Free Caress by Grayson Cole Page B

did.”
    Nya could tell that she was holding back a snicker. “You can’t lie to me, you know you can’t. Besides, I have ways to make you talk,” Nya said. “So, what’s going on?” Lysette appeared from around the door and stood in front of the mirror washing her hands. She patted her freshly cut coiffure and stood back admiring herself. “Could you get out of that mirror? I’m getting sick.” Nya pursed her lips.
    “I’m ready.” Lysette smirked and they walked out of the bathroom. Across the hall in a small alcove, Nya noticed a tall man with broad shoulders with one hand covering an ear as he tried to have a conversation on his cell phone. When he hung up and turned around, she saw it was Michael Harrison. She didn’t know what to say. Nor did she know why her heart leaped irrationally.
    “Hello, Ms. Seymour,” he said politely. Then, “Hi, Lysette Hendricks, of Jamie Hendricks fame,” he said more warmly. “I just talked to your new husband. I knew he’d gotten married, just not to whom. Congratulations. You know, he’s going to do an interview with me soon.”
    “Hmm, ain’t that something,” Lysette grated out as Nya pinched her on the back. Then she backed away, saying, “If you’ll both excuse me, I gotta get back to dinner.”
    Breathless, unsure, and just a little irritated by her pal, Nya greeted him. “Hello.”
    “Ms. Seymour, I want to apologize again for the article. I never intended to report something that could harm innocent people or even an innocent company. I said it this morning, but I don’t know if it got lost in our discussion.”
    He was being nice, even after their earlier exchange, and Nya couldn’t stand it. There was something about him, maybe the way the jacket he wore hung off his broad shoulders, that was simply dazzling. She willed herself to look away, but those magnificent eyes filled with remorse were melting her resolve. And his mouth… she could feel her face flushing at notions of what it must be like to kiss that mouth. How long had she been standing there without speaking? She wanted to snap, “Just do the feature and we’ll try to forget how mistaken you were.” Instead, she said, “Thank you. I know this situation has been difficult all around.”
    “I imagine,” he returned. “Hopefully we can start over and correct this. And I know you can’t talk about it, but if there’s anything I can do to help with the investigation, please let me know. Despite this error, that is what I do.”
    “Sure,” she responded, not sure what else to say.
    “Truce?” He held out his hand to her.
    Nya looked at it for a moment and swallowed. Why, oh why, were her nerves getting the best of her right then? She reached out then, taking a leap. She put her hand in his large warm one. He squeezed and passed his thumb briefly over the sensitive skin on her wrist. A chill raced up her arm. “Truce,” she gasped and swiftly pulled her hand back.
    “So I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon, right?”
    Nya nodded. “Yes… ah… thanks. I’m, ah, I’m gonna go find my friends, okay?”
    “Okay. We’ll talk tomorrow, then.” He smiled at her and she backed up.
    Behind her she raised a hand and pushed a door open. “Bye, then!” she called.
    “Bye.” He actually chuckled and turned to go.
    Nya ducked… right back into the bathroom. She cursed herself and counted to ten, giving him time to clear the area. When she walked out again, luckily he wasn’t right there, but she caught a glimpse of him on the way back to her table. He was sitting with a tall, slender, Italian-looking fellow in a suit. The man was handsome and distinguished, with silver at his temples.
    Sitting next to Lysette again, she couldn’t get the impressive image of the man out of her head, or the way her hand had felt engulfed by his. “What happened?” Lysette whispered into Nya’s ear.
    “Nothing,” Nya responded, then shifted the spotlight from herself. “I can’t believe