"And now you think she wants to shoot you?"
"Oh, no; she'd rather have me drawn and quartered and the pieces barbecued."
"What does she want?"
"Me, dead or alive."
"You mean she still wants to be married to you?"
"Apparently so. She's been introducing herself to the world as Mrs. Stone Barrington."
"Oops."
"Yeah, oops."
"Who is this girl?"
"Her last name is Bianchi."
"Wait a minute: at Vance's funeral I saw you talking to…"
"Her father."
"I've heard a little about him," she said. "Sounds like this could be tricky."
"Well put. Tricky."
She pushed his hair off his forehead with her fingers and kissed him. "I could hide you here for a few months," she said.
"I don't think I could survive that."
She giggled. "Probably not, but you'd last a while. What made you show up here tonight? Where were you earlier this evening?"
"I went to Arrington's house for dinner. Dolce was there."
"Well, that must have been a teensy bit awkward."
"You could say that. You could say I'm lucky I got out of there before the two of them tore me to pieces."
"And how did this little soiree come about?"
"I don't have the faintest idea. I arrived, and they were both there. I don't think I've ever been at such a complete loss."
"Poor baby," she said. "I suppose you need consoling."
"Oh, yes. Console me."
She swapped ends and began kissing him lightly, getting an instantaneous response.
He placed a hand on her buttocks and pulled her to his face, searching with his tongue.
She took him into her mouth.
He found her.
They remained in that position for a long time.
Chapter 46