I plopped down on the bed and stared at the floor. “I don’t want to talk about his money. That’s not who I am.”
“I know. Sometimes I wish you were more like that, though. I hate to see you going through all this. You’re his wife. Think about that for a minute. Let it sink in.”
At that, I laughed. “You think I haven’t? It’s the craziest thing I’ve ever done. Well, the shirtless lap dance might
be a close second.”
A booming sound had me taking the phone away from my ears as she responded. “What? You gave him a lap dance, and how come this is the first I’m hearing about this?”
I thought of the other man and woman who were there. He’d been the owner of the bar, and she’d been one of the dancers who had given me pointers. I had started to remember more of that little episode, too. I’d swayed my hips and then straddled Gabriel, grinding myself against his lap, my thighs gripping his legs as I pushed my breasts up toward his face. When I opened my buttons, he’d grinned and cupped my breasts through my black lace bra. Thank God I’d worn my best one.
“Yeah, I did do that.” Suddenly the room had grown warmer and a warm tingle spread throughout my body.
“Damn, girl. Sounds like I need a trip to Vegas. I don’t even have to have a billionaire; give me a man with a pulse and a decent bank account and I’ll pretend the rest.” Her luck with men had never been that great, but it had always been better than mine. She’d always had a boyfriend and plenty of men she talked to while I, on the other hand, had been living the life of a nun for far too long.
“I don’t know how I’m going to break it to my dad. I’ve worried about it all morning. That and what I’m going to do. I know I need to tell him, and the police, but once I do, it’s out there. It’s real.”
“You have to tell him. You’ll break his heart if he hears about it on TV first. Explain what happened and he’ll understand, eventually. Or at least, he’ll forgive you. You might want to leave out the part about the lap dance, though. I don’t think that’s going to sit well.”
Her hopeful giggle faded, and I smiled thinking how she always tried to find humor in bad situations to cheer me up. “It’s going to be okay, Lu. You’ll be home before you know it and it will all be over.”
That was the problem, though. A part of me didn’t want it to be over. Even though I knew I wasn’t his normal type, I hoped the spark of interest, whatever it was that made him marry me, would grow.
Chapter Twelve
Gabriel
The past few days had been super crazy with work. It wasn’t easy keeping up with things outside of my office, and the honeymoon suite’s coffee table was a horrible substitute for my desk.
I appreciated Luna’s help. Once she’d gotten over the initial shock of our marriage, she’d jumped right back into assisting me. We worked like a fine-tuned machine together and had both been on the phones and computer making sure things were delegated properly for the duration of our stay.
Finally, we were all caught up, and I leaned back against the sofa cushions as she passed me a cup of coffee.
I took the warm cup into my hands and smelled the aroma. “Thanks. Things should be set for a while, and I’m officially on vacation until this nightmare is over.”
As the phone rang, we exchanged a look. “Spoke too soon?” She winked at me and lowered herself to sit beside me. As she did, I admitted to myself that I liked her being near me.
I answered the phone to end the nagging sound. “Gabriel Grant at your service.” I flashed a wink at Luna as Mason said his hello.
“I’m back in town once again, and wouldn’t you know, the moment I arrived I got a call from our lovely duo of detectives. They need you to come in. There’s new evidence and since I’m on the way, we can all ride in together, assuming your driver is still on standby. I do hope he’s liked that room you put him in.”
“Good morning to you, too, Mason, and yes, he’s still on duty.” I glanced at Luna, who shook her head and smiled. I liked that we always had our own jokes and could hold conversations with glances. This time together was only strengthening that relationship.
“I’m sorry, Gabe; next time I’ll show up at your bedside and whisper it in your ear. I’m assuming your assistant still has you sleeping on the couch.”
“I’ve been up for hours, and I’ll have you know we’re being very diplomatic around here. Share and share alike and all that.” Luna’s giggle brought my eyes to hers, and she stuck her tongue out and made a face in reference to Mason. The two had never been that cozy, but I liked it that way. It was much more fun, and besides, I knew it was all in fun. Good-hearted bickering had always humored me.
“Well, tell her to be ready, too. It’s the perfect chance to get out of that room. The last thing I need is for her to get cabin fever and strangle you.” He paused a moment when I grew quiet. “Sorry, too soon?”
“Definitely too soon, but I’ll pass along your warmest wishes.” I ended the call and shot to my feet.
“What now?” asked Luna as she thumbed through her phone.
I took her hand and brought her to her feet. “We have to get dressed. Mason’s on the way to meet us to go downtown. There’s more evidence in.” I went to the bedroom, and she hurried in behind me, going for her suitcase.
“I can be ready fast, but I’m not sure I’ll be much to look at.”
She raked her fingers through her hair, and though it hung limp, she looked amazing. She was a natural beauty and very wholesome in her appearance, which turned me on. Her cheeks were rosy without rouge and her lashes dark enough that she didn’t need all the junk that the other women in my life had used. Even her lips were the perfect blush red, and I licked my lips, wanting a taste.