up.

With the door quietly closed in my face, I had to think hard about why I didn’t like her knowing I had been with another woman not so long ago. She didn’t know me. Hell, I didn’t know her. I shouldn’t even care. I had Kate to worry about right now.

A knock on the hotel room door pushed my battling thoughts into the back of my mind. I greeted the gentleman and allowed him to push the full-service cart through the doorway. He lifted up the tablecloth to show me that there was more underneath. We both laughed at my over-eagerness as he backed his way out of the room.

I had the kids set up at the table with all of their choices and glasses of milk before I decided to take two more plates into the other room.

“Raegan and I are going to be in the other room eating, is that okay?” I asked the two of them.

“Yep!” they simultaneously responded with chipmunk-cheek smiles. They really were hungry. I shouldn’t have let them go that long without something to eat.

I heard Raegan turn on the blow dryer as I made my way into the connecting room. I figured I had a few moments to myself since her hair was so long and decided to use that time to finally call Audrey back, even though I was dying to shovel food in my mouth. I had gone long enough not talking to her. I knew she would be pissed at me and it made my stomach churn at the idea. I hated when people were upset with me, but Audrey... I just couldn’t let it go any longer.

I picked up the phone receiver next to the bed and dialed Audrey’s number that I had memorized by heart long ago. She wouldn’t recognize the number, but I hoped she would still answer.

After three rings, I heard Jace’s brusque voice ask, “Hello?”

“Quit being so damn overprotective and hand her the phone,” I laughed.

“You wouldn’t want me to be any other way.” He had a point. I could sleep easier when I left knowing Jace would protect Audrey better than I could. But that was only because he slept with her. “You may not want me to hand the phone over to her right now...” he warned with humor in his voice.

“Who is that, Jace?” I heard Audrey’s familiar voice call. Jace didn’t answer so I knew he had to have been giving her a telling look. “Give me that phone right now,” she practically growled.

Yeah, I had some explaining to do and she wasn’t going to let me off easy.

“What would you have done if I refused to answer your calls or texts for days?” she bit into the line.

“Doll, I need to tell you something very important right now,” I soothed.

“What would you have done, Lane!?”

I sighed heavily, knowing what she was doing. “I would have tracked you down and counseled you on the danger of being out of touch. I would have been out of my mind with worry.”

“Don’t you ever do that to me again. And no, I don’t care that you sent Jace a text. I needed to hear from you.”

“Doll, I need to tell you why I always disappear.” My words sobered her rampage and she fell silent. “First, I want to tell you I’m sorry. I’m sorry for the past couple of days, and I’m even more sorry for not telling you where I’ve been going for the past couple of years.”

“Are you a drug dealer?” she whispered.

“What?! No. God, Audrey. That’s what you thought?” In the background, I heard Jace hoot with laughter.