By the time they collapsed in their chairs around the table one of the more exclusive restaurants had held for them, Kia was exhausted. Her feet were throbbing, and the wine she had with her meal had her smothering a yawn.
"I've had enough, Ella," Kimberly moaned as she sat back in her chair and stared at her empty wineglass balefully. "If I have one more drink, or have to enter one more store, Jared is going to have to leave the office and cart me home. He won't be pleased, you know." Her nose wrinkled mischievously. "Maybe."
Kia smiled at that knowing addition to her declaration.
"I've had it, too." Jaci glared at Ella. "Cameron didn't tell me you were worse than a drill sergeant when you went shopping. He's supposed to know these things."
"Cameron knows." Courtney laughed. "Ian sent him and Chase to tag along several times last year when the negotiations on some piece of property got nasty. They swore the next time Ian drafted them as bodyguards, they were quitting."
"Oh, but they were definite eye candy," Kimberly drawled. "Dark and fierce, and oh so sexy."
"Hey, one of those dark, fierce, oh-so-sexys belongs to me," Jaci protested with a good-natured laugh. "How the hell am I supposed to look him in the eye without cracking up when I get home if you sit and sigh over him? Sigh over your own hunks."
"That, dear, is the fun in shopping with us." Ella reached over and patted her hand playfully. "You get to snicker when you get home, and he'll wonder exactly why you're so amused. It keeps them on their toes."
"Yeah, and we get to watch Ella blush every time we talk about James's hard abs." Courtney laughed back at the older woman. "We managed to get pictures when he was working out at the club pool one day."
And Ella did blush, to the roots of her hair. "You girls are evil," she hissed playfully. "Evil."
Laughter filled the table then.
"I love it when we manage to slip something on them." Kimberly's low laughter was fond, affectionate. "They're such men."
"James did not love it when he found out about those pictures," Ella moaned. "He pouted for weeks."
They laughed as Kia smiled at the byplay.
"Cameron thinks all of you are insane," Jaci accused them. "I think he's terrified of you."
"He should be," Ella charged. "You should remind him, I've known him for many, many years. He and his brother both. There's not much they've done that doesn't get around eventually."
Kia lowered her head, terrified by the thought of showing too much interest at this point. She wanted to hear more, needed to hear more.
Jaci said no more, though, and the subject changed again, and once again when Kia finished her wine and stood up.
"Ladies, I'm calling it a day," she told them before turning to Ella as she rose as well. "Thank you for having me along."
"We'll make certain we kidnap you again next time." Ella laughed before hugging her warmly. "Tell your mother I said hello, and I hope to talk to her soon."
"Soon." Kia nodded and picked up her purse from the floor, thankful she'd had her purchases sent to her apartment rather than carrying them, and left the table.
She nodded to the mâitre d' at the arch of his brows asking about a cab, and knew one would be waiting when she stepped out of the entrance to the restaurant.
She had barely stepped into the lobby when she paused, her chin lifting at the sight of Drew standing beside the entrance.
He was barely six feet tall, still in reasonably good shape. Perfectly cut and sculpted brown hair, brown eyes, a fake tan, and a scowl. Drew hadn't changed much in the past two years.
Inhaling slowly, she moved toward the doors as the cab pulled up.
For two years he had maintained a distance, though he had never stayed completely away. He showed up at the parties she was invited to, stared at her, glared at her, watched her every move. He still called, he still tried to convince her to return to him, to give him another chance.
She wanted nothing more than to remain as far away from him as possible.
"Not even a hello, darling?" he drawled spitefully as he blocked the door, then edged her to the side.
She was aware of the controlling maneuver, of his knowledge that she wouldn't cause a scene by attempting to struggle past him.
"Not even a hello." She stood still and calm, staring back at him. "Get out of my way."
He sneered back at her as he glanced outside the tall, wide windows that looked out on the street. "I don't see Khalid's limo waiting for you. Or Chase. Have you fallen out of favor already?"
Kia remained silent. She stared out the window, watching as she lost her cab to another couple. She had no intention of arguing with him publicly.
"I saw who you left the ball with," he hissed, surprising her. "Just as I waited outside our f**king apartment building and saw who left later. You f**king mealymouthed hypocrite."
Kia felt her flush as she backed away from him, embarrassed horror beginning to grow inside her.
"Evidently, I should have paid closer attention to where your eyes wandered," he snapped. "You never could keep your f**king eyes off Chase Falladay, then you scream and cry when I try to give you what you want?"
His voice was still low enough that he hadn't drawn attention. She stared around the lobby, catching the mâitre d's gaze as he frowned at Drew. When he turned away, she felt her heart rate spike.
"Look at me, Kia," he snarled.
She turned back to him. "We have nothing to discuss, Mr. Stanton. Please let me by."
Reining in her own anger wasn't easy. For two years he had caused her no end of grief. He had managed to interfere with several of the charitable projects she still chaired through her father's company, where he still had a job. He continually played the abused partner to her parents and managed to draw some sympathy from them.
"You're whoring yourself for them." Anger stamped his features. "He wouldn't agree to be a third two years ago; do you think he's doing it now for any reason other than the friendship of that bastard Khalid?"
Shock ripped a gash through her soul as he spat the words at her. Good Lord, surely he hadn't asked Chase… Not that. But she knew he would have. That he had. And Chase had never said a word.