The Arrangement Page 14

  "I know, but this last week's been so good for us. It seemed like Eric and I had really started to connect again, and then this happens.” She sniffed. “I can't stand feeling like he loves me one second, and I'm about to lose him the next."

  "Do you realize you're the only woman he's stayed with longer than six months? Believe me, Ally—you're not going to lose him."

  "But sometimes I'm sitting right in front of him, and it's like he doesn't even see me."

  "He gets preoccupied with his work. You've got to learn how to jolt him out of it."

  "Hmm...” She smiled. “Sounds like I should give that new black lace nightgown a whirl."

  "Well, don't let him tear it off you before I get a chance to see it."

  They stretched out together and dozed off, waking when they heard Luciana's daughter setting out their dinner buffet. But Eric wasn't waiting for them in the dining room. He wasn't on the terrace or in his office either.

  She found him in the bedroom with the curtains drawn, lying on the bed fully clothed. Strange, but she'd never known him to sleep this late in the afternoon. The heat really had worn him out. Sliding onto the edge of the bed, she caressed his cheek, discovering his skin fever-hot, just like after their afternoon romp the other day. Alarm knifing through her, she flicked on the lamp. “Eric, what's wrong?"

  He answered with a pained moan and a tiny fluttering of his eyelids. “T-The light hurts,” he muttered, throwing up a hand to shield his eyes.

  Dashing into the bathroom, she dampened a cloth with cool water and bathed his face with it, then placed it over his eyes. She noticed the pulse in his throat throbbing, his breathing slightly labored. What the hell was wrong with him?

  Nick chose that moment to poke his head in. “Ally, dinner's getting—"

  Springing up, she grabbed Nick's arm and dragged him back out to the hallway. “He's sick. I don't know what it is, but it happened the other day too."

  "Let me take a look.” He went in and felt Eric's forehead, then touched the pulse in his throat. After a couple of minutes, he stepped back into the hall. “I don't think it's anything serious, probably just heatstroke or a migraine."

  "Oh, God...” she breathed. “I knew we shouldn't have gone out this afternoon."

  "He should be okay by tomorrow morning. He was last ti—” He stopped short, eyes wide, obviously realizing too late what he'd just let slip.

  "What do you mean, last time?” she demanded. “You mean he's had spells like this before the other day?"

  "It happened the last time I visited him in DC,” he admitted, looking appropriately abashed. “But that's the only time I know of, I swear."

  "I can't believe you didn't tell me!"

  "He begged me not to. He didn't want to worry you."

  "Well, I'm pretty fucking worried now!” God, she could've smacked herself for not seeing this coming. He'd been driving himself too hard for months, and all that stress combined with the awful heat had finally taken its inevitable toll. Sucking in a deep breath and pasting on a smile, she padded back into the bedroom to find Eric sitting up, propped on a fluffy pillow. “Hey,” she murmured, “you feeling any better?"

  "A little.” He gave her a wan smile. “I suppose this means the Tuscan sun and I aren't meant to be on speaking terms."

  "I think it means you should lay off work for the next few days. We're supposed to be on vacation, remember?"

  "Point taken,” he replied, scooping up her hand to kiss it.

  They spent the evening sitting with him, eating their own dinner on trays at the nearby table. She had Nick bring up some juice and fresh fruit from the kitchen while she helped Eric out of his clothes, rubbed him down with a cool, damp towel and made him take some extra-strength aspirin. He didn't have much of an appetite, but he managed to finish an entire glass of juice and half an apple before she tucked the covers over him and flicked off the light.

  Nick met her at the door. She took one look at him and walked right into his arms, burying her face against his chest. “You want to take my room, and let me stay with him tonight?” he asked. “I doubt you'll get much sleep otherwise."

  She shook her head. “I'll stay. And you can stay too, if you want."

  They undressed and climbed into bed, Nick spooning behind her as he usually did, dropping off within a few minutes. It was, she realized, the first time in months that they'd slept in the same bed without having sex.

