Matt was ashamed to admit his ex-wife was all flash and no substance. Kristen’s beauty came from within. She had classic, girl-next-door good looks, but she didn’t spend hours primping the way Robin did. She didn’t have to. Kristen realized that what was on the inside was more important than trying to impress people with pretty packaging.

  “I should hope not.” Grayson scowled. “After what that bitch did to you, I trust you’d have the good sense to steer clear of opportunists like her.”

  “You can count on it.”

  “Good, now that we’ve got that settled, can you give me Kristen’s number?” Grayson crossed his arms and reclined his leather swivel chair.

  “Why?” Matt couldn’t tell if his friend was just messing with him, but if that was his plan, he wasn’t amused. “What do you want with Kristen?”

  “Look at you,” Grayson said, chuckling. “Getting all jealous. You afraid I’m gonna make a play for your woman, Hudson?”

  Matt couldn’t deny the thought had crossed his mind. Even though Grayson was one of his best friends and had never crossed the line before, he loved women. A woman like Kristen would tempt a monk. “Just tell me what you want with her.”

  “I want to talk to her about the party. What else?” He smirked, letting Matt know he could think of plenty of things he’d like to discuss with Kristen.

  “Email me your ideas about the party.” Matt got to his feet. “I’ll forward it to Kris.”

  “Awww, you’re no fun,” Grayson said, laughing.

  “You’re not gonna be havin’ any fun either, Barrett. At least not with my woman.”

  ***

  Kristen couldn’t remember the last time she’d laughed as hard as when she listened to Nancy’s stories about the PTA parents who made her crazy.

  “So as you can see,” Nancy said, her eyes glittering with amusement, “I’ve learned the fine art of diplomacy the hard way.” She lifted one shoulder. “Their hearts were always in the right place. They loved their kids. They wanted what was best for them.” She looked Kristen squarely in the eye. “No matter how old our children get, we never stop wanting to protect them. You’ll understand when and if you have a child of your own.”

  Kristen saw a different side of Nancy, the protective mother who intended to set some ground rules about her son’s heart. “I’m sure I will.” She looked at her notes, hoping they could get back to planning the party. She wasn’t ready to discuss her relationship with anyone, least of all his mother. She and Matt were in a good place, and she didn’t want to jinx it by talking about the future.

  Nancy covered Kristen’s hand with her own. Her eyes softened when Kristen met her gaze. “My son has a good heart. He hasn’t always made the best decisions when it comes to women, but I have a feeling you could change that.”

  The last thing Kristen needed was to feel the pressure of Matt’s hopes for the future weighing her down. “Matt and I enjoy spending time together, but it’s too soon to talk about things getting serious.” She felt guilty when she saw the look of disappointment on Nancy’s face. “Maybe someday.”

  Nancy squeezed her hand. “You’ve been hurt by someone you trusted. You’re on guard.”

  It wasn’t a question, which meant Kristen didn’t have to respond. There was no way to get that runaway train back on course, so she waited for Nancy to continue until she would willingly let the subject rest.

  “So is Matt.” Sitting back in her chair, she examined Kristen. “He started choosing the wrong kind of women merely to prove that they would give him the time of day. They were all beauty and no substance.”

  Kristen thought of Matt’s tattoo, an indelible reminder of the woman he’d once promised to love forever. He hadn’t told Kristen what specifically had ended his marriage, and she’d been afraid to ask in case she and Robin shared the fatal flaw Matt couldn’t live with.

  Nancy continued, “But you’re not like that, I can tell. You’re obviously beautiful, but there’s so much more to you than that. I hope my son can see that.”

  “That’s sweet of you to say. Matt is an incredible man, but of course I don’t have to tell you that.” Kristen hoped that statement would be enough to shift the conversation in another direction.

  “He is, but like the rest of us, he bears wounds from his past. Relationships that scarred him, women who took advantage of his generosity, friends who were only interested in him for what he could do for them. I’m ashamed to admit even my own family had an agenda with Matt.”

