“Still in his room.” Lexi slid into the empty chair beside Reese, who gave her a disappointed look. “What?”
“We were counting on you to bring Quentin downstairs,” Reese said. “You know he’s always late to everything, and the baby and I are starving.”
Lexi was mildly alarmed. “You mean you haven’t eaten anything yet? It’s almost ten o’clock!”
“I had a light snack,” Reese admitted with a sheepish grin. “But that’s not the point. Whenever we all go out to dinner, you always make sure Quentin gets there on time. That’s, like, your designated role.”
Lexi shrugged, draping a linen napkin across her lap. “I didn’t want to disturb him. He, uh, had a late night.”
“Actually,” Asha interjected drolly from the other end of the table, “he left the ball half an hour after you did.”
Lexi glanced up in surprise. “He did?”
“Oui.”Asha held her gaze. “Alone.”
Lexi flushed. “Oh,” was all she could say.
So maybe the sexy supermodel hadn’t spent the night with Quentin. That didn’t mean he hadn’t slept with her. Maybe she’d sneaked into his room for a quickie early that morning. And maybe she’d been sound asleep, or in the bathroom, when Quentin sent his coded message to Lexi.
Asha was studying her, a calculating gleam in her dark eyes that made Lexi want to squirm. She remembered Samara once telling her about Asha’s uncanny ability to ferret out people’s darkest secrets without them uttering a word. Unless Asha had witnessed what transpired on the terrace last night, there was no way she could know that Quentin had kissed Lexi.
Or could she? Lexi wondered uneasily. Was the truth written all over her face?
As she stared at Asha, the other woman’s full lips curved in a quiet, intuitive smile. “I’m hoping you’ll take my New Year’s toast to heart, Alexis,” she murmured.
Lexi eyed her warily. “What do you mean?”
“With all due respect,chère,my words weren’t intended for those of us who are already having plenty of hot, mind-blowing sex.”
Scandalized, Samara gasped. “Mom!”
Michael and Marcus groaned at the thought of their sixty-something fatherhavingsex, let alone steamy sex. But how could he not when he was married to Asha—a tall, voluptuous, stunningly beautiful woman who oozed more sex appeal than most women half her age?
As Sterling chuckled sheepishly, Samara muttered in exasperation, “When other moms make toasts, they wish people health, happiness and prosperity. But notmymother. My mother tells a roomful of her guests to get laid.”
Asha smiled unrepentantly. “Oh, relax, darling. At least you didn’t have to cover any small ears this time.”
“Wherearethe twins?” Lexi asked, as much to change the subject as out of curiosity. If her face got any hotter, her head would combust.
“The boys already ate.” Samara chuckled wryly. “They were up at an ungodly hour this morning, pestering me and Marcus to take them exploring around the property. Mom’s gardener was kind enough to do the honors.”
Lexi grinned. “Given how huge this place is, you won’t see your offspring for a while.”
The two parents shared a conspiratorial look. “We know.”
Laughter went around the table.
“Don’t start the party without me,” came an amused drawl from the doorway.
Everyone turned as Quentin sauntered into the room with his lazy, rolling swagger. He was dressed in dark jeans that hung low on his hips and a hunter-green turtleneck that molded his wide shoulders and broad, muscular torso. As Lexi stared at him, she remembered the strength of his arms wrapped around her, the hardness of his chest pressed against hers. They’d hugged countless times before, but last night was the first time she’d ever wanted to cling to him, to rub her aching breasts against his body. She wondered if she’d ever be able to look at him again without reliving those heady, forbidden moments in his embrace.
As he approached the table, Michael wagged his head at him. “’Bout time you got here. My wife was seconds away from marching upstairs and dragging you out of your room.”
Quentin chuckled. “Damn. My bad.” He leaned down to kiss Reese’s upturned cheek. “Didn’t mean to keep you waiting, baby girl. Forgive me?”
Reese grinned at him. “You’re forgiven.”
Lexi did a mental eye roll. It seemed thatnowoman was immune to Quentin Reddick’s charms. Not even pregnant, blissfully married women.
