Serenity (Inevitable #5)(116)

       
         
       
        

He had finished his coffee and was in the middle of brewing a second cup for the road, when Lindsey tottered inside the kitchen, her high-heeled, marabou-trimmed bedroom slippers clicking loudly on the flagstone floor. Matthew wasn't sure what the most startling thing about her appearance was - the short, ultra-sheer black lace robe and G-string that was all she had on, or the fact that she was actually up and about at six o'clock in the morning. Her long, glossy hair was carefully mussed, and she was already fully made up, complete with false eyelashes and bright red lipstick.

He realized with a sickening sensation that Lindsey had dolled herself up, and risen at what was for her an ungodly hour, with the intention of attracting him. There was no other reasonable explanation for her provocative appearance, and especially now, when she knew he'd be alone and ready to leave for work. But rather than be aroused by her near-nudity, Matthew had never been more turned off in his life.

"Good morning!" greeted Lindsey cheerily, something else she never did. "I'm glad I caught you before you left. Would you like me to cook you breakfast?"

Matthew couldn't help himself from laughing out loud. "Is this some sort of a sick joke, Linz?" he asked sardonically. "I think the last time you offered to make me breakfast was when you were pregnant with Casey. Come to think of it, that's probably the last time you were awake this early, too. And, no. I'm leaving now."

He poured his coffee into a travel mug, ignoring the fact that Lindsey had sidled up next to him, so close that one of her breasts brushed against his arm  – most assuredly a calculated move on her part. He jerked his arm away immediately, not bothering to hide his distaste, and received a displeased hiss from her in response.

"I don't have cooties, for God's sake," she replied huffily.

"Hmm. I wouldn't be so sure about that," he sneered. "I hope, given as much as you sleep around, that you get tested regularly for STDs."

Lindsey gasped. "That is incredibly rude of you, Matt. And I'll have you know that I've been completely faithful to you these past few months."

Matthew snorted in derision. "Why? It's not like I give a shit who you fuck anymore. As long as you make damned sure the kids aren't aware of what's going on - and that you never bring your fuck buddies here to the house - you can screw whoever you want."

Her green eyes were shimmering with tears, and her pouty lower lip quivered. "You're so mean, Matt," she whispered. "I'm just trying to be nice to you, and all you can do is insult me."

He gave her a scathing look. "Is that what you call this little farce - being nice? Offering to cook me breakfast for the first time in over a decade, prancing into the kitchen half-naked, getting up before dawn so you can catch me before I leave for the office? Forget it, Linz. I don't need your idea of nice. I've got to get going." 

He picked up his travel mug and laptop bag, and started to head out of the kitchen without a backwards glance when Lindsey called out to him.

"What time are you going to be home tonight?" she asked. "And is there anything special you'd like for dinner?"

Matthew reluctantly turned to face her, intentionally keeping his gaze averted from Lindsey's semi-nude body. "You're not really doing this, are you?" he asked her tiredly. "Pretending that we're all one big happy family again. I told you when I agreed to move back in temporarily that this was solely for Hayley's sake, to help her through this trauma she suffered, and figure out what to do about her baby. I am not here for you, Lindsey, and I have zero interest in interacting with you. I have the great misfortune of temporarily sharing a house with you, but that's as far as it goes. And to answer your question, I'm picking Casey up after baseball practice and taking him out to dinner. I invited Hayley to join us but apparently she already has other plans."

Lindsey made a big show of wiping away her fake tears. "Can - can I join you and Casey for dinner?" she asked hopefully.

"No, you can't," he told her bluntly. "And for Christ's sake, go put some clothes on, will you? Just because you're a whore doesn't mean you have to parade around the house looking like one."

He marched out of the kitchen before she could react to that bombshell, but he could only imagine the curses his ex was heaping on his head right now. Fortunately for his peace of mind, he'd stopped giving a damn about anything having to do with Lindsey a long time ago.

At this early hour, the traffic heading into San Francisco was light, and the Tesla Model X ate up the miles smoothly. As usual, he had a hectic day ahead of him, jam packed with meetings, conference calls, and reports to review. In fact, the only good thing about his entire day would be spending time with Casey this evening.