25. Chapter 25

Talking to Kipp at dinner didn't go quite like I had planned. First, he hoofed it away from the table while I was in the middle of explaining to him what these past several weeks have meant to me—a fact that had me thinking the worst until he returned. And then we were talking about blowjobs, of all things, and I couldn't get the moment back.

Now, we're walking side by side toward my car that's parked a couple blocks away, and Kipp is telling me about the blue incident he had at work. Hearing him describe his day in such vivid detail, hands flying and eyes bright, has a smile on my face.

When he suddenly stops walking, I nearly trip, having been watching him and not where I was going.

"What's that?" Kipp asks, pointing across the street.

I follow his line of sight to a lit-up club. The outside is painted red, the exterior classy but mysterious in a way that leaves you assuming you could be looking at anything from a bar to a brothel. However, I know exactly what's inside, having been there a handful of times before.

"It's a salsa club," I tell Kipp.

He looks at me with wide eyes. "No shit? And how do you know that?"

I shrug. "I know how to salsa."

He stares at me for a solid three seconds before grabbing my hand and tugging me toward the crosswalk.

Oh Lord.

"We're going in," Kipp declares, not asking my opinion on the matter. "I'm gonna see my goddamn husband goddamn salsa, Teddy, and don't you dare think about depriving me of that honor."

I huff a laugh as Kipp smashes the button for the crosswalk. As soon as the light turns green, he tugs me across the street.

"Salsa," he mutters, shaking his head. "Fucking hot. Can you roll up your sleeves?"

"My sleeves?" I ask.

Kipp's eyes trail down my arms for a moment before he focuses on reaching the front of the club. "Everyone knows forearms are prime ogling material, and if I can't see your dick, then I'm going to need you to roll up those sleeves. Preferably slowly and while you're dancing."

"So, basically, you want me to do a forearm striptease for you?"

"Bingo," he says.

I keep my amusement to myself as Kipp drags me inside the building. It looks the same as I remember, even though I haven't been inside in over five years. Red lights aimed at the walls give the club a sensual vibe that's instantly matched by the lively, rhythmic beat of the music. The majority of the space is devoted to the dance floor, but high-top tables sit interspersed around the edges of the room, and a bar occupies one wall. Kipp stares wide-eyed for all of a second before tugging me forward.

Kipp might not know how to salsa, but the man has never had an ounce of shame when it comes to dancing. He stops right in the middle of the dance floor and spins my way, beckoning me closer. With the music pumping through my veins and Kipp's smile lighting me on fire, I step forward, rolling my shirtsleeve as I go. Kipp grabs his chest, feigning a swoon as I reveal my forearm. I do the other, and he fans his face. When I reach out a hand, he takes it without hesitation, and I tug him into my arms.

Kipp's grin is blinding as my hand settles at his waist, my other holding his tight. Partners maintain some space here on the dance floor, unlike at a typical club, so I have room to maneuver Kipp as a Marc Anthony song suffuses the room. His eyes go wide when I roll my hips, guiding him with my hand to do the same. He mouths, "Holy shit," but follows along, picking up the gist of it quickly enough. We move in a circle as we dance, and when I let go of Kipp's waist to spin him out, he laughs loud enough to be heard over the music. I tug him back in, and he collides with my chest, our gazes connecting, both of us stilling. But then Kipp's smile is sweeping back over his face, and he's on the move again, his body flowing effortlessly with the music.

I don't know how long we dance for. Song after song, we stay out on that salsa floor, Kipp picking up more and more steps as we go. He's a natural, and when he copies the woman next to us and shimmies his chest, I can't help but bust out laughing. He winks, the cheeky man.

This time, when I tug him in close, he stays there. With my hand on his lower back and his on my shoulder, we sway together, hips brushing as our feet move. His eyes are bright yet soft as he looks at me, his lips wet when he licks them. Without overthinking it, I duck my head and take his mouth in a kiss. He moans against me, a short vibration I feel more than hear. It sinks inside my veins like the beat, heating my blood and making me feel reckless in that way adrenaline will. I feel alive. Like I'm living. Like this, right here, right now, is what I want my life to be.

When I draw back, my heart is pounding. "Are you ready to go?" I ask.

Kipp nods.

I lean close so I don't have to shout. "Just need to use the bathroom."

He points toward the bar, letting me know where he'll be, and we split, the music thrumming through every inch of me like a reminder of Kipp's kiss.

I take a quick moment while I'm in the bathroom to catch my breath. There's a lot on the line tonight, and I don't know how Kipp is going to react when I tell him I have feelings for him. That this casual husbands-with-benefits thing isn't what I want us to be. I don't want there to be an expiration date. I don't want to pretend like this isn't real.

