Page 26 of Discretion at Its Finest

Eugene wriggled free suddenly, wanting to grab something from his room. He dropped to his feet, bolting down the hall before I could answer.

“He was so excited to show me what he’s been working on.” Reid began, “Said his dad didn’t have time to look…”

“Don’t start.”

He glanced up at me finally for the first time this morning. “It’s a simple observation, Vieve.”

“I don’t need your observations.”

He gave a quiet hum, eyes still on me. “He showed me ten drawings like it was the highlight of his week. One after the other. Hands shaking. Words tripping over themselves in excitement the entire time. You ever sit through one of those explanations? The planets, the capes, the made-up powers?”

My throat went tight. “Of course I have.”

“Has Gregory?”

“What does it matter?!” My voice cracked harder than I meant it to. “Why are you so fixated on our son?”

“Because yoursonis desperate for attention, and he shouldn’t have to be. Not when you’re living your perfect life… or maybe not-so-perfect.”

I scoffed. “Why are you so hellbent on labeling everything?”

He shrugged. “Why are you so obsessed with keeping a failing relationship together?”

“Like I said before, Reid, you don’t know anything about my relationship with Gregory. So stay out of it.”

His eyes followed me as I stepped away from him, grabbing the dishes from the counter. My mind couldn’t take another second of being close to him, of being trapped under his gaze.

He glanced down at his mug. “I leave for California in three weeks,” he said casually.

I paused at the sink. “Good for you.”

“Silicon Valley’s been circling the new energy platform. I need to be on-site.”

“I’m not the board, Reid. I don’t need the business pitch.”

“No, Vieve, you don’t need it,” he said, faint amusement in his tone as he stepped closer. “But you’ll be coming with me.”

I blinked, turning away as I looked up at him. “Excuse me?”

It wasn’t an offer to come or a request to join him. It was a command delivered in that low, unbothered tone of his that made everything sound inevitable.

My pulse spiked. “You must be out of your mind.”

He tilted his head slightly, eyes following the tension in my throat, then lower as his eyes raked my body, and suddenly, I regretted the silk robe and slip I hadn’t bothered to change out of this morning. “I thought we’d established that a long time ago,” he muttered, low, and I clenched my jaw, keeping my voice even, careful.

“I’m not going anywhere with you.”

He didn’t argue or raise his tone as he stepped closer, so slow it was almost mocking, until the space between us was negligible. The faint smell of his cologne, mahogany, cedar, something dark, something dangerous underneath… it wound through me like a traitorous memory, one I tried to bury but which only left my skin on fire.

He towered over me, all strength and power andman. He was so intimidating, shoulders all broad, gaze penetrating, and so stupidly, infuriatingly attractive.

“You think I’m asking?”

I shook my head. “I think you’re delusional.”

“Maybe I am,” he murmured, arms caging me in against the sink counter, “but you’re still coming.”

“Why would I—”