The Marriage Profile by Metsy Hingle Page B

to guess?”
    Angela swallowed, tried to clear her head. But before she could answer him, he shoved away from the desk and walked away from her, only to whirl around and march back over to stand in front of her.
    â€œSince you seem to be at a loss for words, why don’t I tell you why I think you’re here,” he began, his mouth hard, his expression even harder. “I think you’re here because you want a little payback.”
    â€œPayback?” Angela repeated.
    â€œYeah, payback. I gave you a rough time about the divorce, and last night you decided to pay me back by flaunting your relationship with Ricky Mercado in front of me and everyone else in this town. Well, it worked. I blew my cool last night when I saw the two of you together. But that was last night. It isn’t going to work today. You’re not going to be able to use Mercado to push my buttons.”
    â€œIs that really what you believe? That I would do such a thing?”
    The look he gave her could have melted ice. “You saying it isn’t? Are you going to stand there and deny that you wanted to rub my nose in the fact that you’re sleeping with Mercado?”
    Taken aback by his accusation, Angela remained speechless for several moments. While Justin had never liked nor understood her friendship with Ricky, she had always believed it was because of the Mercado’s family business and Ricky’s ties to organized crime. It had never crossed her mind that Justin might have seen Ricky as a romantic rival. Staring at the man she’d given her heart to so long ago, she wondered how she could have been so blind. “You’re jealous of Ricky,” she murmured more to herself than to him as realization dawned. Which made no sense—especially now when Justin had all but said he wanted nothing to do with her.
    â€œThe hell I am!” He jammed a hand through his hair, paced the length of the room. “I just don’t like seeing you hooked up with a scumbag like Mercado.”
    â€œBut you’re wrong. Ricky and I—” She swallowed,deciding she needed to be blunt. “Justin, I’m not sleeping with Ricky.”
    He whipped around, pinned her with those stormy eyes. “You expect me to believe that when I know damn well that you didn’t stay in a hotel last night?”
    â€œBelieve whatever you want,” she told him while she tried to convince herself that what Justin thought about her didn’t matter. “But the truth is I didn’t spend the night with Ricky. I spent the night in my own bed.”
    Justin narrowed his eyes. “That’s quite a trick since you’ve already said you didn’t go back to San Antonio.”
    â€œBut I did return to my condo. Or perhaps I should say to my new condo—the one that I’m leasing, which happens to be located just outside of Goldenrod and is the place where I spent the night in my own bed, alone.”
    Justin marched back over to her. “You’re lying.”
    â€œWhy would I lie about something like that? It’s easy enough for you to check. I moved into the place two days ago.”
    â€œWhy?” he demanded, eyeing her warily.
    â€œBecause I didn’t want to be living out of a suitcase while I’m working here.”
    Justin’s head snapped up at that. “Working here? On what?”
    â€œFinding the baby that was kidnapped from the Carsons’ ranch. The FBI said they’d had a request for my help.”
    â€œThe hell they did,” Justin shouted. “There’s no way that I asked for you, and if anyone in Lone Star County had, I’d know about it.”
    â€œEvidently, someone did,” Angela replied, recalling her conversation with her FBI contact and her dismay upon hearing no one had advised Justin about her involvement in the case.
    Justin snatched up the phone. “Audrey Lou, get the person we had as a contact with the FBI on the phone