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This time, when I tug him in close, he stays there. With my hand on his lower back and his on my shoulder, we sway together, hips brushing as our feet move. His eyes are bright yet soft as he looks at me, his lips wet when he licks them. Without overthinking it, I duck my head and take his mouth in a kiss. He moans against me, a short vibration I feel more than hear. It sinks inside my veins like the beat, heating my blood and making me feel reckless in that way adrenaline will. I feel alive. Like I’m living. Like this, right here, right now, is what I want my life to be.
When I draw back, my heart is pounding. “Are you ready to go?” I ask.
Kipp nods.
I lean close so I don’t have to shout. “Just need to use the bathroom.”
He points toward the bar, letting me know where he’ll be, and we split, the music thrumming through every inch of me like a reminder of Kipp’s kiss.
I take a quick moment while I’m in the bathroom to catch my breath. There’s a lot on the line tonight, and I don’t know how Kipp is going to react when I tell him I have feelings for him. That this casual husbands-with-benefits thing isn’t what I want us to be. I don’t want there to be an expiration date. I don’t want to pretend like this isn’t real.
But it’s entirely possible that Kipp isn’t on the same page, and, for all I know, wanting real may very well be the end of my marriage.
Christ.
I shake my head before washing up and leaving the bathroom. Kipp is where he said he’d be—near the bar. I head his way, but my pace falters when I catch sight of the man he’s talking to. That adrenaline crashes back through me tenfold, and I make my way quickly over, my pulse pounding in time to my footsteps.
The man sees me coming from a handful of feet away. And he fucking smirks.
Kipp doesn’t jolt in the least when I slide my arm around his waist, tugging him close. He looks at me over his shoulder, the smile on his face quickly falling when he sees my expression. I aim my glare at the man who was talking to my husband.
“What are you doing?” I ask loudly enough to be heard.
Antoni gives me wide eyes, looking for all the world as if he’s surprised to see me. “Holy cow. Hi, Theo. It’s been a long time.”
My teeth grind together.
“You know each other?” Kipp asks, the question directed at me.
I give a short, sharp nod. “We dated.”
“For two years,” Antoni puts in, a gentle smile on his face that might fool other people, but not me.
“What are you playing at, Antoni?” I ask again, not for one second believing that him talking to Kipp is a coincidence. Him being here, sure. I can buy that. Antoni and I used to come here together. It’s how I learned to salsa.
But there’s no doubt in my mind he singled out Kipp the moment I was out of sight, and his intentions are not ones I trust.
“I’m not sure what you mean,” my ex replies, looking almost hurt. “I just met Kipp here at the bar. I didn’t realize the two of you were together.”
Bullshit. He saw the pictures of our wedding. He knows exactly who Kipp is to me.
I shake my head the tiniest bit before bringing my lips close to Kipp’s ear. “Ready to go?”
He gives me a nod, although he looks confused. I don’t blame him.
“Bye, Antoni,” I say, turning without another word.
Antoni’s only goodbye is to Kipp. “Take care, Kipp.”
Cool air washes over my skin the moment we step out the door. I breathe it in as the music gives way to the sounds of traffic. Kipp shoots me a sidelong look as we walk away from the club.
“Okay?” he asks.
I nod before thinking better of it and shaking my head. “What’d he say to you?”
Kipp looks surprised by the question. “Not much. Just said hello. Introduced himself as Annie, I think? It was hard to hear. We talked about salsa for a few minutes and then our favorite cocktails. He seemed nice.”
I huff a humorless laugh. “Yeah. He’s a good liar.”
