The Second Wife by Melinda Mulera (book club reads .txt) 📗

"Hazel!" I yelled from the door as I spotted him by his white car. I quickly sped walked to him in the heels that wobbled sometimes because of the small pebbles path. He was leaning his head onto the hood top of the car, just leaning on it and unmoving, even though I called out his name.

I bet he was more than embarrassed to have me witness that.

"Hazel...." I cleared my throat as I stood there, unsure of what to say or do. "Just know... You're important to some of us." I said quietly and waited for his response as he just stood still, unmoving and unresponsive. It didn't look like he was crying though. He was just leaning onto the car.

"I'm sorry you had to listen... To all that." He whispered and I sighed out shakily as a small smile made its way to my lips. "I knew this would happened. But I just wanted to see you and get to talk to you. That's all." He shrugged his shoulders and leaned back, turning to face me.

No, he actually was crying.

His eyes were red, probably from trying not to cry about it. He was resisting the urge to cry and it just made his eyes turn red and his eyes look a little wet.

"I knew Avery wasn't going to let me talk to you. Worst case, I even came here. But I just wanted to give you my contact so... That we can talk some time." He cleared his throat and glanced to the ground. "I've always anticipated a moment like that one. Where I would be told without border, that I'm a piece of sh*t to them. Extra baggage, like she said. I thought I was prepared to hear that, but when I finally did, it seemed like I didn't prepare for it. Well, Mr Bronze only likes me because he liked my mother, he never really stands up for me when the rest of his family eats me out. That's because that's his marriage family and I'm just a prostitute's son." He chuckled lowly and bit onto his lower lip as a tear slid down his cheek. I got a little closer to him. His eyes traced from the ground to mine with the look of need and relief that I was there. "Do you know, how it feels like to think you have a family since birth, only to get disownment papers when you're ten. You obey all the rules, all they say. But they still want to throw you out. Like trash. But when I learned the truth at fifteen, I knew the reason why I was treated different from the others. It was just because I was an outsider's child. A mistake." He said breathlessly as I reached my hand to his cheeks, wiping off the tears with my thumbs. "Being an orphan, at the age of eleven was hard to cope with. But when my father began sending in money for me. I was able to move out and learn, alone. Up until I dropped out of college to build NiCo."

"You've been alone for the last sixteen years?" I asked in shock and he nodded slowly as he leaned his head into my palm, as though trying to absorb the warmth.

"Apparently." He chuckled, suddenly turning his head and pressed his lips on the base of my palm, getting my skin to crawl. "I got used to it." He whispered against my palm as my face turned hot. "Are you Avery's girlfriend?" He asked and I shook my head in denial only to gasp when he pulled me to him, tilting my head a little so fast before I felt his warm lips on mine.

He twisted his body, turning us until I was pressed against him and the car as he slid his long warm tongue into my mouth.

My face was completely flushed as I shut my eyes and felt my heart thud against my chest, almost excited about it as his lips played with mine. He was rough and soft alternatively, as though unsure of which one he wanted to chose. Either way, it was making my face turn warmer and my heart explored.

He slowly moved away, detaching his lips from mine as he breathed softly.

"I've been wanting to do that." He whispered as I stared up at him, still feeling red. "So... Want to eat?" He asked as he leaned away even more. "I'm getting kind of hungry." He said with a small smile. I smiled back and nodded to him before walking around the car and towards the passenger seat in front.

We were all sited in when he started the car and drove out of the parking lot and out of the gates and back into the main road.

I watched as he bit his lower lip and looked tense suddenly.

He didn't look comfortable at all.

"Are you okay?" I asked, though I wasn't, mostly because we had just kissed and he made it seem normal that we did. I was bad with men and didn't date for almost ten years and kissing someone was just enticing and exciting for me. Also awkward.

"I'm okay." He nodded with a small smile. "I'm just overwhelmed you didn't slap me, when I kissed you." He said more quietly, causing me to blush even more.

"It's okay." I smiled sheepishly and forced my head to turn to the window, feeling my cheeks about to melt off my face. "Where are we eating?"

"At my place. If that's alright with you." He said as he glanced at me with furrowed brows. I nodded slowly and cleared my throat, hardly saying anything.

I began to look around the car for my phone, just wanting to tell Linda that she had to go make sure my house was locked when I realized my purse was back there.

There was no way in hell I was going to go back there. First of all, Avery was bound to grab my throat and choke me for abandoning my post as his secretary and guest.

He was bound to kill me.

"Can we pass by my house first?" I asked with a cheeky smile to which he smiled to.