Ties That Bind (23 page)

“We need to step back. Reassess. I’m not ready to give up on Tyler.” She watched him. “Are you, with Dray?”

“I hate hurting her. But how can things go on as they were, now that this has happened between us?”

“Don’t do anything. Just wait and see how we feel tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow we’re starting our case files. I can’t be in the same room with you and pretend this didn’t happen, Kate.”

“We aren’t pretending. We’ve acknowledged it. Decided it was not the best thing for us. We’ll try to get over it.”

No answer.

“Reese, please, one more try.”

“So what are you suggesting? That we lie to Dray and Sloan?”

“No, we’ll tell them. We can put the right spin on it, I think. Make them see it didn’t mean anything.”

“It did mean something or you wouldn’t be so upset.”

Now it was her turn to be silent.

“At least admit that, Kate. To me.”

“Yes, it meant something.” She expelled a heavy breath. “We’ll tell Tyler and Dray it was a mistake. That our feelings were heightened by the case and we lost control.”

“That might be easier to handle.” He stepped farther away. “What about tomorrow, and the case files?”

“We’ll bring Dray and Tyler. They can help us.”

“That is by far the worst idea you’ve ever had.”

“No, no it’ll help squelch this…thing between us.”

“You’re wrong.”

“I’m right. And I insist we do it.”

“You have no idea,” he said, lifting his hand and grasping her chin, “how wrong you are. When it blows up in our faces, remember that I warned you.”

“It won’t.” She took in a heavy breath. “Swear to God you’ll give this an honest shot. You’ll really try to make it work with Dray and keep our interaction…platonic.”

“All right, I swear to God. Invite young Dr. Kildare to your house tomorrow.”

“And you bring Little Bo Peep.”

“It oughtta be interesting.”

And because she was so sure she wanted to put what had happened between them behind her—and it pissed him off—he leaned over and gave her a hard, possessive kiss on the mouth.

o0o

DRAY LAY BACK against the terry-cloth pillow in the three-by-six foot tub in Reese’s bathroom and closed her eyes. After a full year of living in this house, she still didn’t consider it her own. Oh, she’d made decorating changes, brought in some of her furniture, and stored the rest in the apartment above the gym, but basically, this was Reese’s domain. He somehow kept it his, as much as he kept his heart to himself.

Scooping up the bubbles, she blew soap into the air and watched it scatter. His feelings were as insubstantial as the evaporating froth. And Kate Renado had the power to blow them to the wind, just like this.

He was with her again tonight. They had to travel somewhere to interview Bingham’s sister. “I hate you Anna Bingham,” Dray said aloud. The woman had brought Kate and Reese together again.

And Dray knew in her heart that Reese was falling in love with his ex again. All that remained undetermined was if Dray was going to fight for him. Tyler contended he’d never give up Kate without the battle of the century. He was such a nice guy, Dray had been wishing lately that they were a couple instead. But she had no romantic feelings for Tyler, and though she did find him attractive, her heart belonged to Reese.

She’d called Phoebe again to talk, but her sister wasn’t answering, so she’d tried Lacey. But she couldn’t lay all this on Lace with the wedding so close. Still, talking to her about normal things helped.

Reese materialized in the archway to the bathroom. She hadn’t heard him come in. An automatic smile broached her lips.

“Hi,” he said. “I didn’t know you were in here.” He seemed wound up, though he was casually leaning against the jamb, drink in hand. His tie and suit coat were off, and his light gray shirt was rolled up at the sleeves. There were some smudges on the front of it. She studied him, his flushed face, the odd expression in his eyes.

“How did the visit with Bingham’s sister go?”

“Good. She let us look at the personal things.” He sipped the amber liquid. “No journal though. She has no idea what happened to it.”

Dray asked, “Where do you go from here?”

“Sanders recommended we start scrutinizing the case files from Renado and Bishop, to see if we alienated any clients who might have set us up.” He shook his hand. “It’s a daunting task.”

“Need some help?” She knew he’d say no, that he and Kate worked best alone. But she asked anyway. Guess she wasn’t going give him up without a fight.

“As a matter of fact, yes. I was hoping you could help with the files with this weekend.”

“Oh. What made you change your mind?”

“Lots of things. Look, I need to shower. I’ll use the other bathroom.”

