Lucien(60)

There was no response. She wiggled in his embrace and called his name again. Louder this time. Nothing. Not a blink, twitch, snore, or even mumbled protest.



Elise stopped herself before she cursed him up one side and down the other. The durn man was asleep, dead to the world. She closed her eyes and growled under her breath, contemplating the many, many ways she’d exact her revenge on him for daring fall asleep during what she deemed one of the most important conversations of their marriage.



A long while later and after an annoyingly convoluted argument with her overactive intellect, Elise closed her eyes and accepted the truth. They would revisit this discussion and he would give her the words she’d waited a lifetime to hear. But she wouldn’t press him for it. Not now and not because she didn’t crave to push him into admitting he loved her.



Instead, she’d bide her time and let him come to her. It’d kill her, yes, but she’d rather have the words given to her freely than force a confession he may later regret. Or worse, retract.



Until then when he’d come to his senses, she’d distract herself and focus her attention on the other idea she’d had plenty of time to think about during his disappearing act earlier. Namely, going home and moving into their house. Because to turn that idea into a reality, she’d need every brain cell she possessed to subtly influence her husband into guiding his best friend on making the right decision about buying Intrinsic Incorporated. Once that was firmly lodged in his head, she’d watch and patiently wait while Ben and Luc argued with their inner knights in shining armor until they gave in and executed exactly what Hands and Eyes Bingley deserved.



Elise chuckled to herself. It was an evil sound and one she suspected that proved she truly was her father’s daughter. Because once the distraction of the company out of the way, she’d then redouble her efforts on proving to her husband she was in the role she’d been born to fulfill. Namely, as the woman he loved heart, mind, body, and soul. The only woman he’d allow to stand behind him and subtly maneuver him into doing the right things for all interested parties.



So yeah, she’d let Lucien off the hook this time. But he was on borrowed time. He had a week—no more, no less—to come up to snuff. After that, the gloves would come off and she’d make darn sure there wasn’t a thing around he could use as a distraction to run from giving her the three little words she saw in his eyes every time he looked her way.





CHAPTER SIXTEEN




Luc glanced at his watch. Elise had been back with the doctor for twenty minutes. Considering how many people were sitting in the waiting area, she’d probably be another twenty minutes. He got up and found a water fountain, then returned to the waiting room, settled himself down with the only men’s magazine in the room, and tried to forget his anxiety.



He scanned a couple of fitness tips, skimmed through the letters to the editor, then found himself immersed in an article about relationships. Most of the tips mentioned in the article were common sense—especially considering that he’d grown up in a house with four women. Women like romance, attention, flowers, chocolate, and monogamy. Women associate sex with love. Women like to—



He stopped reading.



His wife loved him. She’d said it. He knew her well enough to know that she didn’t say things she didn’t mean. Well, if women associated sex with love, then it was no wonder Elise loved him. Her and her tight little body rocked his world. She gave more in the bedroom than he’d imagined possible. She trusted him beyond comprehension and had the power to knock him to his knees with a look, smile, touch, word. And she loved him.



He turned the page, nearly ripping it from the magazine, and wondered if Elise knew she was the first person to ever give him the words and mean it. Probably not. As his watch ticked through another minute, a bitter knot lodged in his stomach and he stared at an ad for camping gear, thinking back to the day his mother had lost her temper and explained a couple of hard facts to him—hard facts such as his father divorcing her because Luc was born. And that Luellen Masters blamed Luc for ruining her happiness. It wasn’t his fault, Luc thought bitterly. He hadn’t asked to be born. His mother should have bought stock in condoms instead of shoe stores if she hadn’t wanted to have a son.



His mother had her chance—as Luc’s father had explained in the first fifteen minutes of their first meeting. Luellen had loved her husband, but not enough to relinquish her daddy’s money. When push came to shove and Luc’s father had given his ultimatum, Luc’s mother chose the money.