Best Kept Secrets_A Novel by Tracey S. Phillips

Author:Tracey S. Phillips [Phillips, Tracey S.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781643852270
Goodreads: 45302702
Publisher: CROOKED LANE BOOKS
Published: 2019-10-08T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 31

CARYN

Caryn climbed the steps to her apartment, counting each one along the way. When she reached her doorway, she heard music playing and smelled food cooking. She didn’t have a sound system and sure as hell hadn’t invited anyone over. She pushed the door. Inside, the thunderous guitar sounds of Korn’s heavy-metal band rocked her condo.

In the kitchen, Mack fussed over a skillet. Wearing faded, ripped jeans and a tight, long-sleeved black T-shirt, Mack’s shoulder muscles rippled as he bobbed to the beat.

Caryn set her purse and laptop case on the kitchen desk, wondering how he had gotten inside. She hadn’t given him a key.

“Hi, Caryn. I wanted to surprise you with dinner.” Mack approached for a kiss, as though they were married or living together.

Without accepting his invitation, she pushed him away with both hands. “What are you doing here?” she shouted over Jon Davis’s dark vocals.

Mack darted into the living room, where a brand-new set of speakers was hooked to his laptop. He turned down the music. “Check it out. We could use some music in here to lighten the mood. So I bought these.” Mack swung his arm around pointing to the speakers, then rocked his air guitar, strumming with the song. “Sound great, don’t they?”

Caryn hadn’t budged from her spot since she walked in. Her arms remained crossed over her rib cage, and on her face was a stoney scowl. Did he take my extra key?

Something on the stove boiled over. Mack leaped toward it to control the damage. “What’s wrong?” he asked, turning off the stove and removing the pot from a burner.

“Wrong?” Caryn asked. “What’s wrong is you broke into my apartment. What’s wrong is you didn’t tell me you were coming over, and what’s wrong is you invaded my home with your … music.”

Mack looked like she’d slapped him in the face. “I did this for you.”

As if chewing a saw blade, she spat, “Why aren’t you home with your wife?”

“Erin drove to Merrillville to see her mom for the weekend. I wanted to see you.”

“How did you get in?” Stuck on this detail, she thought he had picked the lock.

“Oh, that was easy. You know that maintenance guy? The one that’s always stalking you?”

“Brad?”

“Yeah. That’s the one.”

“Brad let you in?” Another strike against that loser.

“Yeah. So what? Jesus, Car, I thought you’d be happy to see me.”

“Only if you have something for me.”

“I always have something for you.” Mack’s hand slid to his crotch.

Caryn warmed up to him. Her arms came unbound from her chest and she slid them around him. “Next time, call me. Then I can be ready for you.” She kissed his rough, stubbly chin, not minding that it scraped her lips. She liked rough sex. In fact the more it hurt, the better.

Jon Davis screamed to announce something terrifying. “Are you ready?” followed by fast drums and bass guitar.

* * *

An hour later, an open bottle of wine stood on the red-tile counter. Caryn held a glass in her hand and breathed the warm cherry tannin.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.