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"I meant the sex is over."
"Until the next time ye beg me to shag ye."
Kate plants her hands on her hips. "I didn't beg. I ordered you to do it."
"Ah, of course. That makes it less like a relationship."
She thrusts an arm out to point at the door. "Get rid of Hugh. Lock him in the bathroom or something."
"You are a difficult lass. But I can handle you."
"Stop flirting with me."
"Cannae."
"I won't do what you want, Callum. I can't get involved with you." She covers her face with her hands and moans pitifully. When she looks at me again, she seems so distraught that I want to pull her into my arms. "Don't you get it? I've become like my ex-husband—a cheater."
"We're both single. It's not cheating."
"But it feels that way because Hugh thinks he can win me over, but I'm sleeping with you."
I rub the back of my neck, trying to think of a way to make her feel better. I come up with nothing. "Kate, I—"
"Just get Hugh out of the way so I can leave. Please." She gestures at her body, then mine. "This whatever it is between us, it's over for good. I'm sorry, Callum. I know you want something else from me, but I can't give it to you. A relationship that starts with secrets can't bring anything but pain."
Though I want to point out she kept saying we don't have a relationship, I haud my own wheesht. Kate doesn't want me. She only wanted my body. Now she means to run away. Trying to keep her with me when she doesn't want that will only make her hate me.
A sigh gusts out of me as I walk out and shut the door behind me.
Hugh is still standing in the hallway, but now with his arms crossed over his chest. He lifts his brows.
"No, you won't meet her," I say. "Go into your room so she can leave without you seeing her. It's what she wants."
"Is this woman a secret agent? Or perhaps a fugitive?"
"Enough, Hugh," I growl. Then I grasp his shoulders and force him to turn toward his room on the opposite side of the hall. "Go in there and shut the door. No peeking. Understand?"
"Yes, yes. I vow not to sneak a look while your mysterious lover scurries away."
Hugh ambles into his room and shuts the door.
I open the door to my room and wave for Kate to come out.
She does what Hugh said. She scurries past me and out of the apartment like a fugitive evading the police. A poke with me isn't a crime, but Kate seems to think it is. I want to hunt down her ex-husband and give him a right skelping for what he did to her.
Once Kate is gone, I knock on Hugh's door. "You can come out now."
He cracks the door open and peers out with a worried expression that's pure sarcasm. "Are you sure it's safe? I wouldn't want to be assassinated by your secret agent lover."
"Just get your erse out here so we can eat dinner."
After our meal, we watch rugby on television. I prefer shinty, but I know Hugh likes football and rugby. Maybe I'm letting him have his way because I feel guilty about secretly shagging Kate. But why should I feel guilty? Kate told Hugh repeatedly she doesn't want to date him, but she also said being with me makes her feel like a cheating slag. Well, I paraphrased that. Being American, Kate wouldn't use the word slag. She isn't like that, anyway. How can I convince her we haven't done anything wrong?
I shouldn't bother trying. Plenty of lasses out there. I don't need to keep struggling to change Kate's mind since I can get a date with someone else anytime I want. I need to stop acting like a numpty because of my knee and get back out on the dating scene.
The next day, I realize what I need to do.
Hugh and I are watching some rubbish reality show on television when I inform him of my plan.
