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Anton harrumphed. “Genetics isn’t nothing.”
“Don’t go there,” Reed warned.
“How is Elizabeth?”
Reed threw up his hands. “I swear to you, I am walking out that door.”
“I just asked a question.”
“You just linked Elizabeth with the middle class. Therefore, in your opinion poor genetics. Don’t try to deny it.”
“All right. I won’t deny it. How is she?”
Sexy as hell, frustrated as hell, probably mad as hell since it was nearly eight-thirty and Reed wasn’t home yet. “She’s fine.”
Anton moved to the wide, oak bar and uncorked a decanter of scotch. “You mother and I keep waiting for you to announce that you’re expecting.”
“I know you do.”
When he had two fingers of scotch in each crystal glass, Anton turned back. “Any particular reason why you’re not?”
“We’ll have children when we’re ready.”
“Your mother’s anxious.”
“Mother’s been anxious since I was eighteen.”
“And now you’re thirty-four.” He handed Reed a glass of scotch. “You can see why the situation is getting worse.”
Reed tried to imagine himself explaining the fertility issues to either of his parents. But he couldn’t make the picture form in his brain. Not that he would compromise Elizabeth’s privacy in any case, especially not to his parents. She was already intimidated by their opinion of anyone outside their tax bracket.
He downed the single malt. “I have to get home.”
“I can have somebody from Preston Gautier sit down with Collin.”
“Collin’s fine,” said Reed. “It’s all under control.”
At least the SEC investigation was under control. The same couldn’t be said of the blackmail. And the same certainly couldn’t be said of his current situation with Elizabeth.
Reed could still picture the sexy underwear she’d flashed him in his office. If his meeting had been about anything other than her security and the blackmail case, he’d have chased after her like an eager pup. He’d considered doing it anyway. But then Gage and Trevor arrived, and the real world had closed in.
Elizabeth was on her third margarita in Hanna’s downtown loft, blocking out the real world and taking the edge off her humiliation.
“You actually flashed him?” Hanna’s laugh was rife with disbelief. “Right there in the Wellington International office?”
“I was wearing underwear,” Elizabeth pointed out, stretching out on her stomach on Hanna’s leather couch. Hanna was already lounging sideways in an armchair, her shoes kicked off, feet swaying, the slushy drink dangling from her fingers.
“Ever done anything like that before?”
Elizabeth shook her head.
“Bet he was surprised.”
Elizabeth nearly giggled at the memory. “I’m pretty sure he was speechless.”
“I bet.”
Elizabeth’s smile faded. She realized the margaritas must be strong or she wouldn’t be finding any of this even remotely funny. “I think I was jealous.”
“Of what?”
Elizabeth took another sip of the drink. “Okay, this is going to sound crazy. But there was an attractive woman in his office when I got there. He lied about her.” She sat up, swinging her feet around to the floor. “He told me she was a client. Devon told me she was a job applicant.”
“Uh-oh.” Hanna’s swinging feet came to a halt.
A few beats went by in silence.
“You think he’s having an affair?” asked Elizabeth.
“I absolutely do not,” Hanna said with conviction.
“Why would he lie?”
“This is Reed we’re talking about. He is not screwing around on his wife.”
“Reed’s human.”
“You have one lie. One little lie, that might not even be a lie. What if Devon made a mistake? What if she thought the mystery woman was a job applicant, and she really was a client?”
“Devon is a crackerjack assistant. She doesn’t make mistakes like that.”
“Still,” said Hanna. “The evidence is way too flimsy to start thinking infidelity.”
“What about this?” Elizabeth stood, struggling with her balance for a split second. “Pretend you’re a man.” She flicked open one of the buttons on her dress. “You’re a man, and you haven’t had sex in three weeks.” She flicked another. “Your wife—your ovulating wife—walks into your office.” She flicked the last two. “And flashes this.”
Elizabeth opened the coat dress to reveal her sexy lingerie ensemble.
“Wow,” said Hanna in obvious awe.