  Kristen felt a little guilty listening to tales that should have come from Matt instead of a third party, but she couldn’t quash her curiosity. “What kind of agenda?”

  “Matt’s always had an I.Q. in the genius range.”

  Kristen tried to rein in her surprise. “I knew he was smart, but… wow.” She felt a little inferior even though she knew he would brush his intelligence off as no big deal.

  “As soon as my father found out, he started grooming him to take over the business.”

  “Really?” Matt was so much fun. Kristen couldn’t imagine him making his living in such a somber way. “How did Matt feel about that?”

  “He wanted no part of it, but my father was a stubborn man. He said Matt would change his mind when he realized what was at stake.” Nancy smiled. “He underestimated his grandson’s strong will. Not only did Matt refuse to step into my father’s shoes, he rejected his trust fund. He said he didn’t want to be indebted to anyone. He was determined to succeed or fail without any help from anyone.”

  Kristen’s respect for Matt grew even more, if that was possible. “Wow, not many people would have had the courage to do that.” She didn’t know a lot about Matt’s grandfather, but she’d read a few articles over the years that led her to believe he was an ornery old man accustomed to ruling with an iron fist.

  “That’s for sure.” A satisfied smile told Kristen that Nancy approved of her son’s decision. “But instead of incensing his grandfather, as we all thought it would, Matt earned his respect. Perhaps he’s the only one who truly did.”

  “I’m not surprised.”

  It was difficult not to respect a man who took a risk like that. All Matt had to do was follow the path his grandfather had set out for him, and he never would have had to worry about money. Instead, he decided to roll the dice on a business venture that could have easily folded in the first year.

  “You may wonder why I’m telling you all this,” Nancy said, brushing invisible lint off her black slacks. “I want you to understand the kind of man my son is. He’s much too humble to volunteer this kind of information on his own. I happen to think it’s a mother’s job to toot her child’s horn when he won’t do it for himself.”

  “I tend to think my mother would agree with you,” Kristen said, smiling. “I’m glad you told me.” The more she learned about Matt, the more she realized how lucky she was that he loved her.

  ***

  Nancy had just left when Kristen heard the outer door to her suite open. Her receptionist had stepped out for lunch, so Kristen ventured out to the lobby. As soon as she saw who her visitor was, she wished she’d kept her butt planted firmly in her chair. Robert wasn’t worth the effort.

  “I was hoping I could talk you into taking a break. Have lunch with me?” he asked, looking hopeful.

  Sighing, Kristen ground her teeth before remembering her dentist’s warning to give up that nasty habit. “I thought I made myself clear the last time you asked me. I’m not interested.”

  “Because of what’s his name?”

  Kristen had no doubt Robert not only remembered Matt’s name but had Googled him on the way home from the reunion. “I told you long before I started seeing Matt that I have nothing more to say to you. We both remember why I called off the wedding. You thought fidelity was optional. I disagreed.”

  Looking weary, he rubbed his face. “How many times do I have to apologize for that? It was one stupid mistake. It meant nothing.”

  Kristen believed it was nothing in his warped mind, but to her, it meant everything. If she couldn’t trust the man she promised to spend her life with, she ran the risk of ending up like her mother, in love with a man who gave his love to another woman while ignoring his family.

  “You’re never going to convince me of that, so I wish you’d quit wasting your breath.” Kristen turned toward her office. “Kindly close the door on your way out.”

  “We’re not finished talking about this.”

  “Yes, we are.”

  Kristen walked down the hall to her office and closed the door behind her, not that she thought that barrier would stop him. If not for her long-term lease and the fact that her office was so perfect for her business, she would consider moving just to get away from him. But she would be damned if she allowed his infidelity to cost her any more than it already had.

