by Taylor Lee
Chloe tossed her head and simpered. “You did. What you didn’t do, because you knew it was unwise, was to tell me what I should or should not wear.” She added crisply, “Which is a good thing, Stuart, since getting tickets to this important event had more to do with my boss pulling a few strings than the particular case you’re working.”
Stuart’s flush deepened, this time with what looked like anger. His harsh tone confirmed that she had offended him.
“That’s not the issue, Chloe. The issue is why you chose, as you so often do, to wear an inappropriate dress.”
Ruby fought the anger constricting her chest. Not for the first time she wondered what the hell she was doing agreeing to marry Stuart. Forcing herself to take a deep breath, she began silently listing the factors that had made her accept his proposal. He worked at a decent law firm and made an acceptable salary. He wasn’t handsome by any means but he was slender and in reasonably good shape. He was short—not sideshow short—but at five feet seven inches he was often the shortest man in the group. Chloe didn’t care. In fact, given her own size and the countless nicknames she’d borne all her life, she sympathized with Stuart and continuously told him that she preferred men she didn’t have to look up at.
Stuart didn’t share her passion for sports but then she couldn’t think of anything that Stuart was particularly passionate about except his reliance on manners and status. While that could be annoying, it also underscored what Chloe liked best about him. He was predictable, almost to a fault. His job was safe, not especially exciting, but dependable. Her life with him promised to be uneventful in the best sense of the word. Enough money to live well, support a couple of kids, to buy a house in the suburbs. You know: the kind of life that normal people had. Normal was something that Chloe (and now Ruby) had longed for her entire life. Something she had never come close to having.
A deep voice interrupted her reverie. Without turning, she knew who it was. The fact that her legs were shaking, and that she had to lean against the pillar to keep from falling confirmed that the handsome man advancing on her was none other than her secret heart throb, Noah Walker. Before she could respond he reached for her hand.
“Chloe, I didn’t expect to see you here. It’s been much too long.”
He glanced at her dress, clearly appraising her audacious attire. Seeing his dark eyes light with mischief, Chloe decided that Stuart was right; the top of the dress was too low and the bottom was too high. Before she could choke out a response, Noah winked at her.
“Great dress, Chloe.”
When she muttered a barely audible “Thanks,” Noah pulled her up next to him and murmured conspiratorially, “It almost beats the Batman nightshirt.”
Chapter 2
Rather than trying to force words through her desert-dry throat, Ruby let her certain flush confirm her embarrassment. She kept her gaze locked on the floor, knowing that meeting Noah’s eyes would be her downfall. From the din in her ears she heard him introduce himself and the woman beside him. Gratified that she had someone other than Noah or her shocked fiancé to look at, Ruby allowed herself to glance at the statuesque woman standing next to Noah. She couldn’t have made a worse decision. The runway model slender woman had to be at least five foot nine inches tall in her stocking feet. With her tasteful designer pumps she was nearly six feet tall, an imposing complement to Noah’s impressive height.
Even with her garish five-inch high-heeled stilettos, that Stuart disparagingly called her “hooker heels,” Ruby was at least half a foot shorter than the stranger. As if that wasn’t intimidating enough, the woman was stunningly beautiful. If she wasn’t a cover model for Ebony magazine she should be, Ruby thought with a despairing sigh. The final insult was that the gorgeous Kerry Washington twin was wearing a designer dress that had to have been custom made for her. How else could a mere dress enhance the wearer’s beauty in such a subtly expensive but unpretentious way? Ruby suppressed a sigh and came to the obvious conclusion. If the universe had wanted to embarrass her, wanted to confirm Stuart’s opinion of her appearance as a classless, slutty sexpot, it couldn’t have done better than to contrast her with the elegant woman standing beside Noah.
Seeing the woman’s slight frown, Ruby followed her gaze and realized that Noah was still holding Ruby’s hand. Or, to be more precise, that she was still clinging to his large, enveloping grip as though without his support she would crumble to the floor. Which, given her shaky knees, wasn’t far from the truth.
