Private Pleasures

between us. Nearly perfect.' He shook his head.

'The spark must be gone.'

Grey cast him a narrowed-eyed glance. 'The spark?'

'Yeah, you know how women like that spark of excitement they feel when you first start dating. It must be gone for the two of you.'

Grey thought the best he could on that one. Sparks between him and Mariah had never been a problem. He could just look at her a certain way and generate enough excitement to keep them on edge until they were alone. 'I don't think that's it.'

'Sure it is,' Mark said confidently. 'Trust me on this one.'

Abrupt laughter escaped Grey. 'Why should I trust you when your relationships fizzle faster than a sparkler on the Fourth of July?'

'But it's good while it lasts,' Mark said, laughing. 'I'll bet you guys settled into a nice, comfortable routine, right?'

He'd been real comfortable with Mariah. More than anyone in his entire life. She'd been his lover and his best friend. That's why he'd wanted her to move in with him. 'Yeah, I guess so,'

'That's usually a sign that the romance is gone from the relationship,' Mark said, swiping condensation from his beer bottle. 'And when the romance is gone, a woman starts looking for deeper stuff. Usually a ring or a forever kind of commitment. That's usually the time to cut loose and bail or reevaluate the relationship.'

He didn't want to cut her loose, so maybe he needed to reevaluate what they'd shared. He'd never considered himself romantic. He was a down-to-earth, no-frills kind of guy. And Mariah had never been one for flowers and candy. Then again, he'd never spontaneously, just-for-the-heck-of-it, given her those things.

Maybe she was feeling as though he didn't appreciate her. The thought made him frown.

'Okay, Mark, I've reevaluated the relationship and I want to keep it.' He couldn't believe he was actually soliciting Mark's opinion and advice. 'What do I do now?'

'Romance her. Women love that kind of stuff.'

Grey cringed at the sound of that. He'd never had to woo a woman in his entire life. He didn't even know how. 'I don't know-'

'Trust me, Nichols,' Mark drawled. 'It's not any different than trying to sway a potential client.'

Grey was lost by the analogy. 'Care to elaborate on that?'

'It's simple. Invest some money into her-wining, dining, flowers. Jewelry is a nice touch, too. A few romantic gestures, and she'll come around.'

Grey's head began to pound. He was awkward with this whole romance angle, but maybe that's what Mariah needed. A little spice and sizzle. He'd tried begging and groveling and that hadn't worked.

He had nothing left to lose.

'The flowers have got to stop.' Jade walked into Mariah's office carrying another gorgeous arrangement-this one bright pink tulips. Moving over a bouquet of peach-hued lilies sitting on Mariah's credenza, Jade set the elegant, cut-crystal vase in the cleared spot. 'The place is starting to look like a funeral home. But then I guess it matches the mood around here for the past week.' She lowered her voice. 'You'd think someone died.'

Only Jade would say something so morbid. Making a face her sister couldn't see, Mariah set aside a pending invoice for wooden shutters and whirled her chair around to Jade. Surrounding them were at least twenty different bouquets and floral arrangements of all shapes and variety. In her entire lifetime she'd never received so many flowers.

'How am I supposed to make him stop?' she asked, absently fingering the satiny soft petal of a nearby rose. 'Besides, I like having them around. I feel like I've lost my best friend. Grey was my best friend.'

Jade rolled her eyes. 'Grey's merely a man, Mariah. Dogs make better best friends than men do. Dogs are more reliable, trustworthy and they know how to form a real bond.' Her bangle bracelets jingled as she fluffed the fat bow around the stemmed tulips.

Mariah sighed, not sure whether she should be flattered or annoyed by Grey's romantic gesture. 'I've tried stopping the deliveries, but the florist doesn't want to turn away the business, and the delivery boy informed me of the astronomical amount he's being paid to make sure the flowers reach my office.'

Jade raised an inquisitive brow. 'Have you tried calling Grey to put a stop to the deliveries?'

Mariah inhaled the floral fragrance floating in the room. The scent was dizzying, and deliciously intoxicating. 'Yes, but he hasn't been in his office, and Jeanie doesn't know anything about the flowers.'

'I'm impressed,' Jade said generously. 'At least Grey's not making Jeanie order the arrangements, like most bosses make their secretaries do for their wives and girlfriends.'

Mariah agreed, secretly pleased that he was taking time from his busy schedule to contact the florist personally. 'I told Jeanie to leave him a note to please stop with the flowers. I guess he hasn't gotten the message yet.'

'Or he's ignoring it, which is probably the case.' Jade winked an emerald green eye at her, which matched her bright and splashy summer outfit. 'Men don't like to be turned down or dumped.'

'I didn't dump him.' She hated the way that sounded. 'I just thought it best if we go our separate ways.'

'It's the same thing, Riah.' Jade plucked the little white envelope nestled within the tulips. 'Let's see what lover boy has to say this time.'

Mariah snatched the envelope from her sister's grasp. With every arrangement that had been delivered Grey had attached a note. The written contents ranged from sweet and romantic, to steamy and erotic, to silly and humorous. Each envelope was a special treat because she didn't know what to expect.

The anticipation of wondering what this envelope contained made her feel giddy. 'In case you didn't notice, that's my name on the envelope.' Giving Jade a tight smile, she tore open the flap and withdrew a florist card with a border of fancy hearts and flowers and Grey's bold writing in the center.

Jade leaned over her chair and read the inscription out loud. 'Tu-lips are better than one. Always yours, Grey.' She chuckled and shook her head. 'The man has a way with words.'

Always yours, not love, she thought with a heart- wrenching pang. Tucking the card back in its envelope, she put it in her desk drawer with the other cards Grey had sent.

Jade moved to the front of Mariah's desk. 'I have to admit, all this is kinda romantic.'

'Flowers don't change the way I feel about our relationship.'

'No, but it's flattering to know someone wants you bad enough to go to this extreme.' Jade dipped her nose into an arrangement of cream-colored roses and inhaled deeply. 'I have to tell you, sis, I didn't think Grey had it in him to be so romantic.'

Mariah caught herself when she would have defended Grey. In his own way he'd been romantic, but never mushy or sappy in his pursuit. His approach was always straightforward, earthy and sensual, cutting through any frivolous preliminaries to get what he wanted. Truthfully, that had excited her more than any flowery words or token gifts ever would have.

'Is Richard romantic?' Jade asked, pulling Mariah from her thoughts.

Mariah glanced at Jade, who stood next to her chair, and tried to find an apt but polite description for the man she was dating. 'Richard is…nice.'

'Nice?' Jade looked at her as if she'd fallen off her rocker. 'Tropical fish are nice, Riah. Cupcakes are nice. Richard is a gorgeous male specimen.'

And Mariah had begun to notice that he acted like he knew it, too.

Jade perched herself on Mariah's desk and crossed her legs. 'Is he a good kisser?'

'He's okay.' Richard kissed like he was in a hurry to move on, leaving her little time to catch her breath or protest his groping hands.

Jade leaned closer, eyes sparkling mischievously. 'Have you guys, well, you know?'

The thought of doing you-know-what with Richard left her unmoved, although he seemed intent on reaching that goal. She didn't know how long she could hold him off without coming outright and bruising that ego of his. 'No.'