Return to You (18 page)

"I hung it in the first dressing room."

Lainie frowned. "Dress?"

Eve smiled. "You didn't expect fairy godmother
Olivia to let you go off on this date without the proper attire,
did you?"

"But—"

"No buts." Olivia pointed to the dressing area. "Go
change."

Lainie tipped up her chin. "I expect to pay you back
for the dress."

Olivia rolled her eyes. At least she didn't have to
worry about Lainie not being stubborn enough to stand up to Parker.
"Of course. We aren't running a charity, after all."

A grin spread across Lainie's face and she hurried
like a child running to open Christmas presents. Several minutes
later there was a squawk.

"You okay in there?" Olivia called back. This was
the part where Lainie declared she couldn't wear the dress and they
had to convince her she looked marvelous in it.

Lainie came out of the double doors with a slightly
shocked look on her face. She stopped in front of a mirror and
stared wide-eyed at herself.

The dress could almost be called modest. It wasn't
tight, it had long sleeves, and the hem hit only a couple inches
above Lainie's knees.

But the plunging neckline and slit on the side that
revealed to her hip made the dress sassy, as did the crimson color.
It was a dress to seduce.

Lainie turned around, her gray eyes sparkling. "I
love it!"

Olivia blinked. "You do?"

"It's perfect. I can't thank you two enough for
finding it for me." She smoothed the silk on her hips.

Olivia stared at her critically. Hair was good,
lipstick needed touch up. "You are wearing some of your new
underwear, right?"

Lainie gave her a suffering look. "Yes."

"Freshen your lipstick and let's get you home."

"I'm meeting Everett at the restaurant," she said as
she rifled in her purse.

"He's not picking you up?" Olivia asked
indignantly.

Lainie shook her head. "I thought it'd be easier to
meet him there." She pulled out her lipstick and went to a mirror
to put it on.

"Next time, make him pick you up."

"Yes, ma'am." Lainie grinned at her from in the
mirror. "Wish me luck."

"You don't need it," Eve assured her. "He's going to
drop to your feet."

"You two are the best." Lainie gave them brief,
enthusiastic hugs and strode to the door, which opened right before
she reached it.

Michael held out his arms to keep Lainie from
running into him. "Whoa. Elaine. You look stunning."

She blushed and smiled at him. "Thank you."

"You're going to break hearts tonight." He kissed
her on the cheek and held the door open for her.

For a moment, Olivia warmed at the way he put Lainie
at ease. Then she remembered the bastard didn't tell her he was
almost done with the movie. Her jaw tightened until she thought the
muscles would snap.

"Well, I've got to get home." Eve stood up. "Give me
a call tomorrow, Olivia."

"Sure thing."

"Bye, Michael." Olivia could see a hint of pity in
the smile Eve gave him.

Michael nodded but his eyes never left her face. She
could feel his confusion. The door clicked shut before Michael
said, "What's wrong?"

She didn't beat around the brush. "When were you
going to tell me you're almost done shooting the movie?"

He grimaced and ran a hand through his hair. "We
still have a bit left to do. We haven't shot the opening scenes,
and then the promotional shoot—"

He stopped abruptly. Probably
because of the look on her face that said
like I give a fuck.

He heaved a sigh. "Olivia, you knew this wasn't
going to last."

"That's not the issue. I just thought I'd hear it
from you rather than everyone else."

"Olivia." He reached for her and she reluctantly let
him pull her into his arms. He ran a hand over her hair, down to
the nape of her neck, which he rubbed soothingly. "I'm sorry I
didn't tell you. I should have, but it just seemed like if I
didn't—"

Her forehead felt drawn tight. "What?" If he didn't
he wouldn't have to deal with it?

He shook his head and kissed her, so softly it was
like a whisper against her lips. "Let's not ruin the time we have
left by fighting, okay?"

She started to tell him to shove it but he quickly
covered her mouth with his. Before she realized it, she was kissing
him back with matched fervor.

