Page 94 of Touch of Class

Gillian bristled at several words in that sentence, but Daphne squeezed her a little tighter.

“You can be as huffy as you want in the morning, because it is complicated. Life is complicated. We’re complicated, but spending a few more hours in each other’s arms sure as hell won’t make it any worse.”

Gillian knew she was supposed to be leaning away from logic, but she did take solace in Daphne’s reasoning. They’d already crossed every line that mattered. Getting a few more hours of rest could hardly hurt at this point. She allowed her muscles to relax into the increasingly familiar embrace.

“There you go,” Daphne cooed softly. “Doesn’t that feel good?”

It did. She might have her stubborn pride as Daphne had alleged, but she wasn’t one to deny the truth right in front of her. Being wrapped up in this woman felt better than anything had in ages, so sinking a little deeper into the sensation, she said a simple, “Yes.”

Daphne smiled against the skin of her shoulder. “Excellent. Then before I get relegated to that long list of provocations in your well-ordered life, just let me hold you through the night.”

“Good afternoon, Darling.” Hugh burst through the door to the waiting room, still brushing snow from his knee-length gray coat. “It’s a blizzard out there. I told Izzy’s friends to bring her here after fencing rather than schlepping all the way up to our place.”

“All the way?” Daphne didn’t buy it. “You mean the extra seven minutes?”

“You know how generous and efficient I like to be.”

“Then why didn’t you offer to pick her up from fencing yourself?”

He gave her a Cheshire cat grin and unwound his cashmere scarf. Taking a seat, he crossed one leg over the other, making it clear he intended to stick around for a while. “Because then you wouldn’t have time to catch me up on all the hot gossip without little ears around.”

“There are plenty of other ears around here,” she whispered.

“All your colleagues are tucked safely in their offices with their dueling sound machines in the hallway to drown out whatever tiny bit of confidential information may waft through the walls.”

Daphne pointed to a door off the waiting room. “That’s Gillian’s office.”

“Oh good. Is she with someone now, or should we ask her to join us?” He placed his hands on his knees as if he intended to stand.

“I will murder you.”

He laughed. “I don’t believe you’re capable of a cold-blooded killing, but I do suspect temporary insanity as a valid option. Is that why you didn’t come home last night?”

“You don’t know. I could’ve come home late and left early.”

“The late part I’d accept, the early part is far-fetched. Also, I checked the doorbell camera.”

“I knew that thing wasn’t for safety.”

“And I know you’re dragging this conversation out until Izzy arrives, but you know I’ll hear the truth eventually. Let’s skip to the good part. I can already tell you slept with her.”

“How?” She didn’t even try to deny it.

“Aside from the not coming home, you’re looking very relaxed and flowy and glowy.”

“I am not.”

“You are. You’ve been so tense lately, and even though you’re not admitting it outright, you’re not mad about the assumption, either. You’re barely even dodging. It’s like you feel like you should put up a fight, but you don’t want to.”

The comment hit Daphne right in the feels. It was basically the same thing Gillian said last night. Could everyone tell what she wanted but her? “Fine.”

“Fine what, Love?”

“Fine.” She drew out the word quietly. “I slept with her. I didn’t plan it. It sort of … she came into my office, and she was different. Certain, commanding, like she is at work or like she used to act on the basketball court, but with all her poise and attention pointed at me. She was in complete control, and I was just … putty.”

“You?” He raised his eyebrows. “You melted for her?”

“I melted.” Daphne covered her face with her hands. “I don’t know how it happened even though I’ve been reliving it all day. One minute I was mouthing off, trying to keep all my defenses up, and the next thing I knew I was on my back, and she was doing things with her mouth that—”