For His Trust (For His Pleasure, Book 5)

By Kelly Favor

© 2012 All Rights Reserved

It had been three days.

Three days since everything had changed and Nicole’s entire world had gone dark. No, not completely dark, because she still had Red. But it was a gray film over everything, and she was stuck in the gray. It was like her legs were filled with lead, every step she took was achy and sapped her energy.

She was lying in bed mostly, needing to be taken care of, and Red was doing just that. Maybe he wished that he could lie in bed all day and have someone take care of him. Surely he had as much to be sad about as she did. In the space of just a month he’d lost the business he’d spent his life building from the ground up, and then he’d lost his unborn child.

Losing your baby was painful—but not even having the chance to really know your baby or hold your baby was also painful.

The doctor couldn’t tell them whether it was a girl or boy—it was far too early in the pregnancy for that. Nicole wanted to know—she wanted to be able to grieve, and somehow it felt like knowing the gender of the baby would help that process.

Recently, she began to feel somehow that the baby had been a girl. Nicole didn’t know where the conviction arose from, but she decided to go with it just the same.

Secretly, she named the girl Renee and made an internal promise not to forget her. Sure, she’d been just seven weeks old—but she’d still been alive and Nicole felt it was important to remember her no matter what.

Nicole had also been told it might take weeks for her body to expel the fetus—

“expel,” as if the baby had been somehow bad and needed punishment—but she’d actually done it yesterday.

It had happened when she’d gotten another severe bout of cramps in the afternoon and gone to the bathroom. She’d seen the gray fetal sac and everything, and it had been horrible and deeply sad, and yet seeing it had brought some closure too.

So now the physical part was over. There was no more baby, there was nothing more to come—just this emptiness, this gray air that Nicole found herself walking through and talking through and seeing through.

Lying in bed was all she wanted to do right now, and Red was letting her do it.

He brought her food, stroked her hair, spoke to her softly and held her hand in his own.

He told her it would be okay, that she would be okay again at some point. He told her to take her time.

But today she couldn’t take her time anymore, because her mother was visiting the house. It would be her mother’s first time at the mansion and Nicole didn’t know how she would react to it all.

“You’re mother’s at the front gate,” Red said to Nicole as he came in the bedroom. “Do you want to come down or should I just bring her up?”

“No, no, I’ll get up and come downstairs.” Slowly, Nicole pushed herself into a sitting position.

She needed a shower but wasn’t going to have time right now. Even though she’d known since yesterday that her mom was coming, Nicole still hadn’t been able to get herself moving. She was like a toy robot whose batteries were running down.

Red left the room and Nicole got up, went to the bathroom and washed her face, brushed her teeth, put on deodorant.

Then she changed into some baggy cargo pants and a comfy sweatshirt. She tied her hair back in a ponytail and surveyed herself in the mirror. She looked yellowish, sickly, and you could read the depression in her eyes.

She put on some makeup—nothing fancy—just to give her face some color.

And then Nicole went downstairs to wait for her mother to arrive.

Red was brewing coffee when Nicole entered the kitchen. He looked up at her, his expression hopeful. Nicole knew what that expression meant. She knew he was waiting for the real Nicole to come back to him. This walking, talking ghost—this strange phantom was not the Nicole he’d fallen in love with.

“Want some coffee?” he asked, his voice a little too chipper.

She shook her head and sat down heavily at the breakfast nook.

“Well,” he continued, watching the pot brew, “your mother will probably want a pick-me-up after the drive from Syracuse.”

“Yeah, probably. That’s nice of you.”

He smiled. “Well, I’m kind of awesome so…”

Nicole tried to smile back at him. “You are awesome.” And then she thought what a great father he’d have made to their little Renee and the tears came to her eyes before she could stop them.

“Hey, you okay?” he asked, moving quickly toward her.

She waved him off. “I’m fine. I’m just being silly.”

“No you’re not, Nicole. Don’t say that.” He stood by the counter and looked at her. The concern was written all over his face. “You’ve been through something horrible. Of course you’re sad.”

She sniffed, taking some tissues out of her pocket and wiping her eyes and nose.

“I just feel like enough is enough already.”

“It’s been less than a week,” he said. “Go easy on yourself.”

“I still can’t believe it,” Nicole said, shaking her head. “I was so sure she was going to be ours. I was certain of it.”

“She was ours—she’ll always be ours,” he said, coming over and taking her by the shoulders. Red’s eyes looked into Nicole’s and his voice was firm. “And for the short time she was a part of this world, inside of you, she was loved. We’re never going to forget about our baby girl. Never.”

Nicole hugged him then, because he’d just uttered out loud the very thing she’d promised herself. She hadn’t thought anyone would understand her need to remember such a little thing—a little baby that had barely even existed to the rest of the world. But she did need to remember, and apparently so did Red.

As they were hugging and taking comfort in each other’s arms, there was the loud chime of the doorbell.

“My mother,” Nicole whispered.

“Now just relax and try not to get worked up,” Red cautioned. “You know how she can be.”

“I’ll try.” She smiled an over the top, clownish smile. “See how good I am?”

“Oh, boy.” Red took a deep breath. Then he went to answer the door. Nicole heard them speaking in low tones that echoed to her from the foyer.

A minute later, in strode her mother looking like she’d been shot out of a cannon.

She was always energetic, but it seemed that much more over the top now that Nicole was so depressed.

“Honey,” her mother said, smiling sadly and rushing over for a hug. She had a purse on her arm but also a large plastic bag with something large in it that Nicole couldn’t yet identify.

Red followed behind the older woman. “I’ve made a pot of coffee.”

“Oh, you’re such a dear. That would be lovely,” the older woman told him.

Nicole watched her mother with dull suspicion. Her demeanor was strange—far too friendly to be real—especially towards Red. Hadn’t she hated the man just a week ago?

The older woman took a seat alongside Nicole at the breakfast nook as Red poured her a coffee, as well as one for himself.

“How do you take it?” he asked.

“A dash of cream and one sugar,” her mother said.

Red fixed it up quickly, stirred it and handed the cup to her with an easy grin.

“Hope you like it.”

“I’m sure I’ll like it. Is it some specialty brew?”

“Starbucks French Roast,” he said.

Nicole thought her mother seemed nonplussed, as if she’d been hoping for something more exotic. “I could never afford to have Starbucks every day,” she said, sipping from her mug. “I have to settle for Folgers mostly.”

Red nodded empathetically.

Nicole stared at her hands.

“Honey,” her mother said softly.

Nicole looked up at her. “Yes?”

“You seem depressed.”

“I guess I am depressed.”

Her mother nodded thoughtfully. “I know this is a difficult time. It’s awful what happened. Your father and I were crushed when Red called and told us the news.”

Red walked over to the counter, holding his own cup of coffee and surveying the tense scene unfolding before him with trepidation. “Nicole and I truly appreciated your condolences and the flowers that arrived yesterday,” he said.

Barb nodded to him. “Of course, it was the least we could do.” She brightened visibly and turned to Nicole. “Anyway, I brought something along that should cheer you up.”

Nicole looked on doubtfully as her mother opened the plastic bag and took out swatches of different colored cloths with different designs on each.

“What’s that?” Nicole asked.

“These are some possibilities for your table cloths—for the wedding.” She laid them out on the counter. “I particularly like this pattern.” She pointed to a white tablecloth swatch with gold and blue stripes.

Nicole couldn’t even focus on it. She felt a complete and total sense of disinterest in what her mother was showing her. “I…I guess it’s nice,” she murmured.

“Do you? Do you really like it?”

“It’s okay. Yeah.”

“Just okay?”

“Mom, I don’t really know how I feel about the tablecloth designs. I can’t focus on this stuff right now.”

Her mother was growing frustrated and her happy-go-lucky façade appeared to be crumbling. “Now’s the exact right time to focus on these sorts of things. You need to get your mind off all of this depression and into something healthy.”

“I’m just not interested.”

“Fine. Fine.” She grabbed the swatches and swept them all into the plastic bag.

“I’m going to leave this bag here for you, and you can let me know when you’ve had a chance to look at it. How’s that sound?”

“That sounds fine, Mom.”

Her mother sucked in her cheeks and subtly shook her head.

Red sighed deeply, as if sensing what was coming. “You know what? I haven’t even given you the tour, Misses Masters.”

Nicole’s mother looked at him and flashed a smile. “You know better than to call me that. My name is Barb.”

“Barb, would you like the tour?”

“That would be wonderful. I can’t believe how much land you have at your disposal, by the way. When I was driving in, I thought I’d somehow been transported to another country. It’s so beautiful here.”

“Thanks,” Red said, taking her by the arm and leading her out of the kitchen.

“Nicole?” her mom asked, looking back over her shoulder. “Are you coming?”

“No, I think I’ll just hang here until you two get back.”

Nicole saw the look of annoyance mixed with worry that flashed over the older woman’s face as Red escorted her out of the kitchen.

Nicole knew he was doing this “tour” primarily to give her a break from her mom, and she was grateful to him for that kindness. But she couldn’t even smile a little—not even when she thought about how amazing Red was and how safe she felt with him lately. Nothing could shake her from this desultory state.

About twenty-five minutes later, Red and her mother returned to the kitchen.

They seemed to be getting along famously. Her mother was blushing and laughing like a teenage girl, and Red was chuckling right with her.

“And they let you say that on television?” her mother asked, in response to some story that Nicole hadn’t been privy to.

Red nodded and grinned. “They let me say it because we paid them enough to let me say it. But I didn’t do it just to be controversial, I did it because I believed it was important.”

Her mother nodded. “I think you did the right thing, Red.”

“Apparently the network agreed with you, because they asked me back the following year.”

The two of them walked back to the breakfast nook, where Nicole was still sitting, having barely moved a muscle since they’d left the room.

Her mother turned her attention to Nicole now. “The house is so lovely, honey,”

she said.

“Thanks, Mom. I really like it.”

“Are you going to make it your own after the wedding?”

Nicole thought about it, shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s pretty nice the way it is.”

“But it’s still his house—it’s not representative of your tastes, honey. Don’t you agree, Red?”

Red nodded ever so slightly. “Yes, I suppose it’s mostly mine. But then again, I just had a designer come in and set everything up, so in a way it’s not really my taste either.”

“I’d love to come and help both of you redecorate after the wedding,” Nicole’s mother said, her eyes practically lighting up.

“We’ll see, Mom. Let’s just take things a step at a time.”

Her mother sighed. “I’m really trying my best with you, Nicole. What more can I do?”

“I didn’t say you were doing anything wrong.”

“Then what is it?”

Red leaned over the counter and gave Nicole’s hand a squeeze. “I think Nicole’s just tired and sad, Barb.”

“I understand that this was a disappointment,” her mother replied. “But it seems a bit much, the way you’re moping about like life as we know it has ended.”

Nicole looked up at her, and for a brief moment she actually had the urge to slap her across the face. It was gone as quickly as the urge had arisen, but the feeling of intense anger left her shaken. “I don’t have to justify my feelings to you,” she said, her voice shaking slightly.

“You know, you’re not the first woman to have gone through something like this.” The older woman shifted into the seat by her daughter and lowered her voice conspiratorially. “It happened to your father and I, many years ago.”

Nicole looked at her more closely. It seemed that for the first time, she saw how her mother’s face truly looked—not just the way she imagined her to be. And she saw that her mother had gotten old without Nicole really noticing. Her eyes had large, deep bags beneath them, and her chin was fleshy and sagging. The skin on her neck was loose and wrinkled.

Mom, you’re old! She wanted to say. When did this happen to you? When did you become this jaded, old lady with rarely a kind word for anyone—including your only daughter?

But just as the urge to slap her had come and gone, so too did this strange feeling of seeing her mother’s age for the first time.

“You never told me that you had a miscarriage,” Nicole said, finally.

Her mother just nodded, as if proud of the fact that she’d had one and also had the guts to keep the pain of it to herself all these years. “Well, you don’t know everything there is to know about me, honey.”

“I’m aware of that, Mom.”

“We were very disappointed when it happened. But I told myself—I said, Barb, it will happen when it’s meant to happen and not a moment sooner. There’s a plan for you and this just wasn’t your time.”

Nicole raised her eyebrows. “That simple, huh?”

“It wasn’t simple, it was just the truth. There’s no use wringing your hands about it. Sometimes these things happen.”

“I don’t know,” Nicole said, quietly. She didn’t want to have such a clinical attitude about the death of her unborn baby. She couldn’t have that attitude—it would be like a second death of sorts, to put the baby out of her mind forever. Didn’t that sweet little child deserve to at least have someone remember she had been growing and striving to be born, and that she’d never even had a chance to live? Didn’t she deserve to at least have someone think of her from time to time and love her in spite of it all?

“Trust me, Nicole. I’m a lot older than you and perhaps I’ve learned a thing or two about being a mother.”

Nicole nodded her head and tried to accept her mother’s words at face value, while still allowing herself to feel what she felt. She didn’t want to start feeling guilty about being sad on top of everything else she was going through.

And then Red stepped in. “Barb, I think I can speak for both of us when I tell you that we truly appreciate your wisdom. I respect the fact that you went through your own difficult moment, and you came through it stronger than before.”

“I just did what had to be done. I still got up and went about my life. I had to work full-time, even back then. I went to work and did my job and nobody would have known that I’d been through a miscarriage.”

Red smiled with patient understanding. “At the same time, Nicole is a different person and she’s sad right now. It’s okay with me if she’s sad for as long as she needs to be.”

“I never said she shouldn’t be sad.”

“Okay, then,” Red smiled. “So we all agree. Nicole’s going to take whatever time she needs to recover from this. We’re all sad, and we support Nicole one hundred percent.”

“I never said anything to the contrary.”

Nicole took a deep breath. “It’s fine. Everything’s fine.”

“I’m being supportive of you and Red. Isn’t that what you wanted?”

“Yes, and it means a lot to me.”

“Well, I just don’t see why everyone is so doom and gloom around here. It’s not healthy.”

“Nobody’s doom and gloom. We just need a little time.”

“Well you’ve got only so much time. I thought you were planning a wedding.”

“I was, and I will be again. When I feel up to it.”

“Maybe it’s not always the best thing to have so much time and money that you can afford to be depressed. I couldn’t afford to be depressed.”

Red clapped his hands. “What say I have Chef Roland wrangle us up something to eat, huh?”

Nicole’s mother nodded unhappily and Nicole took a deep breath. She didn’t know if she’d ever make it through her mother’s visit. She wanted nothing more than to crawl back into bed and close her eyes—make everything go away.

But she pushed through the way her mother would have wanted her to.

Chef Roland was at the ready, and he came to the kitchen and cooked them a wonderful lunch of lemon chicken over linguine. Nicole mostly picked at her food, but Red and Barb ate every last bite of theirs.

Despite her protests to the contrary, Barb seemed to love being waited on and catered to, as if it were her secret birthright to have been a queen or a member of the aristocracy. By the end of the day she was drinking wine and talking about art and laughing at every word that came out of Red’s mouth.

And then night fell and she said she was going to drive home, even though it would be a long drive back. “I want to go to sleep in my own bed,” she told them.

Red made her a huge mug of coffee, extra strong, and she took it with her. She hugged Nicole once before leaving—a strong, vice like grip that revealed she still had plenty of strength left, however much she might have aged. “I love you so much,” she whispered into Nicole’s ear.

“I love you too, Mom. Thanks for coming.”

“Bye, darling.” She waved at Red and then she was gone.

“Thank God that’s over with,” Red said, as he closed the door and walked with Nicole towards the stairs to the master bedroom.

“You finally won her over,” Nicole said. “I didn’t think it was possible.”

“I don’t think I won her over. I think she decided she was going to prove that she could like me.”

Nicole smiled. “Yeah, that’s probably true.”

Red put a hand on her lower back. “Are you okay?”

“Not really.”

“I love you, Nicole. And I’m sad too. Not a second goes by that I don’t think of the baby. But she is loved. Isn’t that all anyone wants, at the end of the day—to be loved and remembered?”

“I guess.” Nicole felt the tears in her eyes yet again. “I just wish we’d had a little bit of time with her. I can still feel her, you know?” She pressed a hand to her heart. “I can feel her little soul calling out to me. She wanted to be hugged and held and sang to, and we never got a chance.”

Red’s eyes were wet now. “I know. I know.”

They went upstairs together and climbed into bed, and Red held her in his arms.

He was stronger than ever, she realized. He held her close and she smelled his scent, she felt his breath against her hair and her cheek. She was taken care of.

It wasn’t what she wanted right now. Right now, what she wanted was her baby.

But it was enough. It had to be enough.

***

Nicole woke up very early the next morning.

It was just after five a.m. and the idea hit her like a thunderbolt. It was so simple, so perfect. It had to be right.

She put a hand on Red’s shoulder and shook him slightly.

He opened his eyes and lifted his head. “Huh? What is it---are you okay?”

“Yes. I just woke up and I had to tell you something.”

“Okay, I’m listening.” He wiped the sleep from his eyes.

“I want to elope.”

Red turned to face her in the semi-darkness. “You want to elope? Why?”

“I just woke up and it was the first thing I thought. It feels right. I don’t want to worry about guest lists and tablecloths and what food to serve and the venue and sending out the perfect invitations. I just want to be with you.”

He blinked at her. “Are you sure? Because you always said—“

“I know what I said,” she interrupted. “But everything’s different now.”

“Because of the baby?”

“I don’t know. Yes. I suppose so.”

“I think we just need some more time before we make any decisions. You’re in a certain frame of mind right now,” he said tiredly.

“This isn’t just a frame of mind. I want to elope, Red.”

“Of course I’ll do whatever you want. But honestly? I don’t think that’s what you really want, Nicole.”

Now she felt angry with him. She sat up in bed and folded her arms. “What do you mean, it’s not what I really want? You think you know what I want better than I do?”

Red sighed. “No, Nicole. I don’t.”

“Don’t take that tone with me.”

“What tone?”

“Like I’m crazy.”

“Nicole, it’s five a.m. You woke me out of a deep sleep to tell me you want to completely change our wedding plans because of some random thought that popped into your head.”

“It wasn’t some random thought.” She glared at him. “I don’t care about all those other people, Red. I care about me and you.”

Suddenly, he reached across the bed and grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him. “And what do you think I care about?”

His touch, even now in her depressed state, still brought heat to her entire body.

She looked into his dark eyes. His curly hair fell across his forehead in that way that she found totally sexy.

But now there was something else, too. She felt angry, she felt wild—she felt unpredictable. In the past, whenever they’d had sex, it was always because of Red that Nicole engaged in the kind of ritualistic game playing that he so enjoyed. Yes, she liked it too, but mostly because of what it did for him.

For the first time, though, Nicole wanted to do it as much or more for herself as she did for Red.

“I don’t know what you care about,” she said. “Maybe you need to show me.”

She looked at him and he looked back at her. In the early morning gloom, she could see the whites of his eyes and the black pits of his pupils and he almost had the look of a wolf about him.

“Don’t ask if you aren’t ready to receive.”

“Who says I’m not ready?”

“Either way,” he growled. “You know what this means.”

“I’m not a total idiot,” Nicole replied, writhing in his grasp. He gripped her arm more tightly.

“You’re being very bad right now,” he rasped.

“So? Who’s going to punish me?”

“Keep talking and it will be worse.”

“Maybe I want it to be worse.”

He turned her onto her stomach, so she was lying in his lap across the bed. He was hard, so she knew she’d excited him. Nicole was wearing nothing but her bra and panties, and she wiggled her ass at him, knowing what was coming.

He slapped her butt. There was a slight sting, but nothing near what she wanted to feel right now. “More,” she demanded.

“Well all right then,” he said. His hand came down harder on her ass. He spanked her butt again and again.

“I need to be bare,” she said. “My bare ass needs a spanking.”

Red exhaled heavily. Suddenly he’d ripped the panties right off her, ripped them clean in half like they were some kind of special break away Velcro panties. “Okay,” he said. “So now your ass is bare.”

“Yeah, that’s more like it.” She wiggled it at him again. “Now spank me like you mean it.”

He started to spank her ass, moving from one cheek to the other, paddling her flesh with real vigor. It stung and there was the requisite heat. She was getting wet. Her pussy ached for him. And yet…somehow there needed to be more.

She wasn’t satisfied with the level of pain. She needed more. “Come on,” she whined. “Do it harder.”

“You want harder?”

“Come on. You heard me.”

And then he stopped entirely. Nicole looked up at him from over her shoulder.

“Why are you stopping? I need to be punished.”

Red stared down at her. “You know this isn’t how it goes.”

“Stop being so rigid. Come on. I’m aching to be spanked and fucked.”

“You need to calm down. You’re out of control.”

“This isn’t out of control,” she said, sitting up. She looked at him. Her nipples were hard and tight. She was wet for him but she didn’t want it like this. She wanted it angry and hard and fast. She wanted to forget who she was.

“Nicole, you need to slow down,” he told her. “This isn’t a free for all.”

“Bullshit. Come on,” she dared him. “Afraid of a little tiny girl?”

His eyes blazed. “Don’t push me.”

She did push him then, hard on his shoulder. He grabbed her wrist. She pushed him with her free hand and he grabbed that wrist too.

Nicole tried to break free from his grip.

She was wrestling with him now, and the two of them rolled across the bed.

Nicole was using her arms and legs, scratching and kicking as Red tried to gain control of her. At first she felt like it was all in fun, but that angry part of her seemed to blossom as Red began to slowly win the wrestling match.

Finally, she scratched his cheek and drew blood.

“Nicole,” he said, sitting back and touching his cheek. “What the hell?”

She sat up. “Can’t take your own medicine?”

Red’s eyes darkened and he smiled, a slow grin. “You really do want to be a bad girl this morning.”

“I need someone to punish me and then I need to be fucked hard,” she whispered.

“Do you, now?”

She nodded with a wild look in her eyes.

“That’s nice for you.” He suddenly yawned, lay back down and turned over onto his stomach, adjusting his pillow under his head.

Nicole watched him uncomprehendingly. “Red?”

He didn’t answer. His body was a lump under the covers.

She shook his shoulder. “Don’t pretend to go to sleep. That’s not nice.”

Red didn’t answer.

She sighed. “I’m sorry I scratched you. I thought we were playing rough.”

