Park Avenue Secrets: Marriage, Manhattan Style

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.