Christmas at the Castello(28)

Her heart stuttered with the same half beat it always did when he  walked into a room. He had the whole distracted hot-man-in-a-suit thing  perfected. And then there was the fact she knew every amazing inch  beneath it...

Setting the bread she was cutting on the counter, she walked to the  door, grabbed the lapels of his jacket and rose up on her toes to give  him a kiss. He snaked an arm around her waist and returned the kiss with  a hungry force that underscored the edginess she'd read on his face.

"Bad day?"

He nodded, releasing her to strip off his jacket. "We're announcing the  recall next week. The allocation of blame, the messaging around it,  it's been brutal. Everyone wants someone's head on a platter."

She took his jacket. "That can't be easy."

His eyes glittered with frustration. "I want to get out in front of  this. Accept responsibility and help the victim's families. Find a  solution to the problem so it doesn't become a systemic part of our  processes. But the more time we waste arguing over the semantics, the  longer it's taking us to attack the issues."

Her mouth curved in a wry smile. "Sounds like hospital politics. But  who could want you to not take responsibility? That seems like Crisis  Communications 101 to me."

"The board wants to minimize our culpability. Share the blame."

"But aren't Grant parts responsible for the brake failures?"

"We're ninety-nine percent sure they are."

"Then, doing the right thing is never the wrong thing."

"My critics think we can do both." He dug his fingers into his tie and loosened the knot. "How was your day?"

"Scintillating," she said drily. "I worked out, went for lunch with  Beth, then shopped for dinner. The highlight was a half hour spent  picking out which wine to serve with the steak."

His gaze raked her face. "Diana-"

"Stop." She cut him off softly. "I was being facetious. I'm good."

He gave her a long look. "I need to change."

"Go."

She finished prepping dinner. She wanted to tell Coburn about her  chance meeting with Frank Moritz that afternoon and his earth-shattering  offer so badly, it was eating a hole in her brain. But now was  definitely not the time.

Frankie and Harrison arrived. Vivacious and beautiful Frankie was a  perfect foil for Harrison's serious, dark demeanor. Diana had always  been a little cautious around Coburn's brother in the past, finding him  moody and stern. But he seemed to have loosened up since he'd met  Frankie; this version of the presidential candidate one she liked very  much.

If she'd been anticipating a hostile response from her brother-in-law  for walking out on Coburn a year ago, she didn't get it. Harrison wasn't  overly warm-warily accepting was more like it. As if he was leaving it  up to her and Coburn to figure it out.

They sat down to dinner. Conversation flowed smoothly and easily as  they chatted about Harrison's campaign and how the numbers were looking.  It was early days yet, but he was holding up well against his  competitors, leading even in some states.

It did her soul good to see the burgeoning relationship between Coburn  and his brother. They were easier with each other now, genuine, with  none of the tension she'd used to witness between them. What wasn't so  easy for her to watch was the open adoration on Harrison's face when he  looked at his five-months-pregnant wife. It was how Coburn had used to  look at her. Uncaring of who witnessed it, proud.         

     



 

It did something to the tension already clenching her stomach from her  emotional seesaw of a day. Tightened her inner muscles like a vise until  it was hard to force the delicious steak past it.

She escaped gratefully to the kitchen with the dishes when they were  done with the main course. Coburn followed her, setting a stack on the  counter. He watched as she loaded them into the dishwasher.

"Olga can do those tomorrow."

"I thought I'd get them out of the way."

He stepped closer, lifting her chin with his fingers. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." She gave him a bright look.

"If it's the work stuff..."

"It's not the work stuff."

"Then, what is it?"

Her emotions spiraled, swirled through the air as they gained momentum in the emotional storm sweeping over her.

I need to know if you still love me. I need to know I'm not about to  sacrifice the opportunity of a lifetime for you for this to fail. To end  up just like my mother...

She set her jaw, refusing to give in to the forces that wanted to  destroy the fragile hope she'd been building. "I'm just tired. I didn't  sleep well last night."

He stepped in close, bending his head to bring his mouth to her ear. "I  know a good tension reliever I happen to have a specialty in."

His husky, fatigue-deepened voice wove its usual magic around her  senses. She leaned back against the counter. "Sex doesn't solve  everything, Coburn."

He lifted a brow. "So there is something bothering you."

"I'm tired," she reiterated, pressing a palm to his chest to move him out of the way. "I need to serve dessert."

He stepped back, his frown telling her it wasn't the end of it. Frankie  paused halfway into the kitchen, her gaze darting from Coburn to her.  "Sorry, was just going to get some more mineral water."

Diana retrieved the bottle from the refrigerator. Coburn rejoined  Harrison at the table while Frankie helped her serve dessert. When the  two men had gone off to talk Grant business in the living room over a  brandy, Diana and Frankie took their tea out onto the deck.

"I seriously miss my wine." Frankie sighed, curling up in one of the  lounge chairs. "I'll be happy when I can have a glass again."

"Me, too." Although she could use more than a glass right now to help her unwind.

"Are you going to go back to work until the baby comes?" Frankie asked.

She lowered herself into the chair beside her. "I was going to until  this recall happened. Now I think Coburn needs me by his side. My job is  an all-consuming kind of thing."

"I think it's great that you've been here for him." Frankie shook her  head. "He needs the support. I've never seen things get so ugly with the  board. The pressure on him is immense."

"It's been a bit of a ride."

Frankie was quiet for a long moment. Then she turned her striking  blue-gray gaze on Diana. "He's been different since you two have been  back together. And by that I mean settled, grounded. Even with the  insane amount of pressure he's been under, he has a peace about him he  hasn't had since I came to work for him. It's you, Diana."

Her gaze slipped away from Frankie's, heat stinging the back of her  eyes. It felt as if she and Coburn were rebuilding an amazing bond. Yet  held up against Frankie and Harrison, who were so perfectly matched, it  still felt wanting.

She'd once thought she and Coburn were the perfect missing pieces for  each other. He lightened her up when she got too serious. She grounded  him. Until the ways they were alike, their twin ambitions they couldn't  temper, had torn them apart.

She blinked back the tears that threatened to fall. She wanted all of  her husband back. Not just the parts he chose to share. So badly her  heart ached with it.

Harrison and Frankie left shortly after that. Coburn went off to deal  with a few emails before bed while she stowed the rest of the dishes in  the kitchen, then took a hot shower.         

     



 

The punishing spray helped temper her emotions. She dried off and slid a  nightshirt over her head. Attempted to channel a Zen she didn't feel.  But the minute Coburn walked into the room, her shoulders rose to her  ears. His expression said his patience level with her was about a two  out of ten. Hers was hovering right around there.

He slid his gaze over the nightshirt. "I thought we decided that was going in the garbage."

"You decided that." She walked past him, headed for the bottle of body  lotion on the dresser. He snagged an arm around her and hauled her into  him. "We also decided your hot-and-cold routine was finished."

"I wasn't aware my choice of night clothing fell into that category."

He made a sound at the back of his throat. She pushed at his arm, but  he sat down and hauled her onto his lap instead. "That kind of behavior  is going to get you spanked."

The threat would usually have turned her on. Tonight it made her want  to scratch his eyes out. She fixed her gaze on his. "Let me go, Coburn.  Tonight is not the night to push me."

He raked his gaze over her face. "Why? You were in a perfectly good mood when I got home."

"I would still be in a good mood if you could accept the fact I just don't want your hands on me right now."

His mouth thinned. She watched the loss of control happen in his eyes  before he flipped her onto her back on the bed and came down on top of  her. "I would spank you," he breathed, pinning her hands above her head,  "but that won't help me figure out what's going on in your head."