After another minute or two of him still not replying, Nicole began to get really angry. Her stomach was twisting and churning and she could feel her cheeks burning.

Why was he doing this to her now of all times? Didn’t he know she needed him to be close to her?

But his body remained still. He was totally ignoring her and she felt totally rejected.

Nicole got up, knowing how silly she was being, and headed for the door. “I guess I’ll go downstairs. Maybe when Chef Roland gets here he can take care of me. He looks like a man who can satisfy a woman.”

Suddenly she heard Red moving behind her. When she turned he was in her face, his eyes wide and enraged. “What the hell are you talking about, Nicole?”

“I thought you were asleep.”

“What kind of shit are you pulling with me right now?”

She folded her arms and tried to stand her ground. “I wasn’t pulling any shit.

You’re the one who just went to sleep in the middle of me trying to be close to you.”

“This isn’t that kind of game, babe. I don’t play the abusive husband role.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

He looked at her and his eyes softened. “I know what you’re trying to do,” he whispered. “You’re scared and hurt and sad and you think that if we inflict pain on one another, it’s going to change things for you.”

She lifted her chin. “You think you know everything about me.”

He smiled a little. “I do know everything about you.” He walked closer still and put a hand under her chin. “You’re my soul mate. You’re my everything—more important to me than anything else in this world. You, Nicole.”

She wanted to cry now. She wanted to hit something. She broke down in tears, literally sinking to the floor. “It wasn’t supposed to be this way,” she said. She could barely understand herself, talking through all of these tears.

Red was holding her now, cradling her on the floor of their bedroom. She was a limp rag doll in his arms. “I know,” he whispered. “I hurt too.”

“I’m sorry I’m so weak.”

“You’re the strongest person I know, Nicole.”

She pressed her face into his chest. “I’m sorry I scratched your face. It was an accident.”

“It’s okay.”

“Nothing feels okay right now.”

“I know. I know. But it is.” He rocked her slowly back and forth and stroked her hair and she cried and cried some more until there were no tears left inside. Of course, she knew there were more tears. She’d felt cried out plenty of times in the last few days but there were always more.

She wiped them away with the back of her hand and sniffled, sitting up. “I don’t deserve you. You’re perfect and amazing.”

Red just laughed. “Stop talking shit.”

She grinned back at him, maybe the first real smile she’d had in days. “You know I don’t have a thing for Chef Roland.”

“I didn’t think so.” His smile faded and he became more serious. “I never want to say things just to hurt each other, though. We need to be better than that.”

Nicole nodded. “Agreed. That was a low blow. I feel like I’ve gone a little bit crazy lately.”

“We all go crazy sometimes. But remember I love you with all of my heart and I’m on your side. We both lost our baby.”

“I just want to go back to how it was.”

And then Red was kissing her on the lips, and she was responding. Her entire body was responding to him. His hands caressed her bare thighs, up her stomach, fondling her breasts.

His tongue pressed into her mouth, searching.

Nicole arched her hips into him. She was without panties and slick with desire.

Red’s lips moved from her mouth to her neck, and then down to her breasts as his hand cupped her bare pussy.

She arched into him again, moving herself back and forth on his hand. He gently slid a finger into her. She cried out with relief.

Yes. This is what I need.

His finger withdrew and then she rocked her hips into him again and the finger plunged inside of her moist hole, pushing through her folds.

His tongue licked her nipples through her lacy bra as his finger continued to plunge and retreat, plunge and retreat in time with Nicole’s hip movement.

Her entire entrance was slick with her own juices and ready for his manhood. But Nicole knew that as badly as she wanted him right now, he would take his time the way he always had.

This drove her slightly mad, but now it was in a good way.

She smiled as his hand worked its magic on her. “Oh, God. I want to come so badly.”

“Don’t do that,” he rasped. “Don’t come until I tell you to come.”

“But it feels so good.” Her hips pounded against his strong hand as his finger rhythmically slapped her clitoris and entered her.

“You’ve been a very bad girl and you need to start listening again,” he warned.

“Yes, I want to be good. I want to listen.”

“Then don’t come until I say so.”

“But I’m so close.” Her breath was coming in gasps as bursts of electric heat spun up from her hips and into her stomach and breasts.

He kissed her neck again. His other hand massaged her breasts and slowly pulled them free from her bra. Now her nipples poked out into the cool air. Red began sucking them as his finger worked her delicate lower space.

Nicole’s legs shook as they always did when she was getting close to release.

Her breasts were so tender, so sensitive, and his tongue and lips were making the nipples moist and erect.

“I can’t…I can’t take it,” she cried.

Red slid down, kissing her belly, and then down past that to where she was waiting, wet and open for him. Between her legs, he licked and sucked.

Her clitoris was so swollen with desire that his tongue easily found it, flicking it over and over again.

Nicole screamed now, the cords in her neck stood out.

“Please, tell me I can come,” she said. She was sweating. “Please, Red. Please.”

But he wouldn’t give her permission. He was enjoying her torture. His lips sucked her folds, and then his tongue worked its way inside her. Now Red’s hands held her hips and pulled her body closer to him as he continued his exquisite torture.

“I can’t stop,” she said. Her body was climaxing of its own accord. Her entrance was contracting with need and want, tightening, ready to release everything. She’d never been this wet. Or maybe she was always this wet with him—she didn’t know anymore.

Nicole was losing herself.

Suddenly, he drew up and took himself out of his boxers.

“Finally,” she yelled, with relief.

He chuckled. “Put your mouth on me,” he commanded.

Gratefully, she rose up on her elbows as he hovered over her on his knees, one hand pressed to the ground for balance. She took his full erection into her mouth, cradling his balls in her hand and sucking him all the way down.

Red moaned softly.

Nicole enjoyed giving him this pleasure, knowing how much he wanted her.

Knowing that he was having trouble resisting the urge to climax now, just as she had a moment before.

Her tongue swirled around his shaft, and then she pulled her head back and sucked only the head of his cock, her lips suctioned tightly to it.

Now she began bobbing up and down, her mouth more quickly sliding across the length of him, the sounds of her lips and the wetness from her saliva creating a sucking sound.

“Okay, slow down,” he told her. “Slow down or I’m going to come.”

She sped up, not wanting to listen. She was hungry for him. She wanted him to come in her mouth.

And he wanted to as well. She almost had him—almost had taken him to a place where he’d lost his control. And for some reason Nicole wanted to do this—wanted to make him so crazy that he forgot his need to always be in power.

He was so close. She could feel it. She moved faster. Her hand was stroking his shaft simultaneously as she sucked him off.

“Nicole—“

And then he’d pulled out of her mouth. She stared up at him with wounded eyes.

“But I want it,” she whined.

“Turn over,” he said.

She did so, again pouting. She needed to come so badly, she could scream.

Red took the head of his penis and placed it against her anus and slowly rubbed the tip of it around, sending a shockwave of pleasure through her. His body pressed against her from behind, pressed her into the floor with his weight on her back.

He slid one hand under her breasts and the other against her bare pussy, stroking it now, finding her clit as his penis slid between her butt cheeks.

She was nothing but wet—juices everywhere.

“You need to be broken in,” he hissed. “You’re too wild.”

“I do. I need to be broken in and fucked hard.”

He slid inside her ass with one quick motion, surprising her. He pumped into her, stroking her pussy and fondling her nipples as his mouth sucked the back of her neck, her earlobe.

Nicole felt him go deep into her, and there was some pain and pressure. He’d only done this once before—that night in Germany—and this time both the pleasure and the pressure were intensified.

He wasn’t being as gentle, which was good. She didn’t want it gentle right now.

She wanted to completely lose her mind, and the way it felt—she was going to.

“You’ve been very, very bad today and now you’re going to get fucked in your ass, Nicole. You’re going to get fucked and you’re going to come when I say.”

His hips pounded against her buttocks.

His shaft stretched her, hitting deeper into her behind. At the same time, she was relaxing somehow—loosening, accommodating his girth.

Shockingly, the orgasm she felt building now was almost too much to bear. She didn’t know how her body would respond. The wave was building and building and she could see it in her mind’s eye, towering over everything.

A huge blue wave rising out of the sea, rising up and up and up and up…

“Come now,” he commanded, and she instantly did so—going off like a rocket.

He pushed deep into her cavity, groaning as he did so, pulsating inside of her—

but his hand was also rubbing her clitoris and Nicole’s legs splayed outward as if she’d been given an electric shock.

Her entire body was rigid with the explosion of her release and she literally screamed. She screamed again and again as wave upon wave hit her. She was coming one time after another.

All of the energy was spent.

Red withdrew from her, leaving her sticky with his semen. She was wet and full of his and her own juices. Her body was a limp noodle on the floor.

He rolled to the side and caressed her hair softly. “Did that do the trick?”

She nodded, unable to speak. Finally, after a long minute, she said, “Thank you.”

“My pleasure. Literally.”

“I needed that.”

“You’re going to be okay, Nicole,” he said, still stroking her hair.

“I hope so.” For now she was just glad to have released some of the pent up energy she’d been carrying around for days.

Some of her depression felt as though it had lifted, but she could also tell that it was waiting to descend upon her again once her endorphins had stopped and the serotonin was no longer spiking.

Slowly, Nicole sat up, her legs curled underneath her. Red was sitting up too.

“That was unexpected,” she told him with a little smile.

“In a good way?”

She nodded. “In the best way.”

“I don’t think Chef Roland would have been able to do that.”

“Definitely not,” she laughed.

***

Red had some business to attend to in Hartford, so he left around nine that morning. “I’m looking at some office space for the new company,” he told her.

“You’re not going to have any offices in New York?” she asked.

He shrugged. “New York’s played out. Hartford’s got style, its got character—

and besides, it’s a lot cheaper to rent there.”

Nicole laughed. “True.”

“What’re you going to do while I’m gone?” he asked.

“I think Danielle’s going to come by for a few hours.”

“With her new husband?”

“God no. Luckily she didn’t ask to bring him. I’m not sure what I would have said.”

“You’d have told her Kane Wright can set foot on our property when hell freezes over.”

“Not so sure that would go down too well.”

Red grabbed his briefcase and straightened his tie. He was dressed up in a black Armani suit, purple tie, his hair styled, clean-shaven. “I’m off to work.”

She admired him. “You look like how I remember you from the first day we met.”

“In other words—I look totally hot.”

Nicole rolled her eyes. “Ego much?”

“Just a little.” He leaned in for a kiss. “Tell Danielle I said hi.”

“I will.”

He kept walking. “Remind her she can still get an annulment if she wants one.”

“Red!”

“I’m just saying…” his voice faded and then the door opened and shut as he left the house.

Nicole cleaned up the kitchen a little for Danielle’s arrival. It felt good to do some dishes, normal things that regular people did who owned a home together.

She’d already showered, but now Nicole also put on a pair of comfortable pants, sandals and a loose fitting long-sleeve shirt. She did her hair and applied a bit of makeup. For the first time since the miscarriage she felt almost human.

Still, there was the pit in her stomach, the deep sense of loss. Nicole didn’t think that would go away anytime soon.

Danielle arrived at the house in a limousine.

She got out of the car, smiling, wearing a sundress and one of those sunhats that old, rich women wear while walking around resort towns. “Hi girl!” she shrieked, as Nicole came out of the house to meet her.

Instantly, Nicole felt annoyed at how unabashedly happy Danielle was. Then Nicole reminded herself that Danielle didn’t know about the miscarriage.

“Hey, Danielle.” Nicole hugged her friend, feeling like she hadn’t seen her in years, even though it had only been days.

Danielle looked at her. “You look thin and pale. Are you doing low carb again or something?”

Nicole shook her head, looking away. “Nope. Just a little tired, I guess.”

“So this is the place!” Danielle said, putting her hands on her hips and taking in the outside of the house and the grounds.

“Yup, this is it.” Nicole already felt tired again. Drained. She’d actually been looking forward to spending time with a friend who didn’t know that she’d gone through hell in back these last few days.

But now that Danielle was actually here, it was different. Nicole was still too raw, too wounded to just have normal girl talk and flit about like some queen bee the way Danielle was doing.

“God, Nicole, this place is amazing.” Danielle pulled off her enormous sunhat and started into the house without asking. “I can’t wait to see the rest of it. It’s almost as big as my house.”

“You mean Kane’s house?” Nicole said.

Danielle turned and gave her a strange look. “No. We’re married now. It’s my house as much as it is his.”

“Oh, yeah. Of course.” Nicole followed her inside.

“The foyer is lovely,” Danielle said. Nicole noticed how tan she still was. Her skin looked glistening and fresh and youthful. Compared to her, Nicole felt like an old hag. Pale, dry skinned, with dark circles under her eyes and an aching wound in her heart.

“Let me give you the tour,” Nicole said with fake cheer.

As they walked, Danielle gave running commentary on the things she liked and the things she didn’t like—there were plenty of both. She liked the floors but not the curtains in the living room. She liked the table in the dining room but she thought there should be a different color used on the walls. Danielle thought the media room was a bit small—the one in the mansion she shared with Kane was probably twice the size.

But she absolutely loved the kitchen.

“I’m going to take a picture of this and tell Kane we need ours to look exactly the same,” she said, pulling out her phone to take a picture.

“Ummmm….I don’t think you should,” Nicole said. “I don’t think Red would like it if you were taking pictures of our home to show Kane.”

Danielle looked at her. “Are you serious?”

“Come on, let me show you the verandah,” Nicole said, trying to change the subject.

When they stepped out to the verandah, Danielle nodded but didn’t seem overly impressed. “I’d want a better view of the pond, personally.”

“Oh.”

“I’d take down that whole line of trees that’s blocking it.”

“You’d just kill all those trees?”

“They’re killing your view. Either way, something’s getting killed.”

Danielle’s harsh words made Nicole think of her loss. Something had been killed all right. Her baby was dead. Her dreams had been crushed—and that poor little soul was never going to have a chance to live and grow and be loved by her parents.

“Those trees have every right to exist there, and I think they’re beautiful,” Nicole said, with sudden fierce emotion in her voice.

“All right, all right. Chill, Nic. I was just saying—personally, I prefer the view to the trees.”

“I get it.” Nicole sat down and crossed her arms and looked out at the rolling hills. She thought the view was just fine.

Danielle stood and looked at her. “Okay, something’s up.”

“What do you mean?”

“You know exactly what I mean,” Danielle said. “What the heck is wrong with you?”

“I don’t know,” Nicole lied. “Maybe you’re the one who’s acting weird.”

“Me? How so?”

“You can’t be serious,” Nicole told her, smirking. “Just look at how you’re dressed, for starters. And coming here in a limo?”

“Kane wanted me to use it. His driver knew how to get here. What was I supposed to do, take a gypsy cab to satisfy you?”

Nicole shrugged. “You’re the one who’s changed. You’re like suddenly all high society.”

“It’s called being happy. You should try it sometime.”

Nicole didn’t have much to say to that. “I’m sorry I snapped at you.”

Danielle sat down next to her. “I think I know what this is all about.”

“Okay, tell me what you think.”

“I think this is about Kane beating Red in some silly business deal and now you’re feeling protective.”

Nicole couldn’t help but laugh at that. The last thing she’d been thinking about recently was Kane taking Red’s business from him. After all, they still had plenty of money and Red was rejuvenated with his new company. But she didn’t say any of that.

She just cocked her head. “Is that what Kane told you? That he beat Red?”

Danielle held her hands out. “I don’t want to get in the middle of it. I mean, I love Kane regardless of all that cutthroat stuff he does. And honestly—he wants to be a better man, Nicole. You should have heard some of the things he told me when we were together in The Caymans.”

“I’m sure it was lovely. He’s a charming guy.”

“Don’t give me that. You think he’s the scum of the earth, and so did I. But then he showed me who he really is. And underneath all that suave masculinity, he’s just a regular chap with the same hopes and fears as anybody else.”

Suave masculinity? Nicole thought, stifling a giggle. Kane Wright was about as suavely masculine as a hammerhead shark. And at least the shark would have the decency to show you its teeth before it bit you in half.

“Danielle, I swear to you—I’m not upset that you and Kane Wright are together and that you’re happy. Red and Kane might not be the best of friends, and maybe Red is stinging from what happened with Jameson International. But I personally haven’t given it a thought in the last few days.”

Danielle listened to her and nodded. “Well good. I just…I really care about you, Nic. You’re one of my best friends and you’re the only one who knows what it’s like to be in this kind of situation.”

“What kind of situation?” Nicole asked. A flock of birds suddenly burst from a nearby grouping of trees. Watching them soar into the sky and take off into the distance, she thought of her never-to-be-born child and her heart twisted in her chest. Maybe her child’s spirit was soaring off with them, completely free and unbound.

Danielle followed Nicole’s gaze. “You know the situation we’re in. Getting married to an extremely wealthy man. All of the shenanigans, the drama, dealing with business associates and friends and ex-lovers and family members. Everyone feeling threatened by your new place in his life.”

Nicole nodded, thinking of Red’s vindictive mother. “I do know about that stuff.

It’s not easy to deal with those people.”

“And everyone thinks you’re after his money,” Danielle complained. She gripped her hat so tightly in her hands that Nicole thought she might tear it to pieces. “Even he suspects that you might be in it for a quick payday. And then you have the whole awkwardness of negotiating the prenuptial agreement.”

Nicole didn’t respond to that. She just licked her lips and looked away.

“I mean, hasn’t Red talked to you about a prenup yet?” Danielle said, when Nicole didn’t say anything.

“No, not really.”

“What do you mean? Aren’t you getting married soon? Haven’t you two even discussed the financial part of the whole thing?”

Nicole shrugged. “I mean, sort of.”

“Well you need to sort that out. He’s going to want a prenup, Nic. They all do.

So don’t get all pissy with him when he brings it up.”

“Danielle, he doesn’t want one.”

Danielle stared at her for a long time. “You’re sure about that? He said that?”

“He said we share everything fifty-fifty.”

She snorted. “Well, there’s a lot less to share now, isn’t there?”

Nicole’s eyes narrowed. “That’s a shitty thing to say.”

“I’m sorry, you’re right. That was really a mean thing to say.” Danielle stood up, still gripping her hat for dear life. “The thing is, it really bothered me when Kane brought up the contract. The prenuptial agreement. It hurt my feelings.”

“I understand it did. Of course.” Nicole tried to hide the tiny feeling of triumph she felt that Danielle and Kane didn’t have the same kind of trust that she and Red shared. The way Danielle was prancing around, flaunting her new social status, it was hard to sympathize with her plight. But Nicole didn’t want to gloat over something so trite. “Did you tell Kane how it made you feel?”

“Of course,” Danielle said, pacing across the verandah. “And he explained to me that the contract was merely precautionary and meant to protect both of us. Also, it’s not as if I get nothing if we have a divorce.” She stopped and looked at Nicole. “I must sound so shallow right now.”

“Not at all.”

Danielle flushed. “I just hate to feel like I’m one of those stupid celebrity wives that gets dumped after two or three years and then sits around getting Botox injections and tennis lessons for the rest of her life.”

“You’d never be that kind of woman.”

“But the prenup made me feel like that kind of woman. I kept reading it and thinking how there should have been more for me in there. I hated how greedy it made me feel to think about our relationship that way.” Her expression was genuinely pained now. “And here I was, assuming that you and Red had the same arrangement as us and now I feel like a complete fool.”

“Danielle, don’t be silly. Nothing you’re saying is foolish.”

“Well Red must really love you if he’s not protecting himself at all.”

“It’s got nothing to do with love.”

“Then he must trust you.”

Nicole thought about it. “He does trust me. But just because Kane had you sign a prenup doesn’t mean he trusts you any less.”

“Doesn’t it, though?”

Nicole didn’t know what to say. Danielle turned and stared out at the property.

“You know what? Those trees are really beautiful just the way they are. I wouldn’t change a thing if I were you.”

***

Nicole and Danielle decided to have a picnic for lunch. They gathered cheese and crackers, fruit, and a bottle of wine and put everything in a cooler. They took a blanket and walked out to the grounds and just started to stroll, in order to find whatever place might feel right to sit down and have their picnic.

The sky was clear and blue, with only a few passing clouds, but there was still a nice breeze that would cool you off if the sun ever started to feel too warm.

Finally, they settled for a spot on a hilly section of land that gave them a three hundred and sixty degree view of the property. Danielle spread that blanket out and kicked off her shoes, while Nicole opened the cooler and took out the cheese and crackers and poured wine into two plastic cups.

She handed a cup to Danielle and then sat down next to her on the blanket and sipped her drink for a moment. They both popped a few grapes in their mouths and grinned at one another.

“How crazy is this?” Danielle laughed, after a moment. “The two of us married or engaged to billionaires, drinking wine and relaxing on the acres of land surrounding your mansion. Just a couple of months ago we were struggling to find jobs to make rent on our crappy Brooklyn apartment. How lucky are we?”

Nicole tried to smile. She didn’t feel lucky right now. At the same time, she was appreciative of Danielle’s friendship and the fact that her friend was going through a similar process of fitting into a powerful man’s life and all the complications that entailed.

“What do you love most about Kane?” Nicole asked, out of the blue.

Danielle cocked her head. “I guess, I love the way he looks at the world. He’s not afraid of anything.”

Nicole smiled and took a long sip of wine.

Danielle tilted her cup back toward Nicole. “And you?”

“Me what?”

“What do you love most about your man?” she asked, laying back and staring at the sky.

“I love the way he looks at me,” Nicole said. She felt her face flush with embarrassment at such an honest assessment.

Danielle turned to her. “That’s awesome. Now I want to change my answer.”

“Your answer was beautiful.”

“No. I said I love that Kane’s not afraid of anything. But I didn’t say anything about us, you know?” She shook her head. “Maybe we’re missing something.”

“Danielle, no. You guys are awesome and you’re so happy. You shouldn’t compare yourself to anyone. Red and I are just two people and we’ve had plenty of ups and downs as you well know.”

Danielle assented to that fact. “But,” she said, picking another grape and popping it in her mouth, “you seem to have gotten past all the drama. You guys seem like you really found your stride.”

“I guess we have. That doesn’t mean we don’t have our problems.”

