“We were supposed to be celebrating tonight, in fact.” Her voice cracked on a sob, her eyes pressed tightly shut to hold back renewed tears.

Parr scooted his chair next to hers and pulled her into his arms, not caring who saw. No one seemed to notice—a noisy game of beer pong had started up at the back of the lounge. Thankful for that, Parr knew his only concern was for her. He wanted to comfort her. He wanted to ease her pain. He wanted to make her happy.

Oh God. He just plain wanted her.

Seeming to draw strength from his embrace, she continued, her voice ragged and low. Parr had to strain to catch every word.

“He says he loves me, that he wants to marry me, but tonight—of all nights—he did something . . . unforgivable.”

The last word was spoken with anguished determination, as if she were making a vow: No matter what anyone says or does, I will not forgive him.

“What did he do, honey?” The endearment seemed right. Parr couldn’t take it back.

“I . . . I saw him . . . them.”

“Who?”

“He was with his old girlfriend. In each other’s arms, to be exact. And that’s n-not all,” she stammered, her face scarlet.

“Maybe she was kissing him.”

“No maybe about it. She was all over him!” Abruptly jerking out of Parr’s arms, his fire gold angel faced him. “And vice versa. Kissing. Touching. He practically had her undressed less than an hour after we announced our engagement.”

“Oh.” Parr wasn’t sure what to say, didn’t know what she wanted to hear. She obviously needed consoling, but he’d bet good money that, gentle as the woman seemed, she had good reason to take her fury out on any representative of the male sex in a fifty-mile radius. And he was a lot closer than that.

The fire in her soul shone in her green eyes. Parr was dazzled. Angry, she was even more beautiful. And available, because some selfish idiot had cheated on her. Parr was suddenly more than ready to volunteer for consolation duty.

It had been a long time since he’d wanted a woman badly. In all honesty, he couldn’t ever remember wanting one this much.

“I knew he’d loved her once. I knew that they’d had a hot affair. But he swore everything ended when she married another man. And I believed him.”

Parr nodded.

“He used to say that the love he felt for me was so different.” She just about spat the words. “So much deeper. Then tonight . . . there they were. I caught them almost in the act.”

This was no ordinary drama, not the way she told the story, in few words but with matchless intensity and good old-fashioned righteous, blazing indignation that would do a real angel proud. Even though infidelity happened every damn day, every hour, every second all around the world.

Still.