A Matter Of Justice (Grey Justice #4)(65)
“Right beside yours.”
Light entered her features, and her eyes heated with a sultriness that lifted his heart and made his body go hard in an instant. She repeated the words he’d said to her the other night, “I wouldn’t have it any other way, Grey.”
The moment she disappeared, Grey set to work. The next few hours wouldn’t be enjoyable for either of them, but once they got everything out in the open, he hoped like hell their troubles would be behind them.
He told himself to ignore his all-too-accurate gut that told him no way in hell were they in the clear.
Chapter Twenty-Six
She took the time to wash off the grime of travel. Grey wouldn’t hold her to the fifteen minutes. He knew better than anyone that her outer appearance made a difference to her inner self. No matter how removed she was from her old life, there was still the little girl inside her needing approval. Wanting to look her best, to be the best. Beauty had been a large part of her training. Luring men to their deaths required certain prerequisites, including knowing how to attract them. Ms. Watkins, former spy and retired assassin, had trained her in all things related to her appearance and using sensuality to lure her target.
From makeup and hair, to fashion and decorum, to subtle, sensuous moves of her body to attract the eye. Ms. Watkins’s teaching methods had been as harsh as any drill sergeant’s, and her punishments had been fierce. But they also had been effective. On occasion, Irelyn could still hear her sultry, gravel-like voice say, “When one feels beautiful, one can deceive the world.”
Not that she was planning on deception tonight. Lying to Grey wasn’t something she took lightly, and it had been years since she’d actively sought to deceive him. In the last few years, though, she’d developed a nasty habit of not sharing her thoughts with him. They had drifted away from each other. Even while she had recognized the symptoms of the separation, she had done nothing about them.
Standing in front of the full-length mirror in the large dressing room, she took in her appearance and felt herself settle. Yes, she did look nice. A maxi-dress the color of a quiet dawn over a field of heather was perfect for the occasion. The dress was loose enough for freedom of movement and had a clingy, silk-like material that felt lovely against her skin. She made a graceful turn and was pleased that the knife sheath attached to her left thigh wasn’t the least bit visible.
Satisfied, Irelyn walked out of the room and into the master bedroom. When Grey had issued the ultimatum about her luggage, she had wanted to laugh with sheer happiness. Her fears and insecurities had been unnecessary.
“You look lovely.” Grey stood at the door, waiting for her.
“Thank you. I feel lovely.”
He held out his hand. “Are you hungry?”
“No. Not really.”
“Me either. Come join me in the den. We can eat later.”
She walked with him out the door and down the stairs. With each step, her nervousness increased. Risking life and limb was so much less terrifying than opening up and sharing what was in her heart. Even as much as she and Grey had shared over the years, she still felt astonishingly vulnerable
She could fool the world, but Grey was an exception to every rule where she was concerned.
He knew she was nervous and squeezed her hand several times as they headed to the back of the house and the small, cozy den. She felt a slight lessening of tension the moment she entered. A fire blazed in the hearth, and the lights were dim enough to not make her feel as though the spotlight was on her. An open bottle of her favorite wine sat beside two glasses.
Her nerves vanished like they’d been covered in a calming blanket. She settled on the sofa in front of the fire and accepted the wine Grey poured for her.
He poured a glass for himself and then sat down beside her. “I’ll go first, if you like.”
In their earlier years, this had been routine for them. Whenever they had issues or problems, they’d call a special “meeting of the minds” discussion. As time went by and life got busier, they’d gotten out of the habit. It felt good to be headed back in the right direction.
“Perhaps it’s best if I go first, since I anticipate questions.”
“All right.”
“We started drifting apart, and I didn’t know how to stop it.”
“I think we got too comfortable. I took us for granted.”
“We both did.” She wasn’t about to let him take all the blame on himself. “By the time the real trouble started, it was almost too late for us.”
Grey nodded, knowing exactly what she meant. Hill Reed’s reentry into their lives had come without warning. Though Reed had on occasion contacted Irelyn, it was only once or twice a year. Nauseating, yes, but she had done her best to use the infrequent meetings to their advantage.
Life had gotten busier, more complicated. Both he and Irelyn had been focused on trying to clear Jonah and bringing down Mathias and Adam Slater. Hill Reed had exploded back into their lives with the killing of Thomas O’Connell, Kennedy’s first husband. It had come as a complete shock to both of them. Grey hadn’t handled things well.
“You started blaming me again.”
He wanted to disagree, but he would not lie to her or himself. For years, Reed had been at the periphery of their lives. A dark, distant cloud they were both aware of, but did their best to ignore. That dark cloud had moved over them and settled in, almost destroying them.