Page 368 of Under Her Skin
Lena eyed her.“Why are youglowing?”
Ama, knowing that the multiple orgasms that Enda had given her were the reason, shrugged. “Just having a goodday.”
She went into her office and slid the burner phone from her purse into her desk. In the small bathroom attached to her office, she looked in the mirror and saw her eyes shining. Her skin indeed was glowing.You look like a woman who’s been thoroughly and expertlyfucked.
Enda Gallo. My lover.She kept saying it to herself over and over as she worked, and when she went to teach her class that afternoon, her good mood infected her students and she had a blast withthem.
Driving home, though, the usual dread set in. She could barely stand to be in the same room as Jackson, and it was with relief that she saw Olivier’s car in thedriveway.
She was smiling when she went in, still lost in her memories of the afternoon, and distracted. She didn’t see Jackson approach her until he crushed his lips against hers. Horrified, she pushed him away. “Take your hands offme.”
Jackson was unrepentant, grasping her upperarm.
“Come. We have avisitor.”
Olivier stood and hugged her. She deliberately made a fuss of him to annoy Jackson and was rewarded with a glare from herhusband.
“This is a nice surprise …you’ll stay for dinner, yes? Where’sMac?”
“Upstairs, not feeling well.” Jackson’s tone wasdismissive.
Olivier smiled at her. “Love to stay. How areyou?”
“In the four days since I saw you last?” She grinned at him. She had the feeling that his presence was for her benefit; Olivier had an air of the protective older brother abouthim.
Over dinner,a sumptuous duck dish prepared by Mac’s chef, Ama and Olivier chatted easily, mostly ignoring the glowering presence of Jackson. He finally had enough of not being the center ofattention.
“I hear your father’s business is in trouble again,” he said suddenly. Ama looked at him, her expressionsmooth.
“Not that I know of, but then I haven’t spoken to my father in awhile.”
Jackson smirked. “The cash injection I gave him soon got spent. Seems your bride price wasn’t enough. That’s what you get for having a cheapskate dad, Isuppose.”
“Jackson,” Olivier’s tone was harsh. “That’senough.”
Ama was staring at Jackson with undisguised disgust. “And, yet, my ‘bride price’wasn’t enough to allow you everything you wanted, wasit?”
Jackson’s smile faded, and Ama realized he’d probably been boasting about his conquest of her to his brothers. For a moment, she regretted saying anything. Olivier lookeduncomfortable.
Ama took a slug of wine and tried to ease the atmosphere. “Listen, we are having a recital at the conservatory at the end of the month. Would you like to come, Olly? Bring adate?”
Olivier nodded. “I would love to …are youplaying?”
She nodded. “Although, I’m very rusty. I need to practice more than I have been. It’s hard to find the time with work being sohectic.”
“We should get you a piano here,” Jackson said suddenly. “Then you could practice here, and maybe I could see more ofyou.”
Ama didn’t know how to respond to that. Was he being friendly or setting a trap forher?
“That might be a solution,” she said carefully. Jackson gave anod.
“Consider itdone.”
Ama exchanged a glance with Olivier. She hated that every conversation she had with her husband was loaded, making her feel tense and jumpy. She closed her eyes and rubbed the bridge of hernose.
“You okay?” Olivier, of course, was the one asking, and she smiled athim.
“Just tired.”From fucking your glorious half-brother, she wanted to scream at Jackson, but then she felt remorse. Maybe her own attitude wasn’t helping the marriage. She wasn’t going to go soft on him …but she could make an effort to be friendlier. Was she so scared of leading himon?
