“Teasers?” she asked, thinking about him as a model, sauntering down the runway, his eyes hooded and his lips parted. He may have been showing off the latest suit, but Gwen bet every woman must have been wondering what was underneath.
“Yeah, Enrico likes it. Just plop them in when you write the final draft.”
“Okay.” She tucked the papers in a folder and took out an image she found for the program. “What did you think of the cover art? I kind of like this visual of L.A.”
The slanted image forced their heads to tilt in the same direction. Her hair swept across his shoulder making his nostrils flare.
“I think it’s great, but I would crop the angle a little.” He took the paper from her hand, his fingers brushing against hers. “We have to keep in mind that people may view it on their phone.”
“Right. Don’t want to cause pile-ups on a California freeway.”
He stood to get his laptop.
God, that man has such a great ass. Even covered in pants! That. Want that!
He returned with the file downloaded from her email. With a few swipes of his long fingers, he played with the embedded image to resituate it.
“Wait, that’s too far. Now it looks like we just made it crooked.” She leaned over and played with it herself.
The warm keys tingled under her touch. Her arms stretched out and crisscrossed over his, but he didn’t move.
“Yes, that’s perfect,” he whispered, his eyes no longer on the screen.
“It really is,” she agreed in a breathy rush.
Andrew’s dark guarded eyes studied her. Long arms tangled with hers, their heads dangerously close. With one puff of his chest, she would feel his lips. One delicate flick of the tongue, she’d taste its lush surface. A feather-light wisp was all she wanted at the moment.
Oh, God. Her heart was ready to explode. “Andrew...”
“Gwen?” he whispered, his shoulders tensing.
The ringtone on her phone drew their attention. The annoying clatter came between her and Andrew like an iron wall.
Gwen sucked in a breath and slid her hand away. “Dan?”
“When are you going to sign those papers?” her soon-to-be ex grumbled at her.
“Hang on,” she said into the phone and looked at Andrew, who sat back. “I need to take this.” She stepped out of the office. Dan calling her out of the blue alarmed her. His FedEx surprise a few weeks ago had been his only contact with her in months. “Hello to you, too. So now you’re in a rush to get divorced? You left over a year ago.”
“I just want this all official, so we won’t have to file joint taxes again.”
She rolled her eyes in exasperation. “You’re concerned about your tax bracket?” The whirlwind of her new job, the fashion show, and figuring out Andrew, made her forget to get back to Dan with the list of concerns Skye had with the decree. “I’m sorry to ruin your plans for the New Year, but I have some issues with that document.”
“Your sister is not a divorce attorney. Give it to a professional. Now.”
“Don’t order me around.” Her mind raced to remember Skye’s objections. “You left me with that house to pay for. I’m barely able to eat.”
“What? Prada doesn’t pay well?”
She smacked her forehead. It figured Dan had found out about her new job. “Since you know so much about my life, then you know I was out of work for months before I got this job.”
“Get a lawyer, Gwen. And sign the papers.”
“Stop telling me what to do!” She looked up and saw Andrew watching her. She moved to the elevator lobby. “I’ll tell you what, I’ll make this easy for you. I want this changed from a no-fault divorce, to Abandonment.”
“That’s not going to happen.”
“That’s what did happen, Dan.” She spotted Andrew walking toward her with his coat on. “Hang on, Dan. Andrew, I’m sorry. I’ll be back in the office in a few minutes.”
“I have a meeting at Flagship, and I forgot, I have a... There’s somewhere I need to be after that. I sent that revised image to you. You should finalize the program.” He was all business. No hint of the man who had almost kissed her.
“Okay. Andrew, wait.” She held the elevator door before it closed. “I have to be somewhere tomorrow morning. I’ll be a little late.”
His eyes pinched in irritation looking at the phone in her hand. “Fine.”
The doors closed with his gaze laser-focused on her. It made it difficult to stand. And made her hate the man on the phone even more. She may very well have been in that elevator with Andrew, kissing him, going to Flagship with him. It would have been her first time, and she wanted it to be with Andrew. To see the store through his perspective.
“Gwen!” Dan shrieked.
“Okay! I’ll sign the papers, but there’s one thing I have to have, or the deal is off and I’ll get some shark to tear you apart.”
“What’s that?”
“Your lawyer forgot to include one important provision in that decree.”
“I don’t have all day, Gwen.”
“I want my damn name back. It’s Mallory in case you’ve forgotten.” Gwen clicked the phone off.
If it worked for Tina Turner...
AFTER A VISIT TO FLAGSHIP, Andrew slogged across town to Sloan Kettering with dread in his heart. With every step though, he grew more and more relieved to be there. After today, he’d never have to go back. Ever.
Cate’s very wealthy family had given a huge endowment to the hospital after she passed away.
The result was a new radiology center and a generous yearly allowance for their research labs.
Andrew had expected ‘The Catherine Reese-Morgan Women’s Pavilion’ to be unveiled on the anniversary of her death. They finished almost a year late.
Cate had lived very much like him, a starving model, both literally and figuratively, refusing to live off her family’s money. He’d loved that about her because while his father was a high powered and successful lawyer, Andrew was his own man and made his own way in the world.
Even when Cate’s medical bills almost bankrupted him, he’d kept his money problems to himself.
Her sisters, who’d lived shamelessly off the Reese family fortune, had never asked who actually paid for Cate’s treatments. Nor did they offer to help.
His Prada medical insurance paid much of the costs. Just not everything.
The outside of the building and the lobby still looked the same. He hoped for some kind of change, so the memories of his previous visits didn’t feel like a punch in the gut.
The new radiology center, much to his dismay, was located on the same floor where Cate had died. He had to go back to the scene of the worst day of his life.
After stepping into the elevator, he pressed the button for that level with trembling hands.
Mercifully, he was alone. As the doors closed, so too did his eyes.
“Okay, I’m here. I’m back,” he whispered. “Come on in. Come to me,” he called in the memories he’d locked away in the dark part of his soul, even past the shattered pieces that had been mourning Cate.
The first to rush at him was the smell. The toxic combination of ammonia, bleach, and decay. It had stung his eyes and he hadn’t been sure if the tears rolling down his cheeks were from the emotion of Cate’s suffering or the damn chemicals in the air making his eyes water.