  Eric rolled towards her, emitting a tiny moan. Her hand found his in the dark, grasping his fingers. To her surprise, he gave hers a tiny squeeze. “I'll be fine,” he mumbled. “Don't worry."

  "I can't help worrying. I love you."

  He kissed her gently on the forehead. “Go to sleep now."

  And at last, weighed down by unease and exhaustion, she did.

  * * * *

  Eric did indeed feel better in the morning. So much better, in fact, that Ally awoke with his lips on the nape of her neck and something very stiff and welcoming pressed into the small of her back. Coaxing her to full wakefulness with sweet, gentle whispers in her ear, he nudged open her legs and entered her from behind, fucking her with slow, exquisite care until they both came with a sigh.

  Once she'd floated back to earth, she noticed full morning light streaming through the half-open window. Apparently she'd slept the night straight through again. “Looks like somebody's back to his frisky old self,” she murmured, smiling at the heavenly sensation of his lips trailing down her throat.

  "The heat got to me, that's all,” he replied. “From now on, I suppose we should get our sightseeing done earlier in the day."

  "No objections here."

  "Good. Because I've got a trip in mind that I think you'll enjoy."

  "Eric, we shouldn't go anywhere today. You need to rest."

  "Not today,” he assured her. “But perhaps we could get an early start tomorrow."

  Still too soon by her estimation, but she knew if she said anything he'd be even more determined to go, if only to prove he was really all right. “You know, you don't need to keep planning these little excursions on my account. I'm not bored. In fact, I'd be perfectly happy staying here at the villa with you and Nick for the rest of the month."

  "So you came all the way to one of the most beautiful countries on earth, but you don't want to see any of it?"

  "You haven't even told me where we're going."

  "It's a surprise,” he said, with a tiny grin that she knew meant trouble. “Think of it as an early birthday gift."

  Oh, that was dirty pool. Now he'd made it impossible for her to object without sounding ungrateful. “Oh, all right,” she replied with mock exasperation. “But we'll have to square it with Nick first. I'm not sure he can afford to take a day off from his book."

  "Actually, this is something I thought you and I could do by ourselves."

  She stared at him for a very long moment. “You know, if you hadn't just done it, I'd swear you were trying to seduce me."

  "I didn't know I was restricted to once a day."

  The rest of the morning plodded along in blissful calm and quiet. Ally retired to the chaise on the terrace for her daily sunbath while Eric sat in the shade nearby, sipping coffee and thumbing through the pile of newspapers he had brought in from Florence every day. He did seem like his old self, though Ally couldn't dismiss her concerns entirely. He had a hard enough time handling the intense, wet-blanket humidity in DC during the summer months, which meant he should've already known to take it easy. But of course, Eric saw that as tantamount to admitting defeat.

  Nick was still in his office when she dropped by a few minutes later. “How's Eric doing today?” he asked, closing his laptop.

  "Better, I think. But he's insisting on taking me out tomorrow. He won't tell me where."

  "You might as well go. At least with you along, he knows he can't get away with pushing himself."

  "I'd rather not leave you alone all day."

  "Don't worry, it's okay by me. In fac
t, if I can finish up this latest chapter, I'll be able to lay off for the rest of the week and hang out on the terrace with you."

  "Sounds like a plan."

  She'd requested a light lunch that day, and Luciana outdid herself, serving up a delicious mixed-green salad, followed by grilled prawns and a dessert of cheese and fruit. Ally still managed to eat enough to make herself drowsy, so she spent the next hour or so stretched out on the couch until her lunch settled before retreating to the bathroom for her afternoon soak in the tub.

  Later, she drifted back out to the terrace, expecting to see Eric ensconced in his cool, shady spot, instead finding him back in his office, absorbed in a phone conversation until she marched in and planted herself directly in his line of sight.

  "That's fine. We'll reconfirm in a day or two,” he spoke tersely into the receiver, then hung up.

  "I thought we agreed to give work a rest,” she said, hating the nagging tone that had crept into her voice.

