Page 103 of Perfect Assumption

“I love her, and I refuse to be associated with anything that will hurt her.”

There’s silence on the other end of the line. It goes on so long I have to lift my phone to make certain we weren’t disconnected. Finally, I call out, “Carys?”

I apparently was on Mute. When the button is pressed, Carys is screaming, “She told you?”

“Yes.”

“I want to kill them.”

“Get in line.” I begin pacing. On my third turn, I jerk to a stop. Angie’s standing in the doorway still wrapped in my sweater from last night. Her expression is the picture of vulnerability. “I have to go. Do I have your approval?”

“You’ll have it in writing in two minutes. Send it to Lynne to dump all shares. It’s about time.” Carys slams down the phone in my ear.

I wince as I yank out my earbud.

“Who was on the phone so early?”

“Carys. I needed her approval to do some financial stuff this morning.” I walk directly to her and wrap my arms around her waist. “Did you sleep all right?” I know she didn’t because I didn’t close my eyes, and she tossed and turned in my arms all night.

“Not really.” Her head comes to rest on my chest.

“Why not?” Did nightmares follow her into her sleep? Mentally, I run through a list of sleep specialists I know when her words shock me.

“Because you didn’t sleep a wink.” Angie grabs my hand and leads me back to bed. She slips the button of my jeans through the buttonhole and wriggles the zipper down. She pushes the denim over my hips, and the pants fall to my knees. I kick them off, leaving me clad in only my boxer briefs. “Come lie down for a few more hours with me.”

“But I need to…” Before I can tell Angie I need to send an email, she climbs back into the bed and pulls me in with her.

“Sleep. That’s what we both need, Ward. Then you can execute whatever evil you and Carys were planning.” Trustingly, Angie turns into my arms.

Knowing when I wake I’ll be able to start insulating the woman curled up next to me from the evil that has plagued her world for too long has me finally able to close my eyes. Finally, with her slow, warm breath against my neck, I sleep.

And dream of vengeance.

Forty

Angela

What does one celebrity get another for the holidays? No, really, I’m asking.

— Moore You Want

Something about Ward’s reaction brought out something I hadn’t felt in years: justified fury. The way he immediately processed what I told him scared me. There were moments where I could almost feel my words causing him pain, but I didn’t understand it until he told me he knew Mike and Stephen. He expected me to turn away—the same way I had of him.Both of us making assumptions about the other again, I think ruefully with a shake of my head.

On the flight home, Ward is much quieter than he was on our way to Montana. His fingers are furiously tapping on his keyboard. I finally break in to ask, “Is there anything I can do?”

His head snaps up. “Well, shit.”

“Forgot I was here?” Before he can speak, I continue. “Don’t worry, I’m not insulted. I am amused though. Is this what you’re like all alone at home working on contracts?”

He stretches, his shirt untucking from his jeans, providing me with a glimpse of those perfect Vs on either side of his hips. I want to lean across the aisle and bite them, but if he’s busy, I’ll save that for later. “Probably. David decided to drop a bunch of stuff in my inbox he needed for tomorrow.”

“Let me see,” I cajole him. Without waiting for a response, I move over to the couch he dominated for the last hour. After I settle next to him, Ward slides his laptop over in front of me. After scanning the contracts, I declare, “David’s evil,” before pushing the laptop back in front of the man I love. The man who loves me in return. I want to jump up and down and twirl around in a circle, but I restrain myself. I’m enjoying his confusion too much.

All the years of Ward being a pain in the office are about to come to fruition. Right now.

“What do you mean?” he demands.

“I mean Carys asked for David to explicitly review those contracts. She’s trying to have him take on more advanced work. He’s sending them to you for a double-check before he sends them back. He’s playing you.”