Wrapped in You (14 page)

She pursed her lips to keep from smiling. “I left my teeth in the room.”

“But you remembered everything else.” He gripped the wheel tighter. “I’m having a hard time keeping my eyes on the road.”

She tried not to be affected by his compliment but she couldn’t help some satisfaction.

He touched the chain she’d wrapped around her wrist. “You look great, you know.”

She swallowed her rancor and tried to be pleasant. “You look okay, too.”

Mason laughed. “That was convincing.”

She humphed.

“Want to tell me what’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” she said, feeling sullen. Feeling like she wanted to roll out of the moving car and run all the way home. “Let’s just go and get this last picture done.”

Brows furrowing, he pulled into a parking space. “What picture?”

“The last thing on the list. The holiday party,” she said when he just stared at her.

“We’re doing that at my holiday party,” he said as he shut the car off.

“We were, but now we’re here. We should just take care of it.” She got out and closed the door before he could say anything.

Mason came around the car slowly, clicking the car locked. “You can’t take the photo here. This isn’t a holiday party,” he said as he took her hand.

“What are you talking about?” She pointed at the wreath on the door. “It’s the holidays, and this is a party.”

“It’s not technically,” he insisted, pressing the doorbell. “You’d be cheating. No one would know but you, and it’d bug you that you didn’t earn your promotion fair and square. Besides, we’re going to my holiday party on Friday. Why not just wait?”

Shrugging, she looked away.

“You
are
still going with me, right?” He stood in front of her, making her face him.

If he wanted her to talk, then fine. She lifted her head and met his gaze. “I don’t know if it’s a good idea.”

“But you agreed to go.” He frowned at her. “What’s going on? This isn’t like you.”

“What do you know about what I’m like?” she replied, jerking her hand free.

He opened his mouth, but right then the door opened to reveal a tall, built man.

Gritting her teeth in a smile, she turned to the man. “Hello, I’m—”

“Trudy,” he said with an even white smile. He held his hand out. “I’m Treat, Eve’s husband. And you must be Mason. Kristin’s told us about you. Come in.”

“Great place,” Mason said, his voice still tight from their argument.

Trudy nodded, because even in her foul mood she couldn’t argue that. Particularly the view. Beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows the Golden Gate twinkled in the background. She wondered if he’d been able to see where they wrapped the column with EL wire.

“There you are.” Eve walked over to them, carrying two glasses of champagne. She wore a bright red dress with a flirty hem and white tiger striped strappy shoes. She handed them the glasses and then kissed each of their cheeks. “Mason, you’re not as festive tonight.”

“My suit’s at the cleaners,” he said, raising his glass before taking a deep sip.

“Kristin’s in the kitchen with her husband Robert.” Eve slipped her arm around Trudy’s waist. “I’m going to borrow Trudy to introduce her to someone, if you don’t mind.”

“Not at all.” He kissed Trudy’s cheek, giving her a
we’ll settle this later
look, and then walked with Treat into the other room.

Eve steered Trudy in the other direction. “Are you all right?”

“Sure.” She swallowed more of the champagne. “I’m great.”

“Not even I’m that gullible.” Eve squeezed her. “I’ve got two ears and an endless supply of lattes and cookies, if you’re ever in need.”

She was really going to miss this woman when she went home. She wrinkled her nose to keep from tearing up, simply nodding.

“Trudy!” Gwen exclaimed, lighting up. She turned to the tall man next to her and clutched his arm. “This is the woman I told you about. Trudy, this is Rick.”

Gwen’s man was tall and thin with a dark, guarded look on his face—except when he looked at Gwen. Then it was completely apparent that he wanted to get her in a dark corner and investigate
her
.

Trudy glanced behind her, looking for Mason. She understood the feeling.

“Gwen says you’re becoming a partner in a PI firm?” Rick asked.

“I am.” She nodded at Eve who gave her one last squeeze before she slipped away to check on someone else.

“Will you be doing field work?”

“Actually, I don’t know.” She shook her head. “I’m a tech expert, so I’ve always done all the computer searches and such.”

“Do you want to work in the field? Because I have more work than I know what to do with.” He smiled at her. “If you ever decide to move to San Francisco, let me know.”

His words inspired a longing so sharp she stepped back to try to distance herself from it. Everything was suddenly changing so fast. Who said anything about living here? “I doubt I’ll leave London, but thanks. I’ll keep it in mind.”

“Gwen liked you, and that’s high praise.” He smoldered at his woman, his hand lingering on her back.

Gwen looked up at him, the promise in her eyes not disguised at all.

Trudy cleared her throat. “Well, that’s my cue to direct you two to a closet and make myself scarce.”

They laughed.

Olivia sauntered over. The man who held her hand like he meant to never let it go had to be her husband. “I knew the moment I met you that you’d fit in,” the brunette said. “Trudy, wasn’t it?”

“Yes.” She blinked in surprise. “That’s impressive.”

The man chuckled. “Olivia has the memory of an elephant. I’m Michael, her husband, also subject to that memory.”

“Are you here alone?” Olivia asked.

“No, she’s not,” Mason said, joining them. He put his hand on the small of her back.

“So your purchases worked out?” Olivia asked with a wicked grin.

“That was
your
doing.” Mason stepped forward and took her hand in both of his. “
Thank you
.”

Olivia laughed. “I just highlight what already exists. Which did she wear? The red or the lavender set?”

Mason glanced at Trudy like he wished he had X-ray vision. “Red?”

Trudy tugged her neckline up. “Why do I suddenly feel so naked?”

“Olivia has that effect on people,” Gwen said.

Rick arched his brow. “Why don’t you buy more underwear from her?”

Gwen arched her brow back. “Because you like it when I don’t wear any.”

