Page 14 of Love On and Off Set

I was ninety-nine percent certain she was joking. I laughed.

Horatio glanced over at me.

Oops. He thinks you’re laughing at him. Or worse, Lucille.

Said woman rose abruptly. “I want to dance.”

Gordon offered a placid smile to the group and rose.

Even as he did, Lucille was already threading her way through the crowd.

“I would apologize for my wife, but that would be wasted breath.” He grinned. “I love it when she’s feisty. So, as sorry as I am for her behavior, I also thank you.”

He trailed behind her.

For a moment, we all held our collective breaths.

Then Alessandra laughed. A real belly laugh.

Smith looped his arm around her and pressed a kiss to her temple. “Brilliant, my darling.”

She released my hand so she could grip Smith’s jaw with both her hands. “Take me home, Smith.”

His eyes widened. “Are you saying?”

Another laugh. “I’m saying I’m feeling horny for pretty much the first time since the baby was born.” She glanced around the table. “Rough birth. I’ve been…tired.”

Bethany nodded. “I was that way after my first. And I very much remember the night we, uh…”

Walter grinned. “So do I. Go and enjoy yourselves.” He winked. “That latex comment was brilliant.”

As Smith and Alessandra rose, I chanced a glance at Horatio.

He met my gaze. And offered the most-dazzling smile. “Okay, that was the most fun I’ve had in a long time.”

Relief washed over me.

Walter raised his hand slightly. “That’s on me. I knew I had to invite Lucille, and I figured better to have her at our table.”

“You were right, dear.” Bethany met my gaze before shifting her attention to Horatio. “We didn’t give her any cannon fodder.”

“True.” Horatio inclined his head. “And our friends are, uh, going to be very happy.”

He might’ve blushed a bit, but with the lighting, I couldn’t quite tell.

“I think we’ll get going. No sense being here when she comes back.”

As he rose, I snagged his arm. “But you promised me a dance.”

He glanced over at his Number Two who gave him the thumbs up, while Walter beamed.

Apparently I’d either passed some test or they were playing along. All night, I’d tried to get a read on Horatio’s friends. Alessandra had been the one who’d most expressed her pleasure at seeing Horatio hook up. The others had been more circumspect while Lucille had been…well, not hostile. Just…nosy.

“Of course, my dear, one dance.”

The smile he offered dazzled. I tried to find the underlying meaning, but soon he had me in his arms on the dance floor. Only then did I realize I was out of my depth. Sure, I’d taken dance lessons as a kid. At one point I wanted to be a Broadway star, and my mother, dear woman, indulged that fantasy.

But I’d always been the lead.