Much later back in his room, she lay in his arms,
listening to him breathe peacefully in his sleep and remembering
the giddy look of happiness on Lainie's face. The lucky woman was
just starting her romantic adventure.

For Olivia, it was the beginning of the end.

Chapter Twenty-eight

Parker sipped his scotch, his eye trained on the
door. He glanced at his watch. Ten minutes till she arrived.

He felt an unfamiliar twinge around his midsection.
After some reflection, he realized it was nerves.

He shook his head and took another calming sip. He
hadn't felt nervous since he first started in the movie industry
thirty-seven years before. He hadn't even felt anything remotely
anxious the first time he ran into Lily—literally. When he met
Lily, he'd just felt a calm sureness that she was meant to be
his.

With Elaine he felt anything but calm.

He didn't know what possessed her to demand to be
taken out, but he hoped after this evening she'd snap out of this
strangeness and go back to being the efficient, unobtrusive
assistant he relied upon. Not that she wasn't still efficient, but
she was far from unobtrusive. She'd taken permanent residence in
his mind. Even when she wasn't around he wondered where she was and
what provocative thing she was wearing now.

The door opened and she walked in. Her hair was
rumpled from the wind. Even when they worked well into the night on
a deadline her hair was always picture perfect. Now, it looked soft
and touchable like she'd just rolled out of bed.

He shot back the rest of his scotch. One thing he
didn't need to do was think about what Elaine looked like just out
of bed.

He watched her as she scanned the restaurant. When
her gaze fell on him, she smiled.

His gut clenched. He couldn't remember anyone
smiling at him like that. Not in twenty-five years since Lily
died.

"Hello," she said when she reached the table. Her
voice sounded the same as always, a little low and husky, but
tonight it grabbed him and refused to let go.

He stood up. "You're early."

"So are you."

He helped her out of her coat and handed it to the
host who waited patiently beside their table. He pulled out her
chair and froze as he noticed what she was wearing.

Her dress was red silk, simple and elegant. It
revealed quite a bit of cleavage, which he could have dealt with on
its own. After all, he'd been dealing with it for weeks now. But
when she sat down, the skirt fell away, revealing a length of
creamy skin almost to her hip. His mouth went dry and he felt a
strange dizziness he attributed to drinking his scotch too fast on
an empty stomach.

She was devious. She'd been hiding this side of her
from him and he didn't like it one bit. Then he looked down and saw
her shoes—the sensible, quality shoes she always wore—and felt
relief. It was comforting to know that underneath the seductive
Elaine the Elaine he was most familiar with still existed.

He sat down, feeling like he was on more stable
ground than before. "Can I order you a drink?"

"A glass of wine would be nice, thank you."

He gazed at her while he waited for the server to
come, noticing for the first time Elaine's nervousness. It was in
the way her brows creased and the tension in her shoulders. He was
shocked at the impulse to take her hand and reassure her so he
could see her smile again.

"Your dress is lovely."

He was as surprised to hear himself say it as Elaine
appeared to be. "Thank you."

"Red becomes you. You should wear it often."

She blushed charmingly. "Olivia tells me the same
thing."

Ah. So it was his daughter who was making this
profound difference in Elaine. He wasn't sure yet if he should
thank her or curse her. "You and Olivia have gotten close."

"It wasn't difficult. Olivia is wonderful. You're
fortunate to have a daughter like her. She'll realize how much you
love her and come around," Elaine said sagely. "Just give it
time."

Her gaze seemed to see right through him. It made
him uncomfortable. He wanted to tell her this was a mistake. He
wanted to leave, to go back to LA and establish the old
boundaries.

Then her hand covered his. It was slightly chilled
and he instinctively reversed their grip so he could warm it.

Elaine's eyes widened, pure beautiful gray. She
smiled at him. When she smiled at him like that he could almost
believe he could be a better man.

The waiter unobtrusively brought them menus. "Can I
bring you anything to drink?"

"We'd like a bottle of—" Parker studied Elaine. He'd
thought a cool bottle of white would suit her best, but now he was
tempted to order something darker and spicier. "A bottle of Chateau
Margaux. The 1969."

