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Perfectly was a stretch, but... “Are you going to wear those gym shorts under your tuxedo jacket?” She nodded across the table where she knew he wore gray, drawstring shorts beneath the shirt and tie that appeared on his video chats.
“My trousers will be delivered later today along with a selection of gowns. It’s only an appearance,” he pressed on when she wrinkled her nose. “We don’t have to stay more than an hour, but it will go a long way toward convincing people that nothing has changed.”
“Fine,” she mumbled. She was going a little stir-crazy, so maybe a night out would do her good.
After a nap and a very subdued session with her stylist, she came out to the lounge in a bronze gown that was decorated with braided piping. It hugged her torso before the metallic silk parted dramatically to expose her left leg to the top of her thigh. Her makeup hid the fact that she’d lost a couple of pounds and still lacked color. She left her hair down, only allowing it to be straightened so it fell in a blunt line from the caramel roots to the brighter highlights of straw and gold at the ends.
Rafael had brought jewelry from the safe-deposit box, so she was already wearing the thick links of a heavy gold necklace and a wide cuff on her upper arm.
“You look beautiful,” he said as she appeared in the lounge. It was lit only by one lamp. “I’ve always liked this on you.” He hitched himself close enough to trace his fingertip along the upper edge of the cuff, lifting goose bumps from her elbow to her shoulder. Even her nipples tightened.
He noticed.
She dropped her gaze to his bow tie, cheeks hot.
“Don’t be embarrassed. It’s always been like this between us. It’s nice to see it’s still there.” He moved his touch to the arc above the necklace, tickling her collarbone, then slid his fingertip up her throat, lightly urging her chin to come up, forcing her gaze to lift to his. “I know you don’t remember how good it is, but it is very, very good, Alexandra.”
She did remember. It was.
Between her headaches and his cast and their different sleep schedules, they’d been using separate bedrooms, but she yearned for the closeness they’d always enjoyed. She swept her lashes down so he wouldn’t see how much, but she was very tempted to lean forward and tilt her mouth up to his.
“Come to me later if you want to. I would like that.” He let his straying touch drop from the hollow beneath her ear and gathered his crutches under his arms.
Later. Not now. He always directed and she always obeyed. She was such a pushover where he was concerned.
That agitating thought turned an otherwise velvety evening into an irritation. The fading dusk became fully dark while they made their way to the museum, so she left her sunglasses in the car and regretted it as soon as they arrived inside. The chandeliers were dimmed, but there was a waterfall effect on one wall that she averted her gaze from studying.
The room was noisy, too. Full of glitterati who immediately noticed them. She didn’t get a chance to ask for someone to retrieve her sunglasses. They were approached and she was forced to smile as people expressed their concern.
Rafael introduced her to a couple they already knew. “Alexandra is having trouble with her memory, but otherwise, we’re recovering nicely.”
“Really!” The woman’s voice pitched high with astonishment. “You don’t remember our shopping trip in Singapore? While our men were in meetings?”
“I don’t.” In truth, she was happy to forget this particular woman, especially when she took it upon herself to pass along Alexandra’s condition to a mutual acquaintance the minute another couple joined them.
“Can you believe it? She doesn’t recognize any of us.” She waved at Alexandra as though she was a curiosity, not a person.
Rafael stiffened beside her. “Such a shame, too,” he said. “I’m sure she thought the world of you before this.”
Oof. Not that she didn’t appreciate his coming to her defense, but what had he thought would happen when they started sharing news like this?
She gritted her teeth, thinking it would be a long, painful night when he touched her elbow and said, “There’s someone we need to speak to. Excuse us.”
The gossipy woman’s husband saved Sasha from what would have been a reaction of near violent startlement.
“Casella?” the man asked, looking past her. “That deal is going through, then?”
“Yes.” As Rafael’s gaze crashed back into hers, she was already gathering up her composure, ignoring the ringing in her ears as she turned to face Gio and...
Yes. That woman dressed like a golden goddess was Molly.
What the hell? Why hadn’t Rafael warned her they would see them here? He didn’t look surprised by their appearance.
“Who, um... Wasn’t that the name of the man you said...” She frowned, feigning an attempt to place a name as she paced beside him. “I’m trying to remember what you said when you told me about the surrogate. That she was engaged to your business partner? That’s not her, is it?”
“Molly. Yes,” he said with a watchful look in her direction.
“Why didn’t you warn me they would be here? Does he know she’s—?”
