“Excuse me?”
“I have some fantasies of my own up my sleeve.” When she received the most incredulous – if not worn out – look in the world, she explained, “I figure I’ve only got this one life to live. I want to do everything. I’ve hooked the hot and rich spouse, so now I want to travel the world, dominate my job, have some kids, and get all the kinky sex I could crave.”
Danica’s other arm slung over Alicia’s back. “I am right there with you. Should we start with a European trip or explore the secrets of the Far East? Nipple clamps or swinging orgies first?”
“I’ve always wanted to go to Scandinavia,” Alicia said wistfully. “Let’s start with the nipple clamps and work our way up to the swinging orgies.”
“Now, we’ll have to watch it.” Was that a girlish smile changing her post-coitus glow? “Who knows who you might end up with and decide you like more than me?”
Alicia eased herself into Danica’s sideways embrace. “A woman as perfect as my wife? My heart knows what to use and what to discard.”
They shared a soft kiss before Danica had the final word. “Now, precious, be careful with throwing around the wordused.Don’t get our roles mixed up.” In case Alicia didn’t understand, her wife kissed her in a way that suggestedshewas the only one used around there. To her great amusement, of course.
Chapter 14
“Isee right through you,” Russell said, following Alicia around her office on Monday morning. “There’s nothing genuine about you, Ms. Colbert.”
Alicia slammed a box of files on her desk. For a family that was so modernized, why did they still have paper files she needed delivered from the archives down in the basement? “It’s Moreau now, thank you.” The paperwork to legally change her name had been filed. “Unless you’re referring to the new operations I’m heading. But I don’t think you are.”
“Hmph.” Russell leaned against her desk, arms crossed. He looked like a tall, spindly spider with wild white hair growing all over his body. This was a man who was once as well-groomed as his daughter. Now? He probably didn’t care anymore. Russell was at an age where he could go anywhere in the world, throw some money around, and get half the women in the room.Meanwhile, my wife could bat a nice 90%.These Moreaus seriously needed supervision at times. “What a quaint venture. Personally, I don’t care how much of your own money you wastein hospitality. I’ll only get pissed if you start wasting company money.” He laughed. Alicia found no reassurances in that laugh.Leave me to work in peace, please.Every time she saw her father-in-law, her panic levels went up fifty points. Out of sixty.
Her hand slipped beneath her desk and hit one of two buttons. Dee quietly entered the room and stood guard, harsh gaze never leaving Russell’s bristly face. The other button, which Alicia hoped she never had to hit, would summon her wife.
“Cute. Your savior is here.”
“You should thank Ms. McCormick. It’s because of her that I lived through that unfortunate fire at my old place.”
It wasn’t easy for Alicia to make eye contact with Russell. When she did, she saw nothing but scorn and levels of contempt that could not be good for a man’s health.He sees me as nothing but a bad, money-grabbing womb.Fine with her. Considering what she knew he was capable of, Alicia would take his verbal abuse any day.
“Yes. We can both agree that the fire was most unfortunate.”
Only because it hadn’t killed Alicia as intended. Or, barring that, it didn’t scare her away from the Moreaus.It had, though. As always, Danica had been too charming and persuasive for Alicia to stay away. When the woman showed up with a ring and a marriage proposal? All sense and reason went out the window.
Alicia was still getting used to having her own Wikipedia page – let alone one more in-depth than her wife’s.
“You’ll be happy to know that I’m doing much better after my health incident on Thursday.” Alicia put the lid back on the box. “Baby’s doing fine.”
The low, rumbling chuckle shaking the air had Alicia glancing at the criminal in her office. “You’re not pregnant,” Russell said, deadpan.
Alicia would not flinch. “What makes you think I’m not?”
“I have my ways of finding things out, Ms. Colbert.” Russell opened his jacket. For a hot second, both Alicia and Dee stepped as if he were going to pull out a gun.Of course he’s not! He’s not that direct. Sheesh.Instead, a manila folder landed on her desk. “I’ve been a busy man ever since I found out about you and my daughter’s… marriage.” Could he sneer that word any harder? Probably. “For one, your supposed doctor is a fraud. All it took was some roughing up from my most trusted friends to get the truth out of him. My daughter paid him to forge your pregnancy test results. Tsk, tsk, Ms. Colbert. As if I wouldn’t find out.”
Alicia managed to walk away. “I really am pregnant, though.”
For all his bullshit, Russell Moreau was as perceptive as his daughter. Danica had to get it from somewhere in her genetics. “You really believe that?”
“I would hope that you’re happy. You may not approve of me, but you need grandchildren. Badly. I’ve done a lot of digging into your family tree, and somehow, you had two generations of Moreaus that only produced one piece of viable fruit. You and your daughter.”
“Hmph.” Russell leaned back on Alicia’s desk, almost knocking over her emerald paperweight.Hope he cuts himself on it.God knew Alicia almost did that once a day. “Unfortunate, isn’t it? If it weren’t for my pathetic ex-wife, I could’ve had more children to make up for the one’s shortcomings. Alas, I was too depressed over the death of my second child to ever try again.” There wasn’t a genuine word in that sentence.
“So let me fix that. Sorry that I’m a poor girl from Long Island, but I’m more than willing to do my duty to make sure your bloodline lives on.”
“Oh, Ms. Colbert.” Russell finally stood up, but not without motioning to the envelope again. “If you even take a look at that folder I left you, some reconsideration may occur. If you trulyare pregnant, then I only pity you. Your life is about to get so much more complicated.”
Dee rustled over by the door. Alicia lifted her hand to keep her bodyguard away. “You’ve tried scaring me enough times already, Mr. Moreau,” Alicia then said. “I don’t fall easily for your scare tactics.”
“They’re not tactics if they’re the truth, Ms. Colbert. This is your absolute final warning. I’m being more than generous now. Don’t make me break out my lawyers.”
