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She stared woodenly through the windshield as Tate carefully disengaged the keys from her hand and then closed her door In a ine, aliven it serious consideration, but then she’d have to figure out a way ho the restaurant call her a cab, or she could call Joss or Kylie Either would come at a moment’s notice

But then she would be faced with the hu fact that her best friends would know her anniversary had been a complete disaster Hell, for that matter they may have suspected it would be a cluster fk froh concern over Chessy’s faltering relationship with her husband

Tate pulled out of the parking lot

"Please don’t cry, Chessy," he said softly "I’ot away fro his words and his apology Wordsat this point Actions spoke far more clearly than words, and his actions had been reprehensible in her ave her a startled look "She’s a potential client A very iet on board as quickly as possible She wanted to ed to meet her at the bar of the restaurant so that e finished I could have dinner with you"

"Yes, well, dinner was delivered and perfectly cold and you were an hour late," Chessy said in an icy tone

"What’s going on with irl?" Tate asked softly "You’ve been different lately"

She gave hi stare "Wow Observant of you, Tate I’ve been different for an entire year and you just now notice? At a time yousome rich floozy in the bar of the restaurant ere supposed to have dinner in Think about that for a ine if the roles were reversed and you were sitting there over cold entrees and then you saw me in the bar of the same restaurant with another man"

His gaze grew hard and he nearly growled "I’ll never let another man touch you unless I command it"

Chessy wanted to weep at what they’d lost That he’d bring up a kink they both enjoyed and hadn’t participated in for two years Two long years And in the last year, he’d given up any semblance of dominance It was like an alien had invaded his body and her Tate was gone

"I’ to the heart of thetime"

Tate looked shocked Genuinely and utterly shocked "What are you saying?" he asked hoarsely "Are you telling e?"