But it's entirely possible that Kipp isn't on the same page, and, for all I know, wanting real may very well be the end of my marriage.

Christ.

I shake my head before washing up and leaving the bathroom. Kipp is where he said he'd be—near the bar. I head his way, but my pace falters when I catch sight of the man he's talking to. That adrenaline crashes back through me tenfold, and I make my way quickly over, my pulse pounding in time to my footsteps.

The man sees me coming from a handful of feet away. And he fucking smirks.

Kipp doesn't jolt in the least when I slide my arm around his waist, tugging him close. He looks at me over his shoulder, the smile on his face quickly falling when he sees my expression. I aim my glare at the man who was talking to my husband.

"What are you doing?" I ask loudly enough to be heard.

Antoni gives me wide eyes, looking for all the world as if he's surprised to see me. "Holy cow. Hi, Theo. It's been a long time."

My teeth grind together.

"You know each other?" Kipp asks, the question directed at me.

I give a short, sharp nod. "We dated."

"For two years," Antoni puts in, a gentle smile on his face that might fool other people, but not me.

"What are you playing at, Antoni?" I ask again, not for one second believing that him talking to Kipp is a coincidence. Him being here, sure. I can buy that. Antoni and I used to come here together. It's how I learned to salsa.

But there's no doubt in my mind he singled out Kipp the moment I was out of sight, and his intentions are not ones I trust.

"I'm not sure what you mean," my ex replies, looking almost hurt. "I just met Kipp here at the bar. I didn't realize the two of you were together."

Bullshit. He saw the pictures of our wedding. He knows exactly who Kipp is to me.

I shake my head the tiniest bit before bringing my lips close to Kipp's ear. "Ready to go?"

He gives me a nod, although he looks confused. I don't blame him.

"Bye, Antoni," I say, turning without another word.

Antoni's only goodbye is to Kipp. "Take care, Kipp."

Cool air washes over my skin the moment we step out the door. I breathe it in as the music gives way to the sounds of traffic. Kipp shoots me a sidelong look as we walk away from the club.

"Okay?" he asks.

I nod before thinking better of it and shaking my head. "What'd he say to you?"

Kipp looks surprised by the question. "Not much. Just said hello. Introduced himself as Annie, I think? It was hard to hear. We talked about salsa for a few minutes and then our favorite cocktails. He seemed nice."

I huff a humorless laugh. "Yeah. He's a good liar."

I can see the gears turning in Kipp's head. He gets into the car before asking, "Was he the one?"

I blow out a breath and turn the ignition. "Yeah."

Kipp reaches over, lacing his fingers with my own in a silent show of support. I appreciate it more than I can say.

Kipp doesn't inundate me with questions on the drive home, but once we get inside the apartment, he halts me, his hand on my waist.

"Will you tell me about it?" he asks.

"It's not a pretty story."

He shrugs. "I know, but it's yours. And I want to know it. I want to know your past."

And hell. How can I complain about that?

"Let's wash up first," I suggest. Both of us are sweaty from the club.

Kipp nods, and the two of us make quick work of showering. There are no wandering hands. Not this time. But there are heated looks that neither Kipp nor I try to hide.

Dressed in comfy clothes, we sprawl out on the couch, Kipp lying between my legs, his head on my chest. I thread my fingers through his damp hair, one arm tucked behind my head. It takes me a minute to figure out where to start.

"I met Antoni what feels like ages ago. He came on board at our law firm after Cameron and I hit it big. Sometimes it feels like our success was overnight, even though I know that's not the case. We worked hard, and we made a name for ourselves. But with the notoriety came issues."

"What sort of issues?" Kipp asks, his palm resting on my stomach. His fingers toy idly with the material of my shirt, and I focus on that as I talk.

"It was the beginning of the end for Cameron and me. I didn't see it at the time, but he wanted more and more, and all I wanted was to help people. We didn't agree on the clients we were taking. He wanted big names. I wanted good causes. It…it became a problem, even before I started dating Antoni."

Kipp hums, and I blow out another breath.

"I thought I loved him. But looking back, I think I loved what we were. I loved being in a relationship and…"

"And he was your boy," Kipp fills in, making the correct leap.

"Yeah," I breathe out. "He was. But for Antoni, it was never about love. It was manipulation. We were really successful, Kipp. I don't want to downplay that. Cameron and me, we went from making barely any money starting out to making seven figures within a few years. We had lucky breaks, like I said, and we took on some big-name clients. And Antoni, he only ever wanted to be rich. He wanted to be taken care of, and I didn't mind that when it was us, but I never knew… I never knew he wanted the security more than he wanted me."

