All of Me (All of Me #1) by Tamsyn Bester, Bailey Townsley Read Free Book Online Page B

confusion to anger. “You will be there,” she says, her voice commanding. I like a strong woman, but the way she barks orders has always been off-putting.
    “No, I won’t. I have a function that I have to attend.”
    “What function?”
    I grin, despite my anger, knowing I’m about to make Gemma’s day. “I’m going to a birthday party,” I reply. “For Lacey Forbes.”
    Gemma’s face pales, and she rises from her seat. There are very few things that render her speechless, and the mere mention of the woman she knows I love is one of them.
    “She’s back?” she asks.
    I respond with nothing more than a nod, and watch the color drain from her face. Understanding flashes in her eyes. She knows I’m willing to do anything to get Lacey back, even if it means trampling all over her and our pathetic excuse of a marriage.
    As I watch her, I realize that she’s no longer my wife. She’s my opponent. I should’ve seen her that way from the day I said ‘I Do’, but I was blinded by heartache, and loss.
    “Well,” Gemma says after pulling herself together, “that explains why you’re in such a rush to divorce me. You want to chase after your little whore.”
    Instead of becoming angered by her comment, I decide to torment her instead. “Is that jealousy I hear?”
    She huffs. “Don’t be ridiculous. You can have her – after you give me what you owe me.”
    “Are we negotiating now?” If so, she will lose. She has no idea what I’m truly capable of. What I’m willing to do to get back what she ruined for me two years ago.
    “No. Whether or not you give me what I want is actually irrelevant. You broke poor Lacey’s heart,” her voice drips with sarcasm. “Why would she forgive you?”
    I smile, and this time it’s genuine. “Because I love her.”
    Gemma’s eyes widen, and for a moment I see the hurt. Lacey got the one thing from me Gemma never did. Love. And deep down, that’s the reason Lacey is such a threat. I loved her from the moment I laid eyes on her, no matter how wrong it was. Her age was of little importance to me. I wanted her. Badly. It was something Gemma never understood, and she was always jealous because of it. She wanted that part of me to belong to her. But it never did. It always belonged to Lacey.
    I turn around and walk out of Gemma’s office. Just as I reach the elevator doors, my phone rings and my private investigator’s name flashes across the screen.
    “I have the information you wanted,” he says in lieu of a greeting. “I think you’ll be very interested. It looks like your wife has been having some fun with her father’s business partner.” 
     

CHAPTER 9
    L ACY
    After hitting the gym for over an hour, I drag my tired body upstairs back to my apartment and mentally psych myself out for a hot bath. It’s the day of my party at my parent’s house, and I’ve tried everything to feel some semblance of excitement. But nothing has worked, and my trepidation grows with every minute that goes by. I try to think of every excuse in the book to get out of it, but I know my mother won’t hear of it.
    I resign myself to the fact that I have no choice but to tolerate my family for the evening, whether I’m happy about it or not.
    I open my door, ready to strip down and head straight for the luxurious clawfoot bathtub. Unfortunately, the familiar man sitting in my living room like he owns the damn place brings those plans to an abrupt halt.
    I shut the door loudly, and he turns his head, giving me a warm smile.
    “You’re home,” he says casually, like it’s the most natural thing in the world. It’s something I expect a boyfriend to say to his girlfriend, or a husband to his wife. Not an ex-lover.
    “How did you get in here?” I ask. I do little to hide the annoyance in my voice, and I don’t care if I sound rude. He needs to stop invading my life when clearly I no longer want him in it.
    A little voice mutters liar, but I silence it quickly. Now’s not the