  "Couldn't be helped—the call was already scheduled,” he replied, standing up, “I'm yours for the rest of today and tomorrow, however, if that'll help me get out of the doghouse."

  She tried her best to stay annoyed with him, but when he gave her that ‘I want to ravish you right now' look, it was pretty damned impossible. Well, she could play that game too. Stepping in front of the open curtains, she deliberately positioned herself so the warm sunshine shone right through the white cotton eyelet sundress she was wearing—with nothing on underneath. Eric's eyes went obligingly wide.

  Giving him a tiny shove, she knocked him back in his chair and climbed on, straddling his lap. “You're not the only one who can do the seducing, you know,” she purred.

  * * * *

  When Eric said he wanted to make an early start, he wasn't kidding. He woke her the next morning while it was still dark, pointed her towards the shower and had a king-size travel tumbler of French roast waiting when she stumbled downstairs to the limo. Even so, it didn't take her long to slump against his shoulder and nod off, waking an indeterminate amount of time later when he kissed her sweetly on the forehead and whispered, “We're here."

  He'd whisked her away to Milan, and their first stop was the house of Versace. She'd been there before, back when she covered fashion week for CNN a couple years ago, but that hadn't prepared her for the VIP treatment Eric's appearance warranted. He'd arranged for a private showing of their entire fall collection, complete with a champagne brunch catered by the Trattoria Milanese.

  It was like ten years’ worth of Christmases in one day. Ally drooled over every outfit, but when they showed her an absolutely stunning knee-length black-and-white silk halter dress, she came close to hyperventilating. As the approving gleam in Eric's eyes confirmed, it looked even more gorgeous on her. She lost track of how many other outfits she picked out, though she had the feeling they'd need more closet space at the penthouse when the finished clothes arrived in September.

  Later in the afternoon, they journeyed on to Prada. Now it was Eric's turn to indulge himself, ordering three new suits, a dozen monogrammed silk shirts and several pairs of shoes. Ally sat there brimming with delight as she watched him try things on, tickled to see him deriving such pleasure from laughing and striking poses in front of the three-way mirror.

  Afterwards, he took her to Altro, ordering sautéed sea bass so tender it melted the second it touched her tongue. Since she'd already indulged in champagne that morning, she figured a glass or two of wine with her meal wouldn't hurt, but by the time they finished, the combination of alcohol and exhaustion almost made her pass out at the table.

  "Did you have fun?” he asked after he'd managed to pour her back into the limo.

  "Mmm-hmm.” Sighing, she wrapped her arms around him. “It was nice seeing you enjoy yourself for a change."

  "The point was for you to enjoy yourself."

  "I've been enjoying myself for the past week now. Haven't you noticed?” she teased. “I just wish you'd learn to relax."

  "What do you call what I did today?"

  "A good start. Now you just need to keep it up."

  "I can think of something else that might apply to,” he whispered, easing her back onto the cushions. She was still drowsy but she didn't protest, especially when he started unbuttoning her blouse and kissing her all over, making love to her so tenderly it felt like a wonderful dream.

  * * * *

  She slept till noon the next day, and got up to find Eric sitting in the shade on the terrace again, skimming his newspapers. He glanced up with a smile when he saw her. “Looks like I wore you out yesterday."

  "Better me than you,” she replied. “No sign of a headache, I hope?"

  "I feel fine.” Nudging the other chair out with his foot, he set aside the financial section. “But you'd better sit down. I need to tell you something."

  She sank into the chair before her instantly wobbly legs could go out from under her. “What is it?"

  "Don't worry, it's nothing serious. However, I'm going to need to go back to Washington for a few days."

  She gaped at him, thinking for a moment that she needed to clean the wax out of her ears. “You're kidding me."

  "I wish I was. But the White House has exerted enough pressure on both houses that they've called an emergency session to vote on the new intelligence bill. And since I co-sponsored it, it would be exceedingly bad form if I didn't show up.” He took one last sip of his coffee before rising. “I'd better get packed. The limo's taking me to the airport in an hour."