Noah’s face lit up in a gleaming smile as he pulled her toward him. With one hand still holding hers, he grasped his companion’s elbow and nodded to them both.
“Natalia, Chloe, let me properly introduce the two of you. Natalia, this Chloe Harper. I knew the former Sgt. Harper when she was a hotshot adjunct to some of the missions I was on in Afghanistan. Her fame among Army Rangers is legendary.”
Noting how seamlessly Noah avoided mentioning her current status, Chloe was impressed, then relieved, when he introduced his lissome companion as merely a longtime friend. Chloe studiously avoided acknowledging her relief that the gorgeous creature wasn’t his fiancée or, god forbid, his wife. She wasn’t sure how she could have managed a simple conversation if she’d learned that her secret crush was married.
“Chloe, this is Natalia Jameson. Natalia and I have known each other since nursery school. Our families have been friends since then. Her father, Jim Jameson, is my father’s Chief of Staff.”
Squeezing then releasing Chloe’s hand with a slight frown, confirming that he saw her nervousness, Noah turned to Stuart who was staring at the three of them as if a troupe of Charybdis’ had risen from the ocean and landed on his shore. Extending his hand, Noah grasped Stuart’s and inclined his head slightly to a height closer to Stuart’s.
“I’m pleased to meet you. I’m Noah Walker, a friend of Chloe’s from our military days.”
When Stuart’s already saucer-like gaze widened further, Chloe saw that only now did her fiancé realize that Noah Walker was none other than John Walker’s son. Make that United States Senator, John Walker’s son.
Stuart looked up at Noah and his flush darkened. He made a visible effort to draw himself up to his full height, but even so he barely came to Natalia’s chin, much less Noah’s towering frame. Chloe knew that one of the few things Stuart liked about her appearance was that she was short. Her five feet three inches made his barely four inches taller acceptable, except when she chose to wear her outrageous shoes. Puffing up his chest, which unfortunately made him look more like a banty rooster than a legitimate rival, Stuart found his voice.
“I’m pleased to meet you, Sir. Let me introduce myself since my fiancée seems to have swallowed her tongue.”
Aiming a disparaging frown at Chloe, Stuart continued.
“I’m Stuart Mason, a junior partner at the firm of Grafton Summers. You may have heard of us. We focus on probate issues. You know, wills and the like. Not the most exciting stuff, but it pays the bills.”
He added with a chortling laugh, “After all, none of us gets out of this life alive. Gives us a guaranteed stream of potential clients. And in this town, those potential clients have the added advantage of being wealthy. And, as I’m sure you also know, wealth begets wealth.”
Stuart shot Chloe a scathing glance. “Chloe didn’t bother to tell me that she had powerful friends in Washington. But then, she is secretive about her past. ”
He turned back to Noah and said in an ingratiating tone.
“It would be terrific to get to know you better. I’m new to the D.C. scene but am well aware of just how important connections are. I’d love to buy you a drink and compare notes.”
Noah gave a polite chuckle then turned back to Chloe with a questioning gaze.
“I hadn’t heard that you were engaged, Chloe. I presume that congratulations are in order.” Glancing at Stuart, he bowed slightly and said in a serious tone, “You, Sir, are a lucky man. I know a few hundred former military guys who will
be green with envy when they hear that Chloe Harper is no longer on the playing field. I trust you know how fortunate you are.”
Stuart gave an exaggerated groan. “So I’m told by all of her friends.” At Noah’s frown, Stuart added quickly, “And, of course, I agree.”
He looked up at Natalia and said, “However, if anyone is fortunate, Natalia, it is this lucky guy.” Stuart pointed to Noah then continued ogling Natalia. “I’m sure you are told this endlessly but you are a beautiful woman.” He looked appraisingly at her dress and added, with a regretful sigh, “And you have exquisite taste. Something that my beautiful fiancée occasionally overlooks when she opts for sensational rather than tasteful.”
