"I'm so sorry," she said, her eyes widening.
Cade frowned.
Looking a little flustered, she turned to Scarlet. "John Harlan is in the conference room."
"Thanks, Jessie."
She hurried away after muttering another "sorry" to Cade.
"She's always hovering," he said, watching her leave.
Scarlet picked up a file folder and stood. "What do you mean?"
"Just that. And she's too eager to please. She volunteers for everything."
"The way our internship program is set up, she's allowed to float from department to department if help is needed, or if she wants to be involved in a particular project. She just has to clear it through me."
"Is she good?"
"She's a natural. As if she's had years of experience instead of just having graduated."
"People said that about you."
"They did?" She smiled, pleased. She didn't want to tell the boss to get out of the way, but she did have a meeting to attend. She held up the file. "Is that all for now?"
"Yeah. Thanks."
She was the last to arrive at the conference room, which was populated by most of Charisma's department heads. She was not in charge of the project, so the discussion was being led by the managing editor and the art director.
Scarlet slipped into a chair. John, flanked by members of his own staff, sat across the table. She met his gaze briefly, saw a smile flicker in his eyes, then she tried to focus on the meeting. An hour and a lot of discussion later, the meeting ended. She had no official reason to approach him, plus he wasn't alone, anyway.
She'd been waiting all day for him to call and make plans for their last weekend together. He'd had a lunch meeting, so they hadn't even met at his apartment as they often did. But Summer would be home on Monday. That fact had to be faced.
Scarlet lingered near the conference room in hopes of catching him for a second, but his employees were on his heels and he only got to say a quick goodbye, then he was gone.
Fin was in her office, hunched in front of her computer. Scarlet considered going in and talking to her about getting away next weekend, but decided it didn't matter when she did that, since Fin probably had no plans to interfere with anyway. Scarlet would need next weekend away even more than Fin. A time to mourn.
She returned to her cubicle. It was almost four o'clock. She and John were bad about making plans, but this was ridiculous. It was their last-
She spotted an envelope on her keyboard, her name printed on it. She opened it, unfolded a sheet of ivory-colored parchment. The note was handwritten:
Good afternoon, Ms. Elliott,
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, will begin at 6:00 p.m. You will be picked up from your home and taken to a secret location, where you will be wined, dined and sublimed until Sunday evening. Bring only the basics; no finery required. Lingerie optional but not preferred.
This paper is encoded with a special substance that can read your mind. If you decide not to accept this mission, this note will self-destruct in ten seconds.
10 … 9 … 8 … 7 … 6 … 5 … 4 … 3 … 2 … 1 …
See you at 6:00.
Scarlet smiled. A weekend. A whole weekend … To say goodbye.
Twelve
"I know it's unusual to come to the beach this time of year," John said, following Scarlet as she stepped onto a weathered porch. The surf pounded softly. Clouds hid the moon. Distant houses were the only points of light, like earthbound stars.
"It's perfect," she said, leaning her elbows on the rail. "How'd you find it?"
He rested a hand on either side of her, spooning their bodies, sheltering her from the breeze. "Belongs to a client. He's offered it a number of times."
It was late. They hadn't rushed to get there, had even indulged in a leisurely dinner at a roadside diner about an hour out of the city as they drove up the sound toward Rhode Island. They'd lingered in the small, homey restaurant-their first and probably only restaurant appearance as a couple-keeping watch on the parking lot, checking out the new arrivals, even as it seemed an unlikely concern.
After dinner they made the decision not to talk about anything serious while they were at the cottage. Maybe on the drive back, but not now.
Scarlet straightened, forcing him to, and leaned against him, nestling in his arms.
"I haven't been to the ocean in so long, except for The Tides," she said with a sigh.
Until now they'd always been in a hurry, as if someone or something would tear them apart at any moment. For two days, however, they could relax and enjoy each other's company. It was probably a big mistake to end their relationship with a trip to paradise, but he felt entitled to the grand finale. It had been about sex these past weeks-intense, driven sex, with a few quiet or playful moments now and then. That kind of intensity was good in the beginning, but now … ?
Now he wasn't guessing anymore. He'd come to believe that Summer hadn't broken his heart at all. Maybe he'd assumed it went with the territory of broken engagements, that he should have been brokenhearted. He had been surprised, disappointed and a little humiliated when she called off the engagement, but he'd recovered too quickly for her to have been the love of his life.
But this Elliott woman-this one was the heartbreaker.
"Congratulations, John."
He pressed a kiss to her temple. Her hair blew against his skin. "On what?"
"On graduating from Woo U, with honors." She turned to face him and looped her arms around his neck.
He'd been inspired to do the weekend up right, just now realizing he'd been arranging a honeymoon.
And a farewell.
"I think it requires a valedictorian's speech," she said, her eyes sparkling.
He kissed her slowly, gently, thoroughly, savoring the warmth of her mouth, the softness of her lips, the searching brush of her tongue. It was a luxury not to rush, to know no one could arrive unexpectedly or recognize them out walking tomorrow. They could pretend they were a normal couple for once-except they would wear ball caps and sunglasses as a precaution.
"Ah, the ol' actions-speak-louder-than-words speech," she said, snuggling against him, shivering.
"A month in the making. Let's go inside."
The house was typical of seaside cottages, with a nautical theme and blue-and-white decor. Seashells decorated lamp bases and a mirror frame. Interesting glass containers held more, here in the living room, and everywhere, even the bathrooms. The master bedroom's French doors allowed a view of the ocean from the bed. The bathroom held a claw-footed tub with showerhead, and a wraparound curtain on a track.
"Would you like to take a bath?" he asked, still holding her hand.
"Sure."
"Go ahead. I have things to do."
She patted his chest, smiling. "I may have to change your grad status to magna cum laude."
"That would seem to require a more elevated speech."
"Oh, definitely. One that lasts for hours."
"I'll see what I can do."
She laid her hands against his face and kissed him. When she backed away, her eyes weren't smiling anymore but shimmering with something else he could only guess at … .
That she didn't want to give up this relationship, either.
Scarlet had debated about what nightgown to bring. Although he'd said in his note that lingerie was optional but not preferable, she'd considered bringing none, then decided that she wanted to tease him with something red and lacy, a reminder. She'd chosen a long gown, which covered her, yet didn't. She'd never felt so voluptuous, her skin warm and damp from the bath, her breasts barely contained by the gown's deep neckline.
Silk brushed her body like a lover's caress as she returned to the living room. Candles were lit; the fire crackled. He'd plunged a bottle of champagne into a condensation-beaded silver bucket and draped a white towel around the neck. Two crystal flutes sat beside it, as well as bowls of strawberries and whipped cream. Quiet jazz played in the background. Pillows were piled on a quilt laid out in front of the sofa. A vase of yellow daisies topped the coffee table, which he'd moved aside. She recalled the white daisies in the master bedroom. He'd set a perfect scene.
How was she supposed to give him up after this? Maybe this last-hurrah weekend was a big mistake. Maybe they should've just kept everything simple. Focused only on the sex. Gotten that out of their systems.
Too late now.
"Did you do all this?" she asked as he came toward her.
He nodded. "I had the refrigerator stocked, too." He cupped her shoulders. "You've never looked more beautiful. And that's saying something."