Danielle nodded as if she completely understood. “What about the wedding?” she said eventually. “Sometimes I wish Kane and I had done a big production instead of marrying just the two of us on the island. Are you super excited?”

“I don’t know. I’ve started to question whether I want much of a production.

Maybe something really, really small. I’ve even thought of eloping. Just me and Red together, nobody else around to worry about.”

“I hope you don’t do that,” Danielle told her. “I really want to be there for your ceremony. It would mean a lot to me.”

“Yeah.” Nicole sighed. “I just don’t know if I have the energy to plan something like that and deal with all the stress involved.”

“What you need is a wedding planner.”

What I need is to have my child with me, growing inside of me still.

“Yeah, maybe a wedding planner,” Nicole replied listlessly.

Danielle started to smile. “Hey—you guys would still invite me and Kane to the wedding and everything, right—Red wouldn’t keep Kane from attending?”

“Of course we’d invite both of you.”

“I wish we could get Red and Kane to hang out under different circumstances,”

she said. “I just know the two of them could be friends. I mean, Kane really likes Red.”

Nicole didn’t know what to say to that. She thought it highly unlikely that Red would ever seriously consider trusting Kane Wright enough to be friends with him. In fact, they hadn’t yet discussed Kane’s attendance at the wedding, so she was already going out on a limb by telling Danielle that her husband could even come.

“Let’s just see how it goes. We can’t force them to have play dates like they’re a couple of kindergarteners.”

“Speaking of kindergarteners,” Danielle said, getting a big grin on her face. “I was talking to Kane about kids, and he told me he might want them someday.”

Nicole got a strange feeling in her stomach, like she’d just been kicked. For a brief second she’d forgotten about her loss. And now, with this one comment from her friend, it all came flooding back like some horrible nightmare.

She forced a smile to her face somehow. “How do you feel about it?” she asked.

“Of course I want to have kids. I mean, I’m not sure when.” Danielle twisted one of her braids around a finger, still smiling and red faced. “I just picture us together—a little happy family. And then I picture all of the things I didn’t have, and giving them to our little boy—or girl,” she added hastily.

Nicole nodded with a dry mouth and eyes that were ready to fill with tears. She looked away and had a big gulp or two of her wine. She refilled the cup. “Sounds great, Danielle. Seriously.”

“I didn’t think Kane would want children. Something about him screams bachelor lifestyle, doesn’t it?”

“I don’t know him that well.”

There was a somewhat awkward silence. And then, Danielle asked the one question Nicole couldn’t take right then. “What about you and Red? Have you talked about kids yet?”

Nicole burst into tears. Again.

“Hey! Did I say something wrong, Nic?” she cried, moving closer and putting a hand on Nicole’s shoulder. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

Nicole’s whole body shook, she was wracked with sobs. And then it was as if a part of her was standing to one side and watching the fiasco and seeing how ridiculous this whole scene was. So she began to laugh. And that made her seem even crazier.

Danielle was mystified. “I’m so sorry, whatever it was I did. Nicole, tell me what’s going on. I’m…you’re freaking me out!”

Nicole tried to talk between laughing and crying. “It’s not your fault,” she finally was able to say.

“It sure seems like it’s my fault. Are you all right? Do you want to go back to the house?”

Nicole shook her head. “No.” She was catching her breath now. The storm of crying had started to pass.

“No, you’re not all right, or no, you don’t want to go back to the house?”

“Both.”

“What’s wrong? Is it something to do with Red? Is it about Kane coming to the wedding? I can tell him not to, Nicole. If it really freaks you out that much…”

Nicole began laughing again, wiping the tears from her eyes. “It’s not about Kane at all.” She sniffled. “I wish that were all it was. Something as silly as a wedding invitation.”

Danielle’s expression became grave. “You’re not…sick or something, are you?”

“No. It’s not like that.”

“Come on. I told you about my prenup drama, the least you can do is tell me what’s going on that’s got you so upset.”

Nicole swallowed. “I—I was pregnant and I had a miscarriage.”

Danielle just stared at her. “Oh, Nicole. I had no idea.”

“I wanted to keep it quiet for a little while, obviously. It was early in the pregnancy.”

“And Red knew?”

Nicole nodded. Felt her eyes fill up for the millionth time. She wiped the tears away with her sleeve. “He knew and he wanted the baby. We were so excited.”

Danielle sat up. “Nicole, I’m so sorry for your loss. Can I give you a hug?”

“Sure.”

The two friends hugged, and Nicole realized that it actually helped a little bit.

She still felt the emptiness and the sadness and all of it—but having someone genuinely empathize with her, someone besides Red—made a difference.

They sat in silence for a long time and ate and drank wine. It wasn’t an uncomfortable silence though.

“I’m really glad you told me,” Danielle said. “You know, I’m so proud to call you my friend and I want to be here for you if you need me.”

“Thanks,” Nicole said. “You’re an awesome friend to me. And I want to be a better friend to you too. I know I always say that…”

Danielle laughed. “You do! It’s true. But I don’t need you to anything different, Nic. You’re too hard on yourself.”

“I want the four of us to get together,” Nicole told her. “You’re right that it’s ridiculous for Red and Kane to be at one another’s throats because of business. It’s not like Kane tried to have Red assassinated or something. They’re both rich guys who had competing businesses and so it got a little bit rough.”

“Exactly,” Danielle said, excited now. “It reminds me of two star baseball players on different teams. They have a rivalry but they can still be friends off season, right?”

“Right,” Nicole said. “I’m not sure that Red sees it that way, but I’ll work on him.”

“Speaking of Red,” Danielle said, “I think he’s home.” She pointed to the private road, which was visible in the near distance.

Nicole looked and saw that he was indeed driving back to the house. “I guess that’s my cue,” she sighed.

“You’re really brave,” Danielle told her.

“No, I’m not,” Nicole replied. “That’s the problem.”

They gathered their things and set off for home. It was only a few minutes walk and neither of them said much. It was enough to just be together and for Nicole to know that Danielle understood what she was going through and hadn’t tried to talk her out of being sad about it.

When they arrived home, Red was already inside. They found him in the foyer, standing and looking at his phone. When he saw Nicole, his face lit up with a huge smile.

“Come here,” he said, and scooped her into his arms, hugging her tightly and kissing her on the head. “How are you doing?” he said softly.

“Good,” she said, giving him a smile to let him know she meant it.

“Hey Danielle,” he said, nodding to Danielle, who stood awkwardly in the entrance to the foyer.

“Hey,” she said, giving a small wave.

Red looked at the blanket and cooler. “What’s with the stuff? You two go camping?”

“Picnic,” Nicole said. “We had some much needed wine and discussed the fact that it’s silly for you and Kane to hate each other so much.”

Red gave her a look. “You had too much wine, maybe.”

“We should all get together. I promised Danielle we would.”

Red’s jaw tightened. “You’re kind of putting me on the spot here.”

“Actually, it’s really not a big deal,” Danielle said. “So don’t feel put on the spot.

Nicole and I were just having some girl talk, you know how it is.”

“Not really,” Red replied.

“Well, sometimes girls can get chatty and silly, especially when wine is involved.”

Red nodded. “So, I actually wanted to show Nicole the new office space I found in Hartford. You’re welcome to come with us, Danielle.”

Nicole looked at him. “You found something?”

He grinned. “And it’s perfect. I really want to sign a contract ASAP but I need to show my partner first.”

“Wait, you guys are business partners now?” Danielle said.

“I didn’t talk to her about the new company,” Nicole replied quietly. She was surprised that Red would openly discuss it in front of her, knowing she might tell Kane.

But he seemed totally unconcerned about that. “We’re going to start a business,”

he said, “and I need Nicole’s approval for every step we take.” He grabbed Nicole’s hand and squeezed it. “Which is why I really want to drag her to this building. I know she’s going to love it.”

“I don’t know if I’m up to it right now,” Nicole said. She was already feeling a slight comedown from her wine buzz.

“I should go, anyway,” Danielle told them. “My driver’s been waiting and I told Kane I’d be back for dinner.”

“You sure?” Red asked her. “You’re welcome to hang with us.”

“I’m sure.” Danielle came and gave Nicole another tight squeeze. “It was great seeing you and catching up,” she said softly. “Call me anytime.”

“Of course,” Nicole told her. “And thanks for always being there.”

Danielle nodded and waved goodbye to Red, and then she left. They stood at the front door and watched her get in her limousine and ride off.

“Did you have a nice time?” Red asked, putting a hand on Nicole’s back and gently rubbing.

“Yes, actually. I was pretty emotional though.”

He turned and looked at her. “You have every right to be emotional.”

She nodded, wanting to cry yet again. But this time she was able to not cry for once. Maybe that was progress. “You really want to show me the new space?”

“I really do,” he said.

“Okay then. I’m game.”

They left the house immediately and got in Red’s car, setting off down the private way as the sun started to dip in the sky.

Red asked her about Danielle, and Nicole told him about the prenuptial agreement and how Danielle felt weird about it.

“Most very wealthy people should have an agreement like that when they marry,”

he said.

“She got really sad when I told her that you’ve never asked me to sign anything.”

Red just shrugged. “Maybe I’m a hopeless romantic, but I don’t have any urge to protect myself financially when it comes to you. I never want to lose you, but if somehow I was dumb enough to screw this up—then I want you to get whatever you need and then some.”

Nicole looked at him. “Well of course you’re saying that now. Most people don’t feel so charitable by the time they’re getting divorced.”

“Anyway, it’s a silly topic because you and I are never going down that road, Nicole. You’re stuck with me now.”

“I love that I’m stuck with you,” she said, and then glanced at a passing sign.

“What I’m not sure about, is being stuck in this car right now. I don’t see any signs for Hartford.”

“It’s not exactly in Hartford,” Red replied.

“I thought that’s where you went to look.”

“Yeah, it was. But I kind of stumbled across an even more perfect place. You’ll see.” He gave her an enigmatic smile.

They kept driving and the sun continued its descent in the sky. Soon, the horizon was turning a marvelous shade of pink and the view was beautiful.

Nicole couldn’t help but think how much more she’d have appreciated this moment if she could touch her belly and know that her child was there, growing inside of her, experiencing this right along her.

And then they were getting off the highway and Red was perking up—Nicole could tell they were very close to wherever he planned to take her.

As they went down a narrow street, she noticed that they were heading towards the ocean. She could see the water briefly as they crested a hill, and then it disappeared again behind the houses as they drove down the hill again.

“Red, where the heck are you taking me?” she asked. “Is there actually an office building here?”

“Just be patient,” he told her.

Not much longer after that, they parked across from the beach in a nearly empty lot. The entire street beside the beachfront was quiet, although cars passed by on occasion.

Red started to get out of the car.

“This is it?” she asked, incredulous.

“Come on, don’t ask so many questions,” he laughed.

They both got out and Red came around her side, throwing his arm over her shoulders and squeezing her close to his warm body.

“It’s beautiful here,” she marveled. The breeze from the water was exquisite, and the sunset was lighting up the sky with brilliant shades of purple and pink. Nicole felt tears come to her eyes for no particular reason.

“I want you to walk across the street, take off your sandals, and go wait for me by the water,” he said. “Okay?”

She turned and looked him in the eye. “Red Jameson. Tell me what the heck is going on immediately.”

He just smiled again. “All will be revealed.”

“Fine.” She pretended to be annoyed but inside she was actually enjoying this. It was a nice diversion and she wanted to see what he’d come up with. Maybe he wanted to have dinner on the beach or something fun.

So Nicole took off her sandals and walked across the street to the beach, down the small path that bridged the street and the beach itself. Once she felt the sand between her toes, she knew that Red had somehow picked the right place to bring her this afternoon.

She took a deep breath, looking out at the ocean as the waves rolled into the shore.

The water was fairly calm, and Nicole stood at the edge and let the waves come in and bring the water up over her feet. It was chilly and sent shivers up her spine. She hugged herself, smiling and thinking about just how right this all was—the ocean, the sky—the expansiveness of this place.

Somehow, out here, she knew they weren’t alone in this. She knew that something here was taking care of them.

Nicole wasn’t religious—her parents had been casual churchgoers at best, and none of her spotty religious upbringing had quite stuck. But in this moment, she could feel some kind of presence out here, on this beach, with her.

“Hey,” Red spoke from behind her.

Nicole turned and saw that he was holding two large paper lanterns in each hand.

They were both bright orange in color, and fairly large.

“What are those for?” she asked, but already a huge sensation was blooming in her chest. She felt afraid but excited all at once.

Red’s eyes were suddenly wet. He swallowed and she saw that he was having a little trouble getting the words out. Nicole had never seen him like this before.

“I didn’t go to look at offices today. Well, I did, but I couldn’t be bothered to stick around. I felt like I had to do something—I was practically jumping out of my skin.” His voice was husky and rough with emotion.

Nicole nodded and wiped at her eyes. “You found this place instead?”

“I thought we could have a ceremony for our baby,” he whispered. “I need something and I thought maybe you do too.”

“Yeah. I do.” She smiled. She thought that looking at him now, she’d never love him more than she did right this very moment. He was so vulnerable, but also perhaps the strongest he’d ever been. His dark eyes were filled with sadness and caring and she felt completely connected to him.

“Here,” he said, putting the lanterns down on the sandy beach and kneeling. “I got some candles. When we light them, the candle heats the air inside the lantern and makes it lift—“

“Like a hot air balloon,” Nicole said.

“Exactly.” He smiled up at her.

She walked over to where he was kneeling and Nicole knelt down beside him.

“They’re beautiful,” she told him.

“Just like our baby’s spirit,” he managed to choke out.

Red handed her a lighter and a small candle, which she lit. He then did the same, and then helped her affix her candle within her lamp. He placed his candle in his own lamp and then they each stood and held the glowing yellow lanterns, waiting.

“You want to say something, Nicole?” he asked. “Before we send them off?”

She sighed. “I don’t want to cry again.”

“It’s okay to cry. It’s just me and you here.”

“I just want to thank you for being the most amazing man I’ve ever known, and for doing this for us. And I want to say that we’re never going to forget our little one who never got a chance. But I wanted to say…” she couldn’t finish.

“You’ll always be in our hearts,” Red finished for her.

And then they released their lanterns into the air. Watching them float up into the sky, Nicole suddenly felt the burden lifting from her. Maybe it was just a silly ceremony, and a made up one at that, but somehow it eased her mind.

She knew that although they would move on from this, they wouldn’t ever forget that there had once been a child—a child that had been conceived by the two of them—

who would never get the chance to experience the life it deserved. No matter that the unborn child had been so tiny and new that it had barely registered on a sonogram—to Nicole, every moment that she’d known her baby existed had been a miracle and she never wanted to pretend it hadn’t happened.

So the two of them stood hand in hand and watched their lanterns rising and rising and rising, until they were swallowed up by the deep blue sky.

And then Nicole and Red stayed and watched the sun set, and the sky was on fire with color.

***

The next day, Nicole informed Red that she did, in fact, want to have a

“traditional” wedding.

“That’s what I figured,” he said, as they walked through the empty floor of an office building in downtown Hartford.

The realtor had let them in and told them to just have a look while he waited by the door. Red disliked pushy realtors and had made it clear he didn’t want to be followed around and blabbered to while he assessed the space.

“Are you okay with that?” Nicole asked him. “With having a normal wedding?”

“What do you define as normal?” he said, turning toward the window that looked out over the afternoon traffic. “How many people do you want to invite?”

“I don’t know. Maybe fifty people?”

Red laughed. “I hate to break it to you, but that’s not a normal wedding. That’s tiny.”

“Well excuse me,” she said. Nicole turned and looked at the ceiling. “Are those water stains up there?”

Red glanced upwards. “Yep.”

“This place isn’t very slick—it’s kind of dumpy.”

“We’re not going for slick anymore. I want an office environment that says grit, determination and hard work. Did you ever see Rocky III?”

“No. I hate violent movies.”

“Too bad. I could have used that movie to illustrate more clearly how Rocky became world champion and got soft, so he had to go back to his gritty roots to regain his eye of the tiger.”

“Sounds really neat,” she said drily.

“My point is, I think what happened to Jameson International is that I got complacent with all of my success—I got soft. So I don’t want to start another slick company with a soft underbelly. I want to be the little guy that punches the big guy in the nose.”

Nicole shook her head. “Back to the wedding. Are you okay with what I said?”

He took her hand and looked her in the eye. “Fifty people sounds like a perfect amount.”

“And I’ll probably want to have the reception at a nice place, so it might get expensive.”

“I don’t think you could plan a wedding for fifty people that would be considered expensive.”

“So I’m not on a budget?”

He shrugged slightly. “I really don’t see the point. Just do what you think is right, I trust you completely.”

“Okay, then,” she said, laughing a little at how easy it was.

They continued walking through the office and when they circled back around to the realtor, Red said, “It’s perfect.”

***

The next week flew by in a flurry of activity. Red was starting to hire employees for the new operation. Not very many—just a skeleton crew of people to form a strong team.

Nicole was required to be there every step of the way, mainly because Red liked to discuss every minor detail with her. She still wasn’t sure exactly what her role was, so one morning she pressed him on it in the car ride over to the office.

“So what exactly do I do at this new company?”

“I was thinking of calling it The Red Agency.”

“I like it. But what do I do at The Red Agency?”

“I’m not sure if the name sounds too feminine, though. Like we’re in the business of manufacturing lipstick or something.”

“Will you please answer me?”

He glanced at her. “Why is it so important to give you a title? We’re partners.

Isn’t that enough?”

“Of course it is. But I don’t have equal say in the day-to-day operations of the business. You have way more experience than me, and I don’t want that type of responsibility. Besides, you don’t really listen to me all that much.”

“That’s so not true.”

“I told you I thought the office was a dump and you just went and rented it anyway—like two seconds after I gave you my opinion.”

He made a face. “You’re exaggerating.”

“No I’m not.”

“Well what do you want your title to be?”

Nicole thought about it. “I don’t know. It seems like I’m your executive assistant.”

“Fine then.”

“Is that what you want me to be?”

“Nicole, I don’t care what your title is. I just want you by my side.”

She leaned over and kissed his rough cheek, smelling his cologne. “I love you when you’re being stubborn.”

“I’m not being stubborn,” he muttered, with a grin.

***

That night, she called her mother to tell her about the wedding.

Her mother was ecstatic. “Finally,” she crowed, “we can get down to brass tacks.”

“I think we’ve settled on a date. It’s just over two months from today,” Nicole said. “We want to do it sooner than later, but I also need to give people time to plan.”

“That’s reasonable,” her mother replied, “especially since most people typically send out a save the date note six months in advance.”

“Obviously we can’t do that.”

“Obviously. So you’re doing it the best way you know how.”

Nicole rolled her eyes, switched the phone to her other ear. Red was in the media room watching Rocky III. He’d even made her watch part of it yesterday—the scene where Sylvester Stallone goes back to his old, stinky gym and everyone stares at him with these mean looks in their eyes—they call it “they eye of the tiger.” Red had pointed at the screen and asked her if everything made more sense now, and she’d nodded her head, pretending that she understood.

“I just thought I’d let you know what we were planning,” Nicole said, wanting to get off the phone without allowing her mother to drag her into some needless debate over what was an appropriate amount of time to give advance notice of her wedding date.

“Speaking of planning,” her mother said slowly. “Do you remember Marcie Tilly?”

Nicole wracked her brain. “Hmmmm….”

“She throws those parties that your father and I go to on New Year’s Eve. I’m sure I mentioned her to you before.”

“I think I remember you talking about her,” Nicole said, having only the vaguest recollection of her mom saying something last year about New Year’s Eve plans—and Nicole could have sworn she’d been complaining that she didn’t want to go because it would be such a production.

“Well anyway,” her mother said, clearly not satisfied with Nicole’s lackluster response, “Marcie Tilly does wedding planning now.”

Nicole’s mouth went dry. Oh no. This was not a conversation she wanted to have today. “That’s nice,” she said, already thinking of a way to get off the phone.

“And when we were talking the other day,” she continued, “Marcie mentioned that she’d love to help you plan your wedding.”

“Oh, that’s really sweet of her.”

“So what should I tell her?”

Nicole bit her nail. “I don’t know, Mom.”

“What’s to know? She’s a great resource, Nicole.”

“Let me think about it. I’m not sure I even need someone like that. This is going to be a really small affair.”

“Well it can’t be that small. Your father has six siblings and you have many cousins. And what about Red’s family?”

Nicole’s stomach suddenly felt as though a lead ball had been dropped into it.

“We haven’t gotten into those kinds of details yet. We’re just in the preliminary stages.”

“That’s exactly why Marcie could help,” she said. “It can’t hurt to have a consultation with her, at least.”

Nicole sighed. “Can I get back to you on that after I talk to Red?”

“You need to talk to him about having a consultation with someone?”

“Yes, Mom. We discuss everything, we’re partners now.”

“Partners, not Siamese twins.”

“This is what works for us.”

“Nicole…”

“I’ll get back to you tomorrow, okay?”

Her mother sighed heavily. “Everything’s such a big deal with you lately. Okay, okay. Get back to me when you can. I’d love to tell Marcie that she can at least chat with you, she’s such a great person.”

“I’ll call you tomorrow.”

Nicole got off the phone and wondered how things with her mother always managed to turn so messy. She felt aggravated and edgy.

Probably not the best time to go into the media room and bother Red, but she couldn’t seem to stop her feet from carrying her there.

He was sitting on one of the large movie theatre style seats, with his feet up, eating popcorn like some teenager. On screen, two bare chested men were pummeling each other and blood and sweat was flying off their faces. Nicole could barely stand to look at the movie, so she just averted her gaze and went to where Red was sitting.

“Can we talk for a second?”

He looked at her. “Can it wait until the movie’s over?”

“You’ve been watching it again and again,” she said. “It’s not like you don’t know what happens next.”

“But I’m enjoying myself—it gets me pumped up.”

“I think we should discuss the wedding,” she said.

On screen, loud horns were blaring from the soundtrack, a recognizable theme that was incredibly annoying just the same.

“Rocky! Rocky!” Chanted the crowd.

“There’s nothing we need to discuss,” Red told her. “I said you have carte blanche when it comes to our wedding.”

“Still, we should probably talk about a few things just in case.”

