a pot, then cut it back to a single cup. One of the candy bars she’d stashed began to call her name. And after all, she’d eaten the damn peach.
She dug it out from under the ice in the freezer bin. With coffee in one hand, frozen chocolate in the other, she walked back into the office. And nearly into Roarke.
He took one look, raised an eyebrow. “Dinner?”
“Not exactly.” He made her feel like a kid stealing treats. And she’d never been a kid with treats to steal. “I was just . . . shit.” She pulled off the headset. “Working. Taking a little break. What’s it to you?”
He laughed, pulled her in for a kiss. “Hello, Lieutenant.”
“Hello back. Ignore him,” she said when Galahad slithered up to meow and beg. “I fed him already.”
“Better, no doubt, than you fed yourself.”
“Did you eat?”
“Not yet.” He slid a hand around her throat, squeezed lightly. “Give me half that candy.”
“It’s frozen. You gotta wait it out.”
“This then.” He took her coffee, smirked at her scowl. “You smell . . . delicious.”
When the hand at her throat slid around to cup the nape of her neck, she realized he meant her, not the coffee. “Back up, pal.” She jabbed a finger into his chest. “I’ve got agendas here. Since you haven’t eaten, why don’t we go try this Italian place I heard about downtown.”
When he said nothing, just sipped her coffee, studied her over the rim, she frowned. “What?”
“Nothing. Just making certain you really are my wife. You want to go out to dinner, sit in a restaurant where there are other people.”
“We’ve been out to dinner before. Millions of times. What’s the bfd?”
“Mmm-hmm. What does an Italian restaurant downtown have to do with your case?”
“Smarty-pants. Maybe I just heard they have really good lasagna. And maybe I’ll tell you the rest on the way because I sort of made reservations. I made them before I realized you’d be this late and might not want to go out. I can check it out tomorrow.”
“Is there time for me to have a shower and change out of this bloody suit? It feels as though I was born in it.”
“Sure. But I can cancel if you just want to kick back.”
“I could use some lasagna, as long as it comes with a great deal of wine.”
“Long one, huh?”
“More annoying than long, actually,” he told her as she walked with him to the bedroom. “A couple of systemic problems. One in Baltimore, one in Chicago, and both required my personal attention.”
She pursed her lips as he undressed for the shower. “You’ve been to Baltimore and Chicago today?”
“With a quick stop in Philadelphia, since it was handy.”
“Did you get a cheese steak?”
“I didn’t, no. Time didn’t allow for such indulgences. Jets full,” he ordered when he stepped into the shower. “Seventy-two degrees.”
Even the thought of a shower at that temperature made her shiver. But, somehow, she could still enjoy standing there watching him drench himself in the cold water. “Did you get them fixed? The systemic problems?”
“Bet your gorgeous ass. An engineer, an office manager and two VPs will be seeking other employment. An overworked admin just copped herself a corner office and a new title—along with a nice salary boost—and a young man out of R and D is out celebrating his promotion to project head about now.”
“Wow, you’ve been pretty busy out there, changing lives.”
He slicked back that wonderful and wet mane of black hair. “A little padding of the expense account, that’s a time-honored tradition, corporately speaking. I don’t mind it. But you don’t want to get greedy, and sloppy, and fucking arrogant about it. Or next you know, you’re out on your ear and wondering how the hell you’re going to afford that condo on Maui and the side dish who likes trinkets that come in Tiffany’s little blue boxes.”
“Hold it.” She stepped back as he walked out of the shower. “Embezzlement? Are you talking embezzlement?”
“That would be Chicago. Baltimore was just ineptitude, which is, somehow, even more annoying.”
“Did you have them charged? Chicago?”
He flipped a towel, began to dry off. “I handled it. My way, Lieutenant,” he said before she could speak. “I don’t call the cops at every bump in the road.”
“I keep hearing that lately. Embezzlement’s a crime, Roarke.”
“Is it now? Well, fancy that.” With the towel hooked over his hips, he brushed by her and went to his closet. “They’ll pay, you can be sure of that. I imagine