She was already turning her boss toward the east wing where she’d set up the ladies’ parlor, one palm held in his direction. “Talk to the hand, Mr. President.”
Yep, there was his Augustine. Proper when she needed to be…but otherwise quick to send a guy her proverbial middle finger.
Once the two ladies were gone, Roman turned to Zack. “What the fuck?”
Zack held up his hands. “You do not want to know. Where is the Scotch?”
The door opened again and the rest of the party streamed in.
“She had no right to say those things,” Gabe muttered.
“Oh, really?” Everly faced off with her husband. “After everything he’s done? Screw you, Gabe.”
When she turned and flounced out of the room after Gus and Liz, Gabe shook his head, looking incredulous. “I don’t get why she’s so angry. Everly knows why Zack has to distance himself from Liz.”
Lara stood next to Connor, her eyes wide. She looked down the long hall as the other women walked away.
Zack turned to the only remaining female in the room. “Lara, you talked to Liz. Could you please tell me what’s going through her head? And Gus. I know Gus is planning something.”
Lara’s lips formed a stubborn line.
Connor put a hand on his wife’s hair. “Princess, it’s okay. You’re helping your friends by talking to us. We simply want to make sure they’re all right.”
Connor was high if he thought that woman was going to talk.
Lara broke away. “I’m so sorry, babe. Down with the patriarchy!”
Lara turned and jogged after her friends.
“I told you. Augustine is a terrible influence,” Roman reminded. “We’re damn lucky Dax took Holland on a honeymoon to that bed and breakfast in Maui or she would be right there with the other women. Lara’s lost to the dark side now. Accept it and move on, buddy. No one’s getting any tonight.” He put a hand on Zack’s shoulder. “Let’s get you a drink and catch you up. I think we’ll be safe in the study.”
“Call it what it really is. The doghouse. We’re all sharing it,” Zack pointed out. “I’m the most powerful man in the freaking world and one blonde can still make me tuck my tail between my legs.”
Roman leaned in. “Well, you wanted to know what it’s like when a woman knocks you on your ass. This is it.”
Zack marched to the study, holding up his middle finger and muttering how badly he needed a drink.
Roman sighed and prayed they would all survive the next few days.
CHAPTER THREE
Two hours later, Gus hugged Everly as she and Lara prepared to return to their rooms—and their husbands.
“Why don’t you come to the dinner thing tonight?” Everly asked. “Gabe would love to spend time with you.”
And then she would have to watch Darcy the Ever Perky plaster herself to Roman’s side. No, thanks. “Liz and I need to finish some work tonight. I’ve got details for a morning meeting to prep and review with her. But tell Gabe I expect some time with the two of you.”
Everly glanced back to the cluster of comfortable chairs where Liz and Lara were talking with hand gestures and frowns. “Is she all right?”
Gus doubted that very much. Oh, Liz put on a big smile because they hadn’t been alone, but she rather thought her friend was running on pure Southern charm and old-fashioned gumption. “She’s a professional.”
“Zack is…” Everly began, then stopped and her jaw tightened. “Well, he’s being a stubborn ass, but I’m sure Zack thinks he’s doing the right thing by not letting her quit.”
Gus agreed since no reasonable man would want to keep an angry woman around. Normally, she’d snoop until she could confirm her suspicion, but she couldn’t call Holland and ask her sister-in-law to break trust with her brother, especially during their honeymoon. She hated to ask Lara for roughly the same reason. Her affection for the quirky girl had grown over the last few days, so she hated to put Lara in a position that might threaten her marriage. Everly understood something else was going on behind the scenes, but she wasn’t talking. Gus gave Gabe’s wife the side eye. She might be able to break Everly, massage and maneuver her into coughing up whatever information she had. Maybe. But she didn’t try. Not only was she getting soft, Gus was beginning to wonder if she could live with the answers.
It was precisely why she held back from everyone except Liz. She couldn’t risk them, couldn’t ask those women to choose between her investigation and their husbands.
She was fairly certain Roman wouldn’t give an inch. He’d press whomever until he got exactly what he wanted, but she’d decided a long time ago that she would never sell her damn soul the way he had.
After a pause, she gave Everly her blandest smile. “I’m sure that’s exactly what Zack thinks. Of course you know that’s not true, right? Liz has offers from some of the best PR firms in the country, so holding her back is actually hurting her bottom line, and I don’t understand what possible reasoning he could have.”
She studied Everly, watching the way the redhead tensed. Everly was good, but she was also emotionally invested. She squeezed Gus’s hand in a way that told Gus she hated being less than honest. But Everly, Lara, and even Holland knew something she and Liz didn’t. Gus had been certain of that for months, and it probably had everything to do with the men they were married to.
The Perfect Gentlemen loved to keep their secrets.
“There might be a lot going on behind the scenes you don’t understand,” Everly hedged.
Yes, there obviously was. “But it’s nothing you can talk about. I understand and I’m not going to ask any of you to break trust with your husband. But Liz and I aren’t married to a man from the inner circle. I know everyone would love for us to have blind faith, but I’ve been burned by one of them before. Tell Zack it would be better for everyone if he let Liz go. I don’t know what he’s up to, but all his caveman power play will accomplish is to crush her, and I won’t stand for that. Tell him he can deal with Liz fairly or he’ll be dealing with me.”
Everly cursed under her breath. “If I hadn’t promised…”
Gus held up a hand. “I know. Believe me, I do.”
Everly and Lara left the parlor to get ready for dinner. And perhaps to yell at a couple of men.
Gus handed Liz her Grey Goose gimlet and started to pour one for herself. She was damn happy she was a p
lanner because she wasn’t sure what she would do if she had to mix the drinks herself right now.
Even hours after her encounter with Roman her hands were still shaking, her body still hot. What the hell had almost happened? She could still feel the heat from his big form brushing hers, making her nipples hard and aching. He’d come so close to meshing their mouths together again after so many long, empty years. Even after she’d promised herself that she’d never let him close again.
But had she pushed him away? No. She’d stood there and almost let him kiss her.
Nope. She wasn’t going to lie to herself. If Darcy hadn’t barged in, she would have welcomed him. Her brain had switched off in that moment, and all that had mattered was being close to him once more. The years had melted away and she hadn’t cared that he was an ass of massive proportions who didn’t deserve her.
Ugh, her female parts had no sense when it came to that ruthless, disgusting, no-good, dickless bastard. Well, that wasn’t exactly true. She’d felt the brush of his cock against her earlier and had never quite forgotten what he could do to her with it… But the rest of her assessment? Spot on. Roman Calder hadn’t changed one bit. He still had the whole Madonna/whore view of women. He wanted the whore in his bed, tucked away from prying eyes. That would be her role. And he’d obviously selected the annoying, way-too-perky Darcy as the perfect arm candy to show off to the world.
Fucker.
“I hate him,” Liz said, staring into her glass.
“I do, too.” Both of them. Normally she adored Zack, but Roman was finally proving to be a terrible influence on him. His chief of staff and bestie had taught him how to take something good, crap all over it, set it on fire, then have the gall to wonder what the hell had gone wrong.
“I didn’t drink too much on the plane.” Liz sighed and sat back. “Oh, I have now and I’m sure I’ll pay for it tomorrow, but I had one vodka on the flight right before we landed. He decided that was some kind of sign that he couldn’t let me out of his sight. He forced me into his car and gave me the most ridiculous lecture about being professional and…let’s just say the man is not professional. He’s insane and he can’t keep doing this to me. I quit.”