He turned to her, his expression one of impatience. “Okay, fine.”

“Could you at least pause the movie for two seconds?”

He held up his remote and paused the film. It was stopped on an extreme close-up of the man that Red had told her was “Mr. T.” She hadn’t known anything about him, which seemed to surprise Red to no end.

“Okay. Movie paused. But I don’t want to sit here and pick over every nuance of this wedding stuff, Nicole. That’s your job.”

“Relax, I never said you had to do that.”

“I’ve got a new company to build and run.”

“Clearly,” she said, gesturing to the screen, “you’re hard at work rebuilding.”

His eyes narrowed. “I have my own process.”

“Listen, I don’t want to argue. I’m just trying to figure out what we want in terms of our guest list.”

“Like you said, fifty people sounds good.”

“But I was just on the phone with my mother—“

Red waved his hands. “Oh, God. Oh, no. No. No.”

“What?”

“I’m not going to get into a back and forth with your mother over who we should invite to our wedding. She’s not coming in here and running the show, Nicole. You need to stand up to her.”

Nicole felt attacked. She recoiled. “Who said she’s running the show? You haven’t even given me a chance to explain.”

He looked at her but she could see he wasn’t in the mood to listen.

“Fine, Red,” Nicole said. “You want me to handle this? I can make every decision on my own without checking with you first?”

He locked eyes with her. “I’ve already told you that I trust you one hundred percent.”

“Except when it comes to standing up to my mother, apparently.”

He didn’t smile. “Pretty much.”

“I resent that you’re being so detached about our wedding. Don’t you even care about any of it?”

“I care about making you happy, and I care about being officially married to you.

I don’t particularly care who gets invited and how much money we spend—and I trust that you won’t be turning this into another royal wedding. You don’t seem like you’re the type of woman who tries to emulate Kate Middleton.”

“No, but there’s a lot involved.”

“Just try and keep your mother out of it.”

“She’s my mother, Red. And she’s finally being supportive of us.”

He shrugged. “See? What do I know?”

“Don’t be sarcastic.”

“Listen, if you want some help, I know a fantastic wedding planner that’s worked with all of the A-list Hollywood celebrities. She comes highly recommended. We used to do a lot of advertising for her at Jameson International.”

“That’s exactly why you and I need to talk. Do you think I need a wedding planner?”

He shook his head. “I don’t know. I’m just saying that you could use her if you want. She’s very pricey but she’s incredibly dependable and she can be trusted.”

Nicole put her head in her hands. “I wish you’d just sit down with me and go over some of the details of what you want for this, too. I don’t even know how many people from your family should be invited.”

“I’ll give you my contacts and you can make a list.”

“You just want as little to do with this as humanly possible,” she said.

“Exactly. I’ve got a company to run, I need to have the eye of the tiger.”

Red hit the remote control and the movie started up again. Meeting adjourned, Nicole thought, leaving the room and pulling out her cell in a fit of pique.

A moment later, her mother answered. “Hi, again.”

“Tell Marcie I’ll meet with her for a consultation.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful to hear,” her mother said, and Nicole had to smile. It was so hard to please her, after all.

“Give her my number and tell her to call me to set something up.”

“You won’t regret it.”

Nicole laughed, but inside she wondered if that was true.

***

The next day, Red invited seven of their new employees to the house for an informal brainstorming session. It was basically an all-day meeting, but Red liked to pretend they were just a bunch of cool people hanging out and shooting the breeze, having fun.

Nicole didn’t think it was all that fun. He’d asked her to take notes and she hadn’t particularly wanted to do so, even though it was probably the one thing she was most qualified for at this point.

After all, she’d taken so many notes for Edward when she worked for Jameson International—she’d finally gotten good at it.

But she found that she couldn’t keep her mind on the meeting. Red was talking about branding, positioning themselves in the marketplace, and everyone was shooting out so many ideas that Nicole kept having to ask them to repeat themselves so she could take her notes.

She felt like the lame chick at the keg party trying to collect everyone’s keys to keep them from driving drunk.

The other employees were a lot like the people she’d worked with at Jameson International—hip, attractive, some had tattoos, cool haircuts and weird clothing choices.

All of them were confident and funny and she should have enjoyed being around their energy, but all Nicole could think about was her wedding.

What she wanted to be doing right now was planning her wedding, she realized.

Unfortunately, Red needed her help with this new venture and she’d committed to it already.

When they went on break to relax for a few minutes before dinner (which would be followed by a “night session” of even more work discussion), Red pulled Nicole aside.

The seven employees drifted out of the large conference room and toward the kitchen/verandah area, where everyone tended to congregate on breaks.

“Nicole, what’s up with you today?” Red asked her. He was fully in work mode now, she thought. Dressed in his best Armani, his hair perfectly styled, his presence magnetic and commanding—like a different person than the man she’d come to feel so close to after the miscarriage.

“What’s up with me?” she asked, feeling offended even though she knew she wasn’t at her best. “I’m just taking notes like you asked me to.”

Red put his hands on his hips and kept his voice low, but firm. “You look bored.”

She bit her bottom lip. “Is it bad if I’m actually kind of bored today?”

“Yeah. It’s really bad. Your attitude is blatantly obvious and I don’t want the staff to pick up on that. You’re supposed to be my partner in this thing, and I kind of get the feeling lately that you couldn’t possibly care less about it.”

She shook her head. “Of course I care.”

“But?”

“But I’m a little distracted with the wedding stuff. I really want to get to planning but I have no time with these day and night meetings.”

Red sighed, exasperated. “The wedding stuff shouldn’t be that complicated. It’s going to be small, right?”

Nicole looked around as if there were someone behind her who might be able to better answer the question. “I can’t tell you what it’s going to be until I take some time to actually figure out who we should invite and where I want to have the ceremony and reception.”

“Listen, I need you to be present with me,” he said. “If you can’t do that, then maybe we need to find someone who can.”

She stared at him and he stared back at her. It felt as though they had come to an impasse. “Can I just take some time off here and there so I can start planning our wedding? It’s only two months away and I haven’t done a thing.”

He crossed his arms. “How much time do you need?”

“I don’t know exactly.”

“Well, we need to figure this out, Nicole.”

“I feel like you really don’t give a shit about our wedding,” she said.

“Of course I care. But I told you that I’m entrusting that process to you, so I can concentrate on getting my business on track. That’s the thing that pays for the wedding, you know.”

“I know. Of course I know.”

He sighed. “I’m not sure why you’re upset with me. I told you we can do it how you want, spare no expense. You said you wanted traditional, but small—about fifty people. Great. And now it’s like you need more, more, more from me.”

“I need some time to actually start getting it all arranged.”

“Fine. Let’s find you a replacement so you can focus on the wedding planning.”

She thought about it. “So I’m fired?”

“No,” he laughed. “I’m not firing my partner and my wife.”

“Then what?”

“You’re taking a temporary leave, a sabbatical. Once the wedding and honeymoon are over, you come back into whatever role you want to come back to.”

She looked at the floor. “Why do I feel as though I let you down?”

“Come here,” he said, bringing her close and hugging her. “You’re not letting me down. I love you more than life itself and you could never disappoint me. I’m sorry if I’ve been distant about the wedding. I’ll do better.”

She laughed as he smooched her cheek. “I’m being wedding obsessed, which I know is annoying. I’ll tone it down. And now that I’m going to have plenty of time to get ready for it, I already feel calmer.”

“Good,” he smiled. “So it’s settled then.”

“Yes.”

They walked out of the conference room together and Nicole wondered if things could ever really be settled in this fast-paced world they lived in. But she knew they were both trying, which was all she could ask.

***

Marcie Tilly was a firecracker of a woman, and Nicole had to admit that she liked her right away. She was a big, blustery woman with a booming laugh that could shake the room when she unleashed it, which was often.

“Oh my goodness, I just love this house,” she shrieked as she came inside with her huge purse and her binders and bags and assorted wedding planner gear. It even seemed like she had one of those Paula Dean Southern twangs to her accent—except Nicole was fairly certain that Marcie had grown up in Syracuse.

“Thanks, Marcie,” she said, laughing.

“So where’s the man?” Marcie replied, looking around. “He is one hot tamale, honey. I am so proud of you for snagging a prime piece of meat like that.”

Nicole laughed into her hand, feeling both embarrassed and also relieved that it wasn’t going to be some stuffy, boring consultation. Knowing her mother, she would have expected Marcie to be uptight and rule conscious to the extreme. In fact, Marcie seemed not to care much what Nicole thought of her.

She seemed to be interested in having a laugh and planning a kick ass wedding, which was what Nicole truly wanted.

They went to the living room and sat down together, and Marcie proceeded to ask Nicole a series of sharp, intelligent questions about what kind of wedding she wanted. It was a relief, Nicole thought, to not have to come up with the questions and the answers all on her own.

When she got tense, Marcie sensed it and lightened the mood with a silly joke.

And Nicole got tense when they started discussing the guest list.

“So,” Marcie said, chuckling. “How many people do we want at this fiesta?”

“I was thinking fifty.”

The wedding planner’s eyes widened. “Fifty.”

“Is that bad?”

Marcie shrieked laughter. “Bad? Honey, nothing’s bad or wrong when it comes to weddings. I’ve seen people go to the alter dressed as cartoon characters. These days, it definitely isn’t one size fits all.”

“Oh,” Nicole said, relieved. “It’s just—you looked surprised.”

“The thing is this,” Marcie said. “I know from talking to your mom that you have a big family. And lots of family friends.”

Nicole took a deep breath. “Mom talked to you about my guest list?”

Marcie laughed. “Honey, does your mother ever not talk when she has an opinion?”

“She always has an opinion, but I’m not comfortable with you being swayed by it.”

“Enough said. I will make sure to put her on ignore when she starts going on a big wedding tangent.” Marcie smiled. “At the same time, I’m just going to tell you that you’re in a unique position.”

“Okay…”

Marcie clapped her hands together. “You said that you’re not on any particular budget, and that your husband trusts you to put this wedding together and just not bother him about it so he can work. Am I right so far?”

“Yes. I mean, I’m not comfortable spending ridiculous amounts of money just to spend it, just to show off.”

“And I’m not saying you should, sweetheart. Not at all. What I will tell you is that you can afford to invite your family, your extended family, and friends. Most of the time when people do a small affair, its at least in part due to the prohibitive cost of feeding folks and serving alcohol and having seats and room for so many people.”

Nicole licked her lips, suddenly uncertain. “I guess.”

“The other reason to have a really small wedding is if that’s just what makes you comfortable, and you want an intimate affair without all of the bells and whistles. People often choose this when they do a destination wedding or if they elope.”

“I suppose I’m sort of in the middle.”

Marcie’s expression grew serious. “Oh, honey. When it comes to weddings, you better not be in the middle, you better know what you want. Being undecided when it comes to your guest list is like standing in the center of a bull ring and swinging a big red cape around and hoping the bull don’t come stampeding right over you.”

Nicole laughed at the image. “I don’t see how.”

“Because,” Marcie said, her voice falling to a whisper. “People want to be offended and they want to find things to complain about and blame you for.” She pointed at Nicole. “When you’re weak and indecisive, the vultures sense it and they come circling. You need to be strong and you need to know what you want and why you want it. If you want a small, fifty person wedding, you should already know who you’re inviting and why. But it seems to me that you just basically picked that number out of a hat.”

Nicole sat back, surprised. Marcie might have been large and brash and loud, but she was more perceptive than she’d led Nicole to believe at first glance. “I suppose I did just pick it at random. It sounded small and intimate and understated.”

“Nothing wrong with any of that. But why are you going to exclude so many people? Do you not want to declare your intentions before friends and family and community?”

“Of course I do.”

“Then why so small?”

Nicole sat there. “I—I really have no idea.”

Marcie smiled brightly at her and patted her purse. “Listen, I don’t want to take up any more of your time. I’ve had an absolute blast coming here and talking with you.

Of course this is a free consultation.”

“I appreciate that, Marcie, and I so appreciate you coming all the way out here just to chat with me.”

“It’s my business,” Marcie replied, standing up with some trouble. “Why don’t you think over what we talked about today, and then you can let me know what you’ve decided? I’d love to work with you and help make your wedding exactly the kind of day that you dream it will be. And if you decide to go in a different direction, I will sincerely wish the best for you.” She started for the exit. “Of course, I’ll be sad that I never got to lay eyes on that big hunk of man meat you call a fiancé.” She roared with laughter again as they left.

They hugged outside the house and Nicole watched the large woman hoisting herself into her station wagon. “You call me anytime, day or night, honey!” she yelled out, before starting the car and driving down the private way and out of sight.

Nicole stared after her, smiling but also puzzled. Half of her positively loved Marcie’s energy, but there was something about the woman that made her distinctly uncomfortable as well. She couldn’t really put her finger on it.

Maybe I just need to talk to Red, she thought.

But when Red came out of his meeting, he was with two of his new employees.

Talking, laughing. He saw Nicole and waved her over. “Hey,” he said, obviously in full-on business mode, as usual these days. “Are you finished with the wedding planner?”

“Yeah,” she said. “She was really surprisingly cool!”

“Oh, good. You have time to run with me to the office and conduct a few interviews for your replacement?”

The two employees looked uncomfortable, as if he was telling her she was being let go right in front of them.

“You mean my temporary replacement.”

He nodded. “Yeah. Yeah. Do you have time to come with me right now?”

“Sure. Can we have a talk on the way about wedding stuff?”

He glanced at his co-workers. “I was hoping me and the guys could keep riffing on the way to Hartford. We’re on a roll.”

“Come on, Red. I just want a little time.”

He sighed. “Sure. Of course.”

So the two employees got in their own car and Red and Nicole took Red’s car into the city.

Red was staring straight ahead at the road. Nicole felt completely distant from him, and frustrated that he’d pulled away from her once again. “I really like Marcie,” she said, as they approached Route 84.

“The wedding planner from Syracuse,” he said, doubtfully.

“Yes, she’s from Syracuse. That doesn’t mean she’s a total rube. I think you’d like her. She’s hysterically funny.”

“What about the planner I told you about? The one who does all the celebrity weddings?”

Nicole tried to find room in her mind for that possibility. “I could talk to her, I guess.”

“Don’t do me any favors. I was just thinking it might be best to go with a known quantity. I mean, other than your mom recommending her—what do you really know about her ability to do the job?”

“I’m just going off my gut instinct.”

He glanced sideways at her. “She’s going to be dealing with one of the most important days of our lives, so I hope your instincts are on target.”

“You keep saying you trust me, but sometimes it doesn’t feel like you do.”

“I do, I’m just giving my input. Like you keep asking me to.”

“So,” Nicole asked, “does that mean you want me to use this celebrity wedding planner?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“I like Marcie.”

“Then we’ll use Marcie. Absolutely.”

She sighed. “I feel like we’re not on the same page lately.”

Red glanced at her again. “Well, I’m super busy and now you’re getting busy with wedding stuff. Things are going to probably feel a little weird for awhile.”

“And we haven’t been close lately.”

“Every relationship has its ups and downs.”

“I don’t want to become one of those couples.”

He smiled a little. “One of what couples?”

“One of those couples that says every relationship has its ups and downs, and you know it means they’re sick of one another. And they’re probably always in a down cycle but they pretend that its just the natural way of things.”

Red didn’t say anything for a long time. When he did, his voice was low and somber. “I don’t want to be one of those couples either. I love you. What can I do?”

She sighed with relief. “You can support me about our wedding.”

He put his hand on her leg and rubbed it. She felt a thrill as she always felt when he touched her, and Nicole realized all it took was a simple look or touch for her to know that he still cared and that they were fine. “I support you one hundred thousand percent and I always will,” he said. “I’m sorry if I’ve made you feel anything different.”

They arrived at the office and went inside. Nicole hadn’t seen the place in a few days and was surprised at all of the changes. There was office furniture, for one thing.

Nice office furniture. There were some paintings on the walls and photographs.

“It feels like a real office now,” she said.

“Let’s go in the conference room,” Red replied, waving at one of his employees.

“When do we bring in the cubicles?” she asked.

He shook his head. “No. I don’t want cubicles anymore. I don’t care if they’re efficient. People hate them and I won’t use them.”

“But what if you need the space for more workers?”

“Shit, I’ll let the employees vote on it. If they want to keep their offices and do a little more work, or if they want to start having cubicles and more coworkers to lighten the load. My bet is they choose to keep their own offices and do more work.”

They walked into the conference room and sat down together on one side of the table. “I just realized,” she said. “I’ve never been on the other side of an interview before. I’ve only been the interviewee.”

Red laughed and leaned in for a quick kiss. “First time for everything, huh?”

“I’m nervous now. My palms are sweating.”

“Relax and watch. You can focus on getting an impression of the person while I ask the questions.”

He passed her the resumes of the people coming in for interviews that afternoon.

There were five people, all with great qualifications (way better than hers), and Nicole thought she’d have hired any one of them in a pinch. At least, based on their resumes.

When they actually came in to interview, it was a bit of a different story.

Nicole was surprised to find that she could tell almost instantly that someone wouldn’t be a good fit working for Red. One guy was twitchy and nervous, and his lips were white and pasty like he’d just eaten a box of chalk.

Then there was a woman who had an impressive resume, but when Red quizzed her on what she’d done previously, she seemed bizarrely clueless—as if she’d made up her entire work history.

But then there were a couple of good candidates, too.

One was a very attractive young woman, probably only two or three years older than Nicole, with a killer resume and a confident demeanor. She sat across from them with a friendly smile and talked about her college soccer playing and how playing in a competitive team environment had made her unafraid to take risks.

“Tell me what it means to take risks professionally,” Red said to her.

The woman, whose name was Gia, sat up straight in her chair and met his gaze levelly. “It means that I take bold risks when they’re warranted. For instance, when I came out of high school, I was heavily recruited by some of the lesser-known division one colleges. I knew I’d get a scholarship and a spot on the starting team if I wanted it.”

“But you didn’t go with any of those smaller programs?”

She shook her head no. “I tried out as a walk-on at Duke and made the team. I started all four years, and I qualified for scholarships three of those years.”

“Very nice,” Red replied, exchanging a glance with Nicole.

Nicole merely nodded noncommittally.

After Gia, the other possible candidate was a man named Rick. Rick was older, probably in his late twenties, and a bit effeminate. He wore glasses and clothes that made him resemble Alton Brown from The Food Network Channel. Red didn’t seem quite as taken with Rick, but Nicole got along quite well with him.

Her favorite moment of the interview was when Red had asked Rick what he did for fun, outside of work.

“I’m kind of into playing poker,” Rick said.

Red sat up in his seat, his eyes bright with interest. “I love poker. What do you play? What’s your game?”

Rick smiled. “I play some Texas Hold ‘Em.”

“Me too,” Red had replied. “Maybe we’ll play some time.”

“Oh, and I like Omaha.”

“Really?”

“Hi Lo, Stud, PLO.”

“So you’re basically a card shark.”

“I did win a satellite to the Main Event three years ago, and I cashed for fifty thousand dollars.”

When Rick left, Red turned to Nicole. “Was that guy for real?”

“I think you’re just intimidated because you realized he’s better at poker than you.”

Later on, Red and Nicole were walking down the street to grab some dinner, and Nicole was confused about who they should hire.

Red pressed her for a decision. “Tell me who you liked best,” he said.

“I liked Rick and Gia the best, by far,” she told him.

“Yeah,” he agreed. “Either one of them could do the job.”

She looked at him as they walked arm in arm. “You liked Gia a lot,” she said, raising her eyebrows. “That was clear as day.”

Red shook his head at her. “Don’t make it about that,” he said.

“She’s incredibly attractive.”

“She’s okay, but not my type.”

“Are you sure about that?” Nicole asked him.

He smiled at her. “I’m very sure. Gia’s young and overconfident and she’s got a lot to learn.”

“I seem to remember you enjoy teaching.”

“Not anymore. My teaching career is over, I’m happily retired.”

Nicole laughed, but her stomach was churning. She didn’t like that this was making her feel so strange. “What about Rick?” she asked him.

“He’s very attractive too,” Red deadpanned.

“I’m serious.”

“He’s fine. I don’t think he’s a great fit, but he’ll do.”

Nicole wasn’t sure what to think. “I liked Rick a lot. To be honest, I got a really nice, sweet vibe from him. I think he’d make the office a fun place to work.”

“He’d probably have everyone playing poker after hours.”

“You don’t like him?”

Red smiled. “I like whoever you like, honey. You decide.”

“So I can totally make this call,” she said.

“Yup.” He kept walking without breaking stride.

When she brought it up again later, Red still didn’t want to discuss the two choices. He told her to simply inform him who she wanted to hire, or if she wanted to keep looking instead.

At home, Nicole stewed over the issue. Finally, she called Danielle and explained her dilemma.

“So who would you choose if they were both guys?” Danielle asked her.

Nicole considered this. “I can’t even imagine Gia as a man. She’s so feminine and cute and sexy.”

“Do you dislike her because you’re threatened by her?”

“I just can’t tell,” Nicole said. “I don’t want to hire someone who’s not right for the position just because I’m insecure.”

“You have no reason to be insecure,” Danielle told her. “Red loves you.”

“Thanks,” Nicole said. “I just wish I could figure out what I’m feeling. Do I not like her because she’s competition, or because I just have a bad feeling about her?”

“I say, go with your gut and hire Rick.”

Nicole groaned in frustration. “The thing is, I don’t really believe he’s as good a fit for Red’s style of work. Red likes people who enjoy confrontation and competition.”

“So the girl, then. You said she played Division 1 soccer. That’s, like, the ultimate competition.”

“But she might be a total bitch.”

“Nicole, you’re overthinking this thing. The truth is, it doesn’t really matter that much who you hire. Red’s going to be fine either way.”

Nicole agreed with her, but inside she was still fighting to understand her issue with making this decision. Rather than belabor the point, however, she asked Danielle how things were going between her and Kane Wright.

Danielle got quiet for a little while. “Things are getting a little strange,” she admitted.

“How so?”

“Kane has a temper. Sometimes he just yells at me for the stupidest things.”

“Like what?”

“For instance, last night I spilled wine on the rug in the great room. And he just went ballistic, screaming and yelling about how inconsiderate I was. I mean, it was an accident.”

