Hottest Mess (S.I.N. #2)(40)

He hurried downstairs, then out the French doors to the pool deck—then stopped short when he saw the woman on one of the deck chairs.

Not Jane—Adele.

“Adele,” he said, forcing himself not to frown as he crossed to her. “I didn’t know you were here.”

She tilted the brim of her hat back and smiled up at him, still stunning even past fifty. “Didn’t Archie tell you?” Her mouth pulled down into a frown. “He must still be looking for you.”

“So what’s up? Why are you here?”

“I’m meeting a real estate agent in forty minutes—there was hardly any traffic coming in and I got here so early I thought I’d drive over and see you and Jane.” She turned to sit up. Her dress was short, and hitched up as she shifted, revealing a glimpse of pink lace. Dallas looked away, certain the casual reveal had been intentional.

“Buying?”

“Considering.” She glanced around. “Isn’t Jane around?”

He shook his head, trying to look casual. “Why would she be?”

“She was here when I called,” Adele reminded him.

“Oh, that. She just came to gawk at the party,” he said, copying Jane’s earlier story to Bill. “She left well before it ran its course.”

“Did she?” She took a step toward him, and he saw the small beads of sweat in her cleavage. She reached for him, taking his hand in hers before he could pull away. “Did that upset you?” Her voice was low. Soothing. “Had you fantasized that she would stay? Maybe sneak into your room late at night?”

He tugged his hand free and stepped back. “Don’t even go there.”

She lifted a brow. “So that would be a yes, then. Poor little rich boy, can’t have the girl he wants.”

He clenched his mouth closed so tight it almost hurt. Adele knew he wanted Jane. But wanting and having were two different things, and no way was he telling her that he and Jane had crossed that line. She might keep it confidential—hell, the woman was a therapist, so she was trained to keep secrets—but she might also tell Colin. After all, she wasn’t Dallas’s therapist, but she’d once been his lover. If she learned about Jane … if she turned out to be jealous …

The thought made him frown. At one point, he’d actually considered that Adele might be his letter writer. But he’d dismissed the idea quickly enough. The timing was wrong, for one thing. He’d finally and fully broken off with Adele about four months ago, but the letters had started long before that.

Besides, Adele was hardly obsessed with him. She had a long string of lovers, including her ex-husband, Colin.

“Must have been hard.” She tilted her head to one side as she studied him.

“What’s that?”

“Having her in your house. Being civil to her. And not having her the way you want to.”

He kept his face passive. The woman had no idea how much she spoke the truth.

“I could ease some of that tension.” She stepped closer. “I’m sure that agent won’t mind if I’m a few minutes late.”

He had to chuckle. “I don’t think so, Adele. I don’t want f*cked up. Not today.”

“No? What do you want?”

Wasn’t that the question of the hour? That was exactly why he’d sent Jane away, so he could figure out just what the hell he wanted. And, more important, how he could have it.

And now, standing here with Adele, he realized that it wasn’t f*cked up that he wanted. Needed, yes. Craved, absolutely. And maybe they’d have to go there if they were ever going to get clear of all the emotional shit that surrounded them.

But what he wanted went deeper. What he wanted was normal, pure and simple. Dinner. A movie. Dancing and hand-holding. Something to ground them, to hold them steady and prop them up when he and Jane inevitably careened toward the precipice. Something solid to pull them back if they went over.

But he didn’t tell Adele any of that. Instead, he nodded toward the front of the house. “I think I want to walk you to your car.”

He headed that way and she fell in step beside him. “So we’ll see both of you next week?” Adele said. “Jane agreed to come to dinner?”

“She did.”

“Lovely.” Her smile was overly bright. “I look forward to seeing the two of you together. It’s so much fun watching a man with blue balls.”

“Anyone ever tell you that you’re a raving bitch, Adele?”

She laughed. “All the time.”

They’d reached her car, and she pulled her keys out of her bag. She was heading toward the driver’s door when Dallas reached out and caught her elbow. “Quick question. Who was Colin with between my mother and you?”

Lisa had divorced Colin when he and Jane were little kids. And Colin had married Adele when Dallas was in college. If it turned out that Colin was the Jailer, then somewhere in that gap, he met the Woman. And it was just possible that Adele had heard her name.

“What on earth makes you ask that?”

And wasn’t that a damn good question? “I was thinking about my mom. You two are so different. I was wondering if there was a progression or if Colin just went from Georgia belle to European vixen.”

“Vixen? Well, aren’t you sweet.” She pursed her lips in thought. “Honestly, I have no idea about his other women.” She seemed entirely uninterested. “I suppose you could ask him at dinner.”