Danielle’s POV
*****
“Baby,” the woman clinging to Simon’s arm like a leech tightened her grip, her boobs pressing against him.
“Are you sure this studio will be able to do what I want?”
Simon whispered something into her ears while I stood there—my fists curling so hard I could feel my nails digging into my palms.
The mother fucking audacity.
“M–Ma’am?” Whitney tapped my shoulder just then.
“Isn’t that your—?”
“My ex-husband?” I muttered.
“Yes.”
“And that woman…”
“Can you,” I swung my head to her, wearing my brightest ‘everything is under control even though it isn’t’ smile, “keep Raquel occupied? Let me handle this real quick.”
“Danielle, you don’t have to if—”
I was already walking before Whitney could stop me.
My smile remained intact as I drew closer to Simon—although my heart beat like war drums and I’d already imagined a thousand ways I could screw this up.
Simon has had that effect on me for the longest time.
His mere presence made me scrutinise myself to the tiniest details.
“Hey,” my eyes flitted between him and the washed-up Barbie doll beside him.
“Wasn’t expecting to see you here. Ever.”
He grinned, grabbing the woman’s hand fondly.
“Business seems to be doing well. We were in the area, and I just figured I could take my girl here since she wants her nails done. Vesper Nail Studio is one of the best after all.”
He lifted her hand and pressed a kiss on her knuckles.
“And you know me. I always want the best for my woman.”
His words were like glass shards to my chest.
Yet I bore how stabbing the pain of hearing those words was, my smile only widening.
“Right.” My eyes slid to her face.
“I know you… Tarnish, yeah?”
“Tanisha.” Her eyes twitched at my words but she was quick to mask her agitation.
“Nice to meet you after everything. I hope there aren’t any hard feelings.”
I stopped myself from scoffing.
“Why would there be?”
She shrugged, deliberately resting her head on Simon’s shoulder.
“Oh, I don’t know,” Her other hand reached out, letting her fingers rake shamelessly over his chest.
“Just a hunch. I know how you must feel. And I want you to know I genuinely—”
“It’s fine,” I spoke quickly, drawing in a deep breath.
If I had to hear her fake ass speak some more I might do something we’ll all regret.
“Just… come on in. One of my girls will attend to you.”
Tanisha beamed.
“That’ll be lovely.” She swerved her head to Simon one last time before finally pulling away from him.
As she strode past me, she halted for a heartbeat.
“Kudos to you on being the bigger person. I don’t think I could ever stay so calm around the woman who gave my man everything I couldn’t.”
I angled my head to her, just in time to witness her adjusting her boobs until they bounced under her tight red dress.
Her fingers rubbed over her light brown skin provocatively.
Seeing that she had my attention, she added.
“Hopefully you don’t let yourself go. You’re still… mostly young. There has to be a man out there who’ll treat you like royalty.”
With that, she winked, brushing past me as she headed toward one of my employees.
My jaw worked—but I didn’t do anything.
‘I’m going to charge their ass extra.’
★★★★★
When I got home later that night, I cursed like three times before even reaching the stairs.
I’d genuinely thought things were going to begin shaping up for me after Raquel visited Vesper Nail Studio.
But with Simon and Tanisha in there, I was barely able to concentrate enough to get a good video with her.
Sure, I could’ve just chased them out as Kimberly told me when I updated her on the whole mess.
But that would’ve caused a scene that would get my business the bad kind of attention.
Kicking off my shoes, I ascended the stairs lazily, ready to hit the showers and just go straight to bed.
Once in my bedroom, I dropped my phone on the reading table.
And that’s when I noticed something that nearly snapped the exhaustion out of me.
Bobby’s terrarium.
I could swear on my grandfather’s grave that I shut the lid over it before leaving this morning.
After all, I couldn’t have my pet getting lost only a day after getting it.
Yet there it was—lid set aside on the ground.
To my relief Bobby was still inside, probably sleeping.
It was honestly hard to tell.
Do spiders close their eyes when they sleep?
Ignoring that mental question that was definitely getting searched on Google later, I picked up the lid and sealed the terrarium again.
“You must be hungry as hell,” I sighed, poking the glass with a finger.
“I’ll get you a fly or something. I think the ones from the pet store should still be alive.”
I turned away, taking off my clothes as memories of all Tanisha said rushed through me again.
I didn’t know when I began ranting out loud.
“Humans,” I snorted.
“I’ll never understand why anyone would want to go through so much trouble just to hurt someone. Like what did I even do to you? You’ve got the man and I’m not fighting you for him. No need to be a condescending bitch.”
I glanced over my shoulder when all that was left were my panties.
Of course, Bobby remained sitting on the same spot I left him.
“… And now I’m talking to a damn spider.” I giggled at my own expense.
“God, I desperately need that shower.”
Once I’d slipped out of my underwear as well, I strutted to the bathroom.
The cold water trickling over me made my shoulders relax.
I brushed a hand through my hair, not bothering to grab any soap or shampoo.
I just stood there.
Thinking back to the times when Simon and I would shower together.
He would almost always fuck me till I’m breathless each time.
My legs clenched as I slid a hand between them.
Fuck.
How the heck was I already wet?
Biting my bottom lip, I decided to let two fingers make their way past my folds.
I shuddered, my thighs squeezing tighter as I went deeper.
A soft moan escaped my mouth.
I needed to let off some steam somehow.
And right now, just remembering how that jerk of an ex-husband used to pin me to the cold bathroom wall made me restless.
There has to be a way to get rid of the memories.
Maybe Kim was right and I needed to fuck someone else.
But the truth is, in all my years… no man has ever come close to pleasuring me as much as Simon did.
No man except maybe—
My eyes batted open the second I felt two strong arms around my waist.
I was barely able to register that when another pair roamed down my chest.
Then heat coiled around me as a huge, warm body pressed against my back.
I froze.
That musky scent.
The way my body reacted like it was having war flashbacks.
The impossible fact that FOUR arms were getting dangerously close to my most sensitive parts.
I knew who this was immediately.
And if his presence and touch weren’t a strong enough reminder—his thick, husky voice was.
“The people in your life sound like annoying pests. Would you… like me to get rid of them?”