Mrs. Robin's Sons

gasped for air.
“I’m going to make sure you’re fired after this,” he managed to choke out.
Nick laughed bitterly, looking into Rylee’s terror-stricken face. “Don’t bother. I was just the weekend coverage anyway.”
*
Shortly after Rylee had left Ethan to collect his things, she heard voices coming from the living room. She couldn’t believe her eyes when she walked out to find Nick with his hand wrapped around Ethan’s throat. Ethan’s feet dangled a good three inches off the floor, and his face had turned a deep shade of purple.
She didn’t want to imagine what would have happened if she hadn’t come out of her room when she did. It didn’t look like Nick had any intention of letting Ethan go anytime soon.
Before she even had a chance to feel excited that the man who had consumed her every thought, dream, and fantasy during the last three weeks was finally standing in her living room again, he turned to walk out, without so much as acknowledging her.
“Nick, wait!” She started toward him, but he turned around and gave her a look filled with so much contempt, hurt, and anger, it froze her in place and damn near stopped her heart, before he stormed out the door.
“That crazy bastard.” Ethan struggled to stand up, his voice sounded raw and hoarse. “I should fucking press charges.”
She whirled on him. “What the fuck did you say to him, Ethan?” She yelled, her fury barely contained, her hands itching to beat the shit out of him. “You’re worried about him? I’m the one he almost killed. What kind of people are you hiring at this damn hotel, anyway?”
“Nick doesn’t work here, and you damn well know it!”
Ethan looked at her in shock for a moment. “Oh, my God!” His head fell back in laughter. “Are you kidding me? You’re fucking that kid?”
“That kid gave me more orgasms in two days than you ever did in the entire two years we were together. Fucking asshole!” She grabbed her purse and keys off the table by the door.
“Be gone by the time I get back,” she told him, seething, as she walked out the door, “or I’ll finish what Nick started myself.”

Chapter Nine
Nick walked down the street, too overwhelmed to focus long enough to figure out where he was going. He just needed to put as much space as possible between him, that hotel, that woman, and her asshole man. He must have been out of his fucking mind to have come here.
He turned the corner when he got to Wacker Drive, and he could see the Merchandise Mart a few blocks away. He remembered going with Noah to a bar across the street from there. The place had good food and even better drinks, and he headed in that direction. He needed a drink in the worst way at the moment.
“Nick!” He tensed at the sound of Rylee’s voice behind him, but kept walking.
“Nick, please!” He could tell she was getting closer, could hear the sound of her heels against the pavement, but he ignored it; ignored her.
“Goddammit Nick, would you just wait a moment!” Rylee ran up behind him and
grabbed him by the arm.
She huffed out a breath. “Listen, I’m sorry about what happened back there, okay? I don’t know what Ethan said to you —” “Oh, your fiancé made it perfectly clear that I had no business bothering you.” He glared down at her.
“Is that what he told you?” She looked incredulous. “He’s lying. He’s not my fiancé!”
“Oh, yeah? Does he know that? Because he seemed pretty fucking sure that you were!”
He was yelling, so angry that he was oblivious to the scene they were causing in the middle of the sidewalk.
“Damn, Rylee, I never would have thought you were the type who was so desperate for a man that you’d be willing to settle for a piece of shit like that.”
He looked her up and down, his expression filled with disdain. “But then, you gave it up to me after only a couple of hours, so I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised.”
Rylee’s hand whipped out and slapped him hard across the face.
“Fuck you!” She slapped him again. “Who in the hell do you think you are? Just because we fucked and talk on the phone, you suddenly think you know me well enough to pass judgment on me? You don’t know shit!”
Nick regretted his words as soon as they left his mouth. Seeing the anguished look on Rylee’s face, watching those beautiful amber eyes fill with tears, hurt him more than her hand ever could. He felt sick, knowing he’d gone too far.
Rylee turned to walk away, and he reached for her arm. “Rylee, wait. I —”
“Don’t!” Rylee snatched her arm away. “I have enough shit in my life, Nick. I don’t need more from you.” She turned and headed back toward the hotel.
“Rylee, please.” Nick caught up with her and pulled her back against his chest. His arms wrapped tightly around her and refused to let go, even as she struggled against him.
“I’m so sorry,” he whispered into her hair, repeating the apology over and over again, holding onto her until she finally calmed down.
“I didn’t lie to you, Nick,” she said softly, her response barely audible over the noise around them. “I broke up with Ethan a month before I met you.” Nick turned her to face him and cupped her face with his hands. He rested his forehead against hers. “You still love him?” He looked directly into her eyes, almost afraid of her answer.
“No.” Her response was immediate, without any hesitation, her gaze never looking away from his.
“I believe you.” They just stood there, each drinking in the sight of the other, his thumbs caressing her jawline. Finally, he tilted her head up and kissed her, slow and easy, reveling in the feel of her, the taste of her again.
Rylee moaned softly, just melting against him,