“It’s not your fault, Vincent. I understand now. If there’s anything I can do to help…”
If she were anyone else, he’d walk away. He despised pity, hated looking weak. “For two months I slept with one eye open. Believe me, I wanted to leave her, but I couldn’t rationalize abandoning my son. So I stayed until Tristan was born. A few weeks later she stabbed my leg in the middle of the night. That’s when I knew I had to go.”
“Thank God,” Tina said. “Did you file charges?”
“Of course not,” he spit. “Family is family. I dealt with it privately. She checked herself into a long-term rehabilitation program for four months. My mother moved in and provided care for my boys while I worked my ass off to pay the medical bills. The rest is easy to figure out. She met the judge’s son in the facility. I filed for divorce and custody of the kids. It didn’t end well.”
“Is that why you joined the Sons of Odin?”
Vincent met her green eyes. So very perceptive and too damned beautiful for her own good. Dangerous in his world. And if he didn’t keep a safe distance, he’d get trapped, caught up in everything Tina. “Let’s just say I needed to refocus my energy before I ended up destroying my life. Lang had been trying to recruit me for years. I turned him down every time. It took a bottle of Jack Daniel’s and a beat-down before I realized how reckless I’d become.”
She swallowed hard, obviously analyzing his words. “And have you found what you’re looking for?”
“If relative peace and a structured environment counts for anything, fuck yeah. I left the corporate world, dedicated myself to the club, and reached a tentative agreement with my ex. We don’t rehash our past. She provides quarterly medical updates to me; her ongoing therapy is one of the private agreements we made in order for her to maintain custody of the boys. In spite of everything, she’s a great mother.”
“I still think…”
“Don’t think, Tina—we’ll both regret it in the long run.”
“But…”
“Up front it may appear I don’t have control of my sons. Trust me when I say she’s under constant surveillance.”
“I didn’t mean to imply that you were a negligent parent. I’m concerned you’re missing out on the most important moments in your children’s lives. Like that birthday party. How could she deny you the right to see him?”
“Tina.” Might take another kiss to shut her up. He appreciated her concern, knew she wanted to help. But Vincent blamed himself for following his heart where women were concerned. He’d never make the same mistake again.
“You deserve to attend that party,” she finished, defending his honor, inadvertently reminding him how inadequate he felt where his family was concerned.
He moved quickly, lifting her off the bench. Tina wrapped her legs around his waist, burying her fingers in his hair. She tasted so good, her sweet tongue rolled against his, seeking what he sought, a temporary reprieve from reality. A stolen moment of pleasure with a girl he knew he didn’t deserve. He groaned into her mouth, squeezing her ass cheeks firmly. If his dick got any harder, he’d scream out in frustrated pain. And if he could live out any fantasy, he’d sink inside her and fuck her so hard and long, neither one of them would be able to walk for a week.
One breath-stealing kiss turned into three. She heaved for air when he finally released her. “This can’t keep happening,” he warned.
Still comfortably cradled in his arms, she hugged his neck, then squeezed his middle with her thighs. “You need lots of kisses, Vincent. There’s nothing wrong with giving in once in a while. We both know what we’re getting into. And if we set rules from the beginning, doesn’t that keep us safe? No emotional entanglements.”
Safe? With her? Russian roulette has better survival odds. “I think we’ve already proven that theory wrong, Tina. Now that you know some of my history, you already want to fix it.”
“As an attorney,” she clarified. “I can’t separate my job from my personal life—one of my professional weaknesses. Everything hits me right here.” She tapped her chest just above her heart. “Makes me win cases.”
“I bet you do.” He considerately set her on the bench. “I live in a fucked-up world, darlin’. My head and heart are never aligned, and I’m pretty sure you don’t need that kind of stress in your life.”
“Maybe you should let me be the judge of that.” She peeked up at him, her long, dark lashes and wide eyes unraveling him inside.