“He shouldn’t treat you like that, Danielle.”

“I think he’s just stressed because of work. Now that he’s taken over Jameson International, things have gotten a little more difficult for him. That company’s not all it’s cracked up to be.”

“Really? How so?”

Danielle was quiet. “I don’t know. But maybe Red was the lucky one in that whole situation.”

A few minutes later, Nicole got off the phone and went up to the study, where Red was reading and drinking a glass of scotch to unwind from the day. Nicole still hated the study—it reminded her of one of the worst nights in their entire relationship.

But Red smiled when he saw her. Even though he was clearly tired, she could tell he was happy.

“Hey, what’s up?” he asked, giving a little stretch.

“I was just on the phone with Danielle.”

He swished his scotch around in the glass. “Oh? How is she?”

“Not so good.”

He waited for her to tell him why.

Nicole felt like such a gossip, but she wanted to share with him. Partly because she knew he’d want to know about Kane struggling a little, but also because she’d suddenly realized how lucky she was to be with Red. Red, who never yelled at her for something as stupid as spilling wine on the rug in the great room—even though they didn’t even have a great room. “Danielle says that Kane yells at her,” Nicole told him, finally.

Red’s eyebrows rose a little. “Yells at her? For what?”

“Stupid things. Spilling a drink. Stuff like that.”

He shook his head. “Poor girl, getting stuck with that maniac. Of course, they probably say the same things about us.”

Nicole came closer. “And she also said that he’s struggling with Jameson International.”

Now Red truly perked up. He sat forward in his chair and his face got intense.

“Struggling? In what way?”

“She wasn’t specific. She just said that maybe you were the lucky one in that deal.”

He swished his scotch around his glass again. “Wow, that’s surprising.”

“I feel badly that I even told you this stuff. She’s my friend and I’m running up here and telling you all of her secrets like I work for The Rag or something.”

Red laughed. “Relax. I’m not going to tell anyone.”

“I feel badly.” Nicole shook her head. “Anyway, she helped me make a decision about who to hire to replace me. That’s why I really wanted to come talk to you.”

“Oh?” He seemed less interested now.

“I think we should hire Rick. That’s what my gut tells me.”

He smiled enigmatically. “That’s what I figured.”

“What does that mean?”

He cocked his head at her. “What does what mean?”

“You say that like I’m being a predictable silly girl or something.”

“Not at all,” Red laughed. “But you do seem really tense right now.”

“I am. I’ve been stressing over this hiring stuff.”

“Relax. It’s not a big deal.”

“That’s what Danielle told me, too.”

“Maybe you should listen to her,” Red said. He was looking at Nicole carefully, studying her. “I think I know what your problem is. Why you’re really so tense.”

“What’s that?”

His eyes suddenly changed, flashing with that familiar hungry look as he watched her. “I think you need more direction. I think you need to get out of those constricting clothes you’re wearing.”

Suddenly, her nipples had stiffened under her shirt. The truth was, she did feel rather constricted in these clothes. She was wearing tight jeans and a black sweater and it was all too clingy—the fabric chafed. “I think maybe you have a point about my clothes,” she admitted, her voice husky with desire for more talk.

He looked her up and down from where he sat. Red sipped his scotch and then tilted the mostly empty glass in her direction. “Take your shoes off,” he said.

Nicole reached down and removed her black boots. Now she was standing in the study in her bare feet. The cool hardwood floor of the study felt nice against the soles of her feet. She was sweating a little, suddenly hotter than she’d been a moment ago.

“Now I want you to remove your sweater,” he told her.

Nicole gratefully pulled her sweater over her head and then let it drop to the floor.

She was wearing only her black bra, panties and jeans now. The air in the room felt nice against her bare skin. And she liked very much the way Red was staring at her body.

She could feel her hardened nipples poking through the sheer fabric of her lacy black bra. Thinking about that made her juices begin to flow, and suddenly she was hit with a wave of heat in her lower parts.

Red licked his lips. “Take your breasts out and play with your nipples. And I want you to look at me while you do it, Nicole.”

Her heart was beating faster and faster as she stood in front of her man and looked at him as he watched her. Nicole felt very vulnerable, but at the same time she loved how intimate this was. She loved seeing how much he wanted her, how turned on he got by her naked body. She undid her bra and let it fall to the floor at her feet.

She wasn’t really an exhibitionist at heart, so touching her breasts in front of Red was slightly embarrassing—and yet she couldn’t help but be turned on by it too. The discomfort was part of the excitement, knowing that he was pushing her out of her comfort zone, but also knowing she could trust him completely at the same time.

“Play with your nipples,” he instructed. His voice was low and seductive as he spoke.

Nicole began touching her own nipples, which were stiff and excited. She moaned a little as she got them even harder. Now her legs were starting to quiver and shake with need.

Red took another drink from his glass and then it was empty. He wiped his hand against his full lips.

Nicole thought how much she wanted those lips on her breasts right now, sucking and licking. Thinking about that made her moan again as she continued to toy with her sensitive nipples.

Red’s dark eyes were steady on her, never wavering. “Take your pants off.”

Nicole took a deep breath. This was what she wanted. She wanted to be totally bare and completely vulnerable and open before him—hiding nothing. This was what she’d been missing lately, since both of them had gotten so busy with their separate tasks and responsibilities.

She pulled her pants down and then stepped out of them. They lay in a crumpled heap on the floor beside her shoes and bra, like a skin she’d shed.

Nicole was completely nude, in his study, but for her little black thong panties.

And she was so wet for him that the front of the panties were clinging to her pussy.

Red was staring directly at her panties, too. His nostrils flared. “Play with your pussy,” he said. “I want you to rub your clit.”

Nicole bit her lower lip as she slid her hand slowly down, past her belly, down further to her panties, which she slid aside easily to touch her bare entrance. There was stubble from her last shave, and the skin was cool and dry until she reached the heat from her need. Then it became hot like a furnace, only it was also wet, dripping wet, and as she moved her fingertips slowly over her mound, she thought she’d never been this moist for him.

“Rub that clit,” he said again. “Rub it fast but do not come.”

Nicole started to rub her clit in front of him, closing her eyes briefly from the intensity of it.

“Open your eyes, Nicole. Look at me.” His voice boomed out at her.

She opened her eyes immediately and stared at him, her chin quivering, her legs shaking as she rubbed herself furiously. “Oh, God. Oh, God,” she whispered.

She was picturing his face between her legs, his lips on her as she rubbed, and it was making her need to come. The force of it was building with uncontrollable fury.

“You’re not going to come until I tell you to,” he reminded her. “Understood?”

She nodded, having trouble focusing on his eyes with the amount of energy thrumming through her naked body. Her feet clenched to the floor as she encountered a wave of ecstasy rolling through her.

Red stood up slowly, walked the few steps towards her. As he came closer she could smell his cologne and feel his heat. He was another raging fire meeting up with her own.

His dark hair was falling across his forehead in that way that she found irresistible, and his strong, fit body was like a magnet to hers.

But it was his eyes more than anything—those eyes, like two deep, dark pools that beckoned her to fall in and drown in their sweet depths. She’d already fallen in some time ago, and now she wanted to do it again and again.

When he reached her, Red was still holding his empty glass. He touched it to her breasts, caressing her nipples with the edge of the glass, pressing it against her flesh. The sensation caused her to shiver and laugh. He slid the glass all the way down her belly and then he leaned down and placed it next to her clothes, on the floor.

Now his head was down where she was hoping it would be. How did he always seem to know what she secretly wanted? It was as if he truly could read her mind and know her deepest desires, she thought.

Red pulled her panties down, her last defense against his touch, and they fell to her ankles. Now she was truly naked before him.

He spread her apart and his tongue flicked her clitoris, and then he was sucking on her, kissing her deeply. She put her hands in his thick, curly hair and pulled him into her as he continued to ravage her, his lips and tongue knowing exactly where to go and doing it with expertise and finesse.

“Red, I’m going to come,” she cried.

He pulled away. “Don’t you dare,” he said. He grabbed her buttocks in his hands and pulled her into him again, and his tongue went so deep she couldn’t believe it, and he was fucking her with his mouth now.

She was grinding her lips, her head thrown back in ecstatic bliss as Red was going to make her come and there was nothing she could do to stop it. A deep, unbearable groan escaped her lips. “Fuck,” she said. Her body shuddered from repressing her climax. It was a deep, internal moan of pleasure and pain and submission to his will.

Time seemed to slow down.

She’d never, ever, ever, felt this sensation—like being on a different planet. A dark, forbidden planet where the stars were black and the air was warm and her body was filled with space and heat and flames.

Nicole opened her eyes, shaking her head to get rid of the mild hallucination she’d just experienced.

“Lay down on your back,” he commanded.

Slowly, because she could barely keep her balance at this point, Nicole lowered herself to the floor.

“Keep those fucking legs spread,” he told her. His voice was shaking with desire and she knew that this was harder on him than it was on her.

She lay back and kept her legs open. Red was on his knees, and he was dipping his head down once more, his mouth on her again.

She was so wet that Nicole was surprised she had any saliva left in her mouth.

She thought her pussy must have used all the available water in her entire body. Her head rolled back and forth in total denial of the climax that wouldn’t be denied. “I can’t take it,” she cried out. “Red, please. Please let me come. Oh. Oh, please.”

She’d never begged like this.

It spurred him on to lick her faster, to thrust his tongue deeper, to use his lips even more expertly on every fold of skin, every part of her he could suck and kiss and touch.

His mouth worked on her, daring her to come and daring her not to come.

She grabbed his head and helped him to fuck her with his mouth, her hips pumping up to his face.

And then she pounded the floor with her fist because she needed to come and he had denied her continuously.

Finally, she was starting to gasp and pant. Red pulled up and looked at her with a devilish grin. “Now you can come, Nicole.” And he dove back to her wetness and forced himself into her with relish and abandon.

Nicole came rapidly, screaming with delight as his hands rubbed up and down on her hips, rocking her into him, knowing how to make her climax even more intensely with his hands and his lips and his tongue.

Her back arched like she was in yoga class, Nicole’s eyes rolled back in her head.

Jolts of heat and pleasure shot through her whole body.

She yelled and cried out like a crazy woman. Orgasm after orgasm. She must have had four or five, all coming one after the other, blending together until she lost count.

And then she was done, and she was emotionally and physically spent.

But she knew it wasn’t completely over and she didn’t want it to be. She still wanted to pleasure him. Nicole knew he’d been holding out for her, and she wanted nothing more than to please him now.

Red stood up and told Nicole to unzip him. Slowly, lovingly, she did so.

“Take me out and put me in your mouth,” he commanded. She could hear the deep need in his voice. As badly as she wanted him, Nicole knew he wanted her just as much. Red was controlled and reserved, but his desires ran very, very deep. His whole body was like a hot, coiled wire.

Every muscle in his body was rigid and she knew that he was exerting tremendous control over his sexual impulses, and that he’d been just as turned on by her during this entire encounter.

She took out his erect penis and slid her hand along the head and shaft, exploring it as he moaned at her touch. He was already slick with pre-cum, which told her that he’d been holding back already. But Nicole knew that without being told.

She slid her warm, wet mouth onto his cock and took him into her, sucking gleefully at his manhood, sucking with force and pleasure and insistence.

This was a feeling that was totally different from what she’d experienced a moment ago. This was her chance to give, to take him into her mouth but to give him all of her desire through touch and through her willingness to fully pull him into her.

Nicole wanted to finish him off this way, something they rarely did. Normally this was the precursor to sexual intercourse, but she wanted all of him in her mouth.

Red sensed this, and as his hips began to move in time with her mouth, she went faster. Sucking, slurping, totally unselfconscious now, she was doing all she could to give him the climax he needed and deserved.

Red uttered a cry—something she almost never heard him do, such was his control. But that told her that he was done controlling himself and holding out.

“Nicole—baby—I’m coming,” he gasped.

And then he shuddered, his entire body shuddered and her mouth was filling up with his semen. It poured into her, more than she expected, but she loved it just the same. It was sweet and hot and she swallowed it down with utter joy.

As he was pumping his seed into her mouth she touched her privates and quickly had yet another orgasm while sucking his cock.

When it was over, Red just laughed. “My God, that was fucking intense. What the hell was that?”

He walked back the chair and sat down, zipping his pants.

Nicole shook her head. “I don’t know what it was. I just know that I loved it.”

“Me too,” he said.

“I think I need to go to bed,” she replied.

“Let’s grab a shower first,” he told her.

They walked to the master bath together and got in the hot, steamy shower.

Giggling and laughing, they washed one another’s bodies. Red took great pleasure in washing her hair, so she let him do it even though she wouldn’t have normally wanted to wash her hair at night.

But feeling Red’s hands caress her hair and scratch her scalp and lovingly squeeze the soap out of her hair when he was done shampooing her—it was beautiful, it was magical and innocent and sweet.

Everything was wet and soapy and they stopped for long, deep kisses. Through the steam and water and touching of skin on skin, Nicole felt that there was truly nothing to worry about. She would never let herself get caught up in petty, silly jealousy.

This man was giving her everything, he would do anything for her, and he’d proven it again and again.

So as she rinsed the soap from her body, Nicole had a sudden urge to come clean in another way. “I want to change my decision on who we should hire,” she said.

“What?” He looked at her like she was nuts. His dark hair slicked back, Nicole thought he could have been a movie star from a different era.

“I think Gia is a better fit for the team,” she admitted. “I just felt a little confused about the whole thing—you know, having a young, attractive woman working so closely with you.”

“Then I’ll hire Rick,” he said, shrugging it off. “No big deal.”

“I don’t want you to hire Rick. I don’t want my little insecurities to affect how you do your business. Hire Gia.”

He looked at her. “Are you sure, Nicole? Because I don’t want to do something that makes you even a little uncomfortable.”

“I’m fine now,” she smiled. “Better than fine.”

Red leaned in for a kiss. “You’re sure?” he asked again.

“More than sure.”

And she was—for the time being.

***

“We’ve had our first leak,” Red told her over breakfast a couple of days later.

“What kind of leak?”

Red sipped his coffee as he stared at his phone. “A leak about our wedding to the tabloids. The Rag, specifically.”

“Shit.” Nicole pursed her lips. “I’m so sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing?”

“I don’t know. It feels like somehow it must be my fault.”

Red laughed. “You didn’t phone it in, did you?”

“Obviously not.”

“But we should probably think about who might have,” Red replied. He looked at her now. “That wedding planner, maybe.”

Nicole shook her head. “I really don’t think so. I haven’t even spoken to her since that consultation.”

“Are you going to use her then?”

“I’d like to. I just wanted to take some time to mull it over first.”

Red sighed. “I’ve gone on record as saying it’s a mistake to use someone who’s not used to high-profile weddings. She’s going to be totally unprepared for dealing with the kinds of issues we face, Nicole.”

“I like her. And besides, it makes my mother happy, which is so rare. Can’t I make my mom happy just one time?”

Red shrugged. “If that’s what you want. I always thought our wedding was about our happiness. This is our day—your day especially.”

“I know, but part of what makes me happy is making the people around me happy—including Mom.”

Red smiled, but she could tell it was forced. She knew his expressions as intimately as her own. “Sounds good to me,” he said.

“We need to discuss the guest list,” Nicole told him. She’d told him this numerous times over the last week, but he always had a reason not to.

“Just plan for fifty,” he said. “You put down who you want and whatever’s left over, I’ll fill.”

“So if I take forty spots, you’ll just invite ten people?”

“Yes.” He chewed a piece of bacon and then started texting or emailing on his phone.

“Red, don’t be silly. We can’t keep avoiding this stuff. We need to talk about your family. Are you going to invite your brother, your mom and dad?”

He shook his head. “I’m sorry but we’re going to have to do this another time. I need to put out some fires at the office. We’ve got a huge pitch coming up and we’re nowhere close to being ready.”

Nicole groaned with frustration and sat back in her chair.

Red was already getting out of his seat and heading for the door. “I’ll call you later,” he said.

“How about a kiss, at least?” she called back.

“Yeah, of course.” He ran over and kissed the top of her head. “Love you, babe.”

“Love you, too,” she sighed.

And then he was gone.

After Red left, Nicole got on her laptop and found The Rag, where of course the leak had originated.

On The Rag’s homepage, there was an old picture of Red looking surprised and confused all at once. Beneath the picture was the story:

It’s On! Red Jameson Vows to Keep Wedding Date!

Media Mogul Red Jameson and his intern (aka concubine) Nicole Masters have been on again off again so much that we’ve started to wonder if they’re trying to beat out Kristin Stewart and Robert Pattinson for most annoying couple that won’t leave each other alone.

Recently, The Rag has learned that the sexy ad exec and his vanilla vixen have officially begun to make wedding plans again, so we can only hope that perhaps they’ll stop breaking up every other day, if and when they finally seal the deal.

Then again, maybe they’ll be one of those annoying celebrity couples that divorces and remarries multiple times as well.

Either way, The Rag will always keep you up to date on the spicy but confused love life of our favorite billionaire businessman, the Maddest Mad Man we know, Red Jameson. Stay tuned for more details!

Nicole bit her lip and tried to think where the story might have originated. After all, very few people knew about their wedding plans. So the list of suspects was relatively small; her mother, Marcie Tilly, Danielle, and possibly one of the new employees that Red had hired at his company.

But the most suspicious part was that these new stories had really started up again at The Rag since Kane Wright took over. And now that Kane was involved with Danielle, she was probably telling him things about Red and Nicole, and he could easily pass that information off to his people at tabloids. It was good for his tabloid business and also he seemed to enjoy finding ways to needle Red whenever possible.

Nicole knew she was going to have to either broach the subject with Danielle, or she’d have to simply stop telling her best friend anything about her relationship with Red Jameson. And Nicole didn’t want to stop talking to Danielle about Red and their life together—after all, friends told each other things. Without that, their friendship would surely just decay and blow away in the breeze.

She wasn’t sure what to do, so for now, Nicole decided to put it off and focus on continuing the wedding preparations.

Nicole decided that it was time to call Marcie Tilly and let her know she had the job.

***

Marcie was thrilled to be hired as Nicole’s wedding planner, that much was clear.

Nicole had had to hold the phone away from her ear when the large woman bellowed her excited thanks and appreciation into the phone.

And now, just a day later, Marcie was over the house, helping Nicole pick out invitations. Unfortunately, Nicole had made the mistake of talking to her mother in advance of the meeting, and her mother had somehow weaseled her way into coming over along with Marcie.

So now the three of them were in the living room, drinking tea and having biscotti, while Marcie expounded on wedding do’s and don’ts and Nicole’s mother adding her own two cents.

Nicole could barely get a word in edgewise.

“I love the color scheme on this one,” Marcie practically shouted, holding up her sample book and pointing to a pink nightmare of an invitation design.

“Oh,” Nicole’s mother gasped, putting a hand over her heart. “That’s like a pink dahlia motif, yes?”

Marcie nodded. “Yes, and it’s so elegant, yet also contemporary.”

Nicole half-nodded. “It’s pretty, but I think maybe something a little more understated…”

The two older women exchanged looks.

Her mother took a sip of tea and Marcie resettled her body on the couch, turning her wide smile to Nicole. “Now, honey, picking out invitations is so much fun and we are having a blast. But we’re starting to run into a major roadblock here with this guest list.”

Nicole bit her lower lip. She felt like a chastised fifth grader. “I know. I’ve been trying to get Red to sit down with me to figure out who he wants to invite.”

“Don’t try, honey. Do.”

Nicole nodded. “I will.”

“As it is, we’re already way behind—we can’t even send out a save the date at this point,” her mother whispered. Nicole couldn’t help but notice how her mother had started using the “we” pronoun an awful lot during wedding conversation, as if she were now just as involved as Nicole and Marcie.

“I know, Mom. Believe me, I’m well aware just how far behind the eight ball I am.”

“We’re going to help you get through this,” Marcie said, “so don’t you fret. I’m very good at pulling husbands aside and giving them a good old-fashioned knock upside the head.”

Nicole’s mother giggled and snorted. “That’s because she has so much practice doing it to her own husband.”

Marcie gave a bawdy guffaw. “I swear, my Harold must have a permanent dent in his head the size of The Grand Canyon.”

Nicole gave a weak smile.

Just then, Red and his new assistant, Gia, came out of the conference room and walked by the living room. Red still brought company employees by the house, especially when they were newly hired. He said he liked to make them feel welcome and at ease, as if they were more friends then employees. He usually spent most of the time at the house in the conference room, putting them through their paces.

Red gave a smile and a wave. “Hello, ladies. How’s the wedding planning going?”

Nicole watched her mother’s eyes narrow as she honed in on Gia, who was admittedly dressed like the office slut. She was wearing a black, clingy skirt (that was far too short in Nicole’s biased opinion), a white blouse showing plenty of cleavage, and a little pendant that hung perfectly between her young, full breasts. Her dark hair was pinned back and her lipstick was red and glossy. Even her high heels were what Nicole typically thought of as “stripper shoes.”

“The wedding planning’s going super, Red,” Marcie said. “However, we do have a teensy weensy problem with the guest list—“

Red put up a finger. “Sorry, I’ve got to take this call,” he said, and then the cell phone was up to his ear and he was walking away from them.

Marcie and Nicole’s mother exchanged glances once again, and Nicole felt a rising sense of frustration with the two of them. She didn’t intend on being ganged up on for the duration of this.

Gia approached the table where the book of samples was laid out. Her legs were tan and smooth and—inviting—that was the word that came to Nicole’s mind. Gia’s skin looked soft and freshly moisturized. Her breasts were full and young and perky. She had a tight, athletic body.

Next to her, Nicole was feeling positively frumpy.

“It’s so exciting,” Gia said, her perfectly plucked eyebrows arching.

“Yeah, a lot of stress too, when you’re doing it all last minute,” Nicole laughed.

Gia crossed her arms and nodded as if she knew all about it. “Yeah, well it’s hard when you’ve had a nontraditional courtship.”

“Nontraditional?” Nicole asked, her throat tightening. She kept the smile frozen on her face.

“My sister hooked up with this guy over the Internet and they did it the same way.”

Nicole couldn’t tell if Gia was just young or if she was truly intending to insult Nicole to her face.

