I like it when you take them off of me. Particularly when you get frustrated and rip things.

Im not in an exclusive club, though, am I.

Dont be coarse.

Youre the one who brought up underwear. Youre also the one who wanted me to come out here with you. Unless you actually needed fresh air for once?

Gin narrowed her eyes at him. You are a bastard.

Not according to the dictionary. My parents were well and truly married when I was conceived. He cocked a brow. Which I dont be- lieve you can say about your own daughter, can you.

She stopped, the tide turning in a direction she had not intended.

That is over the line, Samuel. And you know it.

Its a bit odd, you talking about propriety. Arent you fucking that married partner in my law firm? I believe I heard that somewhere recently.

Ah, so that was why he was acting this way.

Jealous? she drawled, her smile returning.

He cant satisfy you. Not for long, and not the way I can.

When he went to grab her, she let him" and enjoyed the way his { 95 }.

hands bit into her waist and his mouth ground against hers. It didnt take him long to lift her skirting up her thighs, and keep it there in spite of all the crinolines.

Then again, hed been getting under yards of fine material since he was fourteen and going to cotillions.

Samuel T. groaned as he discovered for himself that she hadnt lied about having nothing on underneath her dress, and his fingers were rough as he pushed his way inside of her. The heat and the need that came next were such a blissful relief from everything she didnt want to think about, the sex washing away her regrets and her sadness, giving her nothing but pleasure.

There was no reason to fake the orgasm she actually had, her nails sinking into the smooth shoulders of his tuxedo jacket as she gasped, his old- fashioned Bay Rum cologne such a throwback, it made him way ahead of his time.

As she gave herself up to him, he was the only man she had ever loved" and the only one she would never truly have. Samuel T. was like her, just worse" a soul who could never settle down even as he strolled down the brick pathways of social expectation.

Fuck me, she demanded against his lips.

He was breathing hard, his body rigid under that expensive suit, ready for her . . . but instead of giving her what she wanted, he stepped back, dropped her skirt, and stared at her remotely.

Samuel? she demanded.

With deliberate slowness, he raised his fingers to his mouth and sucked them in. Then he ran his tongue up and down and between them, licking her essence from his skin.

No, he said. I dont think so.

What.

Samuel leaned in. Im going to go back to your fathers party and sit down at his table. I went ahead and switched the seating arrange- ment so Veronica is next to me. Youll know when I put my hand be- tween her legs" youre going to see her stiffen and try to keep her composure as I do to her what I just did to you. Watch her face, Gin.

{ 96 }.

And know that as soon as we leave, Im going to fuck her in the front seat of my Jaguar.

You wouldnt dare.

Like I said, watch me, Gin.

As he turned away from her, she wanted to throw something at the back of his head. Instead, she gritted out, Isnt it Savannah?

He glanced over his shoulder. Like I care about her name? The only thing that matters is . . . shes not you.

On that note, he strode off, his fine patent leather shoes clapping out over the bricks, his shoulders set, his head up.

Wrapping her arms around herself, she noticed for the first time that the night was cold. Even though it was eighty degrees.

She should have told him about the lawyer, she decided. Then again, she had picked the doughy little man precisely because she knew that sooner or later Samuel T. would find out.

At least one thing was for sure. Samuel T. would be back. Somehow the two of them couldnt stay away from each other for long.

And eventually, she was going to have to tell him about Amelia, she thought. But not tonight. Not . . . anytime soon.

If that man found out she had hid his daughter from him all these years?

He might just kill her.

{ 97 }.

ELEV EN.

A fter Lane left the conservatory, the idea of going back to his fathers party was utterly unappealing" especially as he heard the quiet gonging that announced dinner was being served.

But considering his other option was to go see Edward, he"

Lane?

Refocusing, he looked through the archway into the dining room. A tall brunette woman in a pale gray gown was standing in front of one of the antique Venetian mirrors, the view of her bare shoulders as lovely from the back as it was from the front.

Speak of the devil, he thought. But he smiled as he went over to her and kissed her smooth cheek. Sutton, how are you?

More like, what are you doing here? She and her kin were the enemy, the owners of the Sutton Distillery, makers of the famous Sutton brand of bourbons and liquors" which was not to say he, personally, had anything against the woman. Traditionally, however, people from that bloodline were persona non grata at Easterly . . . in conversation . . .

in nightly prayers.

And they were KU fans. So they wore blue, not red, at games.

{ 98 }.

Now that was something he could actually get worked up about.

