Free Ruthless by Cheryl Douglas

happy to hear that.”
    Elaine rolled her eyes skyward. “You know my daughter. She’s as stubborn as her daddy, but she’s smart too. I think she’ll come to her senses, given a little time.”
    “Why do I get the feeling you’re trying to tell me something, Elaine?”
    She shrugged her petite shoulders that still seemed strong enough to bear the weight of the world for her children. “Maybe because I am.” She looked him in the eye. “Don’t be so quick to let her go, Luc. I think that would be a mistake you’d regret for the rest of your life.”
    “What do you suggest I do? She’s marrying another man, remember?”
    She tipped her head to one side. “You must know she’d much rather be marrying you.” She squeezed his hand. “You think about that. I’ve got to go on in now.”
    He watched her disappear inside the church. Is that all it would take to make Marisa his again: a ring and a promise of forever? Could he afford to take that kind of risk? What if he let her down, disappointed her? He would never be able to live with himself. No, Marisa was better off without him.
     
    Marisa watched Luc claim a seat beside Avery in the back of the church. She laid her hand on his arm and whispered something in his ear. He flashed a sexy grin and she smiled back, shaking her head.
    The woman was stunning and, by all accounts, smart and funny. Marisa knew Avery and Luc dated briefly before she returned home from school, and she couldn’t help but wonder whether they were still sleeping together. A sickening thought occurred to her. Had Luc been sleeping with Avery while they were involved? Her mind started racing, thinking back to their impromptu meetings and phone calls.
    Avery would call his cell phone at all hours of the night. Luc always claimed it was a situation with one of their clients, but what if he’d been lying? She had to know the truth before she made a decision that would impact the rest of her life.
    She stalked to the back of the church, a pleasant smile plastered on her face for the benefit of the guests. She stopped in front of the pew where Luc and Avery were seated. “Can I talk to you outside, Luc?”
    He looked between Avery and Marisa, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. “Uh, isn’t the ceremony supposed to be starting soon?”
    “We have a few minutes. This can’t wait.”
    He glanced at the front of the church. “Won’t your fiancé miss you?”
    “He’s talking to his parents right now.”
    “Avery, will you excuse us for a minute?”
    Avery looked Marisa up and down. “Of course.”
    Marisa resisted the urge to jump over the pew and throttle the woman who had been dragging her boyfriend out of bed in the middle of the night.
    Luc grabbed Marisa’s upper arm, escorting her out of the church. “What is this about?” he whispered.
    “Your car, now,” she said, stalking off ahead of him. She spotted Luc’s black Maserati parked beside Avery’s BMW convertible. At least they hadn’t driven together. She crossed the distance to his car and stood beside it, waiting for him to un-lock the doors and claim the driver’s seat.
    She sat in the passenger’s seat, clenching and un-clenching her fists as she waited to have his undivided attention. “How dare you have sex with Avery!” she shouted.
    He stared at her as though he feared for his safety, being trapped in a car with a raving lunatic. “Uh, wait a minute. You and I weren’t even together when I was sleeping with Avery.”
    She crossed her arms and tapped her foot against the floorboards. “Are you sure about that?”
    He had the audacity to laugh in her face and she lunged across the gearshift, grabbing the lapels of his designer suit. “You think this is funny, you son of a bitch?”
    He seized her wrists as his eyes travelled from her eyes to her lips and back again. “You seriously think I cheated on you?”
    “Didn’t you?”
    “Hell no, never. I can’t believe you’d even think that, Marisa.” He let