nibbled at her ear and traced a path of kisses down the elegant column of her neck to the pulse thudding at the base of her throat. She moaned.
“Now who needs to get a room?” a deep voice asked in a sarcastic tone.
Heat crept up Reed’s neck. He’d thrown those same words at Max when Max started dating Nicole. They couldn’t keep their hands off each other. “Max. And Nicole, I, ah, didn’t see you come over.”
Max snorted. “I bet. You were too busy devour—”
Reed cut him off in midsentence. “So, how’s the party going?”
“’Bout damned time you showed up,” Max rumbled.
Reed dragged a hand through his hair and turned to Ashley. “I would have been here on time. I swear, but I got stuck in the elevator at work for almost three hours. My phone died and Daniela’s didn’t have a signal.”
Max let out a roar of laughter. “Only you, little brother.” He clapped him on the shoulder. “But at least you’re here now. Howard’s here, too, and he wants to speak with you.”
“Howard who?” he asked.
“Foster. Our step-father,” Max said dryly.
“Step-father?” Ashley asked.
Damn. He hadn’t told her any of his parents’ sordid history. “My parents split back when I was in high school.”
She turned to him and stared. “I don’t understand. Your mother is married to your father.”
“She is now, but she was married to Howard for a few years.” Reed shook his head. “It’s complicated.”
“My parents remarried about three years ago,” Max stated in a quiet voice. “I take it you didn’t know any of this.”
Ashley shook her head.
“Hello, Reed.” The familiar melodic voice made him cringe.
Shit. What the hell else was going to go wrong tonight? He inclined his head. “Mother.” He turned his attention to the man standing beside his mother and extended his hand. “It’s good to see you again, Howard. How have you been?”
Why was the man here? Yes, he’d been married to his mother for almost six years, and yes, Max had maintained a relationship with Howard after the marriage ended, but still, Howard lived in New York and despite the friendship, he couldn’t imagine him traveling here for a party.
Howard grinned. “I’m well. Congratulations. I understand you just got married. This must be your lovely bride.”
“Yes. I’d like you to meet Ashley.”
Ashley gave a polite smile and shook the outstretched hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”
The six of them stood silent for a moment, then Max spoke. “Howard has just moved back to Chicago, Reed.”
Reed glanced at Max, then shifted his gaze to Howard and his mother. Were they getting back together again? Is that why she’d wanted to have dinner the other night, to tell him? “I see.”
Howard let out a hardy laugh. “No, you don’t.”
Audrey shook her head. “Howard’s moving back to Chicago has nothing to do with me.”
“Indeed, it doesn’t. Business is why I’m back. Specifically, the Riverfront venture.”
“What about it?” Reed asked.
“I’ve invested in one of the expansion projects and I’m looking for someone to manage the job.”
His eyes widened. Howard had invested in the Riverfront development? He wanted Paradis and McNamara to manage the project? Howard’s business could help put Paradis and McNamara back in the black and keep it there for years to come.
“So, what do you say, son? Are you interested?”
Reed grinned. “Hell yes.” He wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. The company meant too much to him.
“I’ll go mingle and let you two talk.” Ashley glanced over her shoulder and gestured to the crowd.
Reed noted that Jake Delaney hovered nearby. The bastard had the balls to glower at him. No way would he let that imbecile anywhere near Ashley. “It’ll have to wait, Howard. I was about to go dance with my wife.”
Ashley gasped. She couldn’t help it. Her brain couldn’t keep up.
First, the man strolled in as if he wasn’t almost
“Now who needs to get a room?” a deep voice asked in a sarcastic tone.
Heat crept up Reed’s neck. He’d thrown those same words at Max when Max started dating Nicole. They couldn’t keep their hands off each other. “Max. And Nicole, I, ah, didn’t see you come over.”
Max snorted. “I bet. You were too busy devour—”
Reed cut him off in midsentence. “So, how’s the party going?”
“’Bout damned time you showed up,” Max rumbled.
Reed dragged a hand through his hair and turned to Ashley. “I would have been here on time. I swear, but I got stuck in the elevator at work for almost three hours. My phone died and Daniela’s didn’t have a signal.”
Max let out a roar of laughter. “Only you, little brother.” He clapped him on the shoulder. “But at least you’re here now. Howard’s here, too, and he wants to speak with you.”
“Howard who?” he asked.
“Foster. Our step-father,” Max said dryly.
“Step-father?” Ashley asked.
Damn. He hadn’t told her any of his parents’ sordid history. “My parents split back when I was in high school.”
She turned to him and stared. “I don’t understand. Your mother is married to your father.”
“She is now, but she was married to Howard for a few years.” Reed shook his head. “It’s complicated.”
“My parents remarried about three years ago,” Max stated in a quiet voice. “I take it you didn’t know any of this.”
Ashley shook her head.
“Hello, Reed.” The familiar melodic voice made him cringe.
Shit. What the hell else was going to go wrong tonight? He inclined his head. “Mother.” He turned his attention to the man standing beside his mother and extended his hand. “It’s good to see you again, Howard. How have you been?”
Why was the man here? Yes, he’d been married to his mother for almost six years, and yes, Max had maintained a relationship with Howard after the marriage ended, but still, Howard lived in New York and despite the friendship, he couldn’t imagine him traveling here for a party.
Howard grinned. “I’m well. Congratulations. I understand you just got married. This must be your lovely bride.”
“Yes. I’d like you to meet Ashley.”
Ashley gave a polite smile and shook the outstretched hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”
The six of them stood silent for a moment, then Max spoke. “Howard has just moved back to Chicago, Reed.”
Reed glanced at Max, then shifted his gaze to Howard and his mother. Were they getting back together again? Is that why she’d wanted to have dinner the other night, to tell him? “I see.”
Howard let out a hardy laugh. “No, you don’t.”
Audrey shook her head. “Howard’s moving back to Chicago has nothing to do with me.”
“Indeed, it doesn’t. Business is why I’m back. Specifically, the Riverfront venture.”
“What about it?” Reed asked.
“I’ve invested in one of the expansion projects and I’m looking for someone to manage the job.”
His eyes widened. Howard had invested in the Riverfront development? He wanted Paradis and McNamara to manage the project? Howard’s business could help put Paradis and McNamara back in the black and keep it there for years to come.
“So, what do you say, son? Are you interested?”
Reed grinned. “Hell yes.” He wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. The company meant too much to him.
“I’ll go mingle and let you two talk.” Ashley glanced over her shoulder and gestured to the crowd.
Reed noted that Jake Delaney hovered nearby. The bastard had the balls to glower at him. No way would he let that imbecile anywhere near Ashley. “It’ll have to wait, Howard. I was about to go dance with my wife.”
Ashley gasped. She couldn’t help it. Her brain couldn’t keep up.
First, the man strolled in as if he wasn’t almost
Similar Books
