He came into the kitchen a few minutes later and said, “Um, babe. I’m going to get Milan set up in the Hilton. I’ll be back in a little bit.”

“She managed to find her way down here all the way from New England, and yet she can’t find a hotel by herself?” I asked, a somewhat edgy snarkiness tingeing my tone, but I couldn’t help myself.

He rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. “Well, uh, she kinda took time off from her job to come down here and tell me in person, so I’m going to help her out and pay for her hotel.”

I stared at him impassively. “Are you sure this is even your baby, Axel?”

He nodded emphatically. “Yes, she said I was the only man she was with. I told you she had gotten a bit… clingy near the end. She said she couldn’t bear to be with anyone else.” His eyes drooped down on the corners with so much weariness that I couldn’t bear to pile any more shit on him right then.

“Okay, I’ll see you in a little bit, then?”

“Yeah, I’ll hurry,” he said, kissing my lips softly. “I love you, Bear.”

“I love you, too, you big man-whore.” I swatted him playfully on the ass, trying to lighten the mood a little as he turned to walk out. Back to her. “I’ll order delivery. Thai okay with you?”

“Sure, babe,” he said distractedly. And then he was gone.

I called in our food before going upstairs and quickly showering and shaving my legs. I put on a T-shirt and a pair of baggy pajama pants and went downstairs. Jesus, I could still smell Milan’s perfume, a sickly-sweet scent that made my eyes water. I was spraying down the living room with air freshener, which seemed to help only marginally, when I got a call from Vincent that the food was here. I told him to send the delivery guy up and met him at the door.

I laid out the food on the dining table on pretty yellow plates and dimmed the overhead lights. I went upstairs and changed into the racy pink lingerie I had purchased during lunch today and put my short, silky robe over it. Axel had a home game today, which I was unable to attend because I was working at the hospital. He was always horny as hell after a game, and I hoped he wouldn’t rip my new lingerie when he took it off me. Though, I did love it when he got all beasty on me.