Page 373 of Under Her Skin

How the hell was she ever going to survive this marriage? Her burner phone vibrated in her nightstand drawer, but she couldn’t face talking to Enda—not to the man she loved when the man she despised had just done this toher.

Ama wanted nothing more than to go to sleep and never wakeup.

Raffaelo Winter bear-huggedhis good friend Enda as soon as Enda saw them alight from the private plane. Inca, Raffaelo’s exquisite wife, was grinning and rolling her eyes at them. Enda laughed as Raffaelo released him and he embracedInca.

“Hello, gorgeous. Still married to this wretch,then?”

Inca smiled at him. She had stunning eyes, he thought, warm and loving, and her face was perfection. Her long, dark hair was caught up in a ponytail, and she was adorably scruffy in t-shirt and jeans. Enda was hit with the thought that she and Ama would have a lot in common. Both Indian-American, both gorgeous talented andfunny.

They chatted as they drove in Enda’s limousine from Raffaelo’s private jet, and Enda marveled at the easy love between Raff and Inca. They had been through hell together, but were still as in love as ever. Raffaelo, his dark curls now cropped close to his head and flecked with silver, sported a beard which made him look, according to Inca, like a ‘sexy grumpyprofessor.’”

“And who knew my kink was sexy, grumpy professors?” she joked, and Raffaelo ran a finger down her cheek,grinning.

Enda felt a spark of envy. How he would love to have this open, joking, fun relationship with Ama, but over the last week, she had been subdued and withdrawn. She told him she was just tired, but even though they had known each other for such a short time, he knew she was holding something back from him. When they made love, she clung to him as if she wanted to never let go, but it was tinged with a quietdesperation.

Today, though, she would meet up with him and his friends in public, ostensibly to discuss the music school idea, but really, Enda hoped, just to bond with his friends. The music schools would provide good cover for Ama meet up with him and Raff, and if she and Inca were to becomefriends…

“Hey, Enda? You in there? When are we meetingAmalia?”

Enda checked his watch. “Are you sure you don’t want to go back to the hotel and get some sleep? We’re not due to meet her untilone.”

Inca colored slightly. “We, um, slept on the plane.” She and Raff exchanged a conspiratorial grin, and once again, Enda felt a pang ofloneliness.

As they were seatedat the restaurant, Enda looked up to see Amalia entering and speaking to the maître d’, then glancing over to him. Her face lit up when she saw him and he stood to greether.

“Ciao,Ama. Great to see you.” It felt weird to kiss her on the cheek, rather than taste her sweet mouth. She looked beautiful, but he could see dark violet circles under her eyes, and she looked like she had lost some weight. Her cheeks were slightly hollowed, and there was an air of sadness around her. What the hell was goingon?

Enda introduced her to Raffaelo and Inca, the latter of whom hugged the other woman. “It’s so good to meetyou.”

Ama smiled at her. “And you. I’ve heard so much about you both. And, damn, Raff, you and Enda could betwins.”

Raffaelo grinned. “I already have one of those, but I know what you mean. Good to meet you,Ama.”

Enda wanted so badly to hold Ama’s hand as they sat together; he had to be satisfied with just sitting by her, breathing in herperfume.

Inca grinned at him, and he realized she had guessed exactly what Ama meant to him. He was glad. The four of them chatted easily throughout dinner. Inca and Raff told them they were contemplating adoption, but at the same time, enjoyed theirindependence.

“I love having Tommaso and Bo’s kids to stay, but when they go home, I have to admit, I’m exhausted. So …we don’t know. Maybe kids aren’t for us,” Inca shrugged and smiled at herhusband.

“Maybe not,” he agreed and laughed. “It would be harder for us to go on one of ouradventures.”

Inca told Ama about their penchant for travel. “We went to Peru last year, hiked up to Machu Picchu, and went to the Convento de San FranciscoOssuary.”

“That was creepy. Entirely made out of human bones.” Raff shuddered, but Incagrinned.

“I loved it. The worst was that rope bridge you made me walk across.God.”

“Wuss.”

Inca play-punched his shoulder. “The words ‘hand-woven’ and ‘bridge’ should never gotogether.”

Enda, watching how easy and playful his friend’s relationship was, couldn’t help but slide his hand along Ama’s thigh. She started, dropping her fork, which slid from the table. “Oops,sorry.”

She bent over to retrieve it, and her shirt rode up, revealing a strip of creamy, golden skin …and the very definite imprint of a boot, bruised into the skin of her side and stomach. Enda’s breath caught in his throat and Inca, who had seen it too, met his gaze inalarm.

Jackson. The bastard.The fury burned in Enda’s throat, and when Ama sat up, tugging her shirt down and flushing, he saw her reaction to hisconfusion.

Lunch was subdued after that. Raffaelo seemed a little confused by the sadness that had come over the other three, and when Enda and Ama said goodbye, he hugged hisfriend.