“Oh?” Jace cocked a skeptical eyebrow. “Lacey, if God looks upon everyone who has carnal knowledge of another to be married, the world is overpopulated with bigamists.” Katherine never recalled Jace sounding so bitter. Was he referring to their marriage? The pain in her heart was unbearable.
He continued to stare at Lacey closely, while she returned his look with an open invitation on her provocative lips.
Katherine felt alien and useless. She had to get out. Their intimate looks sickened her. She had interrupted a private interlude which they seemed eager to resume.
The picnic basket fell noisily to the floor. Spitefully, Katherine hoped everything would spill out and make a big mess. Maybe the wine bottle would break. As her hand touched the doorknob, Jace barked, “Katherine, where are you going?”
She looked at him with angry incredulity. Had he gone mad? Did he think she was going to stand here and witness his lust for—or love for—his former wife?
“I’m going home,” she stated coldly. “I only came out to bring you some lunch.”
“Now isn’t that—” Lacey started, but Jace cut her off.
“Thank you,” he said. His face hadn’t lost that harried look, but his perception never failed. He raked her body quickly with intuitive eyes. He knew her purpose for surprising him, and she flushed hotly. Her plans for an affectionate playtime between a husband and wife now seemed obscene.
“Maybe we can share it later,” he suggested.
“I don’t think so,” Katherine returned sharply.
Jace muttered an expletive under his breath. Every line and angle of his body radiated his agitation. “Well, don’t leave yet. I want to talk to you.”
Lacey hopped up onto the desk and crossed her legs. Her blue silk slacks tightly contoured her hips and legs. Through her beige crocheted top, Katherine could plainly see her lush, coral-tipped breasts. Jace, she thought miserably, could see them too.
“Isn’t Jace a dear husband, Katherine?” she purred. “When we were married, he barely left me alone for an hour at a time.”
“Lacey,” Jace grated.
“I still remember each time we made love, which was often,” she laughed. “He makes sex an event, doesn’t he?”
Katherine felt the bile rising at the back of her throat and longed to rush for the door and put as much distance as possible between her and those mocking brown eyes and sensuous mouth.
“Of course, ours was a love match and yours…” her cooing voice trailed off meaningfully. Katherine’s mind caustically completed the sentence. Had Jace found it necessary to explain the circumstances surrounding his hasty marriage to Lacey?
“Lacey, you’re dwelling on the past and that doesn’t concern Katherine in the least.” Was there a trace of warning in Jace’s tone?
“Oh, on the contrary, darling.” Lacey placed her hands on either side of her on the desk and lean
ed forward. Her heavy breasts dangled in front of her like luscious ripe melons. “I think Katherine would find it extremely interesting to learn that we divorced over the topic of children.”
She took her eyes off of Jace and settled them on Katherine condescendingly. “You see, Jace has this big hang-up about families. As soon as we married, he started in on me to have babies.” She pouted. “I wanted him all to myself for a while.”
“Lacey, I’m—”
She leaned back negligently and swung her legs back and forth in front of the desk like a pendulum. She ignored Jace’s threatening interruption and continued, unaffected by his growing anger.
“Isn’t it lucky that he acquired a ready-made family by marrying you?” Her smile was brilliant, revealing sharp white teeth.
Katherine gnawed her lower lip. She refused to allow herself to break down in front of Lacey or Jace. When he made a move toward her, she jerked away from him. Everything Lacey was saying was the truth, but somehow hearing it verbalized by this gorgeous woman who had been married to Jace, lived with him, slept—
Katherine shuddered. That he must have told Lacey about their personal life was an unforgivable insult. Maybe she was standing here listening to Lacey because she subconsciously sought punishment. She had been foolish to get into this marriage in the first place. Then she had gone one step further and fallen in love with Jace when she knew it was hopeless. She had come to trust him. That was her most ruinous mistake. She should have known better. Hadn’t Mary loved and trusted Peter too?
“Knowing how Jace loves the family image and all, how could he not volunteer to rear poor, dear Peter’s little baby girl? However, it’s just like Jace to sacrifice everything for a noble cause.”
“Shut up, Lacey.” Jace turned toward the woman and impaled her with blue eyes that were sparking with anger. Naturally he was angry. Lacey was pointing out the unfortunate details of his marriage, and they rankled him, especially since he was obviously still in love with his ex-wife.
“Well, leave it to you, darling, to make the best of a bad situation.” Lacey studied her manicured fingertips with absorbing concentration. “I mean getting Katherine that little job of hers was so generous of you. Of course, the busier you keep her, the less time you’ll have to spend with her.”
Lacey’s last words pierced Katherine like a spear. Involuntarily her muscles twitched, and she turned to Jace in fury. “You!” she cried. “What did you do to get me my job?”