The intense blue of his eyes drew her in like bait. She stretched upward, snaking her arms around his neck, then planted a firm kiss on his lips. “It’s not a game.”
Chapter 6
If he didn’t follow his own rules, everything could go to shit in a matter of seconds. His life revolved around bylaws, discipline, and setting an example for his young sons and Prospects. If he couldn’t control his dick and his heart, what did that make him? He gripped Tina by the arms and gently set her away from him. “I think an explanation is in order.”
“Okay.” She crossed her arms over her chest, waiting.
Would any of it make sense to her? He’d never explained his deepest reservations or fears to a woman before. Only to Lang and a couple of the Brothers who wondered why he didn’t choose an old lady. “I’m twenty-nine and twice divorced. Doesn’t that set off warning bells?”
“Sure,” she admitted. “But that doesn’t make it any easier to deny our mutual attraction. We’ve faced this before, Vincent. Last night only proves it—you can pretend there’s nothing between us, but I know better. You do, too.”
“That’s the problem.” He paced back and forth a few times before facing her again. “Once bitten, twice shy. I lost my faith in women a long time ago. Married my high school sweetheart a week after graduation and joined the military, and by spring, filed for divorce. Three years later, Laura got pregnant and I was obligated to marry her. I did the right thing, only to get screwed over. Left me bitter and broken, Tina—I won’t lie.”
“What happened with your first marriage?”
“We were young and stupid—thought we were in love. We both strayed and mutually agreed to end it.”
“Doesn’t sound too painful.”
“It wasn’t,” he said. “But the seeds of doubt were planted.”
“And Laura?”
“A train wreck waiting to happen.” Memories surfaced he fought to keep out of his mind. Painful ones. “The idea of fatherhood pleased me. I come from a big family—two sisters and three brothers. My parents married young and still love each other. So I grew up in an idealistic world. Imagine how it feels to wake up one day and realize it’s all a lie, that people outside weren’t the same as my family.”
Tina’s expression softened immediately. “What happened?”
“I think what didn’t happen is a more accurate question.”
She sighed and sat on the bench, her gaze never leaving his face. “I’m a great listener, Vincent. You can trust me with anything.”
“For some reason I believe you. Maybe because we hit it off a year ago.”
“I know, we did,” she stressed. “I’ve really missed you.”
“The feelings are mutual.” He gazed into her eyes, happiness replacing the sadness for a split second. But he wanted to finish his story. “The first pregnancy went well—no complications and a quick delivery. After we brought Michael home, our family and friends kept us busy for weeks. Laura enjoyed the constant attention and gifts. But once the excitement ended and she was left at home changing diapers and keeping house while I worked sixty hours a week, something snapped inside her. Subtle changes at first. She became more argumentative, obsessive about me having affairs, complained about the weight she’d gained. I remained supportive, suspecting postpartum depression. We did everything right, even attended couples therapy so we could deal with the issues properly.”
“Unfortunately, this happens more often than you think.”
“I know,” he agreed. “All the more reason I remained dedicated to my wife. I knew we’d get through it. Hoped the medication the doctor prescribed would fix her hormonal imbalance and help her relax. But the antidepressants had the opposite effect.”
“No…”
“I credit divine intervention for my choosing to go home for lunch that day. As soon as I stepped inside I instinctively knew something was wrong. The house was too quiet. I found Michael safe and asleep in his room, but Laura…” He didn’t want to finish the thought. The more he explained, the more he remembered. And over the last couple of years, relegating those memories as nothing more than nightmares had kept him sane. “She slit her wrists and collapsed on the bathroom floor from blood loss.”
“Dear Lord. I’m so sorry.”
“We got pregnant again six months later. She attacked me the night we found out—apparently she didn’t want to have another baby.”
Absorbed in his own world, he didn’t notice when Tina grabbed his hand at first. With it cupped between both of her tiny ones, the warmth of her touch and the compassionate look on her face made it impossible to reject her comfort and attention.