Simon wanted to give Gail the ring, but he didn’t want to do it while Callie was there. The edge of the hard little box dug into his thigh as he sat down to visit, but the whole time they talked he was thinking about making love to Gail later, maybe in the shower again, and then having the ring waiting on her pillow.
He hoped she’d like it. He couldn’t imagine that she wouldn’t, but there was a chance. He already knew she wasn’t the type of woman who’d want it just because it was expensive. Giving it to her had to mean something. And it did now. He couldn’t say exactly what. Everything was too new for labels. But...he wanted her to have it. That told him there had to be a reason.
When Callie asked about the renovation, he and Gail walked her through the house and talked about some of the changes they’d planned. He was getting excited about the possibilities, enjoyed challenging himself in a whole new way. He even liked how exhausted he was at the end of the day. It made curling up with his no-nonsense, tough-as-nails wife, who’d turned out to be as sweet as a woman could be, that much more enjoyable. One thing he knew—those don’t-mess-with-me suits of hers hid a very tender heart.
After about thirty minutes, Gail said they had to get ready to go to Sophia’s and Callie left. They were alone at that point. He could’ve given her the ring then and almost did. He felt like a kid with a really great Christmas gift he couldn’t wait to present. But she was in too much of a hurry for him to be able to do it right. He certainly didn’t want her to think he was trying to pay her for giving in on the sex issue. He’d asked Ian to buy the diamond before they’d ever made love, but she wouldn’t know that and if he had to explain it, the whole thing would be ruined.
“You all set?” When she came out of the bedroom, she was wearing a pair of tight-fitting, skinny jeans and a sleeveless black sweater with a leather jacket. With her hair pulled back and pearls at her neck and ears, she looked classy, prettier than ever. But he liked the way she looked just as much when she wasn’t wearing any makeup—or clothes, for that matter. He especially loved her smooth skin and how it felt beneath his hands. He loved her eyes, too, and the emotion they conveyed. She cared about him. Maybe too much. But he didn’t want to think about that.
“You look great,” he murmured, and pulled her into his arms long enough to breathe in her perfume and kiss her neck.
She didn’t resist, but she glanced up at him as if she was a bit hesitant to respond. “What did Ian have to say?”
“Nothing new. He wants me back in L.A. You probably guessed that.”
“What for? Can’t he see how great you’re doing here?”
“Great is a relative term. In his mind I’m not working, so I can’t be doing too great. I think he’s mostly reacting to the fact that things have changed. He feels he’s lost control of his biggest client.”
“You mean he feels threatened by me.”
“He doesn’t like the influence you have.”
She caught his face between her hands. “We’ll be able to remain friends when this is all over, won’t we? I mean, I know we won’t be able to keep working together, but we’ll still like each other, right?”
Why worry about later? Why not just be grateful for now? After all, he was so much better off than before. “I hope we will. The hardest part about bumping into you will probably be stopping myself from carrying you off to the bedroom.”
“Why? At that point, you’ll have a huge selection again.”
“No one else makes love like you.” There’d never been anyone with whom he could completely let down his guard, no one he could trust in quite the same way. “In case you haven’t noticed, I can’t get enough.”
He was afraid she’d reject that compliment like she had so many others. He expected her to say he wouldn’t care who he was with as long as he got what he wanted—which was what he’d heard her say before—but she didn’t. Her hand cupped his cheek as she kissed him, openmouthed.
“You keep this up, we won’t make it to dinner,” he said.
With a laugh, she stepped away. “I can’t help it. I am so...” She seemed to catch herself.
“What?” he asked.
She hesitated, then blinked. “Glad I married you. It’s been the best mix of business and pleasure I’ve ever had.”
* * *
God, she’d almost told him. Right there, while her brain frequencies were all jammed up by the sexy look on his face and her body was growing warm in anticipation of his touch, she’d almost blurted, “I am so in love with you!” Every time she looked at him, she grew a little more intoxicated.
Fortunately, she’d caught herself, and a few minutes of standing outside his immediate orbit had made it easier to think. He’d basically told her she was a good lay. He would not want “I love you” in response when he’d warned her not to take their relationship too seriously in the first place.
The whole time they were at Sophia’s, Gail was lecturing herself on how she’d handle being alone with him once they returned home. She wouldn’t say anything, not one word about any kind of feeling. There was no need to send him into a panic. She’d let her body do the talking, since he didn’t seem able to tell the difference between sex with a woman who lived for his every smile and sex with a woman who was merely in it for another celebrity conquest. Men were obtuse that way, she decided, and Simon didn’t seem to be an exception.
“Would you like more mashed potatoes?”
Gail glanced up. Sophia had put on an impressive spread—medallions of beef tenderloin, garlic mashed potatoes, asparagus, carrots and a salad—and was now standing next to the table holding a bowl. Gail had expected Alexa, Sophia’s daughter, to be with them, but she was spending the night with a friend because they had a school project they’d be presenting the next day. And Skip was gone again. Gail wasn’t even sure Sophia had said where. They sat in her big elegant dining room in her big elegant house and it was just the three of them. She wondered how Sophia handled being alone so much of the time.
