lasciviousness. ‘Take that silly thing off and come back to bed.”
He sat down next to her and gave her a long, lingering kiss. “Can’t, honey. I’ve got to get dressed. I’m supposed to pick up my rental car by nine. You’re keeping yours for a few days, right?”
The last thing she wanted to do was talk about rental cars. “I’m not ready for the day to start just yet.” She ran her fingers lazily across his chest.
“You’re incorrigible.”
“I know. That’s why you love me.”
“I love you,” he said, his voice turning serious, “because you’re smart and competent. You’re not a little girl.”
“You left out gorgeous and sexy.”
He grinned down at her. “Funny, I thought I made that part clear last night.”
She could just eat him up.
“Come on,” he said, whipping off her covers. “You’ve got to get ready for your morning meeting.”
“Aren’t you joining me?”
“Of course I am. I’ll be there rooting you on.”
She swung her feet out of bed as he tossed her a robe. “I wonder,” she said softly, watching him slip into his crisp white shirt, “what the reaction will be to my little surprise.”
“I’m sure everyone will be as excited as you are. Everything’s all set. As soon as I got into town last night, I made sure the shipment had arrived. It’s all ready to go.”
“What would I do without you?”
He stopped buttoning his shirt and turned around to look at her. “Oh, you’d be just fine. It’s me you should worry about. If I ever lost you, I don’t know what I’d do.”
What a strange thing to say. “You’re not going to lose me, Peter.”
He stared at her a moment longer and then smiled. “Good.”
As Lavinia was about to make another comment, the phone interrupted her. “I’ll get it,” she said, leaning over and grabbing it on the second ring. “This is Lavinia Fiore.”
“Lavinia, hi. It’s Cindy.”
“Good morning, girl. Did you survive the reunion last night?” She noticed one of her red nails was chipped. She’d have to fix that.
“Yes… I, ah, think so. I called to ask if I could talk to you this morning before the meeting. I could come up right now.”
Lavinia saw Peter looking at the room-service menu. He no doubt wanted to order breakfast. “Um, I don’t think it’s a good time. Maybe later today. What are you doing for lunch? I’m on a panel until one, but we could do it late.”
“No, Lavinia. It has to be now.” She sounded extremely agitated.
“Why? What’s up?”
“I can’t talk to you about this on the phone. It’s … too complicated.”
Peter drew a finger across his throat. He wanted her to get off so he could place an order.
“I’m sorry, hon. It just won’t work for me now.”
“But, Lavinia —”
“Whatever it is, it can wait.”
“No, it can’t!”
“Cindy, just get hold of yourself, girl. What’s got you so upset?”
“It’s … something I’ve done. I can’t wait around for the other shoe to drop.”
Peter was standing now with one hand on his hip, the other poised over the phone, about to cut off the call. “I’m starving,” he mouthed, looking pitiful.
“We’ll have to talk about whatever it is later. Are you coming to the breakfast meeting?”
No response.
“Cindy? Are you still there?”
“Yes.”
“So, are you coming or not? In case no one told you, we’re holding it in the Zephyr Club’s .private dining room. Sixteenth floor. South tower.”
“I… suppose.”
“Don’t sound so enthusiastic.”
“It’s just —”
“Look, if the meeting doesn’t go the full hour, maybe we can talk afterward.”
“But —”
“Go have some steak and eggs, Cindy. Live a little. It’s a convention. I’ll talk to you later.” Without waiting for any further pleas, she dropped the
He sat down next to her and gave her a long, lingering kiss. “Can’t, honey. I’ve got to get dressed. I’m supposed to pick up my rental car by nine. You’re keeping yours for a few days, right?”
The last thing she wanted to do was talk about rental cars. “I’m not ready for the day to start just yet.” She ran her fingers lazily across his chest.
“You’re incorrigible.”
“I know. That’s why you love me.”
“I love you,” he said, his voice turning serious, “because you’re smart and competent. You’re not a little girl.”
“You left out gorgeous and sexy.”
He grinned down at her. “Funny, I thought I made that part clear last night.”
She could just eat him up.
“Come on,” he said, whipping off her covers. “You’ve got to get ready for your morning meeting.”
“Aren’t you joining me?”
“Of course I am. I’ll be there rooting you on.”
She swung her feet out of bed as he tossed her a robe. “I wonder,” she said softly, watching him slip into his crisp white shirt, “what the reaction will be to my little surprise.”
“I’m sure everyone will be as excited as you are. Everything’s all set. As soon as I got into town last night, I made sure the shipment had arrived. It’s all ready to go.”
“What would I do without you?”
He stopped buttoning his shirt and turned around to look at her. “Oh, you’d be just fine. It’s me you should worry about. If I ever lost you, I don’t know what I’d do.”
What a strange thing to say. “You’re not going to lose me, Peter.”
He stared at her a moment longer and then smiled. “Good.”
As Lavinia was about to make another comment, the phone interrupted her. “I’ll get it,” she said, leaning over and grabbing it on the second ring. “This is Lavinia Fiore.”
“Lavinia, hi. It’s Cindy.”
“Good morning, girl. Did you survive the reunion last night?” She noticed one of her red nails was chipped. She’d have to fix that.
“Yes… I, ah, think so. I called to ask if I could talk to you this morning before the meeting. I could come up right now.”
Lavinia saw Peter looking at the room-service menu. He no doubt wanted to order breakfast. “Um, I don’t think it’s a good time. Maybe later today. What are you doing for lunch? I’m on a panel until one, but we could do it late.”
“No, Lavinia. It has to be now.” She sounded extremely agitated.
“Why? What’s up?”
“I can’t talk to you about this on the phone. It’s … too complicated.”
Peter drew a finger across his throat. He wanted her to get off so he could place an order.
“I’m sorry, hon. It just won’t work for me now.”
“But, Lavinia —”
“Whatever it is, it can wait.”
“No, it can’t!”
“Cindy, just get hold of yourself, girl. What’s got you so upset?”
“It’s … something I’ve done. I can’t wait around for the other shoe to drop.”
Peter was standing now with one hand on his hip, the other poised over the phone, about to cut off the call. “I’m starving,” he mouthed, looking pitiful.
“We’ll have to talk about whatever it is later. Are you coming to the breakfast meeting?”
No response.
“Cindy? Are you still there?”
“Yes.”
“So, are you coming or not? In case no one told you, we’re holding it in the Zephyr Club’s .private dining room. Sixteenth floor. South tower.”
“I… suppose.”
“Don’t sound so enthusiastic.”
“It’s just —”
“Look, if the meeting doesn’t go the full hour, maybe we can talk afterward.”
“But —”
“Go have some steak and eggs, Cindy. Live a little. It’s a convention. I’ll talk to you later.” Without waiting for any further pleas, she dropped the
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