Chapter 2

It wasn't until the sky outside had gone completely dark that I finally drove home.

The house was quiet. Our housekeeper Ruth had already made dinner and was eating alone in the kitchen.

She looked a little surprised to see me. "Ma'am, didn't you say you had surgery tonight?"

"It got canceled," I said offhandedly.

"Where's Miles?"

"Mr. Corwin came home this afternoon saying he was tired. He's been resting upstairs ever since and didn't even come down for dinner."

Ruth lowered her voice. "He seemed to be in an awfully good mood today, though. He was even humming."

Humming?

How long had it been since I'd heard him hum? Six months? Longer?

My heart clenched so tightly I could barely breathe.

I headed straight upstairs.

The door to the master bedroom was ajar. Bright light spilled out, along with the faint sound of running water.

I didn't go in. Instead, I slipped into the study next door.

It had a small inner balcony that connected to the master bedroom's balcony.

I stepped out without a sound and, hidden by the night, looked through the bedroom's floor-to-ceiling windows.

Miles had finished his shower and was standing in front of the full-length mirror.

He took out an elegant box I'd never seen before and opened it. Inside was a sexy men's thong.

He held it up against himself, a look of anticipation on his face.

There was barely any fabric to it, and it showed off his toned, muscular build.

He struck pose after pose in front of the mirror.

One moment he was running his fingers over his abs, the next he was biting his lip, like a lovesick boy getting ready for a date.

It hurt just to look at him.

He'd never worn anything like that for me. He'd never shown me even a hint of that flirtatious side.

I bit down hard on my lip until the taste of blood filled my mouth.

Once he'd admired himself enough, he started digging through a drawer.

He rummaged for a long time, but nothing seemed to satisfy him.

Finally, he pulled out the diamond watch I'd given him as a wedding keepsake.

He put it on, then took it off again, irritated.

Then he made a call, his voice tender.

"Hey, Vivienne. Have you landed?

"I've missed you so much... Oh, by the way, I don't have a single decent watch to wear.

"Did you bring me a present this time?"

I couldn't listen anymore. I shut the balcony door and retreated into the study.

Back downstairs, I acted as if nothing had happened and told Ruth, "Miles is resting, so don't bother calling him down. I'll grab a bite and then go to the study."

Dinner tasted like sawdust.

When I was done, I locked myself in the study.

I didn't sleep a wink that night.

Just before dawn, I heard a car engine downstairs.

It was quiet, as if someone had deliberately slowed down.

Then came the sound of the front door opening and closing softly.

He must be back.

I sat in the study, silently listening to his footsteps.

They had a lightness to them, a kind of giddy satisfaction, as he crept carefully up the stairs.

Everything was exactly as I'd expected.

But inside, I'd already gone dead silent.

A few hours later, when I went back downstairs, Miles was already up.

He was in his pajamas, his face flushed with a satisfied glow.

When he saw me coming out of the study, he froze for a second, then greeted me as if nothing were wrong. "Morning. What time did you get home last night?"

"Late."

I pulled out a chair and sat down across from him.