call the affair you’re having?”
“If you’re referring to our…our physical relationship,” Aimee began. Her face heated, but she met Liza’s knowing gaze. “I can assure you it’s not one-sided. When we make love, Peter gives as good as he gets. He’s a generous lover.”
“Perhaps. But the difference is, he gives you his body and you give him your heart.”
The fingers squeezing Aimee’s heart seemed to tighten.
“I’m sorry, Aimee. I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”
“I know,” she said.
“I guess it’s a little too late to tell you not to fall in love with the guy.”
“Yes, it is.”
“Then be smart about it. Take him up on his offer. Let him represent your work. That way, when the relationship’s over, you’ll at least have something to show for it besides a broken heart.”
“You’re as bad as Peter,” Aimee declared, shaking her head. “Love isn’t like that. Not all relationships have to end. Not all marriages have to end in a divorce court. How can you be so cynical?”
“I don’t see it as cynicism.”
“Realism, then,” Aimee quipped. “That’s what Peter calls it.”
“In a woman’s case, I think it has more to do with survival. And if you want to survive, you’d better get the stars out of your eyes, kiddo, and find out why Peter asked you to marry him in the first place.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean Stephen Edmond hinted that Peter’s been looking for property on Royal Street to convert to a gallery for years.”
“So? Peter’s offered to buy the building from me any number of times.”
“And you’ve always turned him down.”
“So, you’re saying that he’s asked me to marry him so he can get the building?” Aimee laughed. “Liza, look at this place. While I love it, it’s certainly not worth a man entering a loveless marriage for.”
“Ah, but the marriage wouldn’t be loveless, would it? Not where you’re concerned.”
“You’ve been watching too many bad mysteries,” Aimee told her. The idea was preposterous.
“I hope you’re right.”
“I know I am. Peter’s feelings for me, whatever they are, have nothing to do with this building.”
Liza didn’t argue the point, even though Aimee felt sure that she wanted to. “I don’t guess there’s any point in trying to convince you not to sell your paintings through Sterling’s?”
Aimee pushed aside Liza’s conclusions about Peter’s interest in the building. “I really don’t have any choice.”
“Have you told Peter yet?” Liza asked.
“No.”
Liza grinned. Whatever had troubled her earlier was evidently forgotten, as a glimmer of mischief danced in her green eyes. “He’s not going to like it;”
“No. But then, he doesn’t have to like it.”
“True. But he wasn’t at all happy that you were keeping that appointment with Stephen.”
Aimee shot her friend a stern look. “Listening at keyholes, Liza?”
“Don’t have to.” Liza refilled her own glass and Aimee’s, then sat down. “You forget how paper-thin these walls are.”
Aimee flushed, wondering what else Liza had heard. She added another slice of lemon to the water. “When I become famous and make my first million, remind me to insulate the place.”
“I’ll do that,” Liza said, lifting her glass in a salute. “In the meantime, good luck with the beast.”
“Don’t call him that,” Aimee responded. But even as she defended him, Aimee was already anticipating the explosion that would come when she handed him back the artist’s agreement he had had delivered to her that morning.
The thought of accepting his offer had been tempting…oh, so tempting, she admitted, especially when it followed a night of the most passionate lovemaking betweenthem. It was because she had been so tempted that she had kept the appointment with Edmond.
Edmond’s rejection had stung. Unbearably so. And had made Peter’s offer even more enticing. She would have signed it and accepted it then
“If you’re referring to our…our physical relationship,” Aimee began. Her face heated, but she met Liza’s knowing gaze. “I can assure you it’s not one-sided. When we make love, Peter gives as good as he gets. He’s a generous lover.”
“Perhaps. But the difference is, he gives you his body and you give him your heart.”
The fingers squeezing Aimee’s heart seemed to tighten.
“I’m sorry, Aimee. I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”
“I know,” she said.
“I guess it’s a little too late to tell you not to fall in love with the guy.”
“Yes, it is.”
“Then be smart about it. Take him up on his offer. Let him represent your work. That way, when the relationship’s over, you’ll at least have something to show for it besides a broken heart.”
“You’re as bad as Peter,” Aimee declared, shaking her head. “Love isn’t like that. Not all relationships have to end. Not all marriages have to end in a divorce court. How can you be so cynical?”
“I don’t see it as cynicism.”
“Realism, then,” Aimee quipped. “That’s what Peter calls it.”
“In a woman’s case, I think it has more to do with survival. And if you want to survive, you’d better get the stars out of your eyes, kiddo, and find out why Peter asked you to marry him in the first place.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean Stephen Edmond hinted that Peter’s been looking for property on Royal Street to convert to a gallery for years.”
“So? Peter’s offered to buy the building from me any number of times.”
“And you’ve always turned him down.”
“So, you’re saying that he’s asked me to marry him so he can get the building?” Aimee laughed. “Liza, look at this place. While I love it, it’s certainly not worth a man entering a loveless marriage for.”
“Ah, but the marriage wouldn’t be loveless, would it? Not where you’re concerned.”
“You’ve been watching too many bad mysteries,” Aimee told her. The idea was preposterous.
“I hope you’re right.”
“I know I am. Peter’s feelings for me, whatever they are, have nothing to do with this building.”
Liza didn’t argue the point, even though Aimee felt sure that she wanted to. “I don’t guess there’s any point in trying to convince you not to sell your paintings through Sterling’s?”
Aimee pushed aside Liza’s conclusions about Peter’s interest in the building. “I really don’t have any choice.”
“Have you told Peter yet?” Liza asked.
“No.”
Liza grinned. Whatever had troubled her earlier was evidently forgotten, as a glimmer of mischief danced in her green eyes. “He’s not going to like it;”
“No. But then, he doesn’t have to like it.”
“True. But he wasn’t at all happy that you were keeping that appointment with Stephen.”
Aimee shot her friend a stern look. “Listening at keyholes, Liza?”
“Don’t have to.” Liza refilled her own glass and Aimee’s, then sat down. “You forget how paper-thin these walls are.”
Aimee flushed, wondering what else Liza had heard. She added another slice of lemon to the water. “When I become famous and make my first million, remind me to insulate the place.”
“I’ll do that,” Liza said, lifting her glass in a salute. “In the meantime, good luck with the beast.”
“Don’t call him that,” Aimee responded. But even as she defended him, Aimee was already anticipating the explosion that would come when she handed him back the artist’s agreement he had had delivered to her that morning.
The thought of accepting his offer had been tempting…oh, so tempting, she admitted, especially when it followed a night of the most passionate lovemaking betweenthem. It was because she had been so tempted that she had kept the appointment with Edmond.
Edmond’s rejection had stung. Unbearably so. And had made Peter’s offer even more enticing. She would have signed it and accepted it then
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