Noah started and his jaw tightened. He stepped forward clearly intending to take issue with Stuart’s snarky put down of Chloe. But before he could speak, Natalia clasped Noah’s arm and moved up next to him. In a silky voice, she murmured, “This has been lovely, Noah. I’m always pleased to meet your former colleagues.” She smiled graciously at Chloe. “Although this is the first time that one of Noah’s Army buddies is a woman.” Letting her eyes sweep over Chloe’s curvy body, she sighed. “But I disagree with you, Stuart.” She smiled at Chloe. “Noah is right, Chloe. That is a lovely dress and looks wonderful on you. I could never wear it. I’m too tall and scrawny to do it justice.”
Shocked and infuriated at Stuart for his graceless attack, and not a little dismayed that the cover model had come to her rescue and was actually complimenting her, Chloe did her best to respond in kind.
“Thank you, Natalia. I was admiring your dress and acknowledging that I would look like a little girl playing dress up if I ever tried to wear something like it.”
Natalia laughed, a bell-like sound. “Aren’t we women silly? Always wishing and hoping that we looked differently than we do.”
Before Chloe could answer the gracious woman’s all-too-true assessment of women and their foibles, a deep voice reminiscent of Noah’s caught her attention.
“Ah, there you are, Son. We wondered where you and Natalia had stolen off to.”
Turning, Chloe saw a tall man approaching who had to be Noah’s father. Darker skinned and not quite as tall, the older man was almost as impressive as Noah. Impeccably dressed in a dark grey pinstriped suit, his white shirt and classic tie underscored his fit, toned body. Strands of steel gray sprinkled through his closely cropped hair and the lines etched on his handsome face were the only signs of age. It was confirmation, although none was needed, that Noah’s chances of becoming even more handsome as he aged were likely. Further confirmation that the younger Mr. Walker was blessed with excellent genes was the woman standing beside the Senator.
She reached over and pecked Noah on the cheek.
“Yes, Noah. Your father is right. We were pleased to see that you are still here and hadn’t headed for the hills as you usually do at these events.”
Turning to Chloe, she said, “I presume you are a friend of Noah’s or he wouldn’t be hovering over you, no doubt protecting you from the onslaught of political hangers-on who always swamp us at these affairs.” Nodding to Natalia, she added, “Natalia can tell you, can’t you, dear, how overwhelming it can be.”
She smiled at Natalia then turned back to Chloe and directed a questioning brow at her son.
“You are going to introduce us, are you not, Noah?”
Noah laughed and shook his head. “Yes, Mother, and Father, I had every intention of introducing you.” Nodding to Chloe and Stuart, he said, “First of all, these two remarkable people are my parents, Senator John Walker and his better half, my mother, Frances Walker.”
Acknowledging Stuart, he said, “Stuart Mason is a partner at the law firm of Grafton Summers. He and I are meeting for the first time tonight.”
Moving closer to Chloe, Noah reached for her hand and pulled her next to him.
“What I just learned is that Stuart is an extraordinarily lucky man. Apparently this lovely woman has agreed to be his fiancée. But let me introduce her. This is former Staff Sgt. Chloe Harper. Chloe and I served together on a number of missions in the Middle East. There are a slew of tough Army Rangers who owe their lives to the courage and skills of this beautiful woman.”
Chloe couldn’t hide her surprise at Noah’s effusive introduction. Clearly his parents were also surprised. A slight frown tugged at the Senator’s brow as he regarded her.
“Ahh, I should have guessed. There is something about military men and apparently women that give them away.” His smile seemed somewhat forced when he added, “Tell me, Ms. Harper, what do you do now that you are retired?” He added with a laugh, “Which you must admit is a strange designation for someone who can’t have reached her thirties.”
Before Chloe could answer, Noah jumped in.“Chloe does security work. Contract work, I believe.”
Chloe didn’t miss the look Noah exchanged with his father. Listening with one ear to Noah’s mother and Natalia engaging an eager Stuart in a conversation about his law firm, Chloe focused on the two black men. To her knowing gaze, the warning glance Noah threw his father was apparent. Noah was obviously shutting down his father’s inquiry into her work. The Senator regarded her pensively then slowly nodded, apparently acceding to his son’s unspoken admonition. At that moment, Chloe knew that the Senator was not only aware of his son’s off the grid activities but that she worked in the same arena. It was equally obvious that the Senator didn’t approve of Noah’s chosen line of work or hers.
