“Oh, I love that one!” Taryn exclaimed. “Jake was especially appreciative, too.”
“One of my personal favorites,” Stacey said. “Though I must admit - that one required extensive research. There’s so much mystery there, you know?”
“I’ll bet Johnny didn’t mind helping you solve that particular mystery.”
“No,” she grinned. “He didn’t at that.”
“Wait a minute,” Maggie said, finally catching on. “Are you telling me that you are...”
“Salienne Dulcette, in the flesh,” Lexi finished.
“So what do you think, Maggie? Would you mind if I used the blizzard theme in my next novel? I’ll send you the very first copy.”
“Uh, no, not at all,” Maggie said, her head swimming.
Chapter Seventeen
“Now that looks like trouble,” Jake said when they re-entered the room and spotted all of the women at one table.
“Ready, Lex?” Michael asked, thinking the same thing. What had he been thinking, leaving Maggie alone with them like that? It had taken a little longer than he’d thought to get back; his brothers had several things to discuss.
“Just do it here,” Lexi said, pulling one side of her gown up to her thigh. “I’m too tired to make it up to the office right now.” Taryn scooched over, allowing Michael access. Because of the way the table was positioned, no one besides those already there would be privy to what was occurring.
It only took a few seconds to give her the shot, and the guests were none the wiser. Lexi closed her eyes and patted his arm. “Thanks, Michael,” she said warmly.
It was only then that Michael took a good look at Maggie. Her eyes were unfocused, her expression somewhat shell-shocked. He narrowed his eyes when he saw Maggie reach for her glass and miss by several inches.
“What did you do to her?” Michael asked. Maggie didn’t even seem to notice. Five pairs of female eyes locked on him.
“The question is, Michael, what did you do to her?”
“Ah, fuck,” Jake muttered. “Should have known better. Sorry, Mick.”
Jake signaled toward the bar, where the other husbands were wisely keeping their distance.
“Maggie?” Michael asked. “Dance with me, sweetheart.”
She lifted her eyes slowly. The look she gave him – it shook him to his core. What exactly had they been telling her?
The band was playing a slow ballad. Dancing with Maggie was like dancing with a dream. She moved effortlessly with him, leaning on him just slightly. She kept her head against his shoulder, so he was unable to see her expression. “You okay?” he asked quietly.
“I’m not sure,” she answered. “I think I’m going to visit the ladies room,” she murmured. Her voice sounded eerily distant. “It’s quite warm in here.”
“Of course.”
Michael led her from the reception out toward the center of the complex. The ballrooms were arranged in a semi-circle around a huge lobby. Rest rooms appeared on the other side.
“I’ll wait here,” Michael said.
“I’ll be fine, Michael,” she said with a little smile that told him absolutely nothing. He had no idea what was going through her mind, what she was thinking. Her emotions, usually so evident in her eyes and her expression, were unreadable. He had the distinct impression that she had closed herself off from him, and he didn’t like it, not at all.
“Please. Go back to the reception. Give me a few minutes to regroup. A little air and a splash of cold water and I’ll be right as rain.”
He opened his mouth to argue, but she pressed a finger to his lips. “Please, Michael. Do this for me.”
He searched her eyes, but found nothing that gave him a clue. “What’s going on, Maggie?” he asked.
“Nothing,” she said evenly. “I think I had a little too much brandy, that’s all. I’m just asking you to give me a few minutes to catch my breath and pull myself together before I end up embarrassing both of us.”
He didn’t believe her, not for a moment, but he was hesitant to say so. People were streaming around them, coming and going. It was neither the time nor place to push the issue. Finally he nodded. “Alright, Maggie. If that’s what you want.”
Her shoulders sagged in relief. “Thank you, Michael.”
He released her reluctantly, watched as she carefully made her way into the ladies room. The fact that her hands were discreetly held away from her body a bit as if to balance herself did not escape him.
Michael returned to the Grand Ballroom as she had asked, but stayed at the arched entryway so he could watch for her. Minutes passed, feeling much longer than they should have. Michael paced back and forth, worry growing with each tick of his watch.
“Mick,” Jake said, appearing behind him. “Is she okay?”
“I don’t know. What the hell happened?”
“I’m not sure,” Jake said slowly. “Taryn’s not talking, neither is Lexi. They just keep saying to give her a little time, something about shock and denial being the first stages.”