Page 47 of The Lunatics

She looked over at me again, pity in her eyes.

“Can you walk in those shoes?” Michael asked me much later.

“What does it look like?” I said, striding over to him. I wore sky-high wedges that were comfy as hell. Emma told me that was due to the arch support. She’d called them gateway heels.

“I meant will they be comfortable after a few blocks?” he said.

I stopped an arm’s length away from him and frowned. “I thought this party was in Newton.”

“Last-minute change of plans. The Range Rover just departed, with Ronald at the helm, so any of my mother’s people watching the street will think that he’s acting as our chauffeur for the evening.”

“We’re not going?”

Michael shook his head.

“Thank the Goddess.”

He tugged at the cuffs of his black dinner jacket. “I found the thought of being subjected to my parents’ company so soon after our last encounter less than savory.”

“Oh, same. I’ve been stressed out about it all afternoon.”

“I felt it.”

Our gazes met, and I glanced away. His suit tonight fit him like a glove. His black jacket was unbuttoned, revealing a matching vest that hugged his wide torso. The shirt he wore beneath it was dark gray, with a tie in the same shade, only made of silk so the difference in fabric made it stand out. He’d buttoned the vest over the tie, and for some reason, I wanted to reach out and tug it free. Maybe admitting that I was attracted to him had been a bad idea after all.

“Would you like something to drink?” he asked, striding toward the kitchen.

“Please,” I said.

He paused at a cabinet and turned to me. “Wine?”

I nodded.

“Red or white?”

“White. Don’t want to stain my teeth.”

He pulled out two glasses. “We should allow some time to pass for my mother’s sentries to clear out. After they do, I thought we might walk a few blocks over to one of my favorite restaurants.”

I could easily manage a few streets in these wedges, but flats would be more comfortable. “In that case, I think I’ll change my shoes. Be right back.”

I reemerged a few minutes later. Michael handed me my wine. I leaned against the kitchen island instead of sitting. The black cocktail dress I wore was sleeveless, tight fitting, and fell to midthigh. It was expensive, and it felt like it, with thicker fabric covered in delicate black beading. I knew it was well made and that the beads wouldn’t pop off if I sat down in it, but I was babying it anyway. It was the nicest dress I’d ever owned, thanks to Michael.

“Cheers,” he said.

I clinked my glass against his. “To not playing the game.”

He remained on the other side of the island as we sipped our drinks. “How was your shopping adventure?”

“Average. I didn’t quite master that trick of tuning everything out, so I ended up with a headache and had several sneezing fits along the way. I did get along with Emma, though, and no one tried to attack me, so there’s that. How was work?”

He’d gone into the office for a few hours while I shopped. It turned out the building Kolbeck Industries was headquartered in sat just a few blocks away, close enough that the bond didn’t send us into histrionics.

He stared down into his wine, swilling it. “Frustrating,”

“I felt it,” I said.

He looked up. “Kolbeck Construction was recently awarded the contract to build a large production plant just outside of Boston. It could bring several thousand jobs to the area, but between the expenses and the red tape, it would be much cheaper for the company who hired us to outsource everything to China or India.”