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Out of the office, she seemed more alive, softer and fehtened, back going raht to ranite, to show no elances at hiinary tendril of hair behind one ear, the gesture one of flirting, testing the waters to see which eyes would alight on her

Rock-hard and throbbing, he needed to release hirind and drive this insane sense of arousal and ownership deep into her pink warmth, to hear her cry out his name – his real name – as if he were the onlyacross that roo up her dress to feel her fire would reveal who he was Would ruin his plan

Would end ten years of aued hied in his head, behind his eyes, looping until he was halfhis fingers into her soft curls, then her war, that he –

"Michael," Diane said, dragging over so hi slapped with a dead trout "I won’t need a ride after all It turns out that Joe lives in "

Her affect was one that he had seen before It was a tone that said I’ you a favor

Oh, Diane, you really were

"That’s fine, Diane You go have fun" He leaned in and whispered in Joe’s ear, "Toothpick with boobs"

Eyebrows shooting up, daggers co aboutfor the drah to capture the turned ears of Diane’s true class, the class of desperate socialites

He turned on the charentle Joe, he shot hiuy, late 20’s, looked like a enerations of Bostonians knew

Looking at Mike uncertainly but played along, not sure what the real gahed and said, "Don’t worry about it, Diane" And then he looked at Mike "We’ll figure it out later" Fake wink

Mike didn’t need to win this one Let Diane have her petty victory Losing was better than winning sometimes, he'd learned – and this was one of those moments

He nodded, turned around, and by the ti-filled street, he felt the weight of the ballroo entities peel off, disappear, fade away, and leave him breathless

Until he turned around for one last look at Lydia

And found her in conversation with Jeremy

"Hello, there," a voice said, his openness and jocularity a stark contrast froht-jawed people Lydia had encountered thus far Looking up from her papers, she felt a rush of surrealism, as it appeared her brother Miles stood before her

He didn't – it's just that she didn't see tooaround Boston dressed like so out of a bad 80s movie

"welcome," she answered "Would you like an auction number?" He looked like one of the band No – scratch that The band wore double-breasted tuxedos

He wore the kind of tux her dad had worn in high school, in his pro frouess and assuuest, but she treated hi around to give his!" Her face wore an expression of deep curiosity "Why are you here, you natty dresser?"

His coloring was close to Miles', with the dark hair and brown eyes, but this guy was so relaxed Slothlike He cared not one hat anyone here thought, and it dawned on her that his outfit was a forued, she watched his conversation with Callie

"I'et the corporate jet for five hours and fly 200 chickens to Zies and maybe a nice safari Is that worth 55,000 or what?"

"You won't do that You're too chickenshit"

A ruhter fro heads and garnering disapproving looks Callie winced and raised her shoulders, shushing him He just rolled his eyes, but complied

Then focused on Lydia

"Jere himself "And you are?"

"Lydia Charles," she replied, careful to grasp his hand with equal fullness and pressure Thankfully, he gave her a complete handshake, and not the liers as if she were too delicate to touch palms