Something wasn’t right about this sudden change of heart. As Dray climbed out of the tub and dried off, she tried to figure out what it might be. Why, all of a sudden, did he want her with him and his ex? Lathering herself with lotion, she quelled the feeling of unease inside her. This was good news. Wasn’t it?

Walking into the bedroom, she saw Reese had dropped his clothes on the chair. She crossed to them to hang up his suit, and put the other things in the laundry. She was just about to stuff his shirt into the wicker basket when she noticed two things: the second button was missing on the front placket. And the smudges she’d seen earlier looked like…lipstick. She blew out a breath.

“Dray?”

She turned. He stood in the middle of the room, a navy-blue towel wrapped around his waist. His chest was sprinkled with dark hair that still glistened from the shower.

He frowned at the shirt. “Come over here, honey.” He pointed to the bed.

“No, I prefer to stand.” She held up the shirt. “This is lipstick, I take it. Kate’s lipstick.” She shook her head. “It’s such a cliché.”

He set down his drink and approached her. Grasping her shoulders, he said, “Yes.”

“You slept with her.”

“No.” He swallowed hard and his green eyes were tumultuous. “I kissed her.”

“I see.” Thick, black emotion churned inside Dray, but she forced control to the forefront. “What exactly does it mean?”

“It means you were right. I shouldn’t be spending time alone with her. Things got out of hand.”

“Where? How?”

“I don’t want to go into details.” He was so close she could smell the soap from his shower—and see the marks on his neck. She reached out to touch them, but snatched her hand back at the last minute. “She did this.”

“I’m sorry.”

She gulped back the bile in her throat. “Damn you!”

His look was full of guilt.

“Why did you ask me to help you two this weekend?”

He ran a hand through his hair. “This thing tonight was a mistake. Kate and I talked about it afterward, and decided it’s one we don’t want to make again.”

“Do you have any idea how unsure of that statement you sound?”

“I’m just trying to figure things out, Dray.”

She shook her head.

“I understand if you want to…leave.” He’d said that before. “But I’m asking you not to.”

“Why?”

“Because it would be a mistake for me to reconcile with my ex-wife.”

“But you kissed her.”

“As I said, things got out of hand.”

“I see.”

“Do you?”

“More than you, I think.”

“What does that mean?”

“Just that I’ve seen this coming since the Bingham thing broke in the paper. I’m not sure it’s something you can stop.”

“I can.”

She sighed and pulled the robe more tightly around her. “Well, I have a decision to make, don’t I?” One that would be a lot easier if he told her he loved her. But, of course, he hadn’t. Ever!

He gripped her shoulders and started to pull her close. She stiffened. “Don’t. Not now. I need to think.”

“I understand.”

“I’m going to sleep in the spare room tonight.”

“Whatever you want.” He backed away and picked up his drink.

She got some pajamas from the dresser drawer and headed for the doorway.

“Dray?”

When she turned back she found him sitting on the bed, the towel still wrapped around him. “I’m sorry.”

She didn’t respond. Sometimes, she knew, sorry simply wasn’t enough.

o0o

KAITLYN CAME TO the bedroom doorway, a broken shoe in one hand, her pretty yellow blouse wrinkled, and her lips swollen. From his place stretched out on the bed, Tyler’s hands fisted on the medical journal he was reading. “Well, I guess I don’t have to ask what you’ve been doing.”

“I planned to tell you myself.” She crossed into the room. “I saw your car. I’m not hiding anything from you.”

He set down the journal, determined to stay cool. “Then tell me what happened.”

She dropped her things on the couch, and he saw the back of her suit was stained. He bit his tongue to suppress a nasty retort.

Instead of coming to the bed, she sank down on the sofa. “It got a bit out of hand tonight with Reese.”

“Define a bit.”

“We argued. He kissed me.”

Tyler raked her with an angry gaze. “You don’t look like you were an innocent bystander.”

“I wasn’t.”

The stark words cut to the quick. “Ah, well.” His head told him to storm out of here and out of her life. But he loved this woman. “What does all this mean, Kaitlyn?”

“It means nothing. It was a mistake. An aberration.”

“Are you saying you won’t do it again?”

“Yes, I’m saying I won’t. I didn’t want to do it this time. It just happened.”