As they embraced, she smelled like the rich woman she was, her delicate fragrance lingering in his nose as he stepped back, just the way her perfect body and couture gown flashed again when he blinked.

But that wasnt because he was attracted to her. It was more in the way hed remember a museum-quality painting or a Duesenberg.

I didnt know you were coming down this weekend. She smiled.

Its good to see you after all this time. Youre looking well.

That was funny, he felt like shit. And you, beautiful as always.

Are you staying through the Derby?

Over Suttons shoulder, he caught sight of Chantal entering the din- ing room, her floor-length, brilliant yellow dress sweeping in along with her butter- wouldnt- melt- in- my- mouth attitude.

Only long enough to get papers filed, he thought.

Lane? Sutton prompted.

Sorry. Actually, I have to go back up to New York soon. After all, those poker games werent going to play themselves. Im glad to see you" surprised its at Fathers dinner, but glad.

Sutton nodded. Its a bit of a surprise for me as well.

Here on business?

She took a sip from her glass of wine. Mmm.

That was supposed to be a joke.

Tell me, have you seen . . .

As she trailed off without throwing in a proper noun, there was, once again, no reason for her to finish the sentence with Edward. For a number of reasons.

Not yet. But Im going to go out to the farm.

You know, Edward never comes into town. Sutton took another delicate draw off the razor- sharp lip of her glass. I used to see him a lot back before he was . . . well, we were on the University of Charlemont board together even though Im a KU fan, and . . .

As the woman continued on, he had the sense she was not so much informing him of things he already knew, but reliving a period of her life the loss of which she mourned. Not for the first time, he had to won- { 99 }.

der what had really happened between his familys golden boy and their competitors lovely daughter.

If it isnt the prodigal son returned.

The sound of his fathers voice was like a warning shot across his bow, and Lane covered his distaste by taking a drink of his bourbon.

Father.

William Baldwine was almost as tall as he was, with the same dark hair and blue eyes, the same jaw, the same shoulders. The differences were in the aging details, the gray at the temples, the tortoiseshell bifocals, the furrow at the brow from decades of frowning. Somehow, though, those AARP- isms didnt lessen his fathers stature. If anything, they just backed up the aura of power.

Do I need to have a place set for you. Behind those glasses, his fathers eyes regarded Lanes clothes with the kind of disdain more ap- propriate to dog feces in the parlor. Or are you leaving?

Let me think. Lane narrowed his stare. As much as I would enjoy degrading your table in this button- down, Id have to be in your pres- ence for at least three courses. So I think Ill take my leave.

Lane put his Family Reserve down on the nearest sideboard and bowed to Sutton, who was looking like shed prefer to go with him rather than stay.

Sutton, as always, a pleasure. He glanced at his sire. Father, fuck you.

With that grenade having been lobbed, he strode through the gath- ering crowd, nodding at the politicians and the socialites, those two actors from that HBO series he was addicted to, and Samuel T. and his girlfriend of the nanosecond.

Lane made it out to the front foyer, and was almost at the grand door, when a set of stilettoes came after him.

Where are you going? Chantal hissed as she grabbed his arm.

And why arent you dressed.

None of your business. He shook off her hold. On both accounts.

Lane, this is unacceptable"

{ 100 }.

Those words should never pass your lips, woman.

Chantal shut her perfectly lined mouth. Then she took a deep breath like she was having a problem tucking her anger into bed for the night.

I would like to spend some time with you this evening to talk things over, and discuss . . . our future.

The only future you need to think about is how many Vuitton suit- cases youre going to have to pack to move out of here.

Chantal kicked up her chin. You have no idea what youre saying.

He leaned in and dropped his voice to a whisper. I know what you did. I know that you didnt lose the baby. If youd wanted to keep that abortion of yours quiet, you shouldnt have taken one of my familys chauffeurs up to Cincinnati to that clinic.

As she blanched, he remembered exactly where hed been when the man whod taken her there had tenderfooted around the reveal.

No response? No denial? Lane chided. Or will those come after the shock of having been found out passes.

There was a stretch of silence, and he knew she was weighing her options, trying to figure out which approach would work in her best interests.

What was I supposed to do? she finally said in a hushed voice.

You left me here with no explanation, no support, no money, no way to contact you.

He motioned around at the oil paintings and the Oriental rugs.

Yes, because this is such a damned depraved wilderness.

You abandoned me!

So the solution was to get your figure back and try to seduce some- one else, right? Im assuming that was why you did it" you needed to fit into your size fours again, didnt you, my darling wife.