A Silken Thread - Brenda Jackson [39]
“She was being friendly, Erica. Some people are just touchy-feely that way.”
She rolled her eyes. “Men are so clueless.” Then she said, “Trust me, I could tell, Brian.”
He shook his head. “Then you have to trust me and believe that the only woman I want in my bed, my life and my heart is you.”
He meant every word he’d just spoken and he intended to show her how true it was. She had never doubted his love before and he didn’t intend for her to start doubting it now. And he knew she was wrong about Donna. The only reason she wanted to take up time with him was because she was trying to get acclimated to the office. But since he was now a partner, they would be spending less time together anyway, so Erica’s concern was a moot point now.
He stood and began walking her up the stairs. “And just where are you taking me, Mr. Lawson?”
He smiled down at her. “Back to bed.”
“But I thought we were meeting your mom later for lunch.”
“We are, granted her plane didn’t get delayed again. When I spoke with her yesterday she was hoping to get a flight out today.”
He decided they had talked enough and before taking another step he leaned down and gave her the heated kiss they both needed and wanted.
“Here, drink this,” Lori Spencer said, shoving the glass of vodka into Rita’s hand. “You definitely seem to need it. And then as calmly as you can, please tell me what the hell happened.”
Rita took the glass and glanced up at the woman who was her dearest friend in the entire world. Always had been, even when the two of them were in grade school. They’d even attended the same college. The only time they’d really separated was when Lori had moved to Atlanta after college to attend law school.
Lori hadn’t stayed away from Texas too long, returning to the city she loved and landing a job as part of the Dallas Cowboys legal counsel. The woman actually bled blue and silver, and during football season could get just as rowdy as any male. But there was no mistaking—Lori was all woman. She was a beauty who didn’t look her age and had been a known cougar once or twice. In fact she was one now. Her current lover was eight years her junior.
Rita lifted the glass to her lips and then frowned. She glanced up at Lori. “It’s straight.”
Lori rolled her eyes as she took a chair at the table where Rita sat. “Is there a law against such a thing? Go ahead. It might grow some hair on your chest. But if you want to be a baby, just take a few sips.”
In a way Rita wished she could go back to infancy, and then she wouldn’t be in this mess. She took her first sip and the drink seemed to burn a hole in her lungs while going down.
“Now, tell me what happened that made you call asking that I pick you up from the airport instead of Brian, and then burst into tears as soon as you get into my car saying, ‘I should not have done it.’ What, pray tell, should you not have done?”
Rita swallowed, suddenly feeling as if her panties were too tight. Hell, that wasn’t the crux of her problem. The problem had started last night when she’d taken them off…or had let someone else take them off.
“Well?”
She took a quick sip of her drink and met Lori’s gaze. “I had an affair with a man.”
Lori stared at her for a second and then a slow smile spread across her lips. “About time. Did he have to use pliers to snip away at the fasteners?”
“Lori!”
“Well, hell, what do you want me to say? It had been how long? Fifteen years? Even Patrick would not have wanted you to go that long without getting laid. I never understood why you locked your stuff up and threw away the key. I would have gone pure crazy by now.”
Rita drew in a deep breath. “You haven’t heard everything, Lori.”
Lori raised a brow when she heard the tremble in Rita’s voice. “Hell, what did he do? Handcuff you to the bed? Blind fold you? Share you with a friend? What? What could have been so bad to put a downer on your face instead of a smile after fifteen years?”
“He’s married.” She hadn’t meant to blurt it out like that but once