Chapter 1

1

They moved around each other with the skill of practiced dancers, weaving from bathroom to bedroom to closet to bedroom again in the seasoned steps of partners, long accustomed to the other’s timing. Neither spoke. In the rush of getting ready for the party, neither had anything to say to the other.

Jenny Rohm leaned over the bathroom sink, her face inches away from the mirror as she finished applying her lipstick. It was the third color she’d selected, but her indecision was due more in part to her apathy about the upcoming evening than making the right fashion choice. She didn’t want to go to this thing. Hell, Bryan knewshe didn’t want to go. But as was par for the course when it came to his work and its social requirements, Jenny went along with it anyway. She got dressed up, and she followed the rules, and she smiled and pretended to care about what the windbags Bryan called colleagues were talking about. Then, when it was all over, there would be the obligatory fuck because Bryan was too wired to sleep without it, and she’d go out to watch Nick at Nite in the living room while he crashed on their bed. It was the way it went. Nothing had changed in the four years they’d been back together.

She pressed into the vanity when he came in behind her, getting out of his way as he scooped up the cufflinks he’d left on the counter. There was no hesitation in the careful swipe of her lipstick as Jenny watched him through her thick lashes, tracking his entrance and exit in the mirror. He did look good in his tux. That was a definite perk to these things. All those years of high school and college basketball still paid off. Maybe she could talk him into breaking routine and fucking before he undressed later.

Alone in the bathroom once again, Jenny capped her lipstick and stepped away from the mirror to appraise her appearance. Her thick chestnut hair was pulled up into a messy twist, with loose tendrils curling along her nape and cheeks, while her smoky makeup highlighted her dark eyes and full mouth. She didn’t need more than a hint of blush for her creamy skin, thank God. The dramatic palette would have been overwhelmed by any more color.

Her gaze scanned downward. She only had one formal dress for these occasions, but it had served her well in the two years she’d owned it. A deep midnight blue, the matte jersey gown clung to her generous curves before flaring into a soft sweep at her calves. The beaded collar on the halter neckline covered her throat, but the deep slit between her full breasts usually drew the most attention. Sexy without being slutty, Bryan had decreed when she’d brought it home.

“Ready?” he called from the other room.

As I’ll ever be. With one last glance in the mirror, she strode out to join him.

He waited at the door of their apartment, head bowed as he checked his watch against the clock in the DVD player. “We should be good with traffic,” he said when she entered. “Mr. Portman insisted everyone be there within half an hour of the party starting.”

Jenny nodded as she grabbed her wrap, though her brain was working overtime trying to remember which one Portman was.

“TDC’s CFO.” Bryan’s gentle smile made her flush when she realized he’d noticed her confusion. “The boss of my boss? You met him at the Labor Day picnic last year.” When he didn’t get an immediate recognition, he added, “He told us he and his wife met in high school too.”

“Oh, that’s right.” It was a lie. She had a bitch of a time keeping all the people Bryan worked with straight. They all dressed the same, talked the same, complained about the same politicians. Hell, she wasn’t even sure what his company did, though at least she knew he was an accountant of sorts there. Most of the time, it wasn’t a big deal. After all, it wasn’t like Bryan or any of his colleagues knew how to put together a ‘64 Thunderbird. It only bothered her when she was forced to mingle with people who thought her lack of a college education meant she didn’t have a brain.

“So what exactly is this shindig for again?” she asked as they walked out to the car. Her wrap hung loose in her hand. It was only May and already Los Angeles was beginning to swelter. Even the cooling dusk did little to temper the heat.

“I’ve told you this.” His tone was mildly annoyed, and Jenny had to bite her tongue not to snap about it. He was right. He hadtold her. She even remembered being curled up on the couch eating Chinese takeaway from the container when the subject had first been brought up. Of course, the fact that she also remembered theAmerican Choppermarathon playing at the same time didn’t bode well for how close she’d been listening to Bryan.