"Mmm," Bastien murmured back. He pressed a kiss to her lips. "God, I love it when you do that."
"What?" She asked huskily, planting a kiss by his ear.
"Shiver with excitement. Or moan, groan, writhe, or arch. I just love it when you're excited," he admitted.
Terri laughed. "You're the one who does it to me. I'm beginning to think that you're something of a magician. In fact, right this minute I'm sure of it."
"Oh? Why is that?"
"Because, we're nowhere near the Jacuzzi, yet I'm already wet."
Bastien nearly tripped over his own feet at that admission. His eyes jerked to her face and hunger immediately flared in him as he took in her wicked smile. "Damn," he muttered. "Maybe we'll leave the Jacuzzi for another time."
Terri laughed as he began to walk faster.
"Do you want me to call you a cab?"
"What!" Chris yelled over the surrounding noise.
Terri shook her head. The editor hadn't heard her over the loud throbbing music. She leaned closer until her mouth was almost touching his ear. "Do you want me to call you a car service? It can't be easy taking the subway with that cast."
C.K. hesitated, debating the matter, then nodded and yelled, "Please. But how will you do that with all this noise?"
Terri hesitated. She hadn't thought of that. Then she knew the answer. "I'll use the phone in the office!"
"Oh!" He nodded. "Okay."
"I'll be right back," she yelled. "Just sit tight!"
Leaving him there, in the middle of Kate and Lucern's stag and doe party, Terri wove her way through the guests to the entry, then hurried down the hall to the office. She'd noticed that the editor seemed tired when he arrived. When she'd asked, C.K. explained that he'd been working overtime for the past week; trying to catch up with work. He'd managed to perk up a bit and have some fun, but it was getting late and Terri had noticed that he was starting to yawn and look exhausted. When she'd seen him take his jacket off the back of his chair and put it on, she went over to see if he wanted her to call him a car.
The office was empty when she entered; not that Terri had expected it to be otherwise. The guests at the party were all family and friends, all of them either from the city or having shown up yesterday or today for the wedding tomorrow. But it was possible that Kate and Lucern or someone else had sought out a quiet place to be alone for a bit: something she'd considered suggesting to Bastien at least half a dozen times. But, as the maid of honor and best man, they were the hosts of this party and simply hadn't been able to slip away. She was glad the room was empty. It might have been embarrassing to walk in on an amorous couple.
Closing the door behind her, Terri moved to the desk and sat down. She pulled the phone closer to her, then realized she didn't have a clue what the number would be to call for a car service in New York. Or if it was even possible. She supposed it must be, or Chris wouldn't have agreed to her calling. Biting her lip, she glanced over the desk for a phone book, but of course there was none. Terri turned her attention to the drawers. Her eyes landed on the large bottom left drawer first. It was large enough to hold a telephone book. It was also not quite closed. Reaching down, Terri pulled it open, then simply stared. What looked like a desk drawer was not a drawer at all. It didn't pull out, but swung open revealing a mini refrigerator. That was a bit startling in itself, but what was in the little refrigerator was even more so.
Terri stared at the contents: two vials similar to the ones she had found in Bastien's office on Monday morning. And there were also at least a dozen bags of blood. She stared at them uncomprehending for a moment, completely bewildered as to why these things should be in Bastien's desk drawer. She knew medical research was a part of Argeneau Industries, and she had heard of people bringing their work home with them, but this was a bit much.
A sound made her start with guilt, slam the refrigerator door closed and jump to her feet.
"Oh, there you," Bastien said, appearing from the hallway and crossing the room. He smiled.
"I came to call a car service for Chris, but I don't know the number and can't find a phone book," Terri blurted.
"I know. He told me. You don't have to call, though. I arranged for several company cars to take everyone back to their homes and hotels. I already sent Chris back in one." He was around the desk by this time, and he paused before her to take her face in his hands. He smiled down into her eyes. "In fact, I sent a lot of people on their way. The rest are waiting for the cars to return, so… we have a few minutes before we have to go play host and hostess again."
"Oh." She smiled, but confusion was still reigning in her mind. The blood, the medical vials in both Bastien's office refrigerator and the penthouse office, the IV stand she'd found while rudely snooping her first day here, and a secret that Kate had mentioned—one Bastien would have to tell her and they would have to work out: these things were all running through her mind, round and round, like a rat on a wheel. Blood, medicine, IV stand, secrets?