“Are you feeling sick?” I asked as I motioned to the burger.
“I’m not hungry.”
With a grin, I said, “You always used to get hungry anytime you drank.”
She slowly lifted her gaze to mine again. “Well, a lot of things have changed since high school. Like you having threesomes.”
My eyes went wide, and I quickly looked around the restaurant before I focused back on her. “I did not have a threesome with her.”
One of her brows lifted, and she stared at me.
“Listen, I’m not going to sit here and tell you I haven’t fucked a lot of women, because I have.”
She swallowed hard and dropped her gaze again. This time she picked up the coffee and took a sip before staring into it.
“She wanted a threesome, I didn’t. It ended up being three women who all fucked around with each other.”
Her head jerked up, and she steadied herself when she started to sway once again. “Oh my Lord! You watched them?”
I felt my entire body go stiff at the horror in her voice.
“No. When the other two women came in, I got dressed and left. Obviously I wasn’t needed.”
“Oh,” she said, barely above a whisper.
“They didn’t mean anything. None of them.”
Merit looked up at me and plastered on a fake smile. “You don’t owe me any explanations, and I’m sorry if I pried. Of course, I guess I could hire Phil if I really wanted to find out about all your dirty little secrets. I think I’ll pass, though.”
I sighed and rubbed the back of my neck. “Merit, I don’t really have an explanation as to why I hired Phil. I guess I wanted to know what brought you back to Montana and if I had anything to do with it. I was also curious about what you’ve been up to.”
“What else did you find out about me?”
It was my turn to look down at the coffee mug I was cradling in my hands. “Does it matter?”
She laughed. “Yes.”
“I asked him to find out if you’d been dating anyone.”
I heard the intake of air, and I stole a quick look to see she was staring at me with a disbelieving expression on her face.
“What did Phil tell you?” she asked as she set her coffee cup down and leaned back in the booth. I could tell she was trying not to throw the coffee in my face.
“Nothing much.”
“Dirk!” she said more firmly before she hiccupped again.
“That you dated some British actor dude for a few years off and on.”
Her mouth dropped open—and then she slid out of the booth.
“Fuck,” I whispered as I pulled out my wallet and threw a few twenty dollar bills down on the table and followed her out of the restaurant.
“Where are you going, Merit?” I asked as she started to walk away from where my truck was parked.
“Anywhere you’re not,” she replied, stomping off.
I walked up next to her, gently took her by the elbow, and turned her to walk back toward my truck. My entire body came to life anytime I touched this woman, and I was beginning to remember all of those times I’d tried to ignore this feeling when I was around her.
“You’re not walking out here alone. Get into the truck. We have a lot to talk about.”
“Not tonight,” she stated.
“Yes, tonight. You were the one who showed up at the Blue Moose demanding answers. Well, now you’re going to get them.”
Jerking open the truck door, I tried to help her up, but she knocked my hand out of the way.
“I’m fine now.”
I took a step back and lifted my hands in surrender. Merit steadied herself and climbed into the truck. I knew she wasn’t full-on drunk, but she was for sure still buzzing. One cup of coffee and a few bites of a burger didn’t do shit.
Once I got back into the truck, I went to the only place I could think of. I put the truck into drive and started toward the spot on Bitterroot River where we all used to go and drink beer on the tailgate of my truck or Brock’s.
Merit had quickly fallen asleep, and I couldn’t help but glance over at her every time I stopped at a light or a stop sign.
Jesus, she was so damn beautiful. And a mad Merit… Hell, a mad Merit was even more stunning. Those violet eyes of hers seemed to turn dark purple, and they made my cock as hard as a damn rock.
I pushed aside all thoughts of my cock and how beautiful Merit was and gripped the steering wheel harder. Once I turned down the old familiar dirt road, I felt my grip ease some. We would park, I’d explain everything to her, and then if she still wanted to give the money back to me, well…I’d figure out some way for her to keep it.