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‘He’s classy and worldly, a sophisticated gentleman.’

Then, she spluttered at my statement.

‘Gentleman, my ass. The only one who’s been gentle with you between the two of them is Deacon.’

Now she went to bat for my ex with even more enthusiasm.

‘Honey, think back,’ Théa said, her voice softening. ‘Even when you and Deacon were dissolving your marriage, he might have taken the path many angry men choose and given you total hell.’

I nodded, remembering those dark months.

‘Most modern divorces aren’t just about splitting up,’ Mum continued. ‘They’re about hurting the other person. Deacon had every reason to drag you through a bitter custody battle for Raff. Yet, he let you go with no strings.’

‘Bare minimum, maman,’ I muttered.

She went on as if I hadn’t said a word.

‘He didn’t rake you over the coals about alimony, and he still pays you a generous monthly stipend, even though you don’t need it. He’s a great dad, never puts you or Massimo down, not even to Raff. Very few men have that level of emotional intelligence. Can you see that now?’

Her blunt schooling made me draw a breath.

‘I do. So what now?’ I murmured.

‘You start talking to your lawyer,’ Théa advised. ‘You explore your legal options.’

I shuddered, shame lancing through me.

If Max and I split, the public scrutiny would be immense.

The tabloid headlines would label me a failure, and paparazzi would probably stalk me to the ends of the earth.

I wasn’t in any state to handle that kind of toxic circus yet.

‘Merci, Ma. I promise to think about it. Now can we talk about something else?’

I needed an escape from the fractious topic.

I switched to asking her about her backyard gardening projects and her friends in Tennessee.

While we spoke, my eyes lingered on the muscled silhouette on the beach.

Wearing only shorts, Deacon put his beautiful body on display: a ripped chest, sinewy arms and thighs, and the ass I’d always loved squeezing.

Damn.

Why did he have to be so freakin’ sexy?

The chemistry between us had never faded, even after our divorce.

Now it seemed to burn brighter, threatening to pull me under his spell.

He swiveled, sensing my eyes on him from afar, and when his gaze met mine, I blushed and forced myself to look away.

All I wanted was to reach for the one man turning our forbidden attraction into an inferno.

Staying close to him was dangerous, and my husband’s absence only made the temptation more alluring.

Still, I couldn’t assume Deacon’s heart was free. Hell, I’d seen the images of him and Nashami just before my Omo Valley incident.