1 Day until The Unforgiving Wife

What happens on the Gold Coast stays on the Gold Coast!

Just an old-fashioned love story. Wife loves husband. Husband cheats. Wife goes away to think. Gorgeous stranger sweeps her off her feet. Except, how can she tell him that she can't ...

Only one day until you can read The Unforgiving Wife.

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Juliette

“So you and I are in the doubles on Monday afternoon. There are heaps of spare courts for us to practice on and the girls from Bundaberg have asked if we want to hit up with them,” trust Brynne to be organized. With a day’s notice, she had shuffled the women around so they could be doubles partners, again.

“What about mixed, I didn’t see Jeremy on the sign in sheet.”

“You did ask for someone young and hot,” Juliette cringed as Brynne reminded her.

“I was joking, please tell me you knew I was joking. Jeremy has been my partner for years and I know his game and he trusts me to hold my own side of the court.”

“And he has other plans for this week, so if you want to play you’ll have to put up with someone new.”

“Oh well, I’ll watch you from the sidelines,” it would have been nice to get two days of playing after coming all this way. From the tournament program there would be heaps of other entertainment.

“Not so fast, you wanted someone gorgeous and I found you just the guy to get your mind off your marriage.”

“Brynne, you know my situation, even if I wanted to, what would I do with him?”

“But honey, wouldn’t it be fun to find out?”

Trent

“So which one is she and can she play?” Trent was already regretting tagging along. Insta divorce came with insta spontaneity.

His blonde bimbo wife Lexi wanted a separation, fine. He moved out the same day.

Then sexy single Lexi wanted a divorce, fine. He lined up a lawyer. Who didn’t have as much time to prepare as the barracuda Lexi had already engaged. But that didn’t matter. The whole marriage had been about what Lexi wanted – why would their divorce be any different.

Lexi wanted the house and claimed it as a wedding gift and then wanted him to buy her out of the company he founded.

Money always meant more to her than it ever did to him, something he should have realized before they married. He was young enough and smart enough to build another company. So he threw all their assets on the market – from cars to art, homes and company.

Lexi would get half of whatever they cleared in the fire sale! Not as much as she wanted but far more than she deserved, hell they were only married little more than a year.

His lawyer had caught her barracuda off-guard and now Lexi was calling him in the hope that what attracted him in the first place would work again. Unfortunately he still had the receipts from the breasts she fondled in her snap pics, perhaps he could add them to the list of things to sell?

“Mate, get the hell out of town while you still own your balls,” his lawyer advised.

“I can handle Lexi.”

“It’s the way you handle her that’s my concern. Get out of town and don’t let her assets make you throw away more of your own. I’m doing the best I can for you, but you need to leave town. If she wants to win you back, she can talk but don’t get close enough to touch.”

“We’ve never had much to talk about,” Trent shrugged, remembering how little he knew his wife before or even during their marriage. It never seemed important, after all if marriage was forever, they had time to get to know each other.

“Trent … don’t do anything stupid.”

His lawyer was right, the safest play was leaving town, so when Pete suggested going with his new tennis club to compete at the Masters Games, he didn’t need a repeat invitation.

Only now, he felt out of place. His full head of thick blonde hair seemed out of place amongst the bald and greying competitors. Even worse, Pete had signed him up to play mixed doubles with some woman who had only decided to come here on a whim. Apparently, there was some messy situation with her husband and she was looking for a distraction.

Sorry, love, he had enough crap to deal with at home, he didn’t need anymore.

Then again, badgered into coming by both his friend and lawyer, it was too late to back out now. At the very least he could go over, introduce himself and make sure she knew he wasn’t on the market to be any woman’s distraction.

“Well? Which one is she?” He looked to where Pete was making eye contact. The bubbly brunette smiled and came towards them. Good, she was nothing like his type. He preferred …

Oh, fuck.

“Trent, I’m so glad you decided to come, I’ve heard so much about you,” bubbles invaded his space with a hug and air kiss. “This is my good friend and doubles partner, Juliette who will be joining you on the court.”

The last time he was hit with this sort of chemistry, he married Lexi six weeks later. Only with Lexi, you knew where the first date would end up. This gorgeous blonde angel with the half hidden legs, large cats eyes and purest smile had no idea how absolutely perfect she was.

“Trent Neuman,” he took her hand to kiss it. Old-fashioned and sweetly. The lavender scent of her hand lotion filled him with visions of running barefoot through fields. Without letting go of her hand, “Since this is a first date, how about the four of us find a quiet café somewhere so we can get to know each other.”

“Juliette James, and I’d love to.” He tried to blame not wanting to lose her in the crowded bar for linking his fingers around hers.

Juliette

Blame it on either Nina’s voice in her head, or running away from home on the spur of the moment. Whatever the reason, when the blonde tanned Adonis took her hand, she didn’t pull it away. Not when he kissed it, nor when he assumed she would join them, or at least, him for dinner.

It didn’t even occur to her to pull her hand away as they left the bar for the street. Only when Brynne grabbed her for a quick “girl chat” did their fingers part.

“When I said Trent was hot, I didn’t think you’d do anything about it. Be careful,” Brynne warned.

“I’m fine. Old, married and totally not his type,” she brushed off the concerns. Surely, she was the only one who felt the connection.

“You keep telling yourself that.”

Hours later and Pete had left them after dinner, “I not only need any beauty sleep I can get, but I’ve got to check in with the opening ceremony committee by eight tomorrow morning.”

“Night, Pete,” Juliette got up and hugged her friend with no intention of leaving. “Thanks for everything.”

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” Pete whispered. “I wish I could tell you not to … but he’s a good guy and you deserve to be happy.”

“Pete, don’t worry about me. Nothing will happen, I promise.”

A night for promises to be broken.

Brynne left shortly after Pete, with smiles instead of warnings.

“So,” Trent leaned back in his chair, his arm loosely around her shoulders where it had been all night.

Juliette wanted to speak but terrified of doing or saying anything that could break the magic of the moment, could only smile and hope he would take the lead.

“We could stay here until they kick us out, or …” his fingertips traced up and down her arm.

“I can’t. I mean, I just can’t.”

Now his fingertips traced her face until she turned into him. “Then how about we go for a walk and talk about the elephants in the room.”

“Elephants?” her head was spinning.

“Your marriage and mine. Who we loved, where we are.”

“I can’t promise you anything,” some things were impossible to understand or even explain.

“I could use a friend, and I guess you could too. So how about we start off as friends with no pressure and no commitment.”

Less than twenty-four hours ago she asked her husband’s mistress if her husband had ever said the words, “I love you.”

Juliette looked into the dark blue eyes of a stranger and despite herself, whispered, “I’d like that.”

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