“I’m serious,” I warned. “She’s gone after FDA approval.”
He laced his fingers through mine and pulled me in for a kiss. “Deal.”
It should have felt like a win, but it didn’t.
CHAPTER 31
NEENA
Something had changed with William. I sensed it in our morning team meeting, the way his gaze stubbornly stayed at different points around the room but never in my direction. I saw it in his doodle along the edge of his notebook during my group visualization exercise. I felt it in the silence that followed my text messages, his chatty behavior suddenly reduced to a stony quiet.
I watched him warily and tried to understand the source of the chill. Was it Matt? Guilt over our kisses? Cat? I pulled up her social media profiles and scanned the posts, looking for a hint. Club events. Charity galas. Professional-quality photos of her morning coffee, their gardens in the back. A new pair of heels, the angle not-so-innocently including a glimpse of their walk-in closet, the racks of color-coordinated shoes lit and displayed like jewels on velvet shelves.
“I need to see you in the boardroom.” William spoke from my office doorway, his tone curt. Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked down the hall, heading for the private conference room.
Closing the internet browser, I grabbed my phone and notebook and followed. I glanced both ways down the hall, making sure no one saw me, then went in.
“Close the door behind you.” He stood by the windows, his hands in his pockets.
I did, then moved hesitantly into the room, preparing for whatever he was upset about. My best defense, I decided, would be to blame everything on—
“Cat told me you’ve had an abortion. Is that true?” He turned to me, his gaze sharp, and I floundered, the accusation one that I hadn’t anticipated.
“Uh—yes.” Out of everything I had done, the procedure had barely registered in my history, and I tried to piece together what he must be thinking and how that nosy bitch had found out. “I—”
“I don’t care about the abortion. Do what you want with your body, but it does bring into very clear focus that you’re a disloyal wife. I don’t need to be romantically seduced, Neena. We’re two adults here. If you want me to have sex with you, just say so.”
I cleared my throat, trying to understand the stiff brace of his shoulders, the curtness in his words. He was an alpha male. He should want the chase, the game. I looked at the floor and tried to readjust my strategy. “I’m ... not sure what to do. I’ve never felt—”
He moved closer until he was directly before me and forced my chin up, my eyes on his. “Cut the crap, Neena. I don’t buy your sweet-and-innocent routine. Either youwantthis or. You. Don’t. Which is it?”
“I want it,” I whispered.
“Fine.” He dropped his hand from my chin. “Skirt up. Panties down. And if you feel the need to scream, don’t.”
CHAPTER 32
CAT
I perked up at the view of delivery trucks and vehicles at the Vanguards’ house, ready for my summer of isolation to end. Turning into our driveway, I waited for the gate to open and placed a call to Kelly.
It was answered midyell, her voice rising as she lectured her son on sunscreen, then huffed out a hello.
“Looks like they’re prepping the house for you. When are you coming home?”
“In six days, and I tell you, Cat—I’m looking forward to it. I’m done with South America. Next year, I told Josh, we need to go to Paris. Don’t they always say Paris in the summer?”
“I thought you hated Paris.”
She blew out an annoyed breath. “Whatever, we’re just not coming back to Colombia. It’s like they’re unfamiliar with the concept of flat steamed milk.”
“Sounds like a rough life.”
“Oh, shut up. You’re as spoiled as the rest of us; you just hide it better. But yes, we’re coming back Friday and shipping the horses over tomorrow. Don’t say anything snarky, but one of them has my name on it. I just couldn’t resist his big doe eyes.”
I laughed, and the cold rock in my chest warmed slightly at the idea of her return.
“Once we get back, I’m thinking a party is in order. Something casual, maybe just a few couples over for the Stanford game.”