"About time you saw the potential." She teased his lips with her teeth.

"Call me slow." Michael arched up, trying to capture her lips.

"Baby, you haven't seen slow yet." She bit the lobe of his ear and began to show him how slow they could go.

Chapter Twenty-seven.

"Where do you think she is?" Olivia flipped the sign on her door to "Closed" and peeked out the window. When there was no reply, she turned around with a frown to find Eve sprawled in one of the stuffed velvet chairs, her eyes shut. "Hey, are you asleep?"

"I wish. I'm exhausted."

"Treat keep you up all night? Or was shopping for Lainie tiring?"

Eve grinned but didn't open her eyes. "All of the above. Plus we've been insanely busy lately. I love that Lainie asked me to provide the pastries for the movie's wrap party, but it's a lot of work."

Olivia dropped the bra she was rearranging and stared at Eve. "The movie's wrapping up?"

Eve sat up straight, her brow furrowed. "You didn't know. I'm sorry."

"Not a big deal." She turned her back and fussed with a display. She needed something to do with her hands. Since Michael wasn't here to strangle, fixing her display seemed a good second choice.

"Are you sure it's not a big deal?"

"Of course it's not. We all knew this was temporary. It was only a matter of time before Michael went back to Los Angeles."

"It'd be nice if he could stay longer though."

She could feel Eve boring a hole in her back. She forced a casual shrug. "It won't make any difference really. It's good that he's leaving now before things go any further."

"Is it?"

No. Her heart felt like it was being ripped out of her chest. She pasted a smile on her face and turned to face Eve. "Sure it is."

Eve didn't look convinced but fortunately Lainie chose that moment to rush in. "Sorry I'm late. We had a production meeting that ran overtime. With the filming just about done, there were a lot of loose ends to wrap up."

Of course Lainie would know the movie was just about done. It seemed like everyone knew except for her. d.a.m.n Michael.

Why hadn't he said anything to her? It wasn't like he hadn't had a chance. Their intimacy seemed cheapened or fake in light of this information.

She felt a hand on her arm. She raised her eyes to find Lainie's face, lined with concern, peering at her. "You didn't know?"

It took conscious effort to smooth out her expression. This was Lainie's night. She'd deal with Michael later. "It's fine. Let's get started. We don't have long to get you ready. You said your reservation was for seven o'clock?"

"Yes."

Olivia felt a stab of envy at the way Lainie shined. The older woman was at the beginning of her romance.

She shook her head to clear her thoughts. "Eve, where's the dress?"

"I hung it in the first dressing room."

Lainie frowned. "Dress?"

Eve smiled. "You didn't expect fairy G.o.dmother Olivia to let you go off on this date without the proper attire, did you?"

"But-"

"No buts." Olivia pointed to the dressing area. "Go change."

Lainie tipped up her chin. "I expect to pay you back for the dress."

Olivia rolled her eyes. At least she didn't have to worry about Lainie not being stubborn enough to stand up to Parker. "Of course. We aren't running a charity, after all."

A grin spread across Lainie's face and she hurried like a child running to open Christmas presents. Several minutes later there was a squawk.

"You okay in there?" Olivia called back. This was the part where Lainie declared she couldn't wear the dress and they had to convince her she looked marvelous in it.

Lainie came out of the double doors with a slightly shocked look on her face. She stopped in front of a mirror and stared wide-eyed at herself.

The dress could almost be called modest. It wasn't tight, it had long sleeves, and the hem hit only a couple inches above Lainie's knees.

But the plunging neckline and slit on the side that revealed to her hip made the dress sa.s.sy, as did the crimson color. It was a dress to seduce.

Lainie turned around, her gray eyes sparkling. "I love it!"

Olivia blinked. "You do?"

"It's perfect. I can't thank you two enough for finding it for me." She smoothed the silk on her hips.

Olivia stared at her critically. Hair was good, lipstick needed touch up. "You are wearing some of your new underwear, right?"

Lainie gave her a suffering look. "Yes."

"Freshen your lipstick and let's get you home."

"I'm meeting Everett at the restaurant," she said as she rifled in her purse.

"He's not picking you up?" Olivia asked indignantly.

Lainie shook her head. "I thought it'd be easier to meet him there." She pulled out her lipstick and went to a mirror to put it on.

"Next time, make him pick you up."

"Yes, ma'am." Lainie grinned at her from in the mirror. "Wish me luck."

"You don't need it," Eve a.s.sured her. "He's going to drop to your feet."

"You two are the best." Lainie gave them brief, enthusiastic hugs and strode to the door, which opened right before she reached it.

Michael held out his arms to keep Lainie from running into him. "Whoa. Elaine. You look stunning."

