Private Lives. Karen Young

work out something less with Gina, just the two of us, no lawyers. You’ll see.”

      For a full minute, Curtiss just stared at him. “Austin, I’m only going to tell you this one time. And you better hear me good. Call Ryan Paxton ASAP, or better yet, go see him in person. Now. Tonight. Do whatever it takes to get him back on board in this miserable mess you’ve created. But don’t let the sun rise tomorrow without being able to tell me that he is still representing you. Now—” his tone went lower, more menacing “—do you read me?”

      For a long moment, Austin seemed tempted to defy the order. But the moment passed. “Yes, sir,” he said, the response weak, but the look in his eyes was anything but. He finished off the brandy, set the snifter down with a thump and walked out.

      As soon as she heard the car door, Elizabeth set her book aside and rose from the chair in the den. She’d been on edge the whole evening, reading with one ear cocked to listen for Austin’s Porsche. The hours had dragged by. It was crazy for Gina to be alone with him, especially tonight when his temper would be on a hair-trigger. Did she forget how dangerous Austin could be when thwarted? He was clearly enraged that she’d dared to air the facts of their relationship in a court of law. He’d made no secret of that from the moment he was served with the papers. And he would be furious with the judge’s ruling today, more so because, in his arrogance, he’d believed that he would prevail. Parting the blinds, she saw the Porsche pull away from the curb and felt deeply relieved that Gina was now home safe.

      That idea died with her first glimpse of Gina’s face in the dimly lit foyer. She stood with her eyes closed, back against the door. By the look of her, breathing heavy with arms clamped around herself, she must have run from the car. Alarmed, Elizabeth reached for the light switch. “What happened?”

      Gina turned her head slowly and looked at her without speaking. Overhead light caught the glint of unshed tears in her eyes. Elizabeth’s gaze narrowed at the sight of Gina’s face. With a shocked sound, she moved closer and touched Gina’s face, turning it gently to get a better look. Brutal marks on either side of her jaw clearly showed the imprint of fingers. They’d be purple bruises by morning. “My God, Gina, did he do this?”

      Gina, still shaky and pale, glanced at herself in the mirror above the table. She lifted her hand and touched her face. “Don’t freak, Liz. He didn’t hit me. He just—I just refused to go along with what he wanted and he—”

      “He retaliated by manhandling you, reminding you who was boss, right?” Angrily, Elizabeth tilted Gina’s face this way and that, examining the marks thoroughly. “He may not have actually punched you, but he left fingerprints. Wait’ll you see yourself tomorrow.” She turned away, shaking her head. “He’s an animal, Gee. It takes brute force to mark someone like that.”

      “I shouldn’t have argued with him. It was really dumb of me, but I just got fed up.”

      “Why not get fed up before you agreed to spend the day with him? Why did you do it, Gee? What were you thinking?”

      “Actually, it wasn’t so bad…at least not at first,” she added under her breath. “He was trying to—to make a point. I honestly don’t think he realizes his own strength.”

      “Gina, Gina, Gina…do you realize how screwed up that sounds? He knows his own strength, you can count on that. He uses it often enough. But no matter what his intent, you shouldn’t wind up bruised and hurting.”

      “I know how to handle him, Liz. If I’d pretended to go along with him, he would have let it go. He lost it when I told him I was going to do what the judge instructed.”

      She pushed her hair back from her face wearily. “Can we talk about this tomorrow, Liz? I’m beat.”

      Liz’s gaze narrowed. She moved closer and saw another mark on Gina’s neck, one that didn’t look like a bruise. “What’s this?”

      Gina put her hand up quickly, covering the mark. “It’s…nothing.”

      Liz then stepped back. In her concern about Gina’s face, she hadn’t really taken in the disheveled look of her. Now she saw that the tail of her blouse was untucked in places. Two of the buttons were undone. Her skirt wasn’t quite straight and her hair was a mess. “No, Gina.” Disbelief flickered across Liz’s face. “Tell me you didn’t have sex with him.”

      Turning away, Gina waved a mute hand and headed for the stairs.

      “Gina…aaa…ah…” Liz played out the name with disapproval.

      Gina stopped. “I don’t need a lecture, Liz. I know I’ve been a bad girl. Worse, I’ve been an idiot. In fact, I probably deserved what just happened,” she said bitterly. Then, with a foot on the first tread, she turned slowly to face Liz. “I know you don’t understand. Even if you were in dire straits, you would somehow find the strength to do the right thing. The smart thing. It’s like you always control your emotions while my emotions control me. I’m weak when it comes to Austin, Liz. It’s like a sickness. Honest to God, that’s the only way I can describe what happens when he…when we…are—” she spread her hands helplessly “—together.”

      It hurt for Liz to hear herself portrayed as being bloodless. It was so completely wrong that she wanted to grab Gina and scream that she had loved with a passion so consuming that everything else in her life paled to nothingness. Had Gina forgotten that dark year of her life? Liz wished to God that she could bury the memory.

      “I’m human, Gee, believe me. And I’ve been in love, or at least I thought it was love. But it’s not love that drives your relationship with Austin. I don’t know what to call it, but it isn’t love.”

      “Oh, hell, that came out wrong, Liz. Of course, you’re human. But you’re good at keeping emotion at a distance. I’m not like that. Tonight, when Austin touched me, I knew what he was doing. I certainly know he doesn’t love me anymore…if he ever did. But it was just so…delicious and it had been such a long time, you know? Never mind that I was going to regret it. I wasn’t thinking about that. I wasn’t thinking anything except how good it felt. Then, somehow, I just let myself go with the feeling. Instead of doing what you would have done and run away from it, I gobbled it up. I wanted it so much that I was willing to take whatever consequences came from it.”

      “Even if the consequences are another child?”

      She turned her face away. “That won’t happen.”

      “Are you sure? Did you remember to use protection?”

      “You know how bad my endometriosis is. Having Jesse was a miracle. The doctor said I’ll never have another pregnancy. Besides, it’s a safe time in my cycle.”

      “I certainly hope you’re right.” Still shaking her head, Liz dragged fingers through her hair. “It’s none of my business if you and Austin are intimate, Gee. I just hate to see—”