Anson placed his hand gently on my lower back and guided us through the room. As we got near the exit, Lori appeared out of thin air.
“Leaving so soon? I was hoping to talk to you both, maybe schedule a little threesome interview.”
Anson looked like he was ready to rip this woman’s head off.
“You know how it works. If you want an interview, go through Robert.”
He brushed past her, and when I walked by, she winked at me.
When we were finally in the limo and on our way back to Anson’s house I relaxed into the seat and cracked the window for fresh air. I could feel the anger coming off of Anson in waves.
“Why does she get you so worked up?” I asked, my head back and my eyes closed.
“What? Who?”
“Lori Miller. I thought you were going to rip her head off as we were leaving. If she’s not a good reporter, why was she there in a room full of important people? Hell, I’m pretty sure at one point I saw Garth Brooks.”
Anson sighed. “I don’t want to talk about Lori tonight, Bri.”
That made me open my eyes. “You dated her?”
He snapped his head over to look at me. “I didn’t date her.”
My eyes narrowed as I took in his reaction. “Well, something happened between the two of you then.”
Anson sighed. “Not tonight, Bri.”
I felt my jaw ache as I clenched down my anger.
“So is this what Nashville does to you, Anson?”
He looked at me with a confused expression.
“Makes you act like an asshole? Listen, if you had a relationship with this woman, I don’t give two flying fucks about it. It was in the past. Don’t lie to me about it, though. I’ve had to come face to face with two women this evening who insinuated you had relations with them, and I was totally caught off guard by one. The other clearly knew something I didn’t, and I don’t like being made a fool of. I would much rather be prepared the next time I’m faced with a woman you’ve slept with rather than be left in the dark like a stupid idiot.”
“I didn’t sleep with Monica. Ever.”
And why did it hurt that he hadn’t denied sleeping with Lori? Ugh.
I looked out the window and fought to keep the instant jealousy at bay. Why had it not bothered me when I wasn’t sure if he had slept with her? Once he confirmed it, it felt like I couldn’t breathe.
Once I got my emotions in check, I said, “I get that you had a past here, Anson. I’m simply asking you not to hide it from me. If I’m going to be a part of this world, I need to know that you aren’t carrying around secrets that I’m going to read about online someday.”
He took off his cowboy hat and tossed it to the side, then jammed his fingers into his hair.
“Lori and I slept together a few times. She never meant anything to me, and it was simply a way for me to…I guess it’s like you and Josh. It was always a way for me to try and forget for a while. She knew there were no strings attached, and it was easy. The first time was at my old loft in Nashville. She interviewed me, and one thing led to another. When I cut things off between us last year, she got pissed. I thought she was over it, but I guess seeing you tonight proved me wrong.”
“So all those little jokes about interviewing you, she was actually talking about having sex with you?”
He nodded.
I looked straight ahead and then snarled my lip. “Gross—was she really suggesting a threesome with us back there?”
He closed his eyes and shook his head. “I doubt it, but with Lori I guess I wouldn’t be too surprised.”
Letting out a deep breath, I dropped my head back against the seat again. “I guess it will always be exciting when we’re here.”
Anson didn’t say anything, so I opened my eyes to see him staring out the window.
“Is anything else bothering you?” I asked as I took his hand in mine.
He turned and smiled, and my stomach went from upset to pulsing with desire.
“No, I just don’t like seeing you upset.”
I gave him my sexiest smile, then moved my dress out of the way and straddled him.
“The only thing I am right now is horny.”
He licked his lips and grabbed my waist. “I’ve been dying to see what you’ve got on under this dress.”
I glanced over my shoulder to the black window that separated us from the driver. Then I looked back at Anson.
“Do you want to get naughty, Ms. Overmann?”
“Very much so.”
Anson pushed a button on the side of the armrest and said, “Mikey, drive around for a bit before you take us home. I’ll need some privacy back here.”