“No, thanks.” Gail smiled and tried to think of something else to say but a moment later went back to her meal. Simon was doing fine carrying the conversation. She was too busy worrying. What was she going to do after their marriage ended? She’d be looking at some long, dreary days ahead. Would she ever get over him? Be able to fall in love again? If so, she doubted it would happen soon. She’d waited thirty-one years to fall in love the first time. Now that she had, she knew what she’d harbored for Matt had been nothing by comparison.
“You’re quiet. You okay?” Simon murmured when Sophia went into the kitchen to get another bottle of wine.
She swallowed the piece of asparagus in her mouth. “Fine.”
His eyebrows drew together. “Maybe we should leave early. Get you into bed.”
“We can’t be rude. She’s gone to so much work.” She checked to make sure Sophia was still out of earshot but lowered her voice anyway. “And I think she’s really lonely.”
“I have no doubt of it.”
“Callie believes she’s after you.”
“I can promise you she’s not. She’s being very polite, but she keeps looking at you as if you’re the one she’s hoping to impress. Take it from a fellow reprobate, she wants to win your friendship. If you weren’t so preoccupied, you’d notice.”
Gail had noticed, which was why she hadn’t concerned herself with Callie’s warnings. “I’m just stewing over that interview I gave Hollywood Secrets Revealed this morning.”
“You said it went well.”
“The reporter was receptive, but let’s hope it was the right move. We don’t want to create a backlash to our claims of peace and happiness with the media rehashing everything that happened in the past year.”
“It’ll be fine even if they do. We’ll keep pointing to my track record since we got together. I’ve been perfect. That’s all the judge needs to know.”
For him, it really was about getting his son back. She smiled at the pride in his voice. He was feeling a lot better about himself, and that pleased her. Regardless of what she’d face in the future, at least she would know she’d made a difference to him.
“Dessert’s almost ready,” Sophia called.
Simon leaned halfway across the table. “I want to mention that bruise on her cheek again and see how she responds. Do you think I should?”
Gail considered whether or not it would do any good. In her opinion, it would just make Sophia uncomfortable. “No. She’s too self-conscious about it. Keeps moving her hair to make sure it’s covered.”
“I bet her husband did it.”
Gail wondered about that, too, except she couldn’t picture Skip ever striking anyone. “I don’t know. Maybe not. I’d hate to accuse him and be wrong, especially here. It’s such a close-knit community. Gossip like that can do so much harm.”
“It’s a tricky situation,” he agreed.
“If she’s being hurt, she needs to speak up. She can’t hope someone will guess.”
“But not all women can—”
His cell phone interrupted them with the buzz that signaled a text message. He took it out of his pocket and glanced at it, although he didn’t seem particularly interested in what might be coming in. He obviously wanted to get back to their conversation. But then he stiffened.
“What is it?” Gail asked, but that was just as Sophia walked in.
He glanced from her to their hostess. “It’s Ty,” he said. “If you’ll excuse me.”
He got up and walked out, leaving Gail to entertain her old nemesis while he placed a call in the other room. Judging by how low his voice was, how urgently he was speaking, Gail knew he could only be talking to Bella.
* * *
Simon didn’t want to look at Gail. He knew she didn’t agree with what he was doing, and he hated to disappoint her. She’d just started to trust him. But he had to go back to L.A. Bella had been sobbing on the phone. He’d never heard her sound quite so desperate and brokenhearted. She’d told him how much she still loved him. That she’d always love him. That she was terribly sorry about what had happened between her and his father. That her own insecurities had gotten the best of her yet again. That there’d never been anyone in her life who could even compare to him. That she and Ty needed him.
Simon was so used to running to her rescue that it seemed natural to go now, even after everything she’d done. But he wouldn’t have let that sense of obligation influence him if not for Ty. He believed Bella when she said his son needed him; he’d thought so all along, and wanted to be there for him. Although Simon wasn’t interested in picking up where he’d left off with Bella, as she seemed to want, he was hoping for some type of relationship that would enable him to see his son on a regular basis.
Gail sat against the headboard of their new bed, hugging her knees to her chest as he randomly threw clothes into his suitcase.
“The media will find it strange that you’d abandon me to rush to her side,” she said, her voice a monotone. “This could ruin everything we’ve established so far. You realize that.”
He did. They’d talked about it on the way home. He’d take Gail with him if he could. But jealous as Bella was, he knew that would only cause more problems. It was his text about being happily married and the picture of Gail and him on the porch that’d finally caused Bella to break down. She’d told him on the phone that the minute she saw that picture, she’d feared she’d lost him for good and couldn’t bear the thought of it.
“She’s suddenly willing to work something out.” He didn’t have to specify who “she” was. “I have to take advantage of that. You have no idea how hard she’s been to deal with. No one does. But she promised me that if I come right away, I can see Ty.”