  “You and I were perfect for each other,” Robert said, opening her door. “You can’t deny that.” He sighed heavily when she ignored him. “We shared the same work ethic. You really think your new boyfriend will understand why you feel the need to work seven days a week?”

  Robert was doing his best to plant seeds of doubt, but she couldn’t deny that thought had already crossed her mind. She’d told Matt how driven she was, that she was a workaholic, but would he understand when she spent most Friday and Saturday nights at some event instead of with him? Only time would tell whether Matt had the patience and understanding to not only tolerate her demanding career, but support her vision for the future.

  “That’s for me and Matt to sort out. It’s none of your business.” Kristen scrolled the messages on her iPhone, pretending she didn’t have a care in the world. Going toe-to-toe with her ex every other day was starting to wear her down. “I don’t know how many times I have to say this: I’m not interested in getting back together with you. I don’t want to be your wife, your fiancée, your lover… Hell, I don’t even want to be your friend.” She felt a stab of guilt at his pained expression until she remembered that he brought it on himself. If not for his mistake, they would be getting married in two short months.

  “Our offices are across the hall from each other. It’s not like we can avoid seeing each other.”

  “I know that. I’m not saying I want to be your enemy.” In truth, she hated living with animosity toward him. She’d much rather put the whole mess behind her so she could move on with her life, hopefully with Matt. “We can be civil and say hello when we cross paths in the hall or in the elevator, but that’s all it will ever be. Do you understand that?” Kristen heard someone enter the office. She assumed it was her receptionist returning from lunch.

  “You want me to pretend I’m not still crazy about you? I can’t do that. I am. I love you. I still want to spend my life with you.”

  His voice broke, but Kristen wasn’t naïve enough to believe he was being sincere. She’d seen his closing arguments a time or two and knew how impassioned he could be when it served his purpose.

  “You should have thought about that before you slept with that dancer,” she said.

  “When are you going to stop punishing me—”

  “Am I interrupting something?”

  Kristen plastered on a fake smile when she saw Matt in the doorway behind Robert. She hadn’t intended to share the sordid story of her ex’s betrayal with him. The fact that she hadn’t been enough to satisfy her fiancée still stung more than it should have. She knew the problem was Robert’s, not hers, but when the constant reminder of that betrayal stared her in the face every day, it wasn’t easy for her self-esteem to rebound. “Hi, Matt, I wasn’t expecting you.”

  Scowling at the back of Robert’s head, Matt said, “I thought you could use a lunch break.”

  Kristen finally spotted the paper bag in his hand: take-out from her favorite Chinese restaurant. She’d mentioned how much she loved the food at that little hole in the wall one day when they drove by, and he obviously remembered. “I’d love to have lunch with you.” Giving Robert a pointed look, she said, “You’ll have to excuse us. Matt and I have to discuss his company’s anniversary party over lunch.”

  Robert mumbled a few unintelligible words before shooting a dirty look at Matt. He slammed the outer door to the suite behind him.

  “I’m sorry about that,” Kristen said, grimacing.

  “What the hell was he doing here?” Matt looked angry as he glanced at the door Robert had just passed through.

  “He thought he could talk me into having lunch with him.”

  “Why would he think that?”

  “I don’t know.” Her ex was the last thing Kristen wanted to talk about, but Matt didn’t seem ready to let it go. “He can’t accept the fact that it’s really over, I guess.”

  “Is it?”

  “Excuse me?” Kristen realized Robert wasn’t the only target of Matt’s anger.

  “Are you sure it’s over? It sounded to me like you’re still hurt that he cheated on you.”

  “Of course I’m hurt,” she said, frustrated that she had to defend herself. “I loved him. I thought he loved me. We were building a life together.”

  “A life that he clearly still wants.” Matt dropped the bag on a small table in the corner of the room.

  “I don’t care what he wants. That’s not what I want.”

  “Are you sure about that?” He watched her closely, as though he was trying to uncover some code lurking beneath her words and actions.

