face and pulled the screaming phone out of the slacks he’d tossed across the back of a chair only hours ago.
“Harrison.”
“You rat bastard.” Mitch Mathews’s deep voice boomed through the line, concern more than evident in his brother-in-law’s words. “Scared about ten years off my life. I’ve been calling you for hours. You see the news?”
Ryan couldn’t seem to take his eyes off the screen. “Yeah, just saw it.”
“Where are you?”
He glanced around the room. “New York.”
“Thank God. I thought you were flying out of San Francisco yesterday.”
“I was supposed to. Hannah rescheduled a meeting in LA. I flew there yesterday, then here after.” He caught the airline and flight number when the reporter said it again and swallowed the lump in his throat. “Jesus, that was my flight.”
“Son of a bitch,” Mitch muttered. “You gonna be okay?”
“What?” Ryan was having trouble thinking. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
“When are you coming back?”
“Tonight, I think.” Ryan rubbed a hand over his forehead. “Julia’s gonna be pretty upset by this. Go by and see her, would ya? Your folks are at the house with her.”
“Yeah, sure thing. You might not be able to get a flight back into San Francisco.”
“I know. I’ll try Oakland or San Jose or Sacramento and drive. I want to get home.”
“Okay. Call me before you leave.”
“Will do. See ya.”
The water had stopped, and Monique’s voice was now louder as she sang with her sexy French accent.
Ryan closed his eyes and pressed the phone to his forehead. He didn’t want to be with her right now. A thousand thoughts and memories and feelings were flooding through him, and none of them were things he wanted to share with her.
She was an attractive woman and he enjoyed her company when it was convenient, but he had no desire to get to know her hopes and dreams. And he certainly didn’t want to share his with her. Or cry about his past. If there were two things he never discussed with anyone, they were his wife and daughter.
He turned back to the TV and clicked it off just as she stepped into the room. She wore a much-too-small towel wrapped around her curvaceous body, her wet, fire-red hair dripping down her back. A wicked smile spread across her lips.
“Mon cher.” She crossed the floor, her brick red-painted toes looking oddly like blood splatters on the plush, white carpet. “Je me suis ennuyé de vous.”
He knew enough French to know she was trying to lure him back into bed. He pulled away from her suffocating embrace. “I gotta go.”
She batted her long, exotic eyelashes and stuck out her swollen bottom lip in a sexy little pout she’d perfected over the years. “Non-sens. You said they aren’t even expecting you until after lunch. N’était pas par le passé assez. I want you again.”
Her English was good, but she always slathered on the accent when she was trying to seduce him. He headed for the bathroom. “Yeah, well, as tempting as that is, I have to get to the office.”
She followed, and when she rounded the corner, her eyes narrowed to see him already in his slacks.
“Bien,” she sighed in defeat. “I’ll just have to wait for you to get back tonight.” A bright red nail trailed down his bare chest and hovered at the top button of his slacks. Her eyes tipped up seductively to meet his.
He knew that look. And he knew she was going to be royally pissed in just a minute. “I’m not staying tonight. I have to fly home.”
Her arms crossed over her breasts—breasts just a little too perfect, ones she’d never admit having work done to. “Merde. You said you’d be in town a few days!”
“And I planned on it, but something came up. It’s family stuff. I have to get back.”
She threw up her hands and marched back into the bedroom. “Fils de chienne!”
He also knew enough French to know when she was swearing at him. He followed as he buttoned his shirt. “Look, I’ll make it up to you the next time you’re in California.”
“I don’t plan to be in California anytime soon. I’m here now, dammit!”
“I know, and I’m sorry. It’s just bad timing.” He reached for her hand, knowing he was being a dick, trying to soften at least a little of the blow. “Cut me some slack, okay?”
“Hybride, you don’t deserve it.” But she smiled when she said it. “Just this once. And I’ll expect you to make it up to me three-fold, mon