Marriage, Manhattan Style

“Because you’re having an affair?”

Reed clamped his jaw and counted to ten. “Let’s sit down.”

She set her lips in a mulish line.

“Do you want to know the truth?”

She blinked rapidly. “I want to know the truth. I need to know the truth. Don’t lie to me anymore. Please, Reed. I couldn’t stand it.”

His heart contracted, but this time when he reached for her hand, she let him take it. He led her to the living room, to the wingback chairs in the bay window where they’d be facing each other.

“I’m being blackmailed,” he began. “Last month, I got a letter demanding ten million dollars or ‘the world will learn the dirty secret of how the Wellingtons make their money.’ I ignored it. Then the SEC investigation started, and we realized it was connected to the blackmail. We also realized that my blackmail could be connected with Trent and with Julia and-here’s the biggest problem-the police can’t rule out that Marie Endicott’s death wasn’t a murder and wasn’t connected to the blackmails.”

“And you didn’t tell me?” Elizabeth’s voice was small.

“I didn’t want to worry you. You were trying to conceive.”

“How could you not tell me?”

“There was nothing you could do.”

“I could have given you moral support.”

“Yeah. Right.”

Her expression turned thunderous, and she started to stand.

“I meant, I’m man enough not to burden my wife with my problems.”

“So you burdened Selina instead.”

“Yes. And Collin and Trent and the New York State Police Department.”

“But not me.”

“Elizabeth.”

“I’m not made of spun glass, Reed.”

“We were trying to get pregnant. The party was taking a lot of your time. Then the SEC thing hit, and there was Lucas. And I didn’t think you needed to know there could also be a murderer on the loose. Dr. Wendell specifically said no stress. A murderer is stress, no matter how you slice it.”

“So you hired Joe.”

“Selina hired Joe.”

Elizabeth shook her head sadly. “Let me make sure I’ve got the picture. You’re not sleeping with Selina.”

Thank goodness she finally got that part right. “I’m not sleeping with Selina.”

“You’re sleeping with me.”

“As often as humanly possible.”

She didn’t smile, and he regretted making the weak joke.

“With Selina, you’re sharing your troubles, your fears, your aspirations and your secrets.”

Reed wasn’t sure how to respond to that.

“And while we were in France, you were tying me to the bedposts-”

“-I never really-”

“-while discussing the weighty matters of our personal lives, our marriage and our future with her.” Elizabeth’s voice rose to a fever pitch. “You know what I think, Reed?”

He was afraid to ask.

“I think you’re married to Selina and having a fling with me.” She rocketed out of her chair.

He jumped up. “That is completely unfair. Completely.”

Elizabeth turned on him. “I bet you spend more hours in a day with her than with me. And is there anything about you she doesn’t know? She’s chasing down a murderer, so I bet you have to give her all the details.”

“You’re bastardizing-”

“Do you lie to her about where you are? Who you’re with?”

“Will you please settle-”

“I don’t just want to share your bed, Reed. I need more than the few minutes you can spare around your other obligations. I need more than the scraps of information you deem safe to share with me. I need you, Reed. I need to share your life.

“You are sharing my-”

“This isn’t a marriage. You and I have none of the fundamental pieces that couples need to build a life together. Yeah, we’re good in bed. You can completely push my buttons. I even liked the silk scarf thing. But I need more. I need all of you. I cannot, I will not play second fiddle to your ‘professionals.’

“I’m going to finish packing, Reed. Then Lucas and I are leaving.”

“No, you’re not.”

“Yes, we are. And you can’t stop us.”

“I’m leaving,” Reed said in a low, firm growl. “It’s nearly midnight. You are not going to drag a baby out of bed and cart him off to a hotel in the middle of the night. I’ll leave. You two stay here.”

He didn’t wait for her answer, simply headed for the door and left the penthouse. He had no other option. If she’d made up her mind, she’d made up her mind. He’d been the best husband he knew how, and if that wasn’t good enough, the only thing left to do was step aside.

Elizabeth had just settled Lucas in his baby swing when Hanna arrived at noon the next day. “All I can say,” she purred as the door clicked shut behind her, “is that Joe Germain sure knows how to take care of a girl’s body.”

“Good night?” Elizabeth asked, feeling exhausted from her own sleepless hours of tossing and turning. She knew in her soul that things couldn’t continue with Reed, but she missed him desperately, especially in their big bed.

When she thought about the fact that he’d never be there again, that his strong arms would never wrap around her, that she’d never feel the satisfying, naked weight of him on top of her ever again, she wanted to collapse in a heap and cry her eyes out.

Hanna, however, was smiling. “Joe is the sexiest, toughest, most inventive man on the planet.”

Elizabeth tried for a smile. “I never would have put you two-” She swallowed. “I never would have-”

“Lizzy?” Hanna peered into her eyes, concern growing on her face. “What the hell?”

As Elizabeth felt a fresh rush of tears, Hanna helped her to the couch, sitting down next to her and curling up her jean-clad legs. “What happened? The Vances? Lucas?”

Elizabeth shook her head. Her throat was raw and her chest felt like it was being squeezed by a giant rubber band. “Reed,” she managed.

“The SEC thing?”

“I don’t understand.”

Elizabeth forced her emotions under control. She had to stop this. It was what it was, and no amount of crying would change that. “Reed and I split up last night.”

“He was not having an affair. I know this.”

“He might as well have been. He won’t share his life with me, Hanna. The man was being blackmailed for ten million dollars, and he never even mentioned it. But to her-” Elizabeth’s voice shook. “With her, it’s a dozen e-mails a day.”

“Like online sex?”

“Like online life. To me, he lies, he evades, he protects. She gets his hopes, his fears, his dreams. I want that,” she said, stabbing her thumb against her chest.

Hanna cocked her head. “But he’s not sleeping with her.”

“No.”

“And he is sleeping with you?”

“Was.”

“And there’s no way to fix the other? I mean, now that you know about the blackmail…”