table.”
Her eyebrows shot up at such blatant flattery, but she relaxed when she looked up to see a familiar face. Mark Benanni was a local attorney whom Erin had met at any number of cocktail parties and social gatherings. He was an attractive man in his fifties, with silvering dark hair, flashing Italian eyes, and an urbane charm Erin had always liked.
She grinned up at him. “You’re as full of crap as ever, I see.”
Mark laughed warmly and stretched out a hand toward her. “Since you’ve been deserted by your family, maybe you’ll do me the honor. My table was getting deadly dull.” He nodded toward a table in a far corner filled with business and political types Erin knew only too well.
“Thank you,” she responded with another smile, taking his hand and letting him help her to her feet. “I’d love to.”
She walked with Mark to the dance floor and laughed delightedly when he swung her into a fancy, old-fashioned spin before he pulled her into his arms. They chatted about the restaurant, about Mark’s boring dinner, about how quickly Erin’s daughters were growing up, and about the legal work Erin was doing now for non-profit organization that assisted homeless teenagers.
Erin was soon having such a good time she forgot to keep her eye on Seth and Anna. Erin loved her life—loved being Seth’s wife and Mackenzie and Anna’s mother. But sometimes that was all she felt like. And it was a nice change to be treated, to feel, like an attractive, intelligent woman who had something to offer the world at large.
She was enjoying herself so much she didn’t see Seth approach—until he brusquely pulled her out of Mark’s arms with a curt, “This is my dance.”
Erin blinked and instinctively resisted his arm around her waist. “Seth,” she objected, glancing over to Mark’s startled face. “I was dancing with Mark.”
“I saw that. Now you can dance with me.” Seth wasn’t glowering or simmering as he’d been before in his mock resentment of Anna’s pseudo-admirer. But he was ice-cold and his words were clipped.
“Well, there’s no reason to be rude.” Erin’s spine stiffened as she frowned at her husband. “Mark has been—”
“I saw what Benanni has been.”
Erin’s mouth dropped open in astonishment, and Mark’s face twisted with barely suppressed amusement.
He reached over to take Erin’s hand. “A wise man always knows the most strategic time to retreat. I believe I’ll take your husband’s suggestion.” Ever charming, Mark lifted her hand to his lips.
“I’m sorry,” Erin told him, with a sheepish shrug. “Thank you for the lovely dance.”
Seth made a growling sound when Mark didn’t release Erin’s hand soon enough. But Mark just chuckled and flashed one more wide smile—his teeth beautifully white in his tanned face—as he walked away.
Seth was stiff and silent when he pulled Erin against him as the music eased into a slow, romantic tune.
“For God’s sake,” Erin grumbled. “What the hell is your problem? Mark was polite and charming. He didn’t do anything to deserve that.”
“So now groping another man’s wife in public is considered polite and charming?” Seth’s words were edged with acid. “My mistake.”
“Groping?” Erin choked, her hands tightening on Seth’s shoulders. “What are you—”
“His hand was on your ass for a good ninety seconds.” Seth pulled her more tightly against him, his hand moving possessively down to the part in question. “I was on the other side of the dance floor. Not in another building. And the fact that you’re still defending him—”
“You’ve lost your fucking mind!” Erin interrupted in a harsh whisper. “We were dancing! And I was having a very nice time until you came barging in acting like some kind of clueless caveman.” She jerked as she realized something. “Where’s Anna? You didn’t leave her sitting at the table by herself?”
“Of course not,” Seth said, his
Her eyebrows shot up at such blatant flattery, but she relaxed when she looked up to see a familiar face. Mark Benanni was a local attorney whom Erin had met at any number of cocktail parties and social gatherings. He was an attractive man in his fifties, with silvering dark hair, flashing Italian eyes, and an urbane charm Erin had always liked.
She grinned up at him. “You’re as full of crap as ever, I see.”
Mark laughed warmly and stretched out a hand toward her. “Since you’ve been deserted by your family, maybe you’ll do me the honor. My table was getting deadly dull.” He nodded toward a table in a far corner filled with business and political types Erin knew only too well.
“Thank you,” she responded with another smile, taking his hand and letting him help her to her feet. “I’d love to.”
She walked with Mark to the dance floor and laughed delightedly when he swung her into a fancy, old-fashioned spin before he pulled her into his arms. They chatted about the restaurant, about Mark’s boring dinner, about how quickly Erin’s daughters were growing up, and about the legal work Erin was doing now for non-profit organization that assisted homeless teenagers.
Erin was soon having such a good time she forgot to keep her eye on Seth and Anna. Erin loved her life—loved being Seth’s wife and Mackenzie and Anna’s mother. But sometimes that was all she felt like. And it was a nice change to be treated, to feel, like an attractive, intelligent woman who had something to offer the world at large.
She was enjoying herself so much she didn’t see Seth approach—until he brusquely pulled her out of Mark’s arms with a curt, “This is my dance.”
Erin blinked and instinctively resisted his arm around her waist. “Seth,” she objected, glancing over to Mark’s startled face. “I was dancing with Mark.”
“I saw that. Now you can dance with me.” Seth wasn’t glowering or simmering as he’d been before in his mock resentment of Anna’s pseudo-admirer. But he was ice-cold and his words were clipped.
“Well, there’s no reason to be rude.” Erin’s spine stiffened as she frowned at her husband. “Mark has been—”
“I saw what Benanni has been.”
Erin’s mouth dropped open in astonishment, and Mark’s face twisted with barely suppressed amusement.
He reached over to take Erin’s hand. “A wise man always knows the most strategic time to retreat. I believe I’ll take your husband’s suggestion.” Ever charming, Mark lifted her hand to his lips.
“I’m sorry,” Erin told him, with a sheepish shrug. “Thank you for the lovely dance.”
Seth made a growling sound when Mark didn’t release Erin’s hand soon enough. But Mark just chuckled and flashed one more wide smile—his teeth beautifully white in his tanned face—as he walked away.
Seth was stiff and silent when he pulled Erin against him as the music eased into a slow, romantic tune.
“For God’s sake,” Erin grumbled. “What the hell is your problem? Mark was polite and charming. He didn’t do anything to deserve that.”
“So now groping another man’s wife in public is considered polite and charming?” Seth’s words were edged with acid. “My mistake.”
“Groping?” Erin choked, her hands tightening on Seth’s shoulders. “What are you—”
“His hand was on your ass for a good ninety seconds.” Seth pulled her more tightly against him, his hand moving possessively down to the part in question. “I was on the other side of the dance floor. Not in another building. And the fact that you’re still defending him—”
“You’ve lost your fucking mind!” Erin interrupted in a harsh whisper. “We were dancing! And I was having a very nice time until you came barging in acting like some kind of clueless caveman.” She jerked as she realized something. “Where’s Anna? You didn’t leave her sitting at the table by herself?”
“Of course not,” Seth said, his
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