"So why'd he cheat?" Kipp asks gently. "If he already had you, why go after your brother?"

"Because I told him I didn't want to get married."

Kipp looks up at me, his blue eyes wide.

"Yeah," I say with a huff. "Funny, isn't it? I think I knew something wasn't right, even if I couldn't put my finger on it. He asked me to marry him a year in, but I told him I wasn't ready. He kept asking when I would be, and I didn't have an answer for him. I think that's when he turned to Cameron, but I don't know for sure."

"And Cameron knew you two were…"

He lets the question hang, but, "Oh, yeah. Cameron was well aware Antoni and I were a couple. The two of them… I don't know who proposed the idea, but they got it in their heads to oust me. Cameron thought I was holding the business back. Being too sentimental about the oaths I took when I became a lawyer. And Antoni, well. Antoni thought I was holding him back."

"So what happened?" Kipp asks softly. "How'd you find out about them?"

I blow out a slow breath. "Cameron and Antoni leaked a sex tape at the office. A tape of them. They did it from my email, as if I'd ever be careless enough to send a sex tape from my own email address. And then they claimed they'd been dating for months, and I was too petty and jealous to accept it and let them be happy."

"Fuck," Kipp mutters.

"It was such a mess. I was blindsided, having just found out my brother and boyfriend were fucking, and yet everyone was looking at me like I was the monster. Cameron and Antoni…they just paraded around the office like they were being the bigger men, and what could I possibly do to refute it?"

Kipp is quiet for a moment, his face aimed toward the blank TV screen. His fingers tighten in my shirt, the strain pulling the material tight. "I'm so angry for you, Teddy," he says. "But I know this isn't about me. I just… Fuck, I'm so sorry."

I give his hair a gentle tug. "Thanks, sweetheart."

"But I don't get it," he says, turning his face up again. "Wouldn't that tape be horrible for Cameron's career? And Antoni's?"

I shake my head a little. "They were smart," I admit. "They had the network shut down to anything but intra-office communications when the email went out. The tech team had time to scrub everyone's emails, computers, and even check phones before the network went back online. The tape never made it outside those walls."

Kipp makes a disbelieving sound. "But you said they didn't succeed in taking over the business, right? So how'd they force you out?"

"They didn't. Not exactly. I left, but what Cameron and Antoni didn't expect was for Papa to sell me his shares."

"Your grandpa had shares?"

I nod, stroking his hair again. It's as soothing to me as I'm guessing it is to him. "He helped us start the business. Invested. He didn't want anything in return, but he finally accepted three percent of the shares as a thank you. Cameron, being older and having more experience under his belt, took forty-nine percent. I had forty-eight."

"And your grandpa sold you his three," Kipp says. "Giving you fifty-one."

"Yes, he did. When he found out what happened, he didn't for one second think I'd turn on family like that. I didn't expect him to pick sides, but my papa is fierce when he wants to be. He gave me control of the business. I haven't done anything with it," I hasten to add. "I'm not looking for revenge. But Cameron wants those shares. Without them, he's vulnerable."

"Are they still together?" Kipp asks. "Your brother and Antoni?"

"Yeah, they are. I don't think they were ever in love, and maybe things have changed, but… I think it's mostly greed and spite that keep them together."

Kipp shakes his head. "I'm really sorry, Teddy. I wouldn't have talked to Antoni if I knew who he was."

"Hey," I say, tugging his hair again so he lifts his face. "It's not your fault. And you talking to him doesn't bother me. It's Antoni I don't trust. I'm sorry I was rude back at the club. I… I don't like who I am around them, Kipp. I don't like being that angry, bitter person I was five years ago. Every time I think I'm past what happened, something like this pops up, and here I am again, turning into the monster they tried to make me."

Kipp huffs a laugh, spinning in my arms and sliding up my body until he's straddling my waist. He leans close, his hands on either side of my head. "Teddy, you are the furthest thing from a monster. It's okay to be angry about what they did. I would be, too. Hell, I'm pissed for you. But you are the sweetest man I know, so fuck them, okay? They didn't make you into a monster and they never could. You're a freakin' teddy bear."

My heart beats swiftly as Kipp brushes his lips against my own. Just a press.

"You are good," he whispers. "And you are honorable. And nothing could convince me otherwise. So forget them. They don't deserve space in this gorgeous head of yours."

I open my mouth to respond, but Kipp doesn't give me the chance. His lips fit to mine, and with the sweet taste of him on my tongue, Kipp succeeds in driving every other thought away until all that's left is him.