Epilogue
Reed played with the tie around his neck, did the around thing, the under thing, and then the give up thing. “Babe?”
“It’s not that hard!” Lori said from the kitchen.
“Yes it is,” he muttered as he pulled it from his neck, turned the light off, and followed her voice.
He made it two steps into the room and froze. Lori in Christmas red with a crisscross of spaghetti strings where the back of the dress should be rendered him speechless. Tiny white lights glistened off the sparkle in the material and the diamond earrings that dropped from the lobes of her ears.
“No it’s not,” she said, turning toward him. “What?”
He had to catch his breath. “You’re stunning.”
Her heels clicked, and the material of the dress clung to her breasts in a wispy caress. Delicate fingertips took the tie from his hands and worked their way up his chest. “How can I deny you with your compliments?”
The scent of perfume stole his thoughts.
“There.” She patted his tie after pulling it close to his neck.
“How many single men will be at this party?” He wrapped both his arms around her waist, played with the back of her dress, teasing her skin.
The Harrison Christmas party would house more brass than the White House. Their wealth and stature didn’t concern him at all, what did was the amount of men who would be tripping over themselves to get to her.
“Not too many. Most of Sam and Blake’s close friends and family are all married or otherwise engaged.”
That made him feel a little better.
“What is it?”
“My inner caveman is raging.”
Her eyes drifted down.
“You’re insatiable, woman. That isn’t what I meant.”
She ran her hands up his shoulders and left them there. “What do you mean?”
He hesitated.
“Complete honesty.” Those two words had become their mantra for the past three months. The only time he’d pleaded mercy was when she asked if a dress she wore made her look fat. I’m not answering that question ever. That is a woman’s trick question, and if a man ever tells you otherwise, they’re high. She’d started to argue, and he stepped up and did what every man should when a woman asks that question. He slid beside her, pulled the dress off, and let his body show her how the dress made her look. Now, whenever she wanted to be late to work, she asked if something made her look fat.
“Reed?”
“I don’t want any of the men at this party believing you’re available.”
“I’m not available.”
“You know what I mean.”
She dropped her hand to his cheek. “Reed. I love you. I’m not available to anyone but you.”
Those words never grew old.
He captured her hand in his, kissed her bare ring finger. “I want anyone who looks to know you’re mine.”
Her long lashes dropped to her hand and back. “Oh.”
And when her smile grew larger, he knew just how unavailable he was going to make her.
An hour later, Reed watched her from across the room as she socialized with Neil and his wife, Gwen. Kids of all ages meandered around the room decked in ties and dresses. He knew somewhere in the house a temporary nursery had been set up with a gaggle of babysitters and nannies at the ready.
Rick blocked his view and extended his hand. “Merry Christmas.”
They avoided spilling their cocktails while they shook hands.
“How was training?” Rick asked.
“They kicked my ass.” Reed had put aside his private investigator hat to join the security team Neil and Rick ran. Doing so required taking his police force skills to a new level. The boot camp–style training went for a week and ended with a commitment to return every few months for a year.
“Every man needs a good ass kicking once in a while.”
“If it helps me protect that woman over there, I’m in.”
“Speaking of women, I need to find mine. See you Monday.”
Reed zeroed in on Lori and heard his cell phone ring. He nearly ignored the call when a tiny voice told him to pick it up.
“Hello?”
“Merry Christmas.”
Sasha.
He stepped out of the noisy room and out under the bright Christmas lights that littered the loggia and backyard overlooking the ocean.
“You left without me saying thank you.”
“How sweet.”
“Well, I owe you.”
“Those IOUs are adding up. I thought you might want to know, word is that Petrov didn’t put a hit on your lady.”
“Really?”
“No. He did take out his hired hand, however. Can never be too careful on who you work for.”
Noise from inside drifted through an open door, he turned to see Lori walking toward him.
“Who hired you?”
Sasha laughed, low and deep. “Alice Petrov.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Before she died. I’ve been protecting Trina since before her husband died. Alice wanted me to find the truth behind Trina’s marriage and keep it from her ex-husband.”
“Why are you telling me this now?”
“While finding the truth and being paid from beyond the grave, I found a security team worthy of my talents. If Petrov ever finds me out, I’ll need to call in a favor.”
Lori moved within hearing range.
Reed lifted a hand to keep her quiet. “You won’t have to ask twice.”
“Good, now take your girl back inside. She looks cold.”
Reed noticed Lori shivering, her arms wrapped around her shoulders.
“I’m considering a little work on my Texas accent, what do you think?” Her last words sounded less Russian and more Texan.
“If you need our help, you know how to find us.”
“I’m counting on that.”
When Sasha hung up, he shrugged out of his jacket and placed it over Lori’s shoulders. “Who was that?”
“Sasha.”
“Really?”
He turned her back toward the house. “It appears Trina’s mother-in-law has been hard at work beyond the grave.”
Lori paused.
“She hired Sasha to keep your secrets.”
Lori’s jaw dropped. “Why did Sasha tell you that now?”
“For our protection . . . well, Neil’s team’s, in any event.”
They stopped under one of the patio heaters and warmed up from the crisp December night.
“Should I be jealous of this woman who keeps calling you?”
Reed couldn’t help it, he laughed. “There is only room for one woman in my life.”
She lifted his left hand and kissed the back of it. “I feel the need to go cavewoman on you.”
His eyes lit up, his hand moved under his jacket and dipped his fingers past the back of the dress. “Isn’t that out of your comfort zone?”
“I heard once that life begins when you step out of that zone.”
How he loved this woman. “Cavewoman . . . I like it. Next year’s Halloween costumes.”
“Already on to next year?”
“Baby . . . I’m planning the next sixty years.”
She lifted her smiling lips to his, kissed him. “I love you.”
Without breaking their lips apart, he said, “Love you more.”