  Following him back to the bedroom, she perched on the edge of a chair, her mind awhirl with confusion as she watched him stuff socks, underwear and perfectly pressed shirts into his travel bag. “So did this just come up today?” she wondered aloud.

  "I knew it was a possibility before we left home, but I figured there wasn't much point bringing it up until it became a certainty."

  "And when did that happen?” When he hesitated, she knew she had her answer. No wonder he'd hung up on that phone call so quickly the other day. “You knew about this before you took me to Milan, didn't you?"

  "Yes,” he admitted. “And I thought it would be a good idea if we spent the day together before I left."

  "You mean, you thought it would be a good idea to butter me up before you told me you were leaving, so I wouldn't hit the roof!"

  "Allison, please don't—"

  "Stop it!” She shook with rage, trying hard to keep from bursting into tears. “First your headaches and dizzy spells, now this. What else haven't you told me?"

  "You're being hysterical."

  "Oh, so when I get upset, I'm hysterical. But when you get upset, it's righteous indignation. How fucking convenient."

  He put a few more things in his bag before zipping it up. “I need to finish getting ready,” he said tightly, disappearing into the bathroom.

  She didn't stay to bid him goodbye; if she did, she knew she'd start crying. She went out and sat on the terrace until he left, her stomach doing queasy flip-flops as the limo pulled away, driving out the gate and down the road.

  Trudging back to the bathroom for her soak, she sat in the tub staring bleakly into space. The water soon cooled to a temperature that left her shivering, so she climbed out, skidding on a wet patch of floor. Luckily, she grabbed hold of the edge of the vanity just in time to keep from landing on her ass, but not without sending everything on the counter flying—mostly her own makeup and toiletries, except for one item, a prescription vial with Eric's name on it, half-full of ten-milligram tablets of Lisinopril. She'd never seen it before.

  Ten minutes later, she marched into Nick's office and plunked the vial right in front of him. “Do you know anything about this?"

  He picked it up and examined it. And if that wasn't genuine puzzlement crinkling his brow, he was a better liar than Ally ever gave him credit for. “What is it?"

  "High-blood pressure medication, according to Google. So you didn't know he was taking it?"

  "No
,” he replied, shaking his head. “And I didn't know he was planning to go back to Washington this morning either, if that's your next question."

  "Well, he seems to tell you more than he tells me these days."

  "Do you want me to call him?"

  She gave it a few moments’ consideration before shaking her head. “No, he'll be pissed if he thinks I put you up to scolding him. I'll give him a call about this myself before he gets on the plane."

  He rose, wrapping his arms around her, kissing her softly. “Meet me down in the kitchen when you're done. I want to show you something."

  Sitting down at Nick's desk, she dialed Eric's cell number. It rang four times before he picked up. “I wasn't expecting to hear from you,” he said in that familiar guarded tone that told her he was still angry.

  "Look, I'm sorry I didn't say goodbye. I wish we hadn't argued."

  "I wish that too."

  "I-I found your Lisinopril in the bathroom. If you want, I can overnight it to you."

  "That's not necessary.” He sounded startled, but of course it only took him a moment to recover his unflappable cool. “I have another bottle at the house in DC."

  "Oh.” God, she'd never felt more foolish in her life. He'd obviously kept this from her for weeks, if not months. “Well, were you ever planning on telling me about this?"

  "I'd rather not have this conversation on the phone. I'll be back no later than Saturday. We can talk then."

  "Eric—” The line had already clicked off.

  She stared miserably at the phone before hanging up and plodding downstairs. She found Nick alone in the kitchen, leaning against the butcher block munching an apple. “Everything okay?"

  "Of course,” she answered, forcing her brightest smile. If Eric wanted to act like a manipulative jerk, fine. But she'd be damned if she'd let worrying about him spoil the rest of her day.

  "So you ready for an adventure?” he asked, waggling his eyebrows for goofy emphasis.