“Which doesn’t bode well for any promises you make about your future actions.”

“No, Tyler. You’re wrong. I don’t want Reese back in my life.”

“I won’t have you dallying with him until the real deal explodes on both of you and then you come to me and tell me you’re sorry you slept with him.”

“Reese and I agreed that tonight was a mistake and we won’t repeat it.”

“Oh, I’ll just bet he wanted that.”

“Why the sarcasm?”

“Goddamn it, Kaitlyn. He’s in love with you. He wants you back.”

She shook her head.

“Fuck it. You know very well if you’d told him tonight, after what happened between you, that you wanted to pursue a reconciliation with him, he would have jumped at the chance.”

“He’s got Dray.”

“That’s no answer.”

“I’m sorry.” He could see her composure slipping. “It’s the best I can do right now.”

Tyler slid off the bed and found his shoes.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m going home. I need to think.”

“Wait a second. Reese and I decided we’re not going to work on this case alone anymore.”

Did she have a clue how much that statement hurt? That they had admitted to each other they couldn’t be trusted to be alone?

“This is bullshit.”

“No, it isn’t, Tyler. We know being alone is dangerous and might lead to something we both don’t want.”

“And?”

“We want you and Dray to help us with the next phase of this investigation.”

“You’re joking, right?”

“I never felt less like joking in my life.”

“You want Dray Merrill and me to chaperone you two?”

“No, that sounds stupid.”

“Because it is stupid.” He was yelling now.

“It’s not. I don’t want to throw away what you and I have just because I’m forced to be with Reese for a few weeks.”

“Listen to yourself. It only took two weeks for you two to jump each other’s bones in a car, for God’s sake.” He glanced down. “How did your shoe get broken? And your suit get stained?” He shook his head. “Never mind, I don’t want to know.”

“Please, Tyler. Give me another chance. I’m sorry this happened. It won’t happen again.”

He picked up his light suede sports coat that Kaitlyn had bought him for his birthday. “Yeah, well, I’ll let you know what I decide.” He crossed to her and lifted her chin. He wished he hadn’t because he saw the mark Bishop had put on her neck. “Jesus Christ,” he said, turned and walked out.

REESE FELT LIKE a first-class fool walking up to Kate’s condo, Dray at his side, on this beautiful end-of-April Saturday morning. His gut told him Kate’s little plan was a big mistake; he couldn’t believe he’d agreed to such a scheme. He also couldn’t believe that Dray, after just a few hours of the cold shoulder and contemplation, had also agreed. But then she leaned into him, as if she needed his support, and he remembered why he was doing this. He owed her this much, a good solid attempt to make their relationship work, and to keep Kate out of his life.

At the front stoop, he rang the bell. “You all right?” he asked as they waited.

“Just nifty.”

“Dray…”

“No, I’m fine. This will be fine. I know it will.” She sounded like a little girl trying to convince her friend of something she didn’t believe in. Her peacock-blue sweat suit only added to the innocent effect.

Sloan came to the door—staking out the territory, Reese guessed. He would have done the same thing. The younger man’s gaze was hostile when it focused on Reese. “Bishop.” It turned soft for Dray. “Hi, Dray. Nice to see you again.”

“Hi, Tyler.”

Stepping aside, Tyler jammed his hands into the back pockets of his jeans. “Come on in.” He closed the door after them, and played the good host by hanging up Reese’s jacket. “Kaitlyn’s in the den.” He walked ahead of them, with Dray in the middle. Reese felt like they were going to a goddamned gallows.

Kate was seated at a table in the corner. Another rectangular one had been set up by her desk. She rose, revealing long legs encased in jeans and tennis sneakers, and a pretty red top that hit her mid-hip and accented her coloring. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail and she wore no makeup. “Hi, Reese.” She nodded to Dray. “Thanks for coming, Dray.”

Dray said hello only, and didn’t respond to the last comment.

“So, how do we do this?” Sloan asked. His hands were cocked on his hips as if he were ready to draw guns from a holster.

Kate looked to Reese.

“I had Yolanda send over the files in groups, for the kinds of cases we handled, beginning with that last year.” His gaze momentarily held Kate’s. That last, horrific year. He crossed to the boxes stacked on the floor near the longer table. “We should get them out.”