Mason exchanged a knowing glance with Trudy before he faced Olivia. “I may come visit you. It’s Christmas, after all.”

Olivia winked at him. “Please do. I have something I think you’ll both like.”

Trudy wanted to tell him not to—she didn’t like underwear. Except she’d bought some, and she
did
like them.

Knickers, Nutella lattes, candy cane striped scarfs . . .
What was happening to her?

Overwhelmed, she excused herself to go to the loo. Only not even a full minute of running cold water on her wrists was enough to calm her. She looked at her reflection and froze.

She didn’t look like herself anymore. She had less makeup around her eyes, and she wore a red blouse—a deep red, but still. It wasn’t visible, but underneath she wore the red underwear set Olivia had sold her.

What had happened to her?

Who was she becoming?

She turned the light off, but the image of the strange Stepford version of her was burned behind her eyelids. She let herself out of the loo, more disheartened than when she went in.

On her way to the kitchen, she heard, “Trudy is really pretty.”

“She is,” she heard Mason’s voice reply.

Peeking out from behind the wall, she saw Kristin poke him in the chest. “You like her. A lot. Have you introduced her to your parents yet?”

“Not yet, but I’m planning on it. I was thinking we could Skype.”

Trudy swallowed. It scared her how much she wanted to meet them.

Which was mad, because her own parents found her lacking—his Iowan parents would be doubly so. She looked down at herself. One look at her and they’d freak.

She couldn’t bear to have Mason look at her like she was lacking, or like she’d disappointed him.

She thought of the dress in her room and frowned. That was what that was about—he was trying to change her. Sure she’d bought him clothes, but she was helping him where he didn’t know better, not changing him to be something he wasn’t.

It’d taken her a long time to find herself, and she wasn’t going to let that go. She
liked
who she was. She didn’t want to be any different.

Turning around, she walked in the other direction, toward the front door. Fortunately, no one noticed her.

At the door, she paused. Getting her mobile out, she took a selfie of herself with people and the Christmas tree in the background. Then she let herself out of the house and began to walk back to the hotel.

A few minutes after she left her mobile buzzed with a text. She didn’t have to look to know it was from Mason.

Stud Muffin: Where did you go?

Trudy Hawke: Back to the hotel.

Stud Muffin: Why? You okay?

Trudy Hawke: Tired.

Stud Muffin: Can I come over?

She bit her lip, wanting to cuddle into him and let him comfort her.

Which wasn’t her, damn it. She wiped the moisture from under her eyes and tapped back:
Going to sleep. Talk later.

Her mobile rang a second later. Knowing he wouldn’t leave her alone until she talked to him, she answered. “I’m done, Mason.”

“Why didn’t you tell me? I’d have driven you home. I didn’t need to stay here. Want me to pick you up?”

She shook her head even though he couldn’t see her. “No. I’m
done
. I want to go home. To London.”

The silence stretched over the line. Then he said, “We still have my holiday party.”

“You’ll have to go without me. I’m changing my ticket to go home tomorrow.” She swallowed the regret and guilt. “It’s time.”

“Even though we had a deal?” he asked angrily. “You’re just going to renege? What about the holiday party on your list?”

“I took a picture tonight.” She winced, hating that she was hurting him.

“You’re cheating,” he said, his voice tight. “Worse, you’re running away. What happened?”

“You bought that dress,” she exclaimed.

“Seriously? This is all because you’re upset that I bought you a dress? You don’t have to wear it. I just saw it and thought you’d like it.”

She gripped her mobile. “You don’t know me!”

“I do know you, Gertrude Heathe-Hawkley,” he replied softly. “You have a hard shell exterior but you’re a marshmallow on the inside. You listen to people and cut through the bullshit to what’s real. You kiss me like you never want to let go.”

She hunched from the pain in her heart. “You don’t know anything.”

“I know that I’m disappointed. And that if you leave to go to London now, we’ll miss out on something we both know is
significant
. Think about that,” he said, and then he hung up.

As if she could think of anything else. She trudged on all the way to the hotel, feeling more alone then she ever had at this time of year.

Chapter Ten

“I hate you,” Trudy said the second Jon picked up his mobile.

“I see you’re already getting into the role of a partner, because you never talked to me that way when you were only my employee. Oh wait, I’m wrong. You
did
talk to me like that.” He paused. “Well?”

“Well what?”

“What happened, Trudy?” he asked, his voice flat the way it was when he was extremely serious.

She met a great guy and had
feelings
. She was miserable, and it was all his fault. “Nothing.”

“That’s absolute shite, and we both know it.”

Tears immediately sprang from her eyes, trying to commit hari-kari off her cheeks. She wiped them viciously. “What makes you think something’s wrong?”

“You looked like someone killed your puppy in the last photo. I’ve never seen you look so sad, not even when I was going to close the office. Who killed your puppy?”

“I don’t have a puppy.” She didn’t have anything. She huddled in the candy cane scarf and walked faster.

“Summer wants me to ask you if you
want
to have a puppy.” Away from the speaker, he said, “What kind of question is that? If she wanted a puppy she’d just get one. This is Trudy we’re talking about. She doesn’t wait on anyone to get what she wants.”

Trudy chuckled though her tears started to flow in earnest. The next thing she knew, she was sitting on the curb, sobbing.

“See what you did, Summer?
She’s crying.
I hate when she cries.” Jon came back on, speaking like he was trying to bring her down from the ledge. “Don’t listen to Summer. She’s mean.”

Trudy shook her head. Summer was one of the nicest people she’d ever met.

“Wait. Are you laughing or crying?” Jon asked hesitantly.

“Both.” She sniffled and wiped her face with the back of her hand.