“Well, this ain’t no Internet wedding, I can tell you that,” Marcie laughed, breaking the tension. “We’re spending way too much money on it for there to be any confusion. This is going to be one beautiful, stunning affair.”

“Oh, totally—I’m sure it’ll be amazing,” Gia said.

I don’t need your reassurance, Nicole wanted to tell her—so save the phony sympathy. She decided there and then that she’d been right about Gia, and that she shouldn’t have doubted her first instincts, which had been to hire Rick instead.

Red came back into the room. “Sorry everyone, but that was work. We’re having a call with one of our big potential clients and I need to get back to the office pronto.

Gia?” he said, beckoning her to follow him.

Nicole got up and ran over to him, hating that it felt like she was chasing after him. Gia was practically in-step with her and she had an urge to throw an elbow.

“Red,” Nicole said, “we need to talk about the guest list. We should have had those invites in the mail like yesterday.”

Red sighed and checked his phone. “Listen, I don’t have any time today. But let’s do it first thing tomorrow morning.”

“I really need to do it sooner.”

“Tomorrow morning isn’t soon enough? Have them do a rush order, spare no expense.”

“Promise you’ll do it tomorrow morning, no excuses?” she pleaded.

He took her by the shoulders. “I swear to God. Now, I have to go. Love you.”

He gave her a quick kiss and then he and Gia were off. Nicole watched them go, and Gia’s round, firm ass swayed back and forth as she hurried after him like a pet terrier.

When Nicole returned to the living room, the mood was somber.

Her mother said nothing, just raised her eyebrows elaborately.

“What?” Nicole said, annoyed.

“I didn’t say anything.”

“Well she seems like a nice girl,” Marcie cooed.

“That’s one way of putting it,” her mother muttered.

Nicole couldn’t even focus. She hated that her jealousy had reared its ugly head again so quickly. She’d told herself that she wasn’t going to let things like this bother her. After all, Red had shown no interest in hiring Gia—he’d made it perfectly clear that he was fine with hiring Rick, and Nicole had been the one to push the girl back into the mix.

And now she was resenting Red for it, which made no sense.

“I hired her,” Nicole said. “She’s a nice young girl with an impeccable resume.”

“That’s not the only thing that’s impeccable about her,” Nicole’s mother quipped.

Marcie stifled a laugh. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I can’t help it. The girl has some serious assets. I’ll give her that.”

And now the two older women were cracking up, laughing so hard they were practically in tears.

Nicole sat on her couch in a state of shock at what her life had become.

***

The rest of the day, Nicole’s tension only grew.

Her mother and Marcie were long gone, and she was glad of that. Truth be told, they’d accomplished a lot in their time together. She’d picked a venue for both the ceremony and the reception (The Branford Mansion near the University of Connecticut), chosen what kind of flowers and tablecloths she wanted, and finally decided on a design for the invitations.

But by the time the wedding planner had left, Nicole was starting to second-guess her decision to hire Marcie. The woman was obnoxious, boisterous and overbearing.

And she seemed to be a package deal with Nicole’s mother, which was perhaps the worst part of it all.

Nicole went and took a very long, hot bath and tried to soak away her tension.

She kept her cellphone on the edge of the bathtub and watched it with an eagle eye, hoping that Red might find just a moment or two of free time to call or text her and tell her he loved and missed her.

Nicole had begun thinking wistfully back to their time together in the cabin, when none of their worldly problems had interfered with their love. Now it seemed like the whole world was conspiring against them, keeping them further and further apart as their respective responsibilities increased.

Red was so busy with this new company and it was almost all he thought about or did, day and night. Of course she knew that was what it took to start a new business, but she at least hoped that he could spare a brief second to say he loved her.

And now this wedding was growing into something bigger than she’d really intended, but Nicole didn’t know how to stop it. She needed Red to really help her understand what people he truly wanted to have attend the wedding, and who he didn’t want or care either way about.

Stay calm, Nicole reminded herself, as she sat in the tub soaking until the skin on her hands and feet began to resemble prunes.

Stay calm. Tomorrow morning it will all get better. We’ll settle this ridiculous guest list once and for all and I can start to relax.

That night, Red came home so late from work that Nicole was already sleeping in the master bedroom. She’d fallen asleep with the TV on, watching bad reality shows about bitchy rich housewives. It had been the wrong choice of viewing material for the kind of mood she was in.

Red woke her up as he was settling into bed for the night.

“Hey,” she said, groggy from sleep. “What time is it?”

“Late,” he replied. “Go back to sleep, babe.” He slid under the covers and rubbed her back.

“I miss you. What were you doing so late?”

“Working on this pitch for Erikson Bikes. They could be a huge first client if we get it right.”

“Was Gia there?”

“She works at the company, honey. You’re not thinking straight—you’re half asleep.”

Nicole lifted her head and gave him an angry look. “I’m not half asleep. I know Gia works with you. But was she there until you left tonight?”

He sighed. “Yes.”

“Who else stayed?”

“I don’t know. Pretty much everyone.”

For some reason, Nicole was becoming convinced that it wasn’t just everyone staying late and working together, sharing little jokes and fleeting, flirtatious touches. It was just Red and Gia, and now he was lying because he knew she’d be angry with him if she knew.

“You could have at least called me, Red.”

“I’m sorry. I just got so caught up at work, babe.” He moved close to her and kissed her neck.

The warmth of his body and his affection soothed her a little bit. “You can still call me and just say you love me,” she whispered.

“I will, from now on. You know how much I need you and love you, though.

Right?”

She nodded, snuggling close to him.

And then she was asleep before she even realized it.

When Nicole awoke again, Red was already out of bed and in the shower. She was feeling tense, but not as upset as she’d been yesterday. Instead, she was looking forward to finally nailing down this guest list so that she could email it to Marcie, who would in turn forward it along to the vendor. From there, it would be printed and mailed out.

Nicole got up and threw on some sweats, went downstairs and started breakfast.

Chef Roland was on vacation and she was kind of glad. She enjoyed cooking for Red, and he really enjoyed eating what she prepared. This morning she made his favorite—

chocolate chip pancakes and sausage links. It was a thank you to him for finally making time to work on this list for the invitations, which Nicole knew he hated. He didn’t want to think about the stuff with his mother and brother and God only knew what else. She understood that.

By the time he came downstairs in his blue suit and red tie, she had his plate ready for him.

“Nicole, you didn’t have to do that,” he said, but she could tell he was very pleased just the same.

“Come on, sit down and eat up,” she said. “I’m going to grab my laptop.”

“You don’t need your laptop,” he said, cutting up his pancake and starting to eat.

“Why?”

“Because, I already—“ he looked down at his pants and patted his pocket.

Nicole heard the familiar buzzing sound of his cell phone and then he was answering. “Yeah?”

She clenched her fists involuntarily as she listened to his side of the conversation.

“I kind of have something I need to do right now,” he said. “Can’t they handle it without me?”

She heard the far away mumblings of a female voice. Red shook his head and rolled his eyes. “Right. But we could just re-shoot…yeah. Yeah. Fine. Tell them I’ll be there but I’m not happy about it.”

He got off the phone and looked at her.

“Don’t say it,” she warned him. “You promised me we’d do this.”

“That was Gia. There’s been an issue with the video shoot they’re doing this morning. They had to fire the director and they need me there to figure out what’s next.”

Nicole put a hand to her forehead. “I don’t even know what you’re talking about.

What video shoot?”

He stood up. “We’re shooting a video for the Erikson Bikes pitch. I’m losing money every second that goes by. I need to get down there and try and salvage this thing.”

“Not before we talk about the guest list.”

He stopped and put his hands on his hips and his expression was strained. “Come on, Nicole. Give me a break, here.”

“You said you’d do it. You’ve been putting it off every time I ask and now you’re putting it off again. We need to get these invitations out.”

“Listen, I printed out all of my contacts and addresses yesterday and brought it home with me. It’s got everyone in there. When I get home tonight, you and I can go through every single one of them…”

“You didn’t print anything out.”

“I did. I brought it with me last night and it’s right upstairs. But now something unexpected came up and I just don’t have time to go through it all. I’m sorry.”

Nicole’s eyes filled with tears. “I’m getting so sick of being put third behind your work and…everyone else.”

“Everyone else? Who else do I put ahead of you?”

“Gia,” she said, hating herself for sounding like a fifteen-year-old spoiled brat.

“Gia?” he said, stunned. “You hired her, Nicole!”

“Because I got confused. I didn’t realize she was going to become your new wife.

She sees you more than I do!” She slapped the table in frustration.

“I don’t have time for this,” he said. “I love you—“

“Just go, don’t lie to me again about how we’ll do it later.”

He looked at her, his face flushed, his eyes dark with barely repressed anger. “I love you, Nicole. And we’ll deal with this tonight when I get home.”

She just shook her head and didn’t even look at him. She wanted to scream. In all honesty, she wanted to pummel his chest and have a fit like a little kid. Only it wasn’t cute or funny or silly. She was truly enraged.

Red left and the door slammed shut. When she heard his car engine start, she yelled. “Go fuck your little whore!” as loud as she could, knowing there was no way he could hear her.

It felt both good and awful at the same time to say those words. Not that she honestly believed he was having sex with Gia. It was just the feeling it gave her when he left home because Gia was calling him, the knowledge that they were spending days together while Nicole was left home.

She felt powerless. Every decision she made, although intended to make things better, only seemed to make the situation worse.

Nicole went upstairs to the master bedroom and surveyed the room. On the desk she saw a thick stack of paper and walked over to look at it more closely. It was the contact list Red had mentioned, along with phone numbers and addresses.

It was simply enormous. It would surely take them hours and hours to go through all of these people and decide who could come and who could not.

She flipped through and felt a simple, pure rage at his refusal to make even the slightest attempt to assist her with the guest list.

“Fifty people?” she muttered. “Fifty people?”

There was simply no way they could cull this list down to fit a wedding size of fifty people. Not unless Red’s intention was to insult almost every friend, contact, and family member in existence, by only inviting a handful of the hundreds of people he knew.

Nicole’s blood was boiling. She called his cell phone and it went directly to voicemail. Rather than leave a message, she hung up.

What to do with this list? She asked herself.

No answer was forthcoming. She supposed she would just have to wait for his return late that night and hope he would deign to give her a paltry few minutes of his precious time for her silly wedding planning.

Nicole slammed the thick book of contacts back on the desk and started to leave the room. Just then, she heard the loud ring from the downstairs phone, the one that was connected to the security gate.

She ran downstairs and answered, breathless.

“Ma’am, this is Derek, out front with security.” He explained that Danielle was at the front gate and requesting to be let in.

Surprised that Danielle hadn’t bothered to call her in advance, Nicole told him to of course let her through.

Then she went out front to wait for her friend.

A couple of minutes later, a yellow cab pulled up out front and Danielle got out, sobbing—her face a mask of tears. Nicole instantly had the horrible sensation that Kane Wright was dead.

“Oh my God, Danielle, what happened?”

Danielle could barely speak through her sobs. Nicole literally couldn’t understand her. “Come and sit down,” Nicole said, trying to calm her. “Tell me what happened.”

The cabbie got out. “Hey, she said you’d pay me?”

Nicole looked up. “Oh. Yes, sure. How much?”

“Eighty-seven fifty,” he told her. Nicole quickly went and got her credit card and paid the driver, who promptly left.

Danielle was still sobbing on the front steps

Nicole was growing concerned and frustrated with her friend’s inability to speak a coherent sentence. “Danielle, you need to tell me what’s going on.” She sat down and took her by the shoulders. “Can you do that?”

Danielle nodded, still wailing. She started to speak but it was gibberish mostly, garbled by her wracking sobs.

Nicole went and got her a glass of water and then came back. “Here, drink this,”

she said, rubbing the girl’s back. Danielle was without shoes, wearing only a light summer dress. Her hair was disheveled. She had no purse, nothing with her, no phone.

Maybe she’s been assaulted or raped. If it was Kane, Nicole thought, then he was going to pay big time for this.

Finally, Danielle’s tears began dissipating enough for her to speak and be understood. “I had to get away from him,” she cried.

“Of course you did, sweetie. Did he hurt you?”

Danielle began to shake. “I decided to make him an omelet this morning.

Broccoli and cheese,” Danielle said. “I got up early and got everything ready so that when he came to the kitchen he’d have fresh orange juice, coffee, and eggs just the way he likes it.”

Nicole listened attentively, waiting for when the first punch would be thrown.

She looked at Danielle’s face, searching for bruises, but she didn’t see any. “And then what happened?”

“He took one…b…b….bite,” Danielle said, turning to Nicole and bursting into a fresh round of tears. “And then…”

Oh, no, here comes the punch, Nicole thought, bracing herself for it.

“And then he said he needed to show me a thing or two about making an omelet.”

Danielle started to cry. Snot bubbled from her nose.

Nicole just stared at her. There has to be more, she told herself. Be patient because there has to be more than this. “It’s okay,” she soothed, rubbing Danielle’s shaking back again.

“Kane got up and started making a brand new omelet,” she said. “He told me to come over and watch so I could learn the proper way to do it. And he was talking about this famous French chef who’d taught him and it was so rude and insulting.” Danielle was crying again now, not as out of control as before, but the tears were streaming down her cheeks. “He was so…so…condescending…and mean. He’s a big bully. I told him so. And he told me that I’m just naïve and ignorant of the wider world or something.

And then I yelled at him and he yelled back at me and…and…I left. I had to get out of there.”

She fell into Nicole’s arms and sobbed for a while longer.

Nicole found herself feeling angry with Danielle for how immature and silly and overdramatic she was being. Then Nicole reminded herself how many times Danielle had been there for her during moments like these. So Nicole tried to be patient, even though she was annoyed and her fuse was decidedly short from everything that had gone on in the last twenty-four hours.

Finally, Danielle wiped her eyes and tried to laugh. “I needed that,” she said, laughing.

“I know how it is,” Nicole told her. “Being married to a very powerful, confident man can be incredibly difficult.”

“Tell me about it.”

“I’ve been there,” Nicole said. “It will get better, I promise.”

“Really? You think so?”

“Yeah, I do.” She forced a smile. Sure, things got better. Then they seemed to get worse again—best not to mention that part.

“Enough about me,” Danielle said. “I need to focus on something else, something fun. Tell me about your wedding. What’s going on with it?”

Nicole felt her stomach clench like a fist. “Nothing much is happening.”

“What? But you told me how busy you were going to be planning everything. If I were you and I had a chance to have a big, fancy wedding with all of those famous people, I’d take it. But Kane would never show me off to the world the way Red does you, because Kane is ashamed of me.” Danielle’s expression was positively bitter. “You got the good one, it turns out.”

“Don’t say that,” Nicole said. “I’m sure Kane loves you more than anything.”

Danielle shrugged and screwed up her face. “Tell me something about the wedding. I need to live vicariously through you.”

“There’s nothing to tell.”

“Oh, come on, Nic. Did you at least decide on a date?”

“Seriously, Danielle. I don’t really want to get into it right now.” Her tone was harsher than she intended.

Danielle turned away from her. “Okay. Jeez. Sorry I asked.”

Nicole got up and folded her arms. “Are you feeling better?”

Danielle looked up at her. “I don’t understand why you’re being like this, Nicole.

Suddenly I’m not good enough to discuss your wedding with? Why, because I’m not some hoity toity wedding planner?”

“That’s got nothing to do with it, Danielle. Why can’t you just let it go?”

“Because, I don’t get it. What did I do wrong?”

Nicole looked at her. “Well, for starters, you’re way too interested in the finer details of my wedding.”

Danielle’s face registered shock—as if Nicole had actually slapped her. “What?”

“You know what I’m talking about, don’t act like you have no idea. The tabloid that your husband owns and runs just did a nasty story about Red and I getting married.

Almost nobody knew about it but you and a very few other people.”

Danielle stared at her in awe. “You think I gave them a story about your wedding?”

“No, I think you probably blabbed about it during pillow talk with Kane, but there’s no difference as far as I’m concerned, because anything I tell you ends up in his ear and then he’s probably on the phone with Anderson from The Rag about five minutes later.”

“That’s ridiculous. I don’t tell Kane about your wedding and he doesn’t have the least bit of interest in it.” She got up. “I can’t believe that’s what you think of our friendship, Nicole.”

“I don’t know what else to think.”

“Maybe it was your mom,” Danielle replied. “You know she’s just as likely to do that as I am.”

“Don’t try and tell me about my mom.”

“Well don’t blame me for your problems, Nic. Jesus, who even cares if someone knows when your stupid little wedding is?”

“And who really cares if Kane tried to teach you how to make an omelet? Maybe he’s better at it than you are,” Nicole sniped.

“I’m so out of here,” Danielle replied, starting to walk down the private road in her bare feet.

“Tell the guys at The Rag that I say hello,” Nicole yelled after her. Danielle just kept walking.

Nicole considered going after her, especially knowing that Danielle didn’t have a cell phone or money or anything. Instead, she called down to the front gate and alerted them that Danielle was walking on the private road and asked that they arrange for a cab to bring her back to her home.

A few minutes later, they called back and said it had been taken care of and she was on her way home.

Nicole was so upset that she didn’t even know what to do. Why couldn’t she have taken the high road with Danielle instead of sinking to her level?

She needed to talk to Red right away. Nicole needed a calming voice, she needed her husband. She picked up her cell phone and called him, her heart racing.

“Come on, please just pick up,” she prayed. “Please.”

Finally, mercifully, the line was answered. But it wasn’t Red.

“Hello?” The perky, female voice said into Nicole’s ear.

For a split second, she thought she must have dialed the wrong number. But then she looked and realized it wasn’t the wrong number at all. “Hello, who is this?” Nicole asked.

“My name is Gia. And who might I ask is calling?”

Nicole felt a surge of new, fresh hatred coursing through her veins. “Gia, this is Nicole Masters, Red’s fiancé and I’d appreciate it if you’d put him on the phone immediately.”

Gia’s voice became positively chipper. “Oh, Nicole. Yeah, he’s in a meeting right now so I’m taking messages for him.”

“I understand he’s busy, but I need to talk to him.”

“He gave me strict instructions. Sorry.” She drew out the last syllable of the word sorry so that it sounded gleeful rather than apologetic.

Nicole could feel her blood pressure rising. “That’s good that you follow instructions,” she said in a measured tone. “Thanks so much for your help, Gia.”

“Your wel—“

Nicole hung up the phone. Her jaw was so tight that she thought she might grind her teeth to dust if she wasn’t careful. She couldn’t believe the nerve of that girl, nor could she fathom that Red was allowing her to handle his cell phone—something Nicole never even did!

This was too much. And now she was supposed to sit and wait like a good little girl for her man to come home and give her his excuses again, and again, and again.

No. She was really and truly sick of being kicked around today. Nicole walked upstairs with a purpose and grabbed the stack of papers that Red had printed out and left on the desk.

Next, she went to the office and began faxing them over, en mass, to Marcie.

Nicole called Marcie a few minutes later and left her a voicemail. “Hey Marcie, it’s Nicole. Looks like the wedding is going to be quite a bit bigger than originally anticipated. I’m faxing you Red’s guest list now and it’s quite extensive. I’ll be sending you a follow up email with my list attached.”

She got on her laptop and spent the rest of the afternoon adding every single friend and family member to her list.

Pointedly and with great self-righteousness and indignation, Nicole left Danielle off her guest list. Danielle would not be receiving a wedding invite. Nicole knew it was a loud an irrevocable message on the state of their friendship, but at that moment she didn’t particularly care.

Marcie called back soon after and said that she was sending it all over to the vendor who was handling the printing and mailing. It looked like there would be just over four hundred people invited to their wedding now. Of course, many of them wouldn’t be able to attend on such short notice. Marcie said that they should plan for something on along the lines of three hundred guests.

***

Red texted her once, around six o’clock and said that he loved her and that he’d be home in the next two hours.

She didn’t respond. It was too little too late, as far as she was concerned.

Instead, Nicole made herself dinner (steak and corn and potatoes), drank a glass of wine, and settled down on the couch with a book.

At just past eight thirty, Red came home. “Nicole?” he called, wandering through the house until he found her in the living room. He smiled warily. “Hey, didn’t you hear me calling you?”

She looked up from her book briefly. “I heard you.” She went back to reading.

“So, I brought home food from a great burger joint and I figured we could make it a working dinner. I’m ready to hammer out this guest list thing.”

“It’s already done,” she said, still not taking her eyes from her book.

“What do you mean, it’s already done?”

“I sent out the list to Marcie hours ago.”

“But how?”

“I just sent it.”

“Nicole.” His voice grew firm, insistent. “Nicole, look at me.”

She looked up at him, defiant. “Yes?”

“I want you to tell me just what’s going on right now. I see that you’re angry with me, and I understand why. But you need to communicate to me what’s going on.”

She put the book aside and sat up. “It’s really simple, Red. You kept pushing me aside over and over again, and you refused to help me. So I just did what I needed to do to get these invitations out. I used the list you’d printed and we went from there.”

He shook his head in disbelief. “How could you possibly do that? There were hundreds of names and addresses in that list and we’re only having fifty people in our wedding.”

“Not anymore. I decided to change that.”

Red’s expression changed, darkened. “You just made a unilateral decision?”

“Just like you do all the time. Leaving the house when something’s more important, even though you promised to be here for me and discuss our wedding. Putting your assistant on your cell phone so I can’t reach you. There’s lots of things you do that I don’t understand or like very much.”

“Gia was answering my phone today for about half an hour when I couldn’t, and she never told me you called.”

Nicole shrugged. “That’s some assistant you’ve got there.”

“You hired her. Or did you forget that part?”

“I don’t want to argue, Red. I made a judgment call. I just went with your whole list and I invited everyone on my side. So now we’re having a very large wedding.”

He stared at her, incredulous. “Nicole, that’s not going to happen. We cannot send out all of those invitations. There are people on that raw list that would be totally inappropriate to send an invite to. Clients, friends I haven’t seen in a dozen years, vendors that work with Jameson International, you name it. That’s why I wanted to sit down tonight and go through it with you.”

“You want me to cancel the damn invites?” she said, her voice rising.

“Yes.”