After a few moments of polite conversation, Noah excused himself and Natalia and joined his mother and father as they moved back across the ballroom. The impressive, dark-skinned quartet made their way across the sea of Washington elite who had to be at least 95% Caucasian. Nevertheless, the Senator and his wife were virtually mobbed by the eager crowd. Chloe did her best to squash her regret seeing Noah grasp Natalia’s arm and shepherd her to the exit. The sight of their retreating backs, and Noah’s arm around the slender woman’s waist, shot an unwelcome pang through her body. If she didn’t know better, Chloe might have thought it was jealousy.
Chloe had to physically force herself to turn back to Stuart, who had apparently been talking to her. At her.
“Did you hear me, Chloe? I don’t get it. Why didn’t you tell me that you knew Senator Walker’s son? Damn, Chloe, they are practically royalty in Washington. At least as close to royalty as a black man in America can become!”
Before Chloe could respond, Stuart dug the hole deeper.
“Jesus, Chloe, you even worked with the Senator’s son? I thought all sergeants did were march in formation and if they were women, get the brass’s coffee. Why didn’t you tell me you had powerful friends? Do you realize how important those connections can be to an aspiring law firm partner?”
Struggling to contain her fury, Chloe wasn’t sure how she could possibly control her response. She stepped back biting her lip to keep from screaming at him. Forcing herself to take a deep breath, she spoke carefully but was unable to eliminate the rancor coursing through her.
“Sorry, Stuart. Just one more failing you can add to your list of travesties I apparently commit on a regular basis. Tell me, does my failure to introduce you to Noah, so that you could claim you are friends with Senator Walker’s son, rank higher or lower on your list of my infractions than the slutty clothes I wear?”
Stuart jerked back, clearly surprised at her cutting words.
“Chloe… I don’t understand. Why are you angry? You know I don’t catalogue your ‘failings’ or travesties. That is a terrible thing to say. An unkind thing. You are beautiful. I love you. But I also think it is important, since we are going to be married, that we are honest with one another. When the other person does things that bother us, we need to be willing to discuss them or how can we ensure that they change for the better? Communication is essential if we are going to have an honest relationship. Don’t you agree?”
Chloe didn’t bother to answer as she strode toward the exit, putt
ing as much distance between them as she could, as fast as she could. If she wasn’t so upset she could have told Stuart that if communicating with him—or frankly even liking him at the moment—was the price she had to pay for normal, then the price was too high. Pressing her lips together in an effort to keep from crying, she chastened herself. Admit it, girl. Maybe normal isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
Chapter 3
“Hey, man, you trying to wear a hole in our boss’s Persian rug? Granted the guy has more money than god, but methinks this Tabriz might have set him back more than a few Rials. And, by the way, since when does the ever so cool, ever so contained, Agent Walker bounce around like the power ball in a pinball machine? Damn, Noah, what’s got you so agitated? Is it the mission? I thought you were gung ho.”
Noah stopped abruptly in the middle of the room and stared in surprise at Grayson Webb. The rugged, blond-haired, blue-eyed man they all referred to as the “surfer dude,” was watching him with a quizzical smile. The last thing he wanted Gray to know was how upset he was about his boss Ian Ross’s earlier announcement. Although “upset” was a pitiful word to describe what he was feeling. But then how does one describe a jumbled up mess of emotions that was 50 % excitement and 50% dread? Seeing concern as well as humor in his best friend’s expression, Noah tugged on the carefully clipped goatee decorating his chin and chose to respond to his friend’s question about the mission. It was a hell of a lot safer then telling Gray the real reason he was “agitated.”
“Nah, Gray, you know better than that. I wouldn’t have signed on for this mission if it wasn’t directly in my wheel house. Hell, how often do I get a chance for a gig where the fact that I’m a black guy is a decided advantage?”