“AND I’M ACTUALLY in a hurry. I forgot that I left my door open. My cat would probably go out if I can’t get back sooner,” she lied. She was allergic to dander.

She smiled sweetly to Charleigh and stole a glance at Tripp who looked mightier in his blue shirt, it should be a sin. Surprisingly, he was smiling at her—wickedly. Unfortunately, Tripp knew about her allergy. She fought hard the urge not to smile back despite how contagious it was that her stomach fluttered.

“Well.” Charleigh sensed something was off. Ari knew she didn’t buy her excuse. “Then the least I could do is to offer you coffee and cupcakes.”

She wouldn’t refuse that offer. Charleigh was already grabbing a medium box, while Diane, the cashier started pouring coffee to the large cup.

After she grabbed the box and the coffee, she thanked Charleigh. “You don’t have to do this. Here in this town, we helped everyone in need.” It was ridiculous. The fact that she left Tripp alone in the middle of the road and didn’t feel any regrets, she was damn unkind. Well, unless he was ripped to shred by the bear, which was unlikely to happen because there was no bear in the Hopes Spring town. In the wilderness, maybe.

“Let me walk you out.” The voice from her back made her still. Again, her heart was in galloped. It was annoying that she still felt that way toward the asshole who broke her heart.

“That won’t be necessary, Mr. Wrylee. I can handle myself just fine.” She didn’t have time for his bullshit, or for whatever games he had on his sleeves.

“I insist, Miss Sky,” he said automatically as he drew closer to her that she could even see the dark irises in his eyes. The way he said Miss Sky sizzled her skin.

Crap!

She had to swallow hard when Tripp let his dimples pop out on his cheeks, a condescending smirk played around his lips. He knew she was a sucker for them.

Get a grip, Ari.

“If you insist. Lead the way.” She gestured her hand with the box of cupcakes and looked at Charleigh one more time, raising the coffee in her grasp. “Thanks again for this.”

“My pleasure.”

She let go of a long deep breath once Charleigh was out of her sight and faced Tripp. She almost tripped back, realizing Tripp was closer to her that her face almost hit his chest, his smell knocking her senses.

She groaned, stepped back, craned her neck to meet him in the eye. “What do you want?”

His searing gaze made her inner self squirm, her heart racing. Tripp was aware of his effect on her, he could see it in her eyes, in her actions, and Ari knew he was pushing her to the limit.

“I’m here to be that man that I should have been to you years ago. To be your husband, Ari.” Tripp was surprised by his own words.

That was not him. After he left Ari, he always used his head—his mind, and not his damn heart, or his unruly dick. He completely underestimated his feelings toward her.

He barely slept as soon as he got to the inn after Dax sent men to help his car out of the weeds. It was not from the terrible accident, but from the gorgeous green eyes staring back at him.

Now she was glaring at him, and yet, all he wanted was to smash his mouth against her because he found her hotter and sexier than before now that she was a grown woman.

He couldn’t just ignore the fear and concern racing in those sea-green eyes. And the way she examined him—he suddenly remembered how her hands explored every inch of his body in Las Vegas, his cock swelled in his pants—that was before he found out she was Dax’s cousin.

He vowed to never break the bro code even Dax already did, and he was also an arrogant and ambitious son of a bitch. So he ended it up pretty quickly. As easy as that. Scratch that—he was lying. That day would always be the darkest and the saddest day of his life. And that day was the day he broke Arizona Sky’s heart.

As soon as the word husband slipped from his mouth, his plan jumbled. It wasn’t supposed to happen that way, but there was no way he would take it back. He liked the sound of it, besides, he should have filed a divorce three years ago if he wanted it to end, but thinking of Ari married to someone else would have driven him insane.

Tripp knew it was unfair on her part, but so as for him.

Maybe fate had brought them together even though he didn’t believe in those shits anymore. He believed in hard work and perseverance, not in damn twists of fate.

“You won’t do that. And I think it’s no longer valid.” She lifted her chin, hands still full with the box of cupcakes and coffee his sister gave her.

Tripp remembered how innocent she was. Now she was completely a different person. For Tripp, it was rather refreshing and fascinating. In three days in Vegas he spent with her, he learned to know some important things about Arizona Blaire Sky—one of those was she was loyal to the bone.

“Then why haven’t you filed?” Tripp was already crossing his arms over his chest, his brow reaching his hairline. He never missed the look on Ari’s face as she checked him out. He didn’t even try to hide his amusement. He smirked at her.

Ari rolled her eyes. “You’re not listening. Let us make things straight, Tripp. This isn’t something I take lightly. If that stupid marriage is still valid, I would have filed the moment you walked out. I would never want to be stuck with a heartless asshole like you.”

“Really, Ari? Do you really think I would believe that?”

“I don’t care what you believe.” She glared further, and Tripp was just getting started and his cock was already had piqued its interest. Shame on him. It would take a lot of persuasions and hard work before he could feel her around him again. But he was good at that.

“So, you’re married then.” He looked down at her hands, searching for something. She was not wearing any ring on her finger even the wedding band he gave her. He just stabbed his heart a thousand times by spears when the realization hit him. She moved on.

“How does it any of your business? The last time I checked, you chose to leave me, remember?” Her beautiful round face reddened with anger. “Just go back to Charleigh. She’s waiting for you. And please, leave me alone.” She turned around and strode away, which made Tripp angrier. He was not used to be treated that way, and he was not done talking. For him, it was disrespectful.

“Arizona!” He chased her. “We are not done talking.” Ari became deaf, ignoring him. He reached for her arm and released her instantly as if his hand had caught fire. The familiar electricity instantly radiated through his heart, rushed down his spine, and went directly to the part he wished he had controlled over.

Then something happened, which he never expected it from Ari. She pushed the coffee cup into his chest. He gasped in shock as he felt the hot coffee seeped through his shirt, dripped down his abdomen, and again it leaked down south.

“Fuck.” He hissed as he felt his skin was burning. He deserved that.

At the back of his mind, he couldn’t be prouder of how his wife turned out to be a strong and fearless woman.