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She turned in the bed and stared out the window. I wasn’t sure she even heard me. I wasn’t even sure that she knew that I existed.
She’d escaped to her own little world, and I couldn’t touch her.
I rubbed my knuckles over the spot in my chest that still ached from the memory.
“So, go beyond his financials,” I snapped as I hauled the saddle from the stallion and hung it up. “I’m telling you, there is something shady about the man. He looked at me like he wanted to kill me, and I don’t like the way that he was looking at Jillian.”
“Was he looking at Jillian like he wanted to sleep with her? Because I’m pretty sure that’s what most of the men were doing last night. Your wife is stunning,” he pointed out.
“Easy,” I growled.
“What? I’m just pointing out what you clearly already know? So are you asking me to investigate Gordon? I could hire a private investigator if you want and keep your name out of it, but I’m curious about your motivation. Do you really think the guy is up to something or are you falling in love with your wife?”
At that, my head snapped up. “Excuse me?”
“You said it yourself.” He gave me a lazy grin. “You didn’t like the way Dennis was looking at Jillian. So, are you protecting her or just protecting the land you want?”
“I’m protecting the land I want.” I led the horse into the stall and locked the door behind me. “And I don’t want Harry to get wind that I’m investigating his son. Will you do it or not?”
“Sure.”
“And not give me any lip about it?”
“Not a chance.” He laughed, slapping a hand on his thigh. “Give me a couple of days to find the right person. I don’t want to use the firm’s investigator since this is personal. I should have someone hired by midweek.”
“Fine. Don’t worry about the money. I’ll give you whatever you need.”
“You always do.” He reached down to brush the dust off his shiny leather shoes. “You could have told me all of this on the phone. Is there a reason you made me drive all the way up here?”
“Dinner,” I said gruffly. “You’re here to eat some damn dinner with me.” I’d only seen Jillian in glimpses today. She was dressed in a tight pair of jeans and a tank top that showed off just an inch of her midriff. It didn’t fit the Jillian of today with her pants suits and sensible pumps. It was something that she would have worn back in college. Something that she knew would drive me crazy. I knew that she wasn’t doing it on purpose, but God help me, if she was still wearing it at dinner, I wouldn’t even begin to know how to control myself.
I needed a buffer and since Kim was never around at dinner, that meant Gordon.
“You made me come up all the way up here for dinner,” Gordon said slowly. “Are we celebrating something? Did I forget our anniversary again, honey?”
I was about to tell him to cram it, but part of me was afraid he might have something else planned. “Please.”
His eyebrows arched, and he actually took a step back. “Please? Are you dying or something, man? Has Jillian resorted to poisoning your food? Man, I don’t want to die tonight. I’ve got a date with a yoga instructor this weekend, and I really don’t want to die without seeing her wrap her leg around the back of her head.”
I snorted, appreciating my friend’s humor even if it wasn’t enough to make me laugh outright. “Dinner has been tense lately. I thought some company might help lighten the mood.” It wasn’t a complete lie.
“Buffer. You want me to be your buffer? Christ.” He sighed. “Will your sister be there? She drives me insane.”
“Doubtful. She’s been avoiding Jillian like the plague. Hates the woman although I have no idea why. She didn’t even meet Jillian when we were married.” Sighing, I rubbed the back of my neck. “Look, I’d owe you one. Okay?”
“Reservations,” Gordon said instantly. “Use that wealthy name of yours to get me a table at Bella Vie this Saturday night, and I’ll spend every dinner with you from now until this weekend.”
It wasn’t the first time I’d made reservations for Gordon, and it certainly wasn’t difficult. I’d done my fair share of rubbing elbows at fancy restaurants to make sure certain deals would go through.
“Done. I need to clean up and get ready. Try to stay out of trouble while I’m in the shower, okay?”
He grinned. “I don’t make any promises.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Jillian
“Out late again?” I whispered in the dark as he came stumbling in. The stench of beer was heavy in the air, and just as I had during the last month, I closed my eyes and feared what might come next.
