Page 46 of Conail

"Let's get you fed. I have some vegetable stew I just made." Maeve guided her towards the warm and cozy kitchen and made a note to call and inform Eleanor of the progress she was seeing between their children.

*****

He was decidedly bored. The elegantly and lavishly decorated ballroom was filled with people. Women wearing expensive gowns and glittering jewels flitted around laughing and making conversations. Men in their sober tuxedos were grouped in one corner of the room, discussing the stock market and the latest exploit of the President.

He had just extricated himself from a clinging blonde who was determined to have him take her back to his place. Not that she wasn't alluring. Barbara Grandison was very appealing. The popular talk show host was divorced, and rumor had it that she was looking for husband number three. It amused him to think she would consider him.

Letting his eyes roam the crowd, he stiffened when he saw her. He rather thought she would be here but hadn't given it serious consideration. Rumors also had it that her marriage was in trouble. It was a shock to him that he no longer cared and that seeing her did not have him going off on a tangent.

He could look at her and objectively admire her beauty. Michelle Lee now turned Grayson had a Chinese mother and a Caucasian father and the combination was exquisite. He had been fascinated by her beauty the first time he saw her three years ago. And had made his move. She had ended up in his bedthat very night. She was a defense attorney and one of the best. Beauty and brains had attracted him in the beginning.

"Darling." He felt his mother's hand slide through his arm and turned to look at her. Seeing the anxious look on her face, he gave her a reassuring smile. "I'm fine. Really."

She studied his face and realized to her relief that he was.

"She's coming this way, perhaps it's time to take me on the dance floor."

"I see Errol approaching," he gave the lawyer a brief nod. "And Michelle is coming this way. No need to try and shield me from her." He nudged her towards the man who had reached them. "Go on mother."

She left reluctantly, barely giving the woman a glance.

"Michelle." He inclined his head as she crossed to him.

"Your mother hates me."

"I suppose she does." He snagged two glasses of champagne and handed her one. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, I suppose." She was aware they were the cynosure of almost every eye in the room and felt as if she was in the spotlight. "Can we talk?"

"I don't think there's anything to talk about."

"Please Conail."

With a nod, he took her arm and led her from the room and the avid attention of the curious onlookers.

They were shown into an empty conference room. As soon as they entered, he put distance between them and went to lean against a massive fireplace. "How's your husband?" he asked casually. "I'm surprised he's not here with you."

"Mark is out of the country." She seemed nervous, the fingers of her left hand pulling at the hem of her fire engine red dress. It was her favorite color as he recalled and one that made her skin looked luminous and was a stunning contrast against her long waterfall of black hair. He was shocked that he could be in the same room with her and not want to touch her.

"What do you want?"

She flinched at the harsh sound of his voice.

"I made a mistake." She whispered.

His thick brows lifted, and he felt nothing at all. Not exhilaration -- just pity.

"I see," he still had the champagne in his hand and lifted it to take a sip. "What does that have to do with me?"

She gazed at him pleadingly out of lovely hazel eyes flooded with tears. "Mark dazzled me. He was the opposite of you. He was attentive and sweet--" She spread her hands in desolation. "I thought that was what I wanted."

"And now it's not?" he cast her an amused look. "You seem to have great difficulty making your mind up."

"I still love you."

He waited for the surge of familiar emotions he always had where she was concerned and only felt a slight twinge of pity.

"What do you expect me to do about that?" he asked her mildly.

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