Page 65 of Allegiance
“I’m the one who filed, but I guess we both wanted it. Things were good the first year, but after that, Trisha got full-on possessive and jealous. She also turned into a nag, always complaining about everything. She wanted to change me.” His jaw tightened. “And I don’t go for that shit. She knew who I was before we got hitched.”
“So she thought you were fooling around?”
“Yeah. She thought I had a chick in every bedroom in town. It was crazy shit. I tried to understand it, and I know it’s hard to understand the whole cl—” Tank stopped mid-sentence. He didn’t think Lena would understand about the club girls based on her actions concerning Quinn. He also wasn’t too sure about revealing his involvement in the Jagged Outlaws. Most citizens changed their opinion of him when they found out he was a member of an outlaw MC. Though he was just a nomad at the moment, he didn’t want to muddy the waters right now. If things between them started getting serious, he’d tell her about it.
“The whole what?”
“The whole thing with women. I’m not bragging, but women have always come on to me. When I was with Trish, I never thought about cheating, or even flirted with another chick, but she never believed me.”
Lena sheepishly looked away. “And I did the same thing with Quinn.”
“Pretty much.”
“Shit.”
He chuckled. “Why did you think that?”
“Because she came into my business, acted like a spoiled bitch, and then when I was leaving, she called you. She had a whole conversation with you, and it sounded like you guys weretogether. It made me feel awful, hurt, angry, and a bunch of other nasty emotions. I felt like I’d been hit in the gut.”
“Quinn didn’t call and talk to me. I haven’t spoken to her since that night at Dawson’s engagement party. She was pretending to talk to me to rile you up and cause a problem between us. She probably knew I was going out with you. “
“How would she have known that?”
“Santa Teresita is big enough to make it interesting, but still small enough that people know your fuckin’ business. And her being a Fitzgerald? Yeah, she knows what the fuck’s going on.”
“And I just played into her spiteful hands.”
“Pretty much.”
“I feel like such an idiot. Fe—the friend I told you about—told me to just talk to you about it, but my pride wouldn’t let me. I’m sorry.”
He smiled. “That’s okay. But next time something bugs you about me, tell me.”
A happy glow radiated from her face. “Agreed.”
“You got any more questions?”
“So you divorced your ex because she was too possessive?”
“Nah. It was because she cheated on me.” He laughed when her mouth fell open. “Ironic as fuck, huh?”
“Shewas worried about you cheating, but she ended up being the one who did? That’s nuts.”
Tank nodded. “I figure the reason she kept nagging me was because she was doing it herself. I guess when she’d get on my case, she was deflecting.”
Lena giggled. “I really like you, Tank. I’ve been miserable without you.”
Her words warmed him.Damn, I missed her.He hadn’t realized how empty he was until that moment. Lena had gotten into his heart when he wasn’t looking, and he knew she’d stay forever if he made things right.
“Get over here,” he growled.
She flashed him a smile, one that made her cheeks flush and her eyes sparkle. Scooting across the couch, she fell into his waiting arms. He melded his mouth to hers and plundered it, exploring every inch while his blood pounded in his ears. She kissed him back furiously, passionately, their mouths meshing with escalating hunger.
“Let’s go into the bedroom,” she said against his lips.
“You don’t have to tell me twice,” he said before seizing her mouth again.
When Lena pulled away from him, he looked at her lips, swollen and red from his kisses. Rising to his feet, he helped her up and led her to the bedroom.
