Shattered Dreams (Vegas Dreams Book 2) by Cheryl Bradshaw Read Free Book Online

dressed in a simple, blue-and-white-striped sundress and flip-flops. It was tight and short, but it covered her ass better than my dress covered mine.
    Gideon cleared his throat. “Sasha, this is Mandi.”
    “Who is she to you?” I asked.
    He paused, not wanting to answer.
    “Gideon?” I asked.
    “She’s my ex.”
    Ex what—girlfriend? Wife? Now I understood why she’d traipsed in without knocking, like she owned the place. She probably did.
    “Relax,” Mandi said, swishing a hand through the air. “We’re very over.”
    “As in?”
    “Divorced. I’m just here to hand over a few things—house key, garage door opener, stuff the realtor needs to show this place since he’s finally decided to take my advice and sell it. I’ll be out of here in a jiffy, so you two can get back to your ... whatever it was you were doing.”
    She cupped a hand over her mouth, giggled.
    Gideon’s jaw was clenched. Tight. She hadn’t been expected, and he seemed irritated she was here. “You said you wouldn’t be in town until tomorrow.”
    It seemed silly to mention it now.
    She was here.
    The ship had sailed, and we were all on it together.
     “What can I say, I got here early, and unlike you, I have a life that doesn’t revolve around a job. Although,” she squeezed her eyelids together until they were almost closed, “from the looks of things, maybe you are taking a little time for yourself these days. Whatever gets your rocks off.”
    “Mandi!”
    “Mandi, what?” she retorted. “Calm down, Gideon. Forgive me for wanting to pop in, leave my things, and be done with it so I could enjoy the rest of my weekend like you’re enjoying yours. I never expected to find you here. Have to say though, you’re still full of surprises. What number is she since we broke up? Twenty? Twenty-five?” 
    “Why don’t you leave your stuff and get out?” I said.
    While I wasn’t always adept at handling men, women were another story.
    Before Mandi could respond, a man appeared behind her, his tropical shirt unbuttoned halfway, showing off a bushy mound of gray chest hair. He looked like he was about fifteen years her senior and, judging by the blingie man-jewelry dripping from his neck, he had money. In his free hand, the one that wasn’t holding a partially chugged bottle of champagne, he held up a hand at Gideon and said, “Hey, man. How’s it goin’?”
    Mandi whipped around. “Babe, why don’t you wait for me in the other room? I’ll just be a minute.”    
    I used the diversion to remove myself from Gideon’s lap in the most ladylike way possible, even though I lost my balance and almost toppled in the process. My head was back where it belonged again. I didn’t want to be here anymore.
    Gideon clasped my hand in his, not letting me go. “Stay, please.”
    “I’m leaving,” I said. “Let me go.”
    I hadn’t meant to sound so harsh, but after living with a monster for so long, I couldn’t help it.
    He raised both hands in the air, respecting my wishes. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean—”
            “Uhh ... hello?” Mandi snapped her fingers at Gideon. “Focus, please.”
    “Leave everything on the counter.”
    “Yeah, but what about the paperwork?” she replied. “You said you’d have it ready for me to sign.”
    “Again, tomorrow, not today.”
    “Can’t you just call the realtor and see if she can swing it by tonight ... while I’m here?”
     “She can’t bring it by tonight,” I replied. “She has plans. Well, had plans. You’re interrupting.”
    “Hold on a minute.” Mandi’s pointer finger shot out like a dagger. “You’re the realtor, aren’t you?”
    I started for the door without responding.
    Mandi followed me.
    Gideon followed Mandi.
    “Sasha, stay,” he said. “Don’t leave yet.”
    Again, I didn’t respond.
    “Oh, this is fun,” Mandi said. “Don’t run away because I’m here. Take a few more minutes, get what you came for tonight. I can wait