Page 36 of Hush

Ben’s stomach boiled with hot, churning bile. “No,” he protested. “That was a one-time deal. You got what you wanted, and I got to walk away.” He leveled his eyes at her. “For good. You don’t get to continue orchestrating my life.”

“Don’t you see?” she asked, smiling. “Look at this fire in you. Doesn’t it feel powerful?”

Ben shook his head. “You’re sick, you know that?” he said, motioning for the check from the waitress.

“You’re right, I am, but you, Dr. Parker, make me well,” she said with satisfaction. “Do you remember the time I went down on you in the lecture hall?”

“Keep your voice down,” he hissed, looking both ways. To his horror, he felt the toe of Ashley’s foot stroking up his leg. He swiveled his legs away, relieved to see the waitress hurrying over with the check.

“Is everything tasting okay?” she asked, a nervous expression on her face.

Ben realized he hadn’t eaten a bite of his dinner. “Yes, it’s excellent.” He glanced at Ashley. “I’ve just lost my appetite,” he added, slipping his card from his wallet.

Ben picked up his wineglass. If he was paying, he at least wanted to taste the eighty-dollar bottle of Red Mountain Cabernet. But the taste was sour in his mouth.

“Oh, I’ve missed this.” Ashley sighed, looking at him with a fondness that made his stomach upend, threatening to send the wine back up his throat.

The check arrived, and Ben signed it. “Stay away from me,” he said, tossing the pen down.

“Or what?” she replied, her nose rising sharply and her eyes like a viper’s. “I have all the power, and you know it.”

Chapter 15

Elise

“Where’s your coat, honey?” Elise asked Jaden after finally getting him out of Adam’s playroom. After a round of thank-yous and promises to get the boys together again soon, Elise stood near the doorway with Stephanie and Adam in their slippers to send them off.

Jaden’s face went blank as he tried to follow the breadcrumbs in his mind.

Elise glanced at Stephanie, who was thinking, too.

“He had it at the theater,” Elise said, remembering the way Jaden played with the zipper. “Did he wear it home?”

Stephanie’s round face froze. “I don’t remember. The theater was warm. I’m sure he took it off inside, and, when we came out, it wasn’t snowing.”

Elise flashed back to the snowflakes collecting on Ben’s windowpane and the softness of the comforter against her bare skin. A shudder of desire pulsed through her. Almost simultaneously, a dampness bloomed between her legs. She shifted her posture, willing her mind to stay focused.

“It must be at the theater,” Stephanie said, her eyes frozen with guilt. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Elise said calmly, realizing she had no choice but to go to the theater on the way home, even though it was a detour, even though the extra stop could easily push Jaden past his ability to keep it together.

“Come on, honey,” Elise said, her voice sounding tired.

Jaden watched her with worried eyes. “Sorry, Mama,” he said.

Elise smiled. “No problem,” she said with an ease she hoped sounded genuine and folded him into her arms. “But let’s go, okay? So we can get home.”

They held hands on the walk to the car parked in front of Adam’s house, his little hand warm and slightly sticky in hers. In his other hand, he carried a small baggie of cookies he and Adam had decorated.

She opened the door and waited for him to climb into his booster seat, then helped him pull the seat belt over his lap. When Jaden was small, some days the car seat and all the buckles were too much for him, especially if he were tired, and he became what Garrett used to call “a thrashing pterodactyl.” It seemed those days were behind them now, and Elise couldn’t thank the maturity gods enough.

Once underway, Elise turned on the children’s Christmas music CD he liked, her mind thinking ahead to the stop at the theater. Snow blanketed all the parked cars and gave the streets a hushed feel, as if everything was in a frozen winter sleep. Because of the later hour, she found parking easily near the theater and helped Jaden from the car, noticing his droopy eyes. He gave a shiver as they stepped onto the sidewalk, so Elise walked quickly. They passed a dry goods store with an elaborate display of stuffed animals, candles, and Christmas décor that reminded Elise of the Christmas shopping she had not finished earlier that day. A sense of warmth and longing tugged at her insides when she thought about her time with Ben. When was the last time she had spent an afternoon like that? The closest she could remember was her honeymoon. Otherwise, why waste time with sex during the day? She almost laughed out loud. A warmth spread to her neck and face, and she found herself smiling.

They hurried past the entrance to a restaurant, the warm, inviting glow from inside lighting up the snowy sidewalk.

Jaden tugged at her hand. “Mama,look,” he said.

Thinking Jaden had seen a toy from the gift shop window, Elise pressed on. “We can look another time, honey,” she said.

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