ELLIOT'S POV As soon as we walked through the doors of the boutique, Sharon was at my side in a flash. Just as I was recovering from the surprise of how fast she had moved, her hands crept into mine and held on tightly. She smiled at an elderly couple who were about to leave. She beamed at the receptionist as she swung our hands. She looked around, seeking an audience that would witness her pitiful efforts at painting a picture of marital bliss. I forcibly jerked my hand away from her grip as we approached the counter. Her smile slipped just a little bit. The receptionist eyed us with interest as we approached. She appeared to lose interest in the other customers she had been attending to. She looked star-struck, and I could tell that she knew who I was before she even said my name. "Mr Garrett, Mrs Garrett," she said. "It's nice to have you shop with us. We have a selection of-" "I will take it from here," interjected a man who was dressed in the blue shirt the staff of the bo

ZORA'S POV "What the hell is this?" Katherine yelled, looking at me with a mixture of shock and disgust, a look I hoped not to see on her face again. It was not that I did not deserve it though. I called myself seven kinds of a fool not only for having those pictures on my phone, but for forgetting something as elementary as deleting them when I was done viewing them, or before giving the phone to someone else. Not able to look Katherine in the face, I lowered my gaze. "Zora, I am talking to you, goddammit! Can you explain what exactly this is?" Katherine's voice grew louder and more shrill with every word she uttered. I was beginning to get scared that her raised voice would wake the twins up. What would I tell those inquisitive kids of mine if they should walk in on us? "Please, calm down," I pleaded. I pressed a finger to my lips. "Keep your voice down a little. The kids- you will wake them up." Katherine, who was about to speak, made a great effort and swallowed her words

ZORA'S POV Cheryl looked around the hall and stamped her foot impatiently. "Where has Trey gone off to now?" she said, half to herself. "He told me that he would be close to the bandstand, but he isn't there." I looked around myself. A lot of people were in attendance at the Gala. They were constantly in motion and it was very hard to focus on individual faces. The place was busier than a beehive. "Don't let it get you upset," I told Cheryl. "I honestly don't think you can find anyone in this crowd. Trey may even be looking for you. He will turn up eventually... he always does." Cheryl shrugged. I stepped forward to take a drink from the tray a passing waiter carried. Katherine did the same. She dug her elbow into my ribs to get my attention. She leaned in really close. "Hey. Is Drew really here? Have you er- spotted him by any chance?" I shook my head. Her shoulders slumped in disappointment. "Well, he had better turn up soon before I lose it. I don't know how my talk with him

ZORA'S POV Just as I tried to remember all that had happened last night, it felt as though a floodgate opened. The memories of my misbehavior flashed before my eyes with startling clarity. I wished now that I had remained ignorant of what I had done. Ignorance was bliss in this instance. I recalled how I had stupidly had a lot to drink, ignoring the advice of Cheryl and Katherine, how I had kissed Elliot even though he had told me not to, how he had fought for the restraint that I was supposed to have in the first place, and how he had finally given in and kissed me back with such passion that had taken my breath away. If he had not pulled away when he did, I shuddered to think about what I would have done. For Pete's sake! I had already been undressing the man. The thought that all of this took place at a Gala, attended by hundreds of people, any of whom could have walked in at the critical moment, was enough to make me flush with embarrassment. I groaned and put my hands over

ZORA'S POV I was frozen in place. I could barely even breathe, let alone move. I felt that if I did, I would make a complete ass of myself like I had done the other night. What riled me the most was that Elliot was so aware of the power he held over my treacherous body. I could not suppress the shiver of pleasure that rocked my entire frame as he whispered into my ears. I barely paid attention to his words, just the subtle nuances of his words, the feel of his hot breath on my skin, and the heady smell of his perfume. Ever so slowly, having delivered his speech, as he had said, he withdrew. "And I will get you back, Zora, by any means necessary even if it is the last thing I do." We looked each other in the eye. I wanted to tell him how I never wanted to set my eyes on him again, and how I would not have given him the time of day if I were in Georgia and he had come there. But the words seemed to be stuck in my throat. I suddenly felt his hands grip my waist, holding it in plac