office once in a while, take your mind off things.”
“I would if I could feel useful there. I'll go back after the honeymoon, Cole has promised to give me my old responsibilities back.”
“Okay then, babes, see you later. What are you doing today, anyway?”
“I don't know.”
Elaine left, but Lacey had figured out exactly what she would be doing. She was going go back on the pill, as a precaution, so she would go see her doctor. She was still unsure about everything, the last thing she wanted to do was bring a baby into the equation.
***
“It seems like ages since we've been on a proper date, Cole. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were taking me for granted.” Lacey put her wine glass to her mouth, but Cole frowned at her.
“Should you be drinking?” he asked her.
“Why not? I always have wine with my meal.”
“But not now, you shouldn't.” Cole had raised his voice without meaning to. The reason the couple had gone out for dinner was because Lacey insisted they kick back and try to relax.
Telling her she shouldn't be drinking surprised her but speaking at such a volume also made several guests at other tables turn around and stare at them. The restaurant where they were dining was small, very expensive and usually there was a three-month wait to eat there. Cole had called them that afternoon and, as a valued customer, they were happy to oblige.
The maitre d' looked at them. There was no background music and you could hear a pin drop. Cole leaned in closer to Lacey. He rested his hand on her arm so that she was not able to take another sip of wine.
“What's gotten into you?” she hissed across the table.
“You said we were going to try for a baby. Isn't it a bad idea to drink alcohol?”
“You sat there watching me order this, are you going to confiscate it in front of all these people? You know a lot of the folk here, don't you?” she said, looking him straight in the eye but smiling so sweetly, no one would know she was as annoyed as hell.
Cole smiled back, twice as widely and being just as false.
“Sweetie, we'll talk about this later, okay?” he said.
“Why don't we talk about it now?”
“Because I think we should go,” Cole said. “Don't make it obvious by turning around, Lacey. I'll get the bill.”
Lacey had barely touched her meal and was so frustrated with Cole she wanted to find a way to get back at him. She waited until they'd left the restaurant and were heading back to his car. She dragged her feet.
“Let's go back to mine, shall we?” Cole said.
Lacey did not answer.
“Don't tell me you're mad at me?” he asked.
“It isn't that, there's something I needed to tell you.”
“Oh?” he said, searching for his keys as they approached his car. “What is it?”
“I saw Nate.”
Cole's eyes went steely and he unlocked the passenger door. “Get in,” he said to her.
She took a seat and fastened her seatbelt. Cole took his time getting into the car. Finally, he took his seat and turned on the ignition. They pulled off slowly.
“When you say you saw him, did you go to his office or something? I mean, I didn't get a report back from...”
“From my prison guards?”
“Lacey why are you being like this?”
“I'm not being like anything. If you must know, it was the night I asked you to get rid of security. He showed up just after, pretty freaky, but he did.”
“Freaky or suspicious.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning, it's weird he shows up when you asked me to call the boys off.”
Lacey turned sideways to face him.
“And if I was sneaking around like that, why would I tell you I saw him?”
“True.” Cole swallowed hard, kept his eyes on the road. “And what was it he had to say? Was it what I