Free Ties That Bind by Kathryn Shay Page A

I’m afraid something will spark between you two again.” She tried draw away, but he held her in place. “I’m afraid you’re in love with him, still. That he’ll get you in the sack, then take you away from me.”
    “We agreed we’d be exclusive. I wouldn’t cheat on you.”
    “Like he cheated on you. Best you remember that.”
    Her face drained of color and he regretted his words.
    “Look, I’m sorry. That was mean. But I worry, Kaitlyn. About us. About your inability to commit to this relationship. “
    “You know I care about you.”
    “And you know I love you.” He waited a beat, then added, “I hate the fact that your feelings haven’t caught up with mine.”
    This time she managed to step back. “Look, maybe I shouldn’t have come over today. I didn’t sleep well and I’m exhausted. I don’t have the energy to argue with you.”
    So much for taking his mother’s advice and bringing all his feelings out in the open. He didn’t mean for this to go south. Though he knew he was acting like some Neanderthal, he bent down, swung her up in his arms and headed for the bedroom.
    “What are you doing?” she asked, half in surprise, half in amusement.
    “Ending this argument.” He strode down the hall and kicked open his bedroom door. “We won’t fight if we’re busy doing other things.”
    Dumping her on the huge four-poster bed, he dragged his shirt over his head and, never taking his eyes off her, he began to unfasten his jeans.
    She stared at him a moment, then reached for the zipper of her fleece. “Works for me.”
    o0o
    REESE BRACED HIS arms on either side of Dray and kissed her nose; he was trying to pretend what they’d just done wasn’t the worst sex they’d ever had. The lines around his mouth and eyes gave him away, though. When he started to move off her, she gripped his shoulders. Strong and muscled, they bunched beneath her fingertips.
    “You’re not doing well, are you?” she asked gently.
    “No, I guess not. This thing with Anna Bingham has me preoccupied. I’m worried.”
    “About the judgeship nomination?”
    “Hell, about my practice. A scandal like this could ruin Bishop Associates.”
    He did move away then, settling onto his side of the bed, linking his hands behind his head, and staring up at the plaster ceiling. He’d told her once—without meaning to, she guessed—that in the farmhouse he’d shared with Kate, they’d put in an oak ceiling with skylights in the bedroom. Wistfully, he’d said he missed looking up at the stars at night and the sun during the day, and hearing the wind chimes tinkle outside their window.
    Dray turned to her side and came up on her elbow, anchoring her head in her open palm. “Is that all, Reese?”
    “Isn’t that enough?”
    “Are you upset by being with Kate?”
    “I’m upset about the reason I’m forced to be with Kate.”
    “Did you argue?”
    “We always argue, though it isn’t as bad, now that we have something in common to fight for.” He never admitted the anger and resentment that was still there on both sides, but Dray could sense the emotions inside him. “And then there’s Sofie.” He’d already explained last night what happened with his daughter.
    “I’m sorry.” Dray ran a finger down his chest. “She’s so mean to you.”
    “She’s hurting.”
    “And being a typical teenage brat.”
    He chuckled. “That, too. And now this guy, Jax. My Lord, he’s bad news.”
    “Did you talk to her about him?”
    “Kate and I both tried to. Sofie said we couldn’t keep our marriage together so any advice on relationships that we had to give her was useless.” He expelled a heavy breath. “Maybe she’s right about that. She’s never going to get over the divorce.”
    “Neither are you.”
    He turned his head to the side, his green eyes glittered with questions. “What do you mean by that?”
    “Just that you’re still hurting from the divorce, too.”
    “Dray, please, let’s not get into that