“Oh, hell.”
Then again, he supposed the woman deserved a drink. If she signed the papers, they’d toast the accomplishment. If she refused to sign, maybe the wine would loosen her up, and he could take another stab at convincing her.
He shrugged out of his suit jacket, moving farther down the hallway to the master bedroom. There, he hung the jacket in his closet, shed his tie and glanced in the mirror above his dresser.
He definitely needed a shave. And his white shirt was wrinkled from being worn all day.
He glanced once at the jacket and considered putting it back on. But common sense prevailed. Instead, he unbuttoned his cuffs and rolled up the sleeves of his shirt. If this was a date, he’d shave and redress. But it wasn’t a date. And his looks would be the last thing on Kaitlin’s mind.
More comfortable, he returned to the kitchen and retrieved the wineglasses. He moved down the hallway to the living room. Inside the doorway, he paused.
Kaitlin seemed to have made herself at home. She’d kicked off her strappy shoes and curled her legs beneath her, knees bent and pressed together, stocking-clad feet pushing up against the arm of his sofa. Her hair was drying to a wild, glossy halo that framed her smooth skin. And her face was a study in concentration, red lips pursed, green eyes slightly squinted as she read her way through the pages.
She looked good in his living room, somehow settled and at home.
Funny, he’d seen her dressed up, dressed down, dancing with laughter and crackling with anger. But he’d never caught her unaware. And somehow he had the feeling this was the real woman, halfway between Vegas glitter and Saturday casual, her energy turned inward, mind working. He sensed a calm intelligence in her that he hadn’t noticed before.
He must have moved, because she finally noticed him.
“Wine?” he offered, raising one of the glasses, walking forward, pretending he hadn’t been staring.
“You’re right,” she told him, letting the papers drop into her lap, stretching an arm across the back of the sofa in an obviously unintended, sensual gesture.
“Never thought I’d hear you say that.” But there was no bite to his words. He’d meant to mock her, but it came off as a gentle joke.
She flipped the document back to the first page and set it in front of her on the coffee table. “I’ll sign it.”
“Really?” Too late, he realized he sounded surprised. To cover, he handed her the glass of wine.
She accepted the glass and shrugged. “It’s exactly what you said it was.”
“How about that,” he couldn’t help but tease.
“Shocked the heck out of me,” she returned, doing a double take, seeming to note he’d shed the jacket and tie.
He sat down on the other end of the couch. “Then, cheers.” He lifted his glass.
She allowed a small smile, which made her prettier than ever. She leaned toward him, holding out her glass to clink it against his. The motion gave him a glimpse of her cleavage, and he was forced to drag his gaze away from her soft breasts.
They each took a sip.
Then her smile grew, and an impish dimple appeared in her right cheek. “Tough day at the office, dear?” She mimicked what was obviously a wifely voice of concern.
Something inside him responded warmly to the banter. “You know—” he paused for effect “—the usual.”
“Is this weird?” she asked, eyes narrowing.
“Yes.”
“Because it feels weird. I mean, on a scale of one to, well, weird, it’s weird.”
“Did that make sense inside your head?”
She took another drink, waving a dismissive hand. “I’m sure you got the gist of it.”
“I did. And I agree. It’s weird.”
“We’re married.” She said the words in a tone of wonder.
“Yes, we are.” Zach took a healthy swig from his own glass. He’d never been married. And even if he had, he couldn’t help but doubt anything could prepare a man for this particular situation.
She paused, and then her voice went soft. “I’m not trying to ruin your life, you know.”
He didn’t like it that she seemed so vulnerable. It was better when she was acting tough and feisty. Then, it was easier to view her as a combatant. And he was beginning to admit fighting with Kaitlin was much safer than joking with her.
He struggled to put a hard note back in his voice. “I guess it was the blackmail scheme that had me confused.”
Her green eyes were clear, open and honest. “I’m not looking to gain anything.”
He made a show of skeptically raising his brows.
“I’m looking to set things right,” she assured him.
He tried to sound doubtful. “Is that how this is playing out inside your head?”