Chapter 5

Chloe's eyes went to Scott instinctively. He sat lounging in the sofa with his wine glass, calm as if nothing had happened.

A veteran player, all right. The man's nerves were solid steel.

Seeing him like that, Chloe's own taut nerves loosened somehow.

She put on a smile and met Lydia's scrutinizing stare. "Ms. Morris, is there something on my face?"

Lydia came back to herself, aware of her lapse, and pulled on a polite smile of her own. "No, nothing. I just think you have a lovely voice."

Chloe said, "Thank you."

Austin teased, "Haven't seen you in years and you've only gotten smoother."

Lydia said, "I mean it. You've always had good taste."

After a few more pleasantries, Chloe set the gifts she'd received aside.

Lydia sat down with the others.

Everyone understood without saying a word—Lydia took the seat next to Scott as a matter of course.

Scott gave her a cool glance before going back to his phone.

They'd received quite a few gifts today, and Chloe, playing the considerate wife out of habit, tidied them up a little.

Terry watched Chloe's busy figure and raised an eyebrow at Austin. "Chloe's one in a million. You'd better treat her right."

Austin said, "Of course. She's my wife."

Scott let out a soft laugh from the sidelines; when Lydia turned to look, he was still absorbed in his phone.

Soon Chloe returned to her seat beside Austin.

Austin wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her forehead. "Thanks for the hard work, sweetheart."

Chloe smiled and shook her head, giving him a light push. "It's nothing. It's only right. Let's let everyone eat."

Chloe had never been talkative at dinners with Austin's friends, and today was no exception.

Once the food arrived, they traded a few words about work before the conversation turned to Lydia.

Bobby asked her, "How long are you staying this time?"

Lydia looked at Scott beside her without bothering to hide it and said, slow and clear, "I'm not leaving."

It was as good as a public announcement: she'd come back for Scott.

Every eye at the table swung to Scott, including Chloe's.

Scott remained utterly above it all, swirling the wine in his glass, offering no response.

Not wanting things to get too awkward, Austin stepped in to smooth it over. "That's great. When you first left, Scott was down in the dumps for ages. Now you two can pick up right where you left off."

"That's ancient history." Scott set down his glass, the ghost of a smile on his lips. "The way I see it, a decent ex should behave like they've ceased to exist. Don't you think?"

Chloe held her breath and looked at Lydia.

Lydia's face went ugly in an instant; even her perfect makeup couldn't hide her humiliation.

For Scott to say that in front of everyone was a slap in her face, plain and simple.

"Excuse me—restroom." Lydia grabbed her phone and hurried out of the room.

Watching her go, Bobby turned to Scott. "What is going on in that head of yours?"

Scott shrugged.

Terry said, "She came back for you, man. You really feel nothing? You were a wreck over her back then."

"Stop right there." Scott raised a hand to cut him off. "What happened back then wasn't about her."

Austin said, "Not about her? Then what do you call texting her day and night back then, and drowning yourself in booze whenever she didn't reply?"

"I just couldn't stomach getting dumped," Scott admitted freely. "Bruised male ego. Perfectly normal."

Man to man, Austin got it.

He was quiet for a few seconds, still doubtful. "Really?"

Scott said, "Drop it. There's someone I'm interested in now."

Chloe might have imagined it, but as Scott said it, he seemed to glance her way.

"Who?" Austin pressed.

Scott tipped his chin in Chloe's direction, a wicked smile hooking his lips. "Your wife."

Under the table, Chloe's hand clenched tight, and she cursed him silently.

In the next breath she'd arranged her face into startled hurt, clutching Austin's arm and looking at him for rescue.

Austin patted her hand soothingly. "Don't be scared. He's joking."

"All right, enough with the excuses," Austin said, clearly not buying it. "It's my birthday. Do me a favor—go check on Lydia."

Scott didn't answer. He got up and walked out of the room.

Watching him go, Chloe breathed a silent sigh of relief.

"He talks nonsense for sport. Don't take it to heart." Austin soothed Chloe again. "I'll apologize on his behalf."

"It's fine," Chloe shook her head. "As long as you don't get the wrong idea."

"Of course I won't." Austin smoothed her hair. "You and Scott have barely exchanged two words in private. There's no way anything could be going on between you two."

Chloe nodded obediently, ice running through her chest.

Austin didn't say it out of trust. He said it because he thought she was too meek to dare anything like that.

More to the point, he probably figured a man like Scott would never look twice at a boring wife like her.

"I'm going to go check on things." With that, Austin got up and left the room too.

A while later, Austin found Scott and Lydia on the terrace.

Scott leaned against the railing, indifferent.

Lydia had hold of his arm, worked up.

Austin walked over and gave a little cough.

Lydia saw Austin but didn't let up on Scott. "Who was the woman with you the night before last?"

Scott raised a finger and pointed at Austin. "His wife."

Lydia's breath caught, and she whipped around toward Austin.

"Don't listen to his garbage," Austin defended Chloe at once. "He's joking."

Lydia said nothing. The female voice from that phone call kept replaying in her head. It sounded so much like Chloe, and with what Scott had just said on top of it, doubt crept in.

"Chloe barely knows him," Austin said, protective of her. He looked at Scott pointedly. "Whatever fight you two are having, don't drag my wife into it. You scared her back there."

Scott chuckled low. "She's that easily scared?"

Austin ignored him. Worried Lydia would get the wrong idea, he explained to her, "Chloe was on a business trip in San Francisco all last week. She only got back yesterday."

While Austin was explaining to Lydia, Scott had already turned and walked off.

Lydia watched his back, lips pressed tight.

Austin sighed and offered comfort. "Don't push it. Take your time with him."

Coming off the terrace, Scott's gaze swept the corridor just in time to catch a familiar figure slipping into the stairwell.

He raised an eyebrow and followed, unhurried.

The light in the stairwell was dim.

Chloe took out her phone and opened the email attachment the PI had just sent.

Inside was the full profile on the woman—twenty-three, an NYU Law student who'd interned at Austin's firm, mentored by him personally.

Chloe gave a cold little laugh, closed the file, and fired back a reply: [Stay on her. Pull her bank statements and phone records.]

The message had barely gone out when, before she could even look up, she felt someone come up behind her.

The next second, a hand covered her eyes and a force pulled her backward into a solid chest.

Warm lips came down on hers without asking.

The scent, the feel—far too familiar.

Alarms blared in Chloe's head and she fought hard, but his strength was overwhelming, locking her against him.

Her resistance only seemed to spur him on. The kiss went deeper, aggressive, allowing no refusal.

His other arm circled her waist and pressed her into him.

Starved of air and ambushed by the sudden rush, Chloe's body began to tremble on its own.

"This nervous?" Scott lifted his hand from her eyes and turned her around to face him.

He looked down, his gaze landing on the diamond ring on her right ring finger, the stone catching a faint glint in the dim light.

He bent close to her ear, his lowered voice laced with teasing. "Sneaking around behind everyone's backs... isn't it even more of a thrill than last time?"