"Yes, sir."

Parker felt the waiter slip away but his attention
remained focused on the woman across from him.

"Is this a special occasion?" Her thumb rubbed a
soothing path on his palm.

"That remains to be seen." The measuring look she
gave him, simultaneously open and coy, caused a thrill of
excitement to course through him.

The waiter returned. As he opened the bottle for
inspection, he rattled off the specials for the day. To get rid of
him, Parker quickly ordered for the two of them. He wanted Elaine
alone so he could puzzle her out.

She pulled her hand out of his. He frowned but
didn't say anything until the waiter left. "Is something the
matter?"

"Let's get one thing straight." She lowered her
voice and leaned closer to him across the table. Her cheeks were
flushed and her eyes glittered. "You may be my boss in the office,
but on personal time, we are equal. I'm capable of ordering for
myself."

"Elaine, I had no idea you were so—"

"What?"

Passionate. "Pro-feminism."

"Being treated respectfully has nothing to do with
feminism."

He tipped his head in concession. "Agreed. I
apologize if I offended you."

He could practically see the ire drain out of her.
"Just don't do it again."

"A toast?" He raised his glass up. She followed
suit. "To the unexpected."

He saw the momentary surprise on her face when the
wine hit her palate. He watched the surprise turn to general
enjoyment and then pleasure. "You like it."

"You knew I would." She dabbed her lips with her
napkin.

"Do you know me so well?"

She gazed at him thoughtfully. Finally she asked,
"Truthfully?"

He cocked a brow. "You don't think I want the
truth?"

She laughed softly and he felt it in the pit of his
stomach. "Not if it's something you disagree with."

Touche. "Tell me."

"I know you better than anyone else."

He was saved from having to digest that tidbit by
their salads arriving. He directed the rest of the conversation
carefully. He didn't need any more revelations, not until he could
think about what she said.

At the end of dinner, he helped her into her coat,
his hands lingering on her shoulders longer than necessary. With a
touch on the small of her back, he guided her through the
restaurant and out the door.

The wind whipped at them and Parker
instinctively pulled Elaine close to block her from it. She faced
him. As she stared into his eyes, he could read her thoughts like
they were broadcast.
Kiss me.

"What are we doing here, Elaine?"

He wished he hadn't asked when her smile faded. She
tried to pull away but he held her next to him. He needed to see
those clear gray eyes.

"I just thought—" She broke off and stared at him.
Finally, she whispered, "Don't you want to be here?"

No, he didn't want to be here. He wanted to be in a
big bed with her under him.

Her hair tickled his chin and he pulled her closer.
She smelled like wildflowers. He didn't expect that. Wildflowers
were unrestrained and hedonistic.

"How is it you've escaped my notice for so long?" He
traced the edge of her hairline and caressed her cheek with the
back of his fingers. Soft.

Her mouth dropped open as he brushed her lower lip,
but she said nothing.

He shook his head. "This is impossible."

"What is?"

"How can I resist you when your eyes are begging me
to kiss you?"

In her guileless way, she asked, "Why resist?"

He studied her. "Why indeed?"

The first taste of her lips felt refreshing, the
second was intoxicating. He watched her eyes close as she twined
her arms around his neck and gave herself to him.

He stood in shock for a moment, taken away by how
selflessly she gave herself. He wanted to push her away and berate
her for opening herself up to such danger. At the same time, he
wanted to hold her tight and keep her to himself.

He felt something he hadn't in a long time: humbled.
He closed his eyes and savored the moment.

Chapter Twenty-nine

"Ms. Adams, where should these hors d'oeuvres
go?"

"The hors d'oeuvres table would be the best spot."
Lainie pointed to one of the tables lining the far right wall.

"Okay. Thanks."

She smiled at the server. Incompetent questions
couldn't get her down today. Not even the fact that Sophie
Martineau, star of the movie and the belle of the ball, hadn't
shown up yet, could burst her bubble. Life was good and she
intended on reveling in it.