“Fine.” She grabbed her phone and called Marcie. Of course, it went to voicemail. “Hi Marcie, it’s me—Nicole. I really need to make a change on those invites, so could you call me back as soon as you get this, please?”

When she hung up, Red began pacing. “This is totally ridiculous. I wish you would have told me you were so upset, Nicole.”

“I did tell you. I tried over and over again to tell you and you kept ignoring me.

It’s not fair.” The tears stung her eyes and she was angry with herself for being a crybaby yet again.

Red shook his head. “I’m sorry that I wasn’t available, that I dropped the ball on this. But that doesn’t mean you go out and try and take revenge on me by sabotaging our wedding.”

“Me, sabotaging our wedding? You left me hanging in the breeze,” she said, getting off the couch, taking her phone, and walking out of the room.

“Nicole!” he called after her.

“Just, please leave me alone!” she called back, and went to walk the property.

During her walk she called Marcie over and over again, to no avail—and she even sent an email just in case Marcie couldn’t get to her phone for some reason. Then Nicole tried her mother. Her mother said she was in bed and didn’t have time for hysterics (even though Nicole was mostly calm by that time). She assured Nicole that Marcie would call her back soon and not to worry.

When Nicole got home from her walk, she was a bit more in control of her emotions. Red was having a beer on the verandah.

“Hey,” she said.

He stared outside and nodded. “Hey.”

“Isn’t it funny how we have this huge mansion but we only use a few of the rooms?” she said.

“That’s hilarious,” he said, without smiling.

“Red, I’m sorry. I’m sorry I freaked out.”

Red turned to her. “I just wish you’d held off on doing what you did. I mean, I trusted you.”

“I know. I’m sorry. I’ll fix it.”

“How?”

“I’m going to get in touch with Marcie and have the order stopped and changed.”

“But she hasn’t called you back yet?”

Nicole shook her head. “Maybe she fell asleep early. As long as I get her by the morning we should be fine.”

Red took a long pull from his beer. “Man, what a day.”

“Can I sit with you?”

He nodded, and she came and sat beside him. Soon they were holding hands and even though she knew everything wasn’t back to being okay—at least it was a start.

***

That night they went to bed together and Nicole slept curled in Red’s arms. There seemed to be an unspoken agreement not to discuss any of the wedding stuff and just be good to one another.

The next morning, Red was off to work before six a.m. The only thing he said before leaving was that she should call him with any “important updates.” And then he hugged and kissed her and told her he loved her.

Nicole was anxious enough after he left to put in an early morning call to her wedding planner and send another email marked urgent.

Two hours later, she still hadn’t heard back.

Now she called her mother again, this time at work, and asked if she could swing by Marcie’s house on her lunch break. Her mother said that she would, but called back later to report that Marcie wasn’t home and hadn’t called her back either.

Nicole was partly worried that something had happened to Marcie, partly worried that the woman was just a total fruitcake, and also annoyed that nothing could seem to go right in regards to this wedding.

She also knew that if Marcie had actually put in the rush order yesterday, then in all likelihood the place would be printing and possibly sending them out by now. A few more hours and it would be too late to take it back.

Marcie called her at just after five p.m. “Oh, honey, I can’t tell you how absolutely terrible the last fifteen hours of my life has been,” she said, to start the conversation off.

“Are you okay—is everyone all right at your house?” Nicole said.

“Well, they are now. But it was touch and go for a while there. First off, I lost my phone—or it was stolen. I’m not sure which. My husband and I went out to eat last night and I realized I’d left my phone in his car in the parking lot. So I went out, assuming it would be on the seat or whatever—and nothing. At first I thought it must be somewhere else, but then we started looking and looking and it just never did turn up.”

“Wow,” Nicole said, swallowing her annoyance. She wasn’t even sure she believed what this woman was telling her.

“And you know I would have checked my voicemail from my hubby’s phone, or checked email from my computer, but then Harold started having chest pains on top of everything else. And he’s got a heart condition, mind you.”

“Is he okay?”

“We had to go to the emergency room and then they ran him through so many tests…at one point it seemed certain he’d had a heart attack. But by early this afternoon they seemed pretty sure that he was okay and I could take him home. But I had to stop off and fill some prescriptions for this new medication they put him on and then I went out and immediately bought a new phone.”

“Did you get my messages?”

“I did, honey and I put in a call to the vendor.”

“They’ve already sent them out, haven’t they?” Nicole said, already knowing the answer.

“I’m so, so sorry, sweetie. I wish I could take it back. I really do. But it was just a run of bad, awful luck.”

Nicole sighed, her brow furrowed, thinking. She didn’t honestly know what to do now but just accept that it had happened and it was a disaster. Mostly, it was her own fault. Had she not been angry and impulsive, they wouldn’t be in this situation. “Well, I’m just glad your husband is okay,” she said, finally. “Health is the most important thing.”

“So true, dear. So true. And I know, having a sick husband, just how true those words really are.”

***

When Red came home that night, Nicole told him about her call with the wedding planner and he listened with a skeptical expression. After she was done explaining, he said, “Do you believe her?”

Nicole shrugged. “I honestly don’t know what to believe right now. Do you?”

He smiled slightly. “It’s kind of a stretch, but anything’s possible.”

“What reason could she have for not cancelling the order?”

He laughed. “Plenty of reasons. Maybe she gets a kickback from the vendor on big orders. Maybe because she knows that the more people there are at this wedding and the bigger it is, the more her stock goes up when she says she planned it on her resume and website.”

“Or maybe she lost her phone and her husband got sick.”

Red smiled. “Wedding pictures on her site will look a heck of a lot more impressive when there’s a huge crowd in attendance.”

“I blew it and it’s all my fault. Let’s just call a spade a spade,” Nicole said.

Red didn’t reply. He just gave her a meaningful look.

“Oh, so you do think it’s all my fault,” she said, suddenly angry and guilty all at once.

“I didn’t say anything. I think I’m being pretty nice about the whole thing, considering we just went from a little intimate wedding with our closest friends and family to becoming Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. Maybe we should just invite the paparazzi in while we’re at it.”

“Fine with me,” Nicole said. “I’m not ashamed to be marrying you.”

He made a disgusted face. “Don’t pull that crap with me, Nicole.”

“What crap?”

“Ashamed to be marrying you? Seriously? Is that the best you’ve got?”

“I’m not trying to prove I can keep up with you in the witty banter department, Red. That’s not one of my life goals.”

He shook his head and walked away from her.

She wanted to yell and scream and get his attention, but it was a lost cause.

This stupid wedding had nearly ruined everything.

***

A couple of days had gone by and things hadn’t gotten any better between them.

Red was immersing himself in work and Nicole was still planning their wedding, which had now become so elaborate and expensive that it was defying explanation and reason.

Simply having the deposit in for the venue, the booze, the catering, the tables and chairs and custom decorations—all of it had become an issue because everyone needed the money yesterday.

She’d lost track of how many times she’d been told that large weddings like this were usually planned further in advance.

It became embarrassing to keep going to Red for a new series of checks to be written for the gigantic wedding that he didn’t approve of and she didn’t truly want.

Finally, he’d just handed her his checkbook and told her to “have a party.”

But she wasn’t having a party—quite the opposite, in fact. She felt sick and depressed and out of control, both of her wedding and her relationship.

Nicole thought that at least the worst of it was hopefully over, but she was wrong.

The morning of her cake tasting at Lady Cakes Bakery with her mother and Marcie—

things actually, somehow, got worse.

Red came into the bathroom while she was putting on makeup and handed her his phone. “Well we just got the biggest leak of them all,” he said, almost sounding proud of it, as Nicole looked at the screen.

There was yet another article in The Rag that revealed not just the date and time of their wedding, but the location as well. It went into detail about the kind of huge event the wedding would probably be, and of course made plenty of fun of Red and Nicole and the notion that the wedding would probably last longer than the marriage itself.

“I’m even impressed at just how badly our privacy has been compromised,” Red laughed. “I mean, this is a whole new level.”

Nicole bit her lip and tried to steady her nerves. “I don’t understand how this happened. I thought Danielle was the leak!”

“You didn’t send her an invitation? Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m positive,” Nicole said.

“Well, we only sent out four hundred invites—who’d have thought one of those random idiots we invited might leak the story?” he said, laughing again—but not really.

“Please don’t make this worse by poking fun at me,” she told him.

“Nicole, if I can’t even make a joke about how badly this whole thing has gone, then what can I do at this point?”

She didn’t have an answer.

Nicole wasn’t in the mood for cake tasting after that, but she had no choice. Her mother and Marcie drove all the way down from Syracuse for the appointment, and so she put on her best fake smile and tried to pretend everything was hunky dory.

The bakery was a cute, small place that Nicole had found online because of its astounding reviews. Marcie and her mother loved it from the moment they set foot inside.

The baker was a short, lithe blond woman with a pastry chef hat and tiny hands.

She gestured constantly as she spoke and gave tons of information about what services she provided.

During a break, the baker went in back and Nicole took the chance to tell Marcie and her mother about the leaking of all the important wedding information.

“Honey, in a year and a half, no one will remember anything except that you had one of the classiest, coolest, and funnest weddings in recent memory. Nobody cares about those stupid stories on the Internet. And besides, a little publicity can be fun for a happy occasion,” Marcie told her.

Nicole reminded herself that it would be inappropriate to slap her wedding planner at the bakery during a cake tasting, so she refrained from responding to Marcie’s inane dispensing of folk wisdom.

The baker at Lady Cakes came to the front again and started taking all of them through the cake choices and flavor combinations, setting one of her cakes down in front of them to taste and discuss.

That’s when Nicole got a phone call from Danielle.

While Marcie and her mother tried the white cake with vanilla buttercream icing, Nicole stepped away from the table.

She almost didn’t answer, but something in her gut told her she should take the call. “Hello,” she said, uncertainty in her voice.

“Nicole, it’s me. Danielle.”

“How are you?” she asked, her voice carefully neutral.

“I’m fine. Listen, I know you don’t like me very much right now, but I still care about you and I’m sorry about what happened between us the last time I saw you.”

“Me too,” she said softly into the phone.

Suddenly, from behind Nicole, came the sound of roaring laughter. “Nicole, honey, you just have to try this cake! The frosting is to die for! No, I take it back—it’s to kill for!” More unruly laughter. Nicole put a finger in one ear and walked further away from them.

“But that’s not even why I’m calling you right now,” Danielle continued. “I can tell you’re busy so I won’t take up much more of your time.”

“It’s okay, I don’t mind. I’m glad you called.” She realized it was very true—she missed the sound of Danielle’s voice.

“Kane mentioned that The Rag ran another article about you today. It really pissed me off that they did that to you.”

“It’s okay, I know you’re not the leak, Danielle,” Nicole said. “I’m so, so sorry I accused you of that.”

Behind her, there was more laughter—cackling, ridiculous braying that caused Nicole to move to the door of the bakery and then finally outside to escape. It shouldn’t have been Marcie and her mother at the cake tasting with her, she realized. It should have been Danielle, and Red if he’d wanted to come. They could have had a nice time together.

“Anyway, I told Kane I wanted to know who was giving The Rag all of this information about your private life. I told him I’d make living with me hell on earth if he didn’t find out right away. It took him all of five minutes to make a phone call and get the answer for me.”

Nicole wanted to cry. “You did that for me, after the way I treated you?”

“We’re always going to be friends, Nic. You can’t change that by being bratty one time. Besides, I can understand exactly why you felt the way you did about me. I’m living with the man who owns the tabloid that’s making your life miserable!”

Nicole laughed. “That definitely didn’t help matters.”

“I’m happy to help you to plug the leak, Nicole. I think that will be mine and Kane’s wedding present for you.”

“That’s a generous offer.”

“Kane told me that the name The Rag gave him for the informant was Marcie Tilly.”

“Are you absolutely sure, Danielle?”

“Yes, one hundred percent. Do you know her?”

“Apparently not as well as I thought I did.”

Nicole turned and looked through the window of the bakery, as Marcie sat shoveling cake into her mouth, guffawing and laughing along with Nicole’s mother.

“Well, I’ll let you go,” Danielle said. “Hope you’re doing well.”

“I’m sorry about everything I said before,” Nicole told her. “Really sorry. If you were her right now I’d get down and kiss your feet.”

Danielle laughed sadly. “Don’t worry about it. Maybe we’ll talk again, sooner rather than later?”

“Absolutely,” she said, and then Danielle was gone.

She closed her eyes, took a few deep breaths, and then Nicole went back inside the bakery.

The baker was in back getting the next cake for them to try.

“Nicole, are you going to even have some?” her mother asked. “We can’t pick a cake of the bride doesn’t taste any of them.”

“Yes,” she said, picking up a fork and digging into the white cake. It was good—

amazing, even. She licked her fork clean.

“Are you all right, darling?” Marcie asked. “You look pale.”

Nicole glanced at her. She noticed—for the first time—that Marcie didn’t particularly like making direct eye contact. The large woman laughed and chattered a lot but rarely looked Nicole in the eye.

Nicole sighed. “I just got a pretty strange phone call.”

“Is everything okay?” her mom asked.

“Yes and no.” Nicole took another bite of cake, turning her attention to the wedding planner. “Marcie, has anyone from the tabloids ever called you for any reason?”

Marcie looked up with a startled expression. “Me? Why would anybody call me?”

“That’s an odd question to ask, Nicole,” her mother said.

Before Nicole could explain herself, the baker came back with the next cake, a chocolate devil’s food cake with vanilla icing. The baker talked about the properties of the cake, its flavors, and what wedding it might be best suited for.

Nicole could tell that Marcie was distracted and not her jovial self during the discussion.

“I’ll let you guys taste it and I’ll be just around the corner if you have any questions,” the blond baker said, smiling and walking off.

Marcie’s hands were twitchy and busy tugging at her large shirt. She smiled at Nicole. “You know, come to think of it—I do believe someone might have called me once.” She looked up at the ceiling and blinked furiously. “I’m trying to remember what they said. It was a reporter…I really didn’t tell him much.”

“Was it someone from The Rag?”

“I—I can’t even say.” She looked at Nicole and looked away again. “The whole thing is just so crazy. I’m a small town gal and we don’t really deal with tabloids and that sort of thing. I’m a trusting person, you know?”

“I do know. I wouldn’t blame you if you’d spoken to someone without realizing it could be a problem.”

Nicole’s mother was watching Nicole with a confused expression on her face.

“What’s going on? Is someone going to clue me in?”

Marcie laughed. “You know, this is silly. I’ve done nothing wrong, but somehow I feel accused.”

“Well, someone’s been talking to The Rag about my wedding, and it’s allowing a hateful online gossip site to write horrible stories about us, revealing our private information to the world.”

“And you think it was me?” Marcie cried. “Why would I do such a thing?”

“You wouldn’t,” Nicole’s mother said. “Nicole, stop insinuating these things about Marcie. She’s a good friend and a very ethical person, which I happen to know.

So unless you have evidence that she did something wrong—“

“Actually, I do have evidence.”

Marcie’s eyes practically bugged out of her head. “I swear—Nicole, I swear—if I did speak to someone in the beginning—“

“So you didn’t tell someone at The Rag about the date and time and location of our wedding?” Nicole said. She was calm, about as calm as she’d ever felt in her life.

“Nicole,” her mother practically shouted. “How dare you accuse her of that?”

“Did you, Marcie?” Nicole asked again.

Marcie laughed nervously. “Now look. Let me just get something clear, Nicole.

I’ve been in this wedding and party planning game for a long time, and I might be privy to a few details that you’re not. There are marketing and publicity efforts that go on behind the scenes, and everyone does it. It’s good to have a high profile, fun wedding.

Heck, sometimes the couple sells their own wedding pictures to People Magazine for millions of dollars! Did you ever think of that?”

Her mother was nodding at Marcie’s comment. “She’s got a point, Nicole. I remember when Tom and Katie did that. Everyone knows that goes on.”

“Well, you could have checked with us to see if that’s what we wanted to do,”

Nicole said.

“I assumed you did, and I guess I assumed wrong. But I never—never—meant any harm, Nicole. I swear to you, as God is my witness.”

Nicole had a hunch, and she decided to play one last card. Toying with her fork, she finally took a scoop of the devil’s food cake, which no one had even touched yet. “I do understand, Marcie, more than you even know.” She took a bite of the cake and chewed for a while. “It’s good,” she said. “I might like it better than the first one.”

Marcie nodded with frightened eyes. “Oh, good.”

“So, I also had someone from my security firm do a quick investigation and they said your husband never went to the hospital for heart issues, Marcie.”

“What? You think I lied about my husband’s heart condition now?”

Nicole looked Marcie squarely in the eye. She channeled Red from memory, the way he dealt with people who were weak, people he didn’t respect. She stood a little taller, set her jaw a certain way, and spoke with more force. “Don’t lie to me again, Marcie, or I swear I’ll make sure you never plan another wedding, a party—I don’t care if it’s just a five person Super Bowl party in Antarctica. I will make it my business to ruin you if you lie to me one more time. And if you know anything about my husband, you know he’ll help me make that threat a reality.”

Marcie gave an audible gulp. “Please don’t do anything rash.”

“It’s your choice. Just tell me the truth. Did you really have to take your husband to the emergency room, or did you purposely ignore my calls that day because you didn’t want to cancel all of those invitations?”

Marcie hung her head. “Nicole, I apologize for my actions. I just got overexcited and I did some things—I made some mistakes, obviously—“

“Just answer me.”

Marcie licked her lips. “No, my husband did not go to the emergency room.”

“Thank you for being honest. I do appreciate it. And now, I’m afraid I really should get going.”

“Nicole,” her mother called. “Wait a second. Marcie apologized and I think you can give her a second chance. It’s all out in the open now.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“She’s my friend. And she’s good at what she does.”

“Mom, I hate to say this in a public place, but for once in your life—just mind your own damn business.”

And then Nicole turned on her heel and left the bakery.

***

On her way back from the bakery, Nicole tried to call Red. She really wanted to tell him everything that had happened, she wanted to hear his voice. Nicole knew that more than anything she needed things to be right between them again.

The first time she tried his phone, it went straight to voice mail. So she tried again. This time, Gia picked up. “Hello?”

Nicole grimaced, but tried to play nice. “Hi, Gia, it’s Nicole. Is Red around?”

Gia’s voice became even more sing songy in return. “I’m so sorry. He’s tied up in a meeting. Should I give him a message?”

“Actually, I think you should go tell him I’m on the phone and that it’s important.”

Gia sighed. “I wish I could, but he gave me pretty firm instructions not to disturb him while he’s in this pitch meeting. It’s a big, big client.”

“Okay, then. Just give him the message.”

“Okay, byeeee!”

Nicole hung up and decided it was time to pay Red a visit at work.

About twenty minutes later, she arrived at the building and made her way up to The Red Agency.

There was no receptionist at the front desk, so Nicole just walked past it. But she bumped into Gia in the hallway. Gia looked surprised and a little outraged. “You really shouldn’t just come into the office unannounced.”

“I work here, too,” Nicole told her. “I’m on temporary leave but I’m a partner in this company and I can absolutely come into the office, Gia.”

Gia sighed and made a face of distaste. “I’m really sorry, but Red’s been so specific. He’s busy and he’s not to be disturbed by anyone—and I mean, anyone.”

Nicole saw movement behind Gia and with a leaping heart, realized that Red was coming out of the conference room and was within earshot.

“Red told you to answer his cell phone and to prevent me from talking to him, no matter how urgent the call?” Nicole asked pointedly.

Gia nodded. “He was very specific that nobody get through—and I assume that includes you. Now I really think you should leave, because he’s in an extremely important pitch meeting.”

Red shook his head and walked past Gia and gave Nicole a big hug.

She’d never felt so warm and loved in all her life as she did right then.

Gia became suddenly awkward, standing there, making confused faces as Red kissed Nicole and whispered an apology.

“Sorry, Mr. Jameson,” Gia said. “I think there was some confusion about schedules and I was trying to explain to your wife—“

Red spun and looked at the younger woman, and she shut up as if he’d stolen the vocal chords right out of her neck. “I heard what you said to my wife, Gia. That was blatantly untrue. I told you specifically that you should come and get me if my wife was on the line, no matter what. And the idea that you would try and convince her to leave the very office that she co-owns? Did I really give you that impression?”

Gia shook her head. “No. No, sir. I just thought that you were so busy—“

“You’re fired, Gia. I want you to grab your things and go. Immediately.”

“Yes, sir.”

Several of the other employees were coming out of their offices to see what the ruckus was about.

“I’m so sorry I stirred up problems for you,” Nicole whispered.

Red laughed. “Are you kidding me? I love you. I don’t give a shit about any of this stuff, I care about you.”

They hugged again, and a moment later, Gia rushed past them and down the stairs, her tight little butt wiggling one last time as she scurried out of sight.

“I love you, Nicole. I don’t want anything to ever get in the way of us. And if anyone or anything does, I’ll make it go away.”

“I know,” she said, smiling and burying her face in his chest as they hugged.

“Red?” someone called from behind him.

Nicole broke away as one of his employees came out of the conference room.

“We were wondering if we should take ten or if you’re coming back in now?” the younger man with his hipster glasses asked.

Nicole started to walk away. “I’ll go now. Call me when you get out of your meeting.”

But Red grabbed her hand and wouldn’t let her leave. “Jonathan, take over the lead on the pitch for me. Tell everyone I’m sorry but I have something really important to attend to. My wife.” And then laughing, Red kissed her hand and pulled her toward the exit with him.

“You can’t just leave your pitch meeting,” she cried as they ran down the stairs, giggling like two kids cutting class.

“Fuck the pitch meeting,” he said.

“You’re crazy!” she laughed. “What’s gotten into you?”

When they got outside the building, he pressed her up against the wall and kissed her deeply and passionately. For a moment, neither of them said anything. Then, Red looked into Nicole’s eyes, as he caressed her hair. “I’ll tell you what got into me. You did. Your heart, your laugh, your smile, your caring soul. That’s what got into me. I don’t want to give you up for anything.”

“You don’t have to give me up,” she said. “I want you to have both. I want you to do your business—“

“Our business,” he corrected her.

“Don’t give anything up for me.”

“I’m not giving it up. I’m just making my priorities crystal clear, Nicole.”