She blushed and smiled at him. "Thank you."

"You're going to break hearts tonight." He kissed her on the cheek and held the door open for her.

For a moment, Olivia warmed at the way he put Lainie at ease. Then she remembered the b.a.s.t.a.r.d didn't tell her he was almost done with the movie. Her jaw tightened until she thought the muscles would snap.

"Well, I've got to get home." Eve stood up. "Give me a call tomorrow, Olivia."

"Sure thing."

"Bye, Michael." Olivia could see a hint of pity in the smile Eve gave him.

Michael nodded but his eyes never left her face. She could feel his confusion. The door clicked shut before Michael said, "What's wrong?"

She didn't beat around the brush. "When were you going to tell me you're almost done shooting the movie?"

He grimaced and ran a hand through his hair. "We still have a bit left to do. We haven't shot the opening scenes, and then the promotional shoot-"

He stopped abruptly. Probably because of the look on her face that said like I give a f.u.c.k.

He heaved a sigh. "Olivia, you knew this wasn't going to last."

"That's not the issue. I just thought I'd hear it from you rather than everyone else."

"Olivia." He reached for her and she reluctantly let him pull her into his arms. He ran a hand over her hair, down to the nape of her neck, which he rubbed soothingly. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I should have, but it just seemed like if I didn't-"

Her forehead felt drawn tight. "What?" If he didn't he wouldn't have to deal with it?

He shook his head and kissed her, so softly it was like a whisper against her lips. "Let's not ruin the time we have left by fighting, okay?"

She started to tell him to shove it but he quickly covered her mouth with his. Before she realized it, she was kissing him back with matched fervor.

Much later back in his room, she lay in his arms, listening to him breathe peacefully in his sleep and remembering the giddy look of happiness on Lainie's face. The lucky woman was just starting her romantic adventure.

For Olivia, it was the beginning of the end.

Chapter Twenty-eight.

Parker sipped his scotch, his eye trained on the door. He glanced at his watch. Ten minutes till she arrived.

He felt an unfamiliar twinge around his midsection. After some reflection, he realized it was nerves.

He shook his head and took another calming sip. He hadn't felt nervous since he first started in the movie industry thirty-seven years before. He hadn't even felt anything remotely anxious the first time he ran into Lily-literally. When he met Lily, he'd just felt a calm sureness that she was meant to be his.

With Elaine he felt anything but calm.

He didn't know what possessed her to demand to be taken out, but he hoped after this evening she'd snap out of this strangeness and go back to being the efficient, un.o.btrusive a.s.sistant he relied upon. Not that she wasn't still efficient, but she was far from un.o.btrusive. She'd taken permanent residence in his mind. Even when she wasn't around he wondered where she was and what provocative thing she was wearing now.

The door opened and she walked in. Her hair was rumpled from the wind. Even when they worked well into the night on a deadline her hair was always picture perfect. Now, it looked soft and touchable like she'd just rolled out of bed.

He shot back the rest of his scotch. One thing he didn't need to do was think about what Elaine looked like just out of bed.

He watched her as she scanned the restaurant. When her gaze fell on him, she smiled.

His gut clenched. He couldn't remember anyone smiling at him like that. Not in twenty-five years since Lily died.

"h.e.l.lo," she said when she reached the table. Her voice sounded the same as always, a little low and husky, but tonight it grabbed him and refused to let go.

He stood up. "You're early."

"So are you."

He helped her out of her coat and handed it to the host who waited patiently beside their table. He pulled out her chair and froze as he noticed what she was wearing.

Her dress was red silk, simple and elegant. It revealed quite a bit of cleavage, which he could have dealt with on its own. After all, he'd been dealing with it for weeks now. But when she sat down, the skirt fell away, revealing a length of creamy skin almost to her hip. His mouth went dry and he felt a strange dizziness he attributed to drinking his scotch too fast on an empty stomach.

She was devious. She'd been hiding this side of her from him and he didn't like it one bit. Then he looked down and saw her shoes-the sensible, quality shoes she always wore-and felt relief. It was comforting to know that underneath the seductive Elaine the Elaine he was most familiar with still existed.

He sat down, feeling like he was on more stable ground than before. "Can I order you a drink?"

"A gla.s.s of wine would be nice, thank you."

He gazed at her while he waited for the server to come, noticing for the first time Elaine's nervousness. It was in the way her brows creased and the tension in her shoulders. He was shocked at the impulse to take her hand and rea.s.sure her so he could see her smile again.

"Your dress is lovely."

He was as surprised to hear himself say it as Elaine appeared to be. "Thank you."

"Red becomes you. You should wear it often."

She blushed charmingly. "Olivia tells me the same thing."