"Sweetheart, who is this?" She felt his hand rest protectively at the small of her back, but it couldn't stop the shiver that made her toes curl and her heart skip a beat. She blinked a few times, feeling both men look at her expectantly. Pull yourself together! her mind screamed and she finally found her voice. "Alex," she started slowly, averting her eyes from the soulful brown orbs that were making her blush, "this is Tom Hardy."
Tom Hardy exchanged a quick handshake with Alex Garcia. "Simone's ex-husband," Alex clarified, the meaning behind his words crystal clear to Tom. Simone let out a slow breath, feeling the tension between the two men grow with each passing second. "Tommy's not here," she blurted out finally. "He just left for school. He'll be thrilled you're home, we weren't expecting you until next week." An awkward moment passed before Tom nodded. "Too late, I guess," he said softly, his eyes never leaving hers. Simone swallowed hard, unable to ignore the flicker of pain that betrayed his easy smile. Truer words were never spoken.
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