Page 1 of Wine Whiskey & Lipstick

Chapter 1

Benjamin Cash couldn’t keep still. He tapped his cell against his right knee while bouncing his leg up and down.Something isn’t right.A nagging sense of forebodinghadBen’s mind racing, and the feeling of dread wouldn’t go away.

For the third time, Ben checked the time on his cell. His plane had been in a holding pattern for almost half an hour, waiting to land and pushing his return time back even further. He needed to get homeASAP. He’d called his wife several times before boarding, but she never picked up.She should have picked up. Where are you, Lana?

Almost immediately, Ben had second thoughts about leaving in the first place. Unfortunately, he needed to take this trip because it was too important to his business.I shouldn’t have been gone this long.He had been apprehensive about leaving for so many reasons but mostly because it took him away for more than a week.This was a bad time to travel.Ben took little solace in having spoken with Lana several times while he was out of town. Those calls hadn’t been reassuring because she seemed distant—more so than usual. If Ben were honest, he and Lana hadn’t been clicking for a while. Over the last couple of months, she had threatened to end things, but this time, Ben thought maybe she would make good on her promise.His thoughts were interrupted by the voice that came over the intercom.

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to O’Hare Airport. The local time is now five-fifteen p.m., and the temperature is currently a balmy thirty-eight degrees.

“As we make our descent, and for your safety and comfort, pleaseremain seatedwith yourseat belt fasteneduntil the captain turns off the fasten seat belt sign. This will indicate that it is safe to move about. Once the fasten seat belt sign is turned off, you may also use your cellular device.”

It took several antagonizingly long minutes before Ben’s plane was finally on the ground. As it taxied toward the gate, he looked at his phone once more.Damn, still no reception.Frustrated, he sighed heavily and rubbed the back of his neck, waiting impatiently for the plane to come to a complete stop. It took an eternity, but that green fasten seat belt sign finally turned off.

Immediately, Ben checked his phone. This time he thanked God services had been restored and tapped the redial button. Ben’s call immediately went to voice mail. “Hi, you’ve reached Lana. I can’t come to the phone right now. But at the sound of the beep, you know what to do.” Ben waited for that all too familiar tone. He held the cell between his ear and shoulder as he stood to retrieve his carry-on bag from the overhead bin. “Hey. It’s me. Just wanted to let you know that I’ve landed. Call me when you get this message. Miss you and ladybug.” Reluctantly, Ben disconnected.

Dammit.

“I remember those days.” Ben turned to see an older gentleman watching him with compassion. “It’s one of the reasons that I always fly first class.” The man smiled. “I don’t like to waste any time getting home to my wife either.”

Ben returned the man’s smile with one of his own. “It’s been a long week.” He then threw his bag over his shoulder, stepped back, and allowed the man to walk ahead of him as they got off the plane. Fortunately, Ben didn’t have any checked luggage and didn’t need to stop by the baggage claim. He could go straight to get a Lyft or an Uber.

Hailing a car almost immediately, Ben tossed his bag inside the trunk. He slid into the backseat and, once the driver pulled away from the curb, decided to call homeagain. This time he dialed the landline. It also went straight to voice mail. He released an exaggerated breath as he glanced out the window. It was only five-thirty in the evening but looked more like nine. This time of year was always dark but seemed to foreshadow the feeling he had in the pit of his stomach. Ben could arrive home in about thirty minutes if traffic were good, but that felt like thirty minutes too long.

“Let me try Aimee,” Ben said aloud. His live-in nanny should be around as he knew she wouldn’t have Rylee out after dark.Someone should be home.Ben punched in Aimee’s number. It rang several times before also going to voice mail.Why the fuck isn’t anybody answering their goddamned phones?!Ben hoped he was overreacting, but he had a strong sense that he wasn’t.

After an excruciating ride, his car finally pulled up into the circular drive of Ben’s high-rise condo. He retrieved his bag and tipped the driver. Quickly, he walked into the building and waved to the on-site security on his way to the elevator.

“Good evening, Mr. Cash.”

“Hey, Ronald.” Ben stopped in mid-stride and backed peddled. “By chance, have you seen Lana in the past couple of days?”

Ronald stood up from behind his desk as he took a quick minute to think about it. He frowned. “Actually, I haven’t. Now that you mention it, I haven’t seen Aimee or Rylee either since Thursday night. However, I did take a vacation day on Friday and switched shifts with Tony yesterday. So, it’s possible I just missed them.”

“Everything seemed fine, though?”

Ronald nodded. “Yeah. Everything seemed fine.”

“Good to hear.” That bit of information should have given Ben a bit of relief, but he knew that lately, Lana had been frustrated. More frustrated than usual. “I’m sure everything is fine. I’ve just come home from visiting my family and taking care of some business. I miss them like crazy. I haven’t been able to reach them today and can’t wait to hug my girls.”

“Then quit talking to me and go see about them.” Ronald laughed.

Ben put his hand up waved him away. “You’re absolutely right.” Unfortunately, Ronald’s words didn’t relieve his unease. With a sense of urgency, Ben rounded the corner and pressed the button on the elevator. The doors slid open, and he stepped inside. Ben pushed the button to the thirty-seventh floor.

He glanced up and watched the numbers of the building’s floors changing inside a little digital box. As the elevator ascended, Ben’s heart beat a little faster with each passing floor. As soon as the doors opened, he bounded out and walked swiftly to his door.What if they are . . .Ben admonished himself.Don’t panic.Lana and Rylee are probably home, watching a movie.

Ben put his keycard inside the slot on the door and pushed it open. It was evident from the moment he stepped inside that Ben’s greatest fear had occurred.

Chapter 2

Dillyn Anderson was more than satisfied with her efforts as she glanced around the living room. She placed a hand on her slim hips and admired her hard work. “Perfect,” she whispered. Everything was in place. Dinner had been delivered and set up in the formal dining room. Dillyn strategically placed candles throughout the downstairs giving her home an ethereal glow while soft music played in the background.

She heard a noise. Going completely still, Dillyn listened intently until she recognized the sound she had been waiting for—the garage door—it was opening.He was home.

Dillyn smoothed her hands down her now svelte figure, and a satisfied grin appeared on her face. It seemed impossible, but Dillyn was finally back to her normal weight. The fertility cocktail she’d been taking had wreaked havoc on her body. It had taken Dillyn all of six months to get herself back together after deciding not to continue with the process. It was the hardest decision she’d ever made, but after making it, Dillyn was relieved. Afterward, Dillyn worked her literal ass off to get back into shape just for this moment—for Steven.

He was so visual. Appearances meant everything. Dillyn knew that her stomach wasn’t completely flat, but it had lost most of its bloated appearance. Those squats she’d subjected herself to in recent months had kept the hands of time from completely dropping her ass to the ground. It was plump, rounded, and firm, just like it had been on the first day they met. Dillyn’s sheer black teddy was going to drive Steven insane. It didn’t leave anything to the imagination and made her breasts sit up like a Playboy Bunny. Dillyn’s body wasn’t perfect, but it was close enough to celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary.

He was inside.The door from the garage to the kitchen opened and closed. Dillyn hurried over to the dining room and picked up one of Steven’s ties from off the table. She put it loosely around her neck and sat down in her chair.Why the hell not?Dillyn lifted her leg and rested it on the table, displaying a good bit of inner thigh and a brand new pair of black stiletto red bottoms.

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