Elise pursed her lips in disgust. “Well, his father’s secretary isn’t much better. When I asked her where I could find the copier, she pointed to the fax machine.”
Luc chuckled and tucked a strand behind her ear. “You are adorable when you’re annoyed.”
Her luscious mouth quirked up into a semblance of a smile. “I could say the same about you,” she replied quietly. “Storming into the office like that. Really, Lucien. From the look on your face, someone would have thought that I’d been caught chewing on your lucky pen.”
Tires whooshed through the puddles and Ben pulled up to the curb.
Luc sighed. Admitting his feelings about the scene in his office was more than he was ready to do. “Let’s go hear Ben’s vision of Intrinsic Incorporated.” He caught her chin in his hand and tilted her face up for a quick, chaste kiss. “I want your opinion on everything he mentions.”
“Everything?”
“Everything. We’re in this together.” He guided her toward the car. “Organizing this company is gonna be hell and I can’t do it without you.”
“It’s so nice to be needed.”
“And wanted?” he asked before he could stop himself.
She blushed deeply. “Wanted?”
Hell, he’d said it. He couldn’t withdraw the question now. “Yeah, wanted by all the males in the damn building.”
Elise stopped next to the backseat door and looked up at him. “But I’m not married to them.”
Luc rested his hand on the door handle. “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t forget it.”
“I’m not likely to, Lucien. As I told you, I’m old-fashioned.”
“Well, darlin’, I’m a little old-fashioned myself.” He opened the door for her and waited for her to climb inside the vehicle.
Elise sat down and paused. “I’m glad you feel that way, too. After your comment on Bingley’s secretary, I was beginning to wonder.” She pulled her legs inside and waited for him to close the door.
Luc ignored the curious stare of his friend and braced a hand on the roof, leaning in toward her. “When we get back from lunch, wife, you and I are going to have a long talk about that little statement.”
“I look forward to it, husband.”
Luc grunted. “I’ll bet you do.” He closed the door, then moved to the front passenger side door. After lunch, he and Elise would have words about more than her comment. He intended to make her admit that she wanted him as much as he did her.
Because living with her presence everywhere but his bed was killing him.
Elise cringed as Daniel Bingley, Sr. laughed. Again. The man laughed at everything and nothing. It was loud and obnoxious and grated on her nerves. Not only that, but the way his beady eyes looked a woman—any woman—up and down like she would be his dessert irritated the living daylights out of her. And she had to sit next to him. If he brushed his hand against her thigh one more time, she wouldn’t be responsible for her actions.
"Now that is a fine pair of—"
Elise cleared her throat loudly, interrupting Bingley and earning herself a frowning glance from her husband. “Pardon me.”
She slid to the edge of her seat to give Bingley the personal space he obviously needed, but it didn’t help. His body seemed to slither into her domain and, she shuddered, touch her.
The rest of the world appeared oblivious to her plight. Her husband was absorbed in skimming a contract Bingley had produced during the main course. And Ben was reading it over Luc’s shoulder. Too bad her legs weren’t long enough to kick them both under the table.
"Okay, you can turn the page," Ben murmured and Luc flipped to the next page of the contract.
Whatever Elise had been expecting when she’d met Benajah Raine, it certainly wasn’t what she’d encountered. Ben was tall, with jet black hair. His eyes were a golden brown which glowed when he smiled. When she’d asked him about his first name, Ben had laughed and said that his mother stumbled across it when researching the family tree. He’d gone on to say that he’d been grateful his mother hadn’t named him Beauregard or Remington—apparently, every other male in his family was named Beau or Remmey. Personally, she liked his name. It was as unusual as he was. He had thanked her when she’d told him her opinion and smiled at her in a way which had set Luc’s teeth to grinding.
Jealousy, Elise sighed inwardly. Her husband was a fool if he thought she wanted anyone but him. Oh sure, Ben possessed the same self-sure, arrogance Luc did, but Lucien Masters had a magnetism that constantly drew her eyes to him. Ben was an attractive man, but she wasn’t the least bit interested in pursuing anything but a friendship with him. If only Elise could get Luc to understand that his wife wasn’t interested in any man but her husband. He should know it by now. She’d married him. If Elise hadn’t been half-way in love with Luc and loosened up by one and a half whiskey sours, she wouldn’t have agreed to marry him. Well, not right away. She would have made him wait a day or two. Maybe.