Gail frowned. “She’s using him as a carrot. She wants you back.”
“Doesn’t matter. I’m no longer interested in her,” he said, but he could tell that Gail didn’t quite believe him. She thought it was the end of their marriage, and he couldn’t promise her it wasn’t. What they had was a contract to work together to help him get custody of Ty. Their relationship had turned out much better than he’d ever dreamed. But if he gained custody of his son tonight, he’d have what he wanted, and there’d be no reason to stay together.
“I’m sure she thinks you are interested,” Gail said. “She’s always been able to get you back before.”
Only because she was the mother of his child and he’d so desperately wanted to maintain a regular family. “I’m not the same person I was.”
“And yet you’re willing to get on the same old roller coaster.”
“No. She’ll eventually have to face the fact that I’m over her.”
In the meantime, Bella could think whatever she wanted as long as she gave him access to his son. Maybe they could build a bridge during the next few days, figure out how to put the negativity and fighting behind them. As far as he was concerned, their split didn’t have to be so acrimonious. Especially now. Thanks to Gail, he was feeling healthier, more capable of dealing with the disappointment, the sense of failure and confusion caused by the divorce.
He’d gladly offer Bella more money if she’d agree to share custody. He wasn’t sure what he’d be able to arrange. Bella hadn’t been all that coherent on the phone; she’d just kept crying that she wanted him—but now that she’d reached out, he had to at least try.
“I don’t trust her,” Gail said.
“Neither do I,” he responded. “But I have to do this. I’m sorry.” Once he’d finished packing, he wished the limo he’d ordered while they were at Sophia’s house would arrive. He had a long drive to the airport and didn’t want to miss his flight out of Sacramento. It was the last one of the night. He could’ve arranged for his own jet to pick him up—he rarely flew commercial these days—but that wasn’t easy to do on such short notice. He’d need to call his pilot, have him get the plane out of the hangar, make sure it had fuel, file a flight plan. Then Simon would have to wait for him to arrive from L.A. “Will you be coming home soon?”
“No. Not for a while.”
She probably didn’t want to face the media onslaught, and he didn’t blame her. She’d find it embarrassing. Everyone would say that their marriage was just another fling and that he’d been in love with Bella all along. They’d say Gail should’ve known better than to think she could keep him. Maybe those people Ian had mentioned, who’d figured out that they’d done it for the PR, would get louder and more insistent. He dealt with the media enough—and so did she—to realize what the conjecture would be like and that it wouldn’t be flattering to Gail. He already planned to offset that as much as possible by telling everyone how great she was and how much he cared about her. But he had to handle one thing at a time. “Then I’ll come back here.”
“No, there won’t be any reason for you to do that,” she said. “If you gain custody, you won’t need me anymore. And if you don’t, if she calls the cops because you violated the restraining order, staying married to me won’t matter. After this, no one will believe you really care about me.”
This was more than he could handle at the moment. He’d have to think about what to do with her later. “I just want my son. That’s why I started this.”
“I know. He’s a great kid, so I don’t blame you. What I’m trying to tell you is that I think you’ll have a better chance if you stay. You should set up something consistent and reliable through the legal system, something that won’t depend on her whim.”
But he couldn’t wait. “That could take months and months, maybe years,” he said. “And even then there’ll be no guarantees I’ll win.”
She didn’t try to convince him otherwise. “True.”
“That’s why I have to go.”
He’d dropped a shirt on the floor. She got up to fold it. Then she handed it to him to put in his bag and went about gathering up everything else he’d left—clothes, books, toiletries. “You didn’t have to call a car service, you know. I would’ve driven you to the airport.”
“I know. I didn’t want you out so late. What if you got a flat tire?” He motioned at the stuff she was still picking up. “Forget that.”
“You don’t want it?”
“I’ll get it later.”
“Okay.” She put the jeans she’d taken off the floor on the bed. “But before you go, there’s one more thing I want to say.”
He squirmed at her somber tone. This felt like a funeral. He wanted to get out of the house as soon as possible, but she deserved the chance to tell him how rotten he was for letting her down. She’d gone to a lot of work and effort to help him, and he’d done nothing except disrupt her life. True, her business was coming back from the brink of collapse. But in the aftermath of his leaving, her family would be angry with her for marrying him and her friends would have every right to say “I told you so.”
He’d even messed up her love life. He knew very well that she’d once had feelings for Matt. Maybe, if not for his involvement, the two of them would’ve gotten together and become the perfect hometown couple.
“I’m listening.” He was prepared to hear the worst. Instead, she came to stand in front of him, kissed him tenderly and said, “I’ve never loved a man so much. I hope you’re always happy.”
Completely taken off guard, he blinked in surprise. He almost pulled her into his arms so he could feel her body against his one more time, just in case she was right and everything changed after this moment. But she didn’t give him the chance. With a parting smile, she crossed to the other bedroom and closed the door.
And then the limo arrived.