Elizabeth closed the dress. “Does it take a team of wild oxen to keep you away from me? Or is a routine meeting enough to do it?”
“Wild oxen,” said Hanna. “Damn, you’re in good shape.”
“It’s the spa membership, my personal trainer.”
“I want to join that spa.”
Both women went silent as Elizabeth buttoned up and sat back down.
“I still think you’re wrong,” said Hanna.
Elizabeth desperately wanted to believe Hanna. But there was a sick feeling deep down in her soul that warned her something was going on.
Just then, her cell phone chimed on the table, and she saw it was Reed. She made no move to answer.
“He must be wondering where you are,” said Hanna.
“Let him wonder.” It chimed again.
“He’ll be worried.”
“Serves him right.”
Hanna moved from the chair and sat down next to her. “Promise me something?”
It chimed a third time.
“What?” asked Elizabeth, clasping her hands together, fighting the urge to answer Reed’s call.
“Promise me you’ll believe it’s nothing until it’s not.” Hanna reached out to squeeze her hands. “He’s a good man, Elizabeth. And he loves you.”
Elizabeth took a deep breath, nodded, and reached for the phone, pressing the pickup button.
“Hello?”
“Where are you?” Reed demanded, his tone catching Elizabeth off guard.
Her softer feelings for him evaporated. “I’m flashing my underwear for somebody who appreciates it.”
There was absolute silence on Reed’s end.
Hanna snatched the phone from Elizabeth’s hand and raised it to her ear. “Reed, it’s Hanna. I’m really sorry. I think I gave Elizabeth one too many margaritas.” After a pause, she said, “No. I won’t let her drive.” She handed the phone back to Elizabeth.
“Hello, darling,” said Elizabeth, then she hiccupped.
“You’re drunk?”
“A little,” she admitted. Not that it changed the facts. Reed was in all likelihood cheating on a drunken spouse, that was all.
“I’m sending a car,” he told her.
“Are you drunk, too?”
“No, I’m not drunk.”
“But you’re not coming yourself?”
“I’m in Long Island. I just left my parents’.”
“And if I called them?” Elizabeth couldn’t help but challenge. Maybe he was in Long Island, or maybe he was holed up in a hotel room somewhere.
“Why would you call them?”
“I don’t know. To say hi. Whatever.”
“Elizabeth, it’s time for you to stop drinking.”
“Sure.” She was feeling a little dizzy anyway. And a hangover wouldn’t help the job search. And, sex or no sex tonight, she was finding herself a job in the morning and getting started on her very own life.
Reed waited in the lobby for Elizabeth’s car to arrive. Henry was behind his desk, looking nervous about something. The man’s gaze twitched from Reed, to the back of the lobby, then out to the sidewalk. Strange.
But then the dark sedan pulled up, and Reed hustled through the double doors to meet Elizabeth.
He helped her upstairs and into the penthouse, tossed her coat on the sofa and took her straight through to the bedroom. There he gently laid her back on their bed and slipped off her shoes.
“You know,” she sighed, her eyes closed, hair disheveled, one of her sexy stockings drooping down. “It shouldn’t be this hard for two married people to have sex.”
“No,” he agreed. “It shouldn’t be this hard.” While she lay with her eyes closed, breathing deeply, he gently removed her jewelry and unbuttoned her dress, his breath catching at the sight of her camisole and skimpy panties.
“Reed?”
“Yes?”
“Promise me something?”
He raised his gaze to her sweet, relaxed expression. “Of course.”
“If I fall asleep—” She stopped.
“Yes?” he prompted.
“Let’s make love anyway.”
He shook his head, allowing himself a tired smile. “Like that’s going to happen.”
“Good,” she said with a smile of her own.
He leaned down. “Elizabeth, I’m telling you no.”
The smile turned to a frown. “You’re always telling me no.”
“I never tell you no.”
She had him well and truly wrapped around her little finger. There was almost nothing he could deny her.
“I got all dressed up,” she complained.
His gaze dipped down to the black lace highlighting her cleavage. “That, you did.”
