Power Play (Crimson Romance) Read Online Free Page B

on the girl, remembering how she had been subject to a similarly well-mannered interrogation upon joining the Wives and Girlfriends. The women were curious, and added to that the superstar status of Cahal Wallace, Victoria was sure to attract some attention.
    Lila remained in the background, sipping on the soft drink that the Monahan’s maid had given to her. From her distant vantage point, she couldn’t see the newcomer. She could just make out the clear confident answers that the new arrival made to the questions the other Wives were throwing at her.
    How closed-mouthed Cahal had been the previous day. He had virtually forbidden her remarriage yet he had had a girlfriend tucked up his sleeve. A year ago, she would not have believed him capable of such casual deception. She was a great deal wiser today.
    Finally, the other women’s inquiries being exhausted, Cathy Monahan was able to perform her function as hostess and introduce the other women to the newcomer.
    As Lila’s name was spoken, she stepped forward, her hand outstretched. Instead of reaching out her own hand, Victoria Brantford gasped and took a step backward.
    After an embarrassed moment, Lila dropped her hand to her side. She could feel her cheeks heating. The other woman had obviously shunned her and she had no idea why.
    There was a prolonged moment of silence in the room, broken only by one of the wives’ nervous laughter.
    “Uh — do you two know each other?” one of the women asked.
    Their hostess moved in to dispel the discomfort. “Well, of course they must know each other. Victoria’s father is one of the owners of the Chicago team.”
    As there was no way to deny it, Lila nodded. The question that continued to haunt her was how did Victoria Brantford know
her
, when she was perfectly certain that she had never met the other woman before in her life?
    It was Victoria who provided the answer to the question in Cathy Monahan’s cornflower eyes.
    “Of course I know all about her,” the blonde woman said in a high, tight voice. “She’s still married to my boyfriend.”
    One by one, all heads turned toward the woman seated in the corner of the room.
    Ignoring the rest, Lila’s eyes met Victoria Brantford’s gray-green stare. “I’ve never met you,” she said. “How do you know who I am?”
    The reply was not the expected one.
    “From the pictures,” the blonde woman responded, her voice only slightly less taut. “There must be dozens of photographs around his house, all over the place. Your wedding photos. Your high school prom. I’ve seen them all.”
    And, apparently, had memorized them all.
    Lila was torn between being angry at Cahal for still having the photographs up and daring to show them to his new girlfriend, and being saddened at the thought that he had still lived in that house in Chicago, the one they had picked out together, surrounded by all of their memories.
    “After seeing those photographs,” Victoria continued, “I could never mistake you.”
    It was impossible to tell if there was real venom behind that high unnatural voice, so different from the smooth tones that she had used to answer those initial questions from the Wives.
    “Maybe I should leave,” Lila said, getting to her feet. She gave her hostess an appealing glance. “Surely, there can’t be enough room in the club for a girlfriend and an ex-wife.”
    Ethan’s wife was indignant. “I don’t see why not! It might never have happened before but there is a first time for everything. It’s not as if we were men and incapable of behaving rationally about such things.”
    This comment earned a few welcomed chuckles.
    “I do not see why Lila should leave,” Nadia Ivanov added. “She’s not just Cahal Wallace’s wife, or ex-wife, but she is also going out with Jarrett.”
    Jack.
Lila had almost forgotten him in the turmoil of the past few minutes. Jack had been enthusiastic about her joining the Wives. Perhaps he envisioned them next season posing