“If Althea was the one who took the twenty million, where did Jasmine get the money for all the Botox and Prada?”
Ramirez cocked his head, as if he didn’t quite get the Prada reference, but answered anyway. “They’re still processing Jasmine’s computer, but from what they’ve found so far, someone that went by the username of SexyJas was working at a cyber sex chatting site.”
Mental forehead slap. LiveLovelyLadies dot com.
“She was having cyber sex at work?”
“The way the site works is men log on and pay $3.99 a minute to chat with these women over the internet. The technologically evolved 900 number.”
I rolled my eyes, doubting evolution had much to do with it.
“Apparently,” Ramirez went on, “SexyJas had logged over a thousand hours in the last few months.”
I mentally did the math. $3.99 times a thousand equaled… a whole lotta Prada. I made a mental note to become more computer savvy.
“So”, Ramirez said, turning in his seat to face me. “You’ve had quite a night.” He brushed the back of his hand along my cheek, tucking a strand of hair behind my ears.
“Go ahead,” he said softly. “Say it.”
“Huh?”
He smiled. “I know you’re dying to say, ‘I told you so.’”
I couldn’t help it. I smiled back. “I told you so.”
He grinned until that dimple flashed in his cheek. And then he leaned over the console and kissed me. Softly, gently. His lips moving over mine as if he was afraid he might break me. And the way I felt, he just might. I melted right there into his leather seats.
He pulled away and I think I kind of fell toward him.
“Do you want me to come up?” he asked. His eyes as dark and dangerous as the panther tattooed on his arm.
Yes, yes, yes! I took a deep breath. “No.” My God, was I as crazy as Althea? What did I mean ‘no’?
The disappointment was clear in his eyes this time. “Right. It’s been a long night. I’m sure you’re tired.”
Right. Tired. What I was, was confused. I’d finally found the answers to Greenway’s murder, but I realized with a sinking feeling, they didn’t provide me with any answers about my own mixed up life.
Ramirez walked me to my door. Then kissed me gently on the top of my head. His eyes held mine and there was no mistaking the thoughts running though his mind. I felt my resolve weaken. “Rain check,” he whispered. Then got back into his SUV and left.
I stood on my darkened porch watching him. Okay, so here’s the thing: More than anything I wanted Ramirez to come up. I admit, I was seriously in lust with the man. He did things to my body with one look that I didn’t even think were possible.
But then there was Richard. I had kind of told him I was on his side. And even though we were both sort of ambiguous about what that meant, I’m pretty sure it didn’t include me sleeping with sexy cops. Until I decided what to do about Mr. White-Collar Criminal and my inability to get a clear result out of a pregnancy test, I somehow didn’t feel right letting Ramirez spend the night. Especially after the up close and personal look I’d gotten tonight at how crazy infidelity can make people.
As my libido and my better judgment mentally duked it out I unlocked the door to my studio.
Then let out a little yelp.
Sitting on my futon in the midst of my scattered possessions was Richard.
“How did you get here?” I asked blinking rapidly.
Richard stood up. He was once again dressed in his trademark slacks and button down shirt. He’d shaven since I last saw him and his hair was gelled back into Ken doll position again. Actually, he looked good. Really good. Like the familiar Richard I’d fallen for in the first place.
“You gave me a key,” he answered.
I shook my head. “No. I mean, aren’t you in jail? Oh God. Did you break out?”
Richard smiled. “No I didn’t break out. The DA dropped the murder charges after they arrested Althea and I made bail.”
I shook my head. Mr. Chesterton didn’t waste any time.
I picked my way carefully over the piles of broken dishes and scattered clothing and sat down hard on my futon. Richard sat down beside me.
“What happened to your arm?” he asked, his voice genuinely filled with concern.
“Your secretary shot me.”
“Oh, pumpkin, I’m so sorry.” He put an arm around me. I was too tired to protest. Even when he started doing little kissing things on my cheek.
“I missed you so much,” he whispered.
I sighed. While it would be so much easier just to hate him, I had to admit, I’d missed him a little too.
“Maddie, look, I know a lot has happened between us,” Richard said, taking my hand in his. “But, I just want you to know how much I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. Chesterton told me how it was you that figured Althea out. I-” He choked up, his eyes misting. “No one else believed me, but you had faith in me.”
I bit my lip, refraining from pointing out it wasn’t so much faith as fear of having a felon’s baby.
“Maddie, I know in the past I’ve done some stupid things.”
Correction – colossally idiotic things.
“But, I want to make it up to you. Chesterton said he thinks he may be able to get me off with just probation if I agree to testify against Althea. It could take a while for the trial, but once this is all over, I want to make it up to you. I want you to move in with me. Being apart like this has shown me just how much I need you in my life and I don’t want to be away from you again.”
I held up my hands. “Wait, move in with you? This is all moving too fast.”
“Too fast?” His puppy dog eyes looked up at me.
“Richard, you’re married!”
“I had the divorce papers drawn up today.”
Ouch. Poor Cinderella.
“Maddie, I know things have been crazy. But, believe me, you’re the only one for me.”
I shook my head, a migraine brewing behind my eyes. “Richard, I… I need time to think about this.”
His shoulders sagged, but he nodded. “Of course. Take all the time you need.”
I stood and walked him to the door, careful not to trip over my abused slingbacks, as he said goodnight and slipped out into the predawn light. I locked the door behind him, leaning against it with a sigh.
Bad Cop or Ken Doll?
Richard had happily ever after stamped all over his designer slacks. Once the trial passed and the divorce went through, I could easily see a house in the suburbs in Richard’s future. Ramirez, on the other hand, had instant gratification tattooed across his muscular biceps. The look in his eyes tonight promised a night that could easily top Dana’s four times. But then what?
And there was another aspect to consider in all this.
I looked down at my belly. Was there really someone in there? Even if there was, was that enough reason to stay with Richard?
“Well,” I asked my flat belly, “what do you think I should do?”
No answer. Damn. If I hadn’t just spent the night getting shot at I’d like to think I would have had the energy to go out and buy a new test then and there. As it was, I promised myself that tomorrow was The Day. Hell, I’d faced the homicidal frizz ball, I could face one little pink line. Or two
Firm in my resolve, I pulled out my futon and curled up in my blankets, and fell asleep the second my head hit the pillow.
I awoke to the sounds of a school bus dropping kids off at the end of the block and my neighbor’s steamy soaps from downstairs. I cracked one eye open. 3 p.m. Yikes. I got up and took the longest shower on record, letting the scorching water sooth my over abused muscles. I put on a denim skirt and mock turtleneck to cover the purple necklace gracing my skin and added a pair of very high heels to compensate for the big ugly bandage on my arm. There wasn’t much I could do about the black eye, but I gunked blue eye-shadow over the other one to try and even things out.