  Kristen pressed her fingertips to her temples. She felt a headache building from the base of her neck. How had a day that had started so perfectly taken such a sharp nosedive? “Of course I’m sure. Do you think I would have made love to you last night if I thought Robert and I had a future together?”

  “Women have been known to do some crazy things when they’re hurt and angry.”

  Kristen’s mouth fell open. It took her a moment to recover from her shock. “Are you accusing me of using you to get back at Robert for cheating on me?”

  He braced his shoulder against the doorframe and crossed his arms, looking angrier than she’d ever seen him. Matt was usually so even-tempered. She couldn’t imagine where all his hostility was coming from.

  “Is that what you’re doing?”

  “How can you even ask me that?” She heard her voice rising, laced with hysteria. “What happened last night meant something to me. I thought you felt the same way.”

  “I told you I was in love with you,” he said, lowering his voice to a growl. “When I say that to a woman, I can promise you I mean it.”

  “Why are you getting so upset?” Kristen had a feeling she wasn’t the only one with a past that sometimes clouded her judgment. She wondered if Matt was looking at her but seeing someone else.

  “Because I have no intention of being the guy you run to when you wanna feel better about yourself. Your ex cheated on you and made you feel like shit, and now you need a guy to boost your self-confidence, to remind you that you’re beautiful.”

  Tears stung Kristen’s eyes, but she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of giving into them. She couldn’t believe the man who’d made love to her so tenderly was accusing her of those things. She’d believed last night was the start of something amazing, but she had to wonder if it was meant to be their first and only time together. “I think you need to leave. Now.”

  He looked as though he wanted to say more, but when Kristen’s receptionist called out that she was back from lunch, Matt clenched his teeth. “Fine, but this isn’t over.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong, Matt. I think it is.”

  Chapter Nine

  Matt stalked through the lobby of High Rollers’ twelve-story office building, intent on ignoring everyone who crossed his path. He wanted to head up to his office and bury himself in work so he could shut out that nasty argument with Kristen. He knew he’d overreacted. Seeing her with her ex, hearing him declare his love for her took him back to a time he would much rather forget with a woman who didn’t deserve to stand in Kristen’s shadow. His experience with Robin had left him jaded, and he was taking his anger and frustration out on the wrong person.

  When he opened the door to his office and saw Zach sitting in the guest chair, he barely suppressed a groan. Zach was one of his best friends, but the happily married man was one of the last people he felt like talking to. “What’s up, Zach?”

  Zach glanced over his shoulder. “Your receptionist said she thought you’d be back from lunch soon. I thought I’d fire off a few emails while I waited.” He lowered his smartphone when he caught a glimpse of Matt’s face. “What the hell’s wrong with you? You look like you haven’t slept in a week.”

  “I didn’t get much sleep last night.” Matt sat down and fired up his computer, hoping his friend would take the hint that he wasn’t in the mood to talk.

  Wriggling his eyebrows, Zach asked, “For your sake, I hope you wasted away the pre-dawn hours the same way I did.”

  “Something like that,” Matt muttered, typing in his password so he could access the files he needed. The only difference between him and his friend was that Zach would enjoy recreations of that experience for the rest of his life while Matt had probably blown any chance he had of a future with Kristen. He turned his chair away from the computer. No matter how much he might need a distraction, he couldn’t focus on work while his mind was on Kristen and the colossal mistake he’d made. “Son of a bitch.”

  “What’s wrong?” Zach asked.

  “Not now, buddy.” Matt tipped his head back, closing his eyes.

  “What’s her name?”

  It shouldn’t surprise Matt that his friend read him so easily. They’d been through hell and back together over the past decade. “Kristen.” Matt opened his eyes and looked at the cityscape that usually made him smile. It was overcast and dreary outside. Fitting, given his mood. How had a day that had started so perfectly fallen off a cliff so quickly? “We knew each other back in high school, but I hadn’t seen her since… until recently.”