Chapter 76

Drake scanned the semi-full banquet room a third time. Still no Zoe. Nauseated, anxiety-laden, he took a sip of whiskey and pretended to listen to Pete as he blathered about a workshop he'd attended.

People from the conference floated from table to table in the pre-dinner moments. It was like a jacked-up charity function with all the black ties and sequined dresses. White linen cloths and flower arrangements. An instrumental orchestra played annoyingly droll music in a corner. Drake would rather say screw it and head back upstairs. Strip Zoe down to nothing and lose reality inside her soft, hot body.

And never resurface.

When he'd awoken this morning, she had already been dressed and sitting by his hip in bed, holding coffee. She'd been so damn distant and aloof his heart had stopped. They'd attended separate workshops and then went out to lunch. Blessedly, from there, she'd begun to act more normal.