She laughed and kissed him again and he kissed her back. When they’d broken off, she told him about the call from Danielle and firing Marcie.

“You took a stand,” Red said, shaking his head with admiration. “That’s my girl.”

“The wedding got blown so out of proportion,” Nicole said. “I don’t even know how it happened. I just let my head get filled with so many ideas and I stopped even making choices. This whole thing was supposed to be about us—you and me. I don’t care who else is there or what kind of cake we have.”

“What do you say we just skip town?” Red asked her, his eyes lighting up with familiar devilish mischief.

“Skip town? I don’t think I’ve ever heard that phrase used before, except maybe in an old black and white movie.”

“Yeah, let’s get out of here. Tonight. Right now, actually.” He grabbed her hand again and started to pull her as he picked up his pace.

“Where? Where will we go?”

“Anywhere!” he yelled.

***

As it turned out, “anywhere” meant Belize, a Caribbean island only a few hours away from New York by plane. It was one of the few places in Central America where English was spoken as the official language. Red told Nicole that he’d been there once before on business and had wished to go back someday with a special person.

Red handled everything.

He had flights arranged and resort accommodations booked by the time they’d packed their bags. Nicole hadn’t even realized how much she’d missed being taken care of by him, until she felt his warm, protective energy surrounding her once more.

After so many days of stress and tension, she was finally able to relax on the flight and went instantly to sleep with Red’s arm around her.

And then they were landing in Belize and being whisked away to Almond Beach Resort, a quaint, scenic beachfront lodge situated right near a small town. The town of Hopkins was full of little shops and cute, colorful houses and buildings.

When they arrived at their own bungalow at Almond Beach, Nicole could tell she was going to love it there.

She took a deep breath as Red dropped his bags and smiled at her. “Welcome to the first day of the rest of your life, Mrs. Jameson.”

“Are we going to really do it—elope here?”

“Do you want to?”

She nodded. “Yes.” Just saying it made her nervous, because that meant the ceremony was suddenly much closer than it had been just a day ago. Now instead of being two months away, it might be just a couple of days away.

“I need to apply for the wedding license,” he said, “and it will be a few days before we can get approved. But that’s good because I want to make sure everything’s just right for our day.”

“What does that mean?” she laughed. “Make sure what’s just right?”

“You’ll see,” he told her.

***

The next few days were gorgeous in every way. They would wake up late and lie in bed, laughing and talking and holding each other. They would literally run out the front door of their island bungalow and jump straight into the Caribbean, where Nicole would swim for a few minutes, and then come out and relax on the beach, slowly warming as the sun came up.

Red loved the water, and he would sometimes swim for an hour or more, going so far from shore that it made Nicole a little nervous—except that she knew he was an excellent swimmer.

Next, they would eat a light breakfast of fruit and coffee, after which it might be time to walk into town and browse the shops and eventually get a bite to eat.

The one rule both of them followed was to keep their cell phones off. They’d set their outgoing messages to explain to people that they were on their honeymoon and would only rarely check messages or email.

At night they would have a nice dinner and there was often music and dancing on the beach. The last two evenings Red and Nicole got slightly drunk, and after dancing and drinking like teenagers, went back to their bungalow and stripped naked, jumping into bed together and making slow, intense love.

Finally, on the fourth day in Belize, Red was up earlier than usual, and he woke her to tell her he was leaving for a few hours.

“I’ve got to go check on the license,” he told her, kissing her forehead as she blearily opened her eyes and looked up at him.

“Let me come with you,” she whispered.

He stroked her hair. “No, no. It’s going to be interminable, sitting in some stuffy office and waiting to fill out forms. I’ll be back in a few hours and I’ll call you if I get held up.”

Nicole sighed. “I love you so much. I can’t wait to be Misses Jameson.”

“I love you too.”

And then he left.

Nicole sat up in bed and yawned, wondering what she would do for the next few hours while Red was off trying to get the wedding license.

She went to the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. Nicole was surprised to see just how tan she’d gotten over the last couple of days. Her skin was brown and she was never brown. She was used to being pale.

But Nicole found that she liked how her skin looked right now, even though she knew that it wasn’t the healthiest long-term option.

She jumped in the shower and just did a quick wash and rinse, didn’t linger too long. And then she came out and changed into a pink two-piece bathing suit that she’d bought while walking through town with Red the day before yesterday.

A few minutes later, she went swimming, and then flopped onto the beach and lay down, dozing a little as the surf roared in her ears.

“Hello?” an accented voice called out from nearby.

Nicole started, opening her eyes. Had she been sleeping? She didn’t even know.

She looked up to see a small man dressed in the resort uniform, along with a tall woman standing at the door to the bungalow, knocking and calling out.

Nicole got up, brushing sand from her arms and legs. “Hi, can I help you with something?” she asked, jogging over to them.

The man, who must have been a porter, was holding a bunch of dark, long bags that were taller than he was. His arm strained to keep them from dragging on the ground.

Beside him, a tall, extremely thin woman had another large bag over her shoulder.

“Miss Masters?” the woman asked in a smooth, cultured voice.

“Yes?”

“I’ve been instructed to help you prepare for your wedding today.”

“You have?”

The little man was straining to keep the bags from dragging. “I would like to put these down somewhere safe.”

“Of course, come in.” Nicole opened the door and let them into the room. “Sorry for the mess,” she said.

The porter put the bags down on the bed and the woman tipped him something that must have been fairly generous, because he got a huge, white toothed smile on his face. “Congratulations, Miss,” he said to Nicole. “Good luck today!”

He hurried out the door.

“I’m really confused,” Nicole said. “Red didn’t tell me that anyone would be coming by to help me get ready. In fact, he’s out trying to see if we even can get a license to marry.”

The woman smiled patiently. “My name is Liz Eastman.” She held out her hand for Nicole to shake.

“Your name sounds vaguely familiar.”

“Those are my dresses,” she said, nodding to the bags on the bed.

Nicole gasped. “You’re the Liz Eastman?”

She’d heard of Liz’s clothing line, of course, but her brain had been too surprised to put two and two together. Liz Eastman was the designer of East End Fashion, and her dresses had been worn by the likes of Katy Perry and Rachel McAdams.

Liz Eastman was a huge name in the fashion world, and Nicole couldn’t believe that she’d come all the way out to Belize to personally help style Nicole for her wedding.

“So, we don’t have time for much talking,” Liz said, getting down to business.

“We need to look at these dresses and see if we can get you fitted properly.”

Liz walked to the bed and began unzipping the bags, taking the dresses out and hanging them in a nearby closet. Once they were all hanging, Liz and Nicole discussed which ones she should try on.

All of the gowns were exquisite.

Nicole had never even tried on something as expensive or beautiful as one of these gowns—which surely must have cost thousands and thousands of dollars.

She couldn’t believe Red had thought of this for their wedding. It made her so happy that he’d gone the extra mile—more than that, he’d brought someone halfway across the world for her.

Nicole first tried on a strapless, lace wedding dress. When she had it on, Liz made her turn around a few times and then began muttering and pulling it in different places. “This is quite beautiful on you,” Liz said. “But we can do better, I think.”

Next, she had Nicole try on an ivory tiered, silk gown that was like putting on a cloud. Everything was soft and flowing and Nicole actually said, “I feel like a princess in this,” which was the cheesiest thing she’d ever uttered aloud. Not to mention, she’d said it in the presence of one of the most amazing designers on the planet.

That was one of the more embarrassing moments of her life to date.

But the third time was truly a charm; a simple column wedding dress made from chiffon, with floral silver and glass beading. It hugged Nicole’s body as she walked, and was incredibly comfortable and form fitting, yet still romantic and elegant.

“It looks as if we’d spent years making alterations,” Liz said, clapping her hands.

“You just have the perfect body to carry off this dress. I’m simply amazed.”

Nicole was honored that Liz Eastman seemed so happy with how it looked on her.

“Now I must find hair and makeup,” Liz said. “Give me one moment.”

“Excuse me, did you just say hair and makeup?” Nicole called out, as Liz hurried from the bungalow.

Nicole was sitting in an incredibly expensive wedding gown and starting to sweat.

She wondered where Red was and what he had in store for her next. It was all too much.

And yet she had an enormous smile on her face because it was actually perfect, and she couldn’t have asked for more.

About ten minutes later, Liz Eastman returned to the room with another woman.

Apparently she was a very successful and sought after stylist who had a chic salon in Belize that catered to the very wealthy tourists.

Her name was Angela, and together, she and Liz went to work making Nicole into the very definition of a perfect bride—styling her hair, applying makeup, tweaking her dress and her appearance from moment to moment.

She felt like a living doll.

By the time they were done with her, nearly two hours had elapsed and they both seemed conscious that they needed to get her out the door.

“Where am I going?” she asked.

“Everything is taken care of. But we need to go,” Liz explained.

They walked her out the door of her bungalow and that’s when Nicole’s breath was taken away. A long, beautiful white carpet had been laid out from the door of the bungalow, all the way to the beach and almost to the ocean edge itself. There were rose petals strewn along the white runner. Standing at the end of it, right by the water, was a small group of people.

Nicole was laughing and crying.

“Here, take these and walk to your husband,” Liz whispered, handing Nicole a bouquet of flowers.

Music had begun softly playing. There were two violinists, a cellist, and a guitarist nearby, playing Pachelbel’s Canon as she walked down the isle.

Nicole was shaking her head in sheer awe of the situation. Red was standing in his black tuxedo, waiting for her at the end of the isle. Standing next to him was a tall, older gentleman in a gray suit. He had a small book in his hands and Nicole knew he must be the minister.

But standing just to the side of them were the only other two witnesses to the ceremony.

Danielle and Kane were there, as if they’d stepped into her dream. Danielle was wearing a gorgeous, violet gown, and Kane was wearing one of his dapper blue suits.

Somehow Red had gotten this all together for her—she didn’t know how he’d managed it. And she couldn’t believe he’d been so gracious as to allow Kane Wright to be there for something so intimate.

But then again, Red loved her, and maybe that was all there really was to it.

Nicole smiled at Danielle and Danielle smiled back at her with tears in her eyes.

Even Kane Wright, normally as cold as steel, was emotional. He grinned and blinked and she knew he was holding back the water works himself.

Finally, she reached Red and the two of them held hands, staring into one another’s eyes.

The minister took a breath and stood before them, opening his book. “We’re here on the beautiful day, in this tropical paradise, to witness something special between two people. I know that it’s special, because when I spoke with Red a few days ago, he explained what this ceremony meant to him. We had a long, surprisingly candid conversation about his life and the woman who came into his world and exacted a profound and moving change upon him.” The minister paused and looked at his tiny audience.

Red squeezed Nicole’s hands and she squeezed back, a recognition that they were in this together. His eyes were as kind and loving as ever, and Nicole knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that he would love her forever and she would love him back.

“Now we are here to help Red and Nicole enter into a sacred commitment, a lifetime commitment to honor and cherish one another through their spiritual growth as human beings. From Red’s poignant description to me, I know that their journey has already been undertaken, and that both of them are looking forward to taking the next steps as man and wife. So let us begin.”

The minister looked at Red now. “Do you, Red Jameson, take Nicole Masters to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?”

“I do.” Red said it with conviction, looking into Nicole’s eyes without wavering in the slightest.

The minister turned to Nicole and repeated the vow for her. “I do,” she replied.

“Please bring forward the rings,” the minister stated.

Danielle walked over and presented the rings.

The minister smiled. “Now place this ring on her finger, and say, “With this ring, I thee wed.””

Red placed the ring on Nicole’s finger and said the words. The band was a platinum band inlaid with diamonds, and it glittered on her finger. She nearly lost her breath when she saw it.

“And now your turn, Miss Masters,” the minister told her.

Danielle passed a simple gold band to Nicole, and then she slipped it on Red’s ring finger, saying, “with this ring, I thee wed.”

“I now pronounce you husband and wife. Please kiss the bride.”

And then Red did kiss her, and although they’d kissed so many times before, this time truly was different. Nicole hadn’t realized that it would actually feel this way, but she was now being kissed by her husband. Red Jameson was truly and actually her husband.

It was official.

***

Later that night, in a state of utter post-wedding bliss, Nicole could only seem to recall flashes of the previous hours spent celebrating with Red and Danielle and Kane.

Red kissing her on the beach as Danielle and Kane hooted and clapped.

The four of them on a coastal boat ride as the sun dipped in the sky, drinking champagne and toasting to love and life and friendship.

Danielle and Nicole laughing with each other as they watched their husbands try and go shot for shot with each other at the bar on the beach.

Dancing with the tourists and locals as the sun set and the music played and Nicole and Red held each other close, sometimes swaying to their very own rhythm.

Finally, bidding goodnight to the two people who’d shared this special day with them, Nicole and Red came back to their little island hideaway, craving one another’s bodies, craving each other’s touch.

Nicole was hot and sweaty from a day of celebration, and she’d changed from her beautiful wedding dress into tiny shorts and a bikini top. Red was also in shorts, and a black t-shirt that hugged his muscular frame.

The little bungalow was dark and muggy, and Nicole was certain that their skin would be sticky and hot and slippery when they finally lay close together in bed.

“You made this day perfect for me,” she whispered, lying across the satin sheets as he took off his sandals and came towards her, climbing onto the bed and pulling her to him, greedy for her as always.

“I had to wait all day and night to get you back here,” he growled. His hands slid up her bare legs and she shrieked with delight and anticipation.

Red began to kiss her feet, slowly, gently, savoring her skin against his lips.

“You taste amazing and I want to learn every bit of you with my mouth. I want to feel every curve, every pore of you. I’m going to study you the way Da Vinci studied the Mona Lisa before he painted her.”

His lips singed her bare skin and she moaned as he touched her again and again and again.

She was so wet. She was so loved. Her body was open to him to do with as he pleased. She trusted him completely and utterly, and she was totally unselfconscious in his presence.

Red took his time with her. He’d always taken his time in bed, but now more than ever he seemed to be taking pleasure in the waiting, the savoring.

It made Nicole so hot for him. She wanted him now, and she wanted to feel him inside of her, filling her completely, pressing down on her and letting her know that he was never going to leave her.

But she knew that this exquisite torture of waiting was part of Red’s love for her.

He touched and kissed her instep, her ankles, her shins and thighs. He spent a great deal of time licking and tasting her thighs, and sometimes it tickled and she squealed.

Yes, it tickled, but also it got her that much more wet because now he was so close to opening her fully and completely.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of wanting, Red slowly took down her shorts, beneath which Nicole was completely bare and slick. Her mound was swollen with desire.

“God, you’re sexy,” he whispered, as if in disbelief.

A man who’d been with some of the most beautiful women on the planet was looking at her body and counting himself lucky. Nicole didn’t quite know how that was possible, but she knew it was real.

She wanted him to kiss her down there, but first he kissed everywhere else. His lips touched her hips, and her belly and then her breasts. He sucked each nipple, insistently, as they stiffened and she cried out, her hips arching against him.

Finally, he kissed up her neck and then his mouth was on hers, tasting her tongue, his lips brushing hers as he found her again and again.

Red looked into her eyes as their tongues and lips connected with passion. She loved the way he tasted—minty, but also salty from kissing her skin.

His body was on hers now and she loved how his weight pressed against her, the way his muscular arms encircled her, a circle of protection from the rest of the world.

Nicole reached up and ran her fingers through his curly dark hair and smiled.

Red gazed lovingly into her eyes and she into his.

“Do you know that I’m the luckiest man alive? I’m even the luckiest man who ever lived. Even if I die tomorrow, I’ll have lived a full life because I met you—the woman of my dreams, my soul mate.”

“I feel the same way,” Nicole said. Her heart was pounding.

“I want to be inside of you all night,” he said, his eyes searching hers, as if he wanted to possess her, to get even closer than humanly possible.

“That would be amazing. I’m so ready for you, Red.”

“I want to feel how ready you are,” he rasped. And then his hand was working her entrance, opening her, his fingers sliding in.

“Oh, God,” she whispered, because she was already about to come.

“Nicole, I want you to be mine and now you are mine. We said our vows and now we’re going to be together always.”

“Always, you promise?” she said.

“Yes.” He slid himself into her, the hardness and fullness of him surprising her all over again—as if for the first time.

“Yes,” she said to him.

His breathing came in short gasps as he found the rhythm of her body, the movement her hips wanted to make against him. They began working against each other’s bodies in the darkness of the bungalow, in the heat of that tropical night.

Their bodies wrapped around one another, so close that nothing could come between them, their skin sticky and tacky with sweat and lust and their mouths joined by kisses.

That night, Red went deeper than she ever imagined possible.

And he went for a long time inside her, seeming to bask in the glory of possessing her body and her openness to him.

She came again and again, and eventually she lost track of how many climaxes, how many minutes they spent together.

Eventually she couldn’t tell where she ended and he began, but she could feel him giving her endless bursts of pleasure as he slid in and out, in and out, always finding a way to take her higher than the moment before.

And when he finally finished, she felt it go deep inside and she wrapped her legs tightly around him, locking her ankles and squeezing him deeper still.

“Oh, Nicole,” he whispered. “Nicole, my love, my love. I finally found you.”

***

Had it all been just a dream?

Nicole couldn’t believe how the time had flown since coming back from Belize.

It turned out that there was a price to pay for turning off cell phones for days and days on end.

And both of them were paying a high price indeed.

As soon as they got home, Red was back at the agency, working fifteen and even some eighteen-hour days.

As it turned out, Erikson Bikes had loved the pitch and given Red’s company a huge amount of work. They wanted him to help them roll out an entire new line of bikes and it meant print ads and TV ads and web advertising.

After a week of barely seeing her new husband, Nicole had come back to work as his executive assistant, and she’d been right by his side for many of those eighteen-hour days. It wasn’t easy, but it was exciting. They were, after all, building something together.

The days blended together and then became weeks. She hardly had time to return Danielle’s calls, let alone see her for lunch. Nicole didn’t see anyone, except for her coworkers and Red.

Eventually, she knew, things would slow down. Something would have to give.

And finally it did.

On a day like any other, everything changed yet again.

It was perhaps six or seven weeks after their wedding that Nicole got a very strange email.

It came in at just after seven in the morning, when she’d barely even managed to open her eyes. She was in the office, of course, because Red was coming in so early and he demanded it of everyone else. Besides, she was his assistant and his wife.

Still, at the moment in question, she was cursing the day he’d started this company.

Sipping her coffee and wishing the caffeine would hurry up and kick in, Nicole saw an email appear in her inbox with a familiar name attached.

Opening the email, Nicole found that her heart was now racing and she had an uneasy feeling in her stomach.

Dear Nicole,

I know you are probably surprised (and likely not in a pleasant way) to hear from me in this fashion. Not a day has gone by since my visit that I haven’t thought about my poor treatment of you.

And of course, I’m not proud of the way I treated my son, either.

The truth is that I was scared. I was scared because for the first time in Red’s life, he’d found a woman that he cared about more than me. I know that sounds silly and perhaps even sick.

But it’s the God’s honest truth and I feel I owe it to you to be honest.

I miss having my son in my life, Nicole. And I miss getting to know the daughter that I could have had, if I’d only been able to see past my own selfishness and insecurity.

I hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive me and perhaps allow for the possibility of me returning, in some small way, to play a part in your new family.

Hopefully this email finds you well. I am so happy to know that the two of you are married and starting your lives together.

I will wait to hear from you.

Love,

Erica

Nicole closed the email and turned away from the computer, suddenly aware that her stomach was churning and bubbling in a most unpleasant way.

“Oh, God,” she muttered, before leaning over and throwing up into her wastebasket beside her desk.

She quickly grabbed a tissue and wiped her mouth, crumpled it, and threw it in the basket.

Was it possible that reading that email from Red’s mother could have so upset her?

Nicole didn’t think so. In fact, as she considered it further, she realized that it had been too long since her last period. And this upset stomach was incredibly similar to what she’d experienced the last time…

She shook her head. No, she couldn’t allow herself to get her hopes up again.

But what if?

Nicole thought back to the wedding. It had been just about seven weeks now, and so it made sense from that perspective as well.

Heart pounding again—but this time for a different reason—she got up and ran from the office.

She went down the stairs two at a time, jogged about a block and a half to the nearest CVS, and bought a pregnancy test.

Even doing it, Nicole thought it was impossible. It was a coincidence, it had to be.

A few minutes later, she was in a stall in the office ladies room, peeing onto a stick and then sitting there, watching to see what came up.

Her forehead and armpits were sweaty from running down the street and back, and she was basically a mess at this point. But Nicole didn’t care about any of that—all she wanted to know was the answer to this one question.

Minutes later still, she was walking into Red’s office and closing the door behind her.

Red looked up from his computer, distracted. “Hey, what’s going on?”

Nicole was holding the pregnancy test in her hand, and she was shaking. “I threw up this morning,” she said.

“You—what?” His eyes suddenly took in what she was holding. Red stood up and pointed at the test. “Is that what I think it is?”

Nicole nodded slowly. “Red, I can’t believe it. I just can’t believe this happened.”

“Are you sure?” he asked.

“Look for yourself.”

He came around the desk and took the pregnancy test out of her hand, and looked at it, his mouth forming a smile, his eyes lighting up. “Oh my God. Nicole!”

“We’re pregnant,” she cried.

And then Red hugged her so tightly, and both of them were holding each other so tight, and laughing. There were some tears too, but they were tears of joy and relief.

“We’re going to have a baby,” she said, unable to believe the words were coming from her own mouth. “It’s happening.”

And Red squeezed her even tighter, and she knew that this was how it was supposed to be. But still, a tiny part of her wondered if she would be hurt again—if somehow, something would steal this happiness from her…

THE END

Stay tuned to read the final installment of Nicole and Red’s romance (Book 6), coming in August! And please read the message from Kelly Favor, below.

A Letter From Kelly Favor

Dear Readers,

I wanted to take a quick moment to thank you for your support. I’ve had the best time writing about Red and Nicole, and I’m so grateful that you’ve come along for the ride.

I am already hard at work on the next book, and your notes and encouragement keep me going – I promise, I am writing as fast as I can!

If you like the series, please consider leaving a review on For His Pleasure:

Book One. I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks again for reading, it means the world to me.

All the best,

Kelly Favor