Chapter 13
Dean had had to convince Meghan to come with him to Louisiana. At first he’d thought it was because she didn’t want to disrupt her work schedule, but when he’d pointed out she could bring her laptop and work remotely, he finally got to the crux of the problem. Meghan was afraid to fly.
He wasn’t sure whether it was a serious phobia, so he’d let it go. Later though, she told him she hoped to overcome the fear someday, but thought she’d be lousy company for him if she was worried about the flights. He bought her a ticket.
“It’ll be fine,” he’d said. And in fact, it had been better than fine. Her nervousness made her more sweet and more submissive in the days leading up to the trip.
By the time she was sitting next to him in first class with both of her arms wrapped around his right one, he’d had her a dozen ways in six nights and had spanked her into sobbing submission twice. So much sex with a side of secrets was driving them both deeper into lust and more.
The flight attendant offered them drinks.
“The middle ear squeeze might make you feel sick if you drink alcohol,” he said.
“Please?” she whispered, her pleading blue-green eyes looking up at him through her lashes.
“All right, but if you get sick, you’ll be in trouble,” he whispered.
She had a gin and tonic and then another and fell asleep against his shoulder. She was sleepy and beautiful and buzzed by the time he got her to the hotel.
They had flown separately from the team because Meghan had a late class to give and obviously wasn’t up to flying alone.
Since they hadn’t flown with the team, Dean left her in the hotel room for a few minutes while he checked on the guys. The travel had gone smoothly, and most of the team wanted to explore the city before meeting for dinner.
When his phone buzzed, he didn’t recognize the phone number. He knew it might be someone from the Tigers’ organization, so he picked up. It took a moment for him to realize that he was speaking with the salesman from a jewelry store where he’d bought Meghan a gold necklace dotted with emeralds.
“Since Miss Marshall decided to return the necklace, I wondered if you’d be interested in bringing her to a show that might appeal to her, to find a replacement.”
Dean’s brows rose, his mind kicking into overdrive. She’d returned the gift without telling him? Why? She couldn’t have taken the money for it. Stores generally just credited an account when something was returned. Had she not liked the style and been hesitant to tell him?
“When is the show?” he asked as he sorted out his thoughts.
How had Meghan even known where to take the necklace? Had the store name been on the box? Dean thought it might have been.
The man launched into a description of a regional artist’s work.
“I’m so glad that everything is all right between you and Miss Marshall.
She’s a lovely woman. She seemed so regretful about returning the piece.
She didn’t want to exchange it and was uncomfortable and reticent to talk about why she wanted to return it.
I worried that things might have taken a turn. ”
Dean frowned. It certainly wasn’t a jewelry salesman’s business if he and Meghan had broken up, but he thought that maybe it was more than morbid curiosity about the state of their relationship that had made the salesman call.
“Was she in the store long?”
“No, not long. She had to wait a few minutes while the transaction took place.”
“Did she seem interested in anything else?” Diamond rings, for instance, Dean thought.
“No, she seemed a bit upset and distracted, even a bit…”
“What?”
“I may be mistaken, but she appeared to feel guilty.”
Dean’s frown deepened. That was not what he wanted to hear. “Thanks for letting me know about the show.”
“Of course,” the salesman said. “We’d love to help you find the right piece. I’ll mail a flyer with details of upcoming store events. Have a good day, Mr. Ulrich.”
Dean ended the call and returned to the hotel room.
He found Meghan curled on her side looking at the screen of her laptop.
At her place, he’d instituted a rule that when she was in bed, clothes weren’t allowed.
It wasn’t practical to keep the rule in place while they were staying in a hotel where maid service and team staff could arrive at the door unexpectedly.
He still didn’t care for seeing her lounging in bed fully clothed from the plane in a blue knit shirt and drawstring pants that had a dizzying print pattern.
The pants looked like pajamas to him, but she assured him they weren’t.
Dean logged onto the mobile app for his credit card and confirmed that the cost of the returned necklace was credited to his account. He suspected he knew Meghan’s issue with the necklace, but he wanted it confirmed.
He leaned against the desk, watching her.
“I’m going through the presentation again, adding some detail,” she said. “Hopefully not too much. Thank you again. I saved the original version you created to be used as a template for later.”
He might be self-serving and dominant in the bedroom, but he spoiled her in other ways. Dinners at remote restaurants, taking her to mind-numbing chick flicks she wanted to see, buying her flowers and jewelry, and the thing she appreciated most…paying attention to her work.
He had spent a Saturday evening listening to her talk about the changes she wanted to make for future research and grant proposals. He’d read the background papers she’d cited so that he could effectively evaluate a departmental presentation she had to give.
When he’d woken Sunday after putting her through a long night, he let her sleep in while he created a new presentation for her.
He’d looked at her original slides, which were cluttered and arranged in a weird order that might make sense to her from a scientific standpoint, but wouldn’t do her favors when trying to quickly drive home the importance of what she planned to do.
He’d created the presentation from scratch, importing a few of her charts, but mostly generating new material.
It hadn’t been difficult. He’d always been an organized thinker and communicator.
He was used to breaking things down for the team and the coaching staff in short presentations, and he was used to talking to reporters and university leadership.
“I’m glad it’s useful,” he said now as she smiled at the slides on her screen.
“Super useful. Would you mind looking through the changes? Not today, but maybe Wednesday, when I’m done with the tweaks? It’ll give me another day to revise before I present on Friday.”
“Yes, I can make time on Wednesday.”
“Is Wednesday busy? I could push to get everything ready for Tuesday.”
“Wednesday’s fine. Better than Tuesday.”
She smiled her beautiful smile. “I really appreciate it.”
“Power your laptop down and put it on the desk. There’s something we need to discuss.”
Her smile faded. “Is something wrong?”
“Do what I asked.”
Her face clouded, then she shut down the computer and closed the lid. She set it on the desk top, watching him as she did.
“You returned the necklace I gave you.”
A bright blush stained her cheeks and crept down her neck and chest. “I did.”
“Why?”
“I thought you’d spent a lot for it—which you had—and I wasn’t comfortable keeping it.”
“Why?”
“I haven’t been your girlfriend very long. You insisted on the hospital VIP suite and wouldn’t let me contribute to the cost. So far, I haven’t even been able to get a copy of the charges that includes that night. I just think you’re spending too much money on me.”
“Are you seeing someone else on the side?”
“What? No, of course not!”
“Are you planning to end the relationship?”
“No! I wouldn’t have come on this trip if I’d been planning to end things.
I mean, of course, something could happen that I don’t anticipate.
Maybe we’ll have a fight, and one of us will decide it’s not going to work.
I don’t know. That’s the point. It’s a new relationship.
A complex one, too,” she said firmly. “And it doesn’t make sense for you to buy a gold and emerald necklace that costs several thousand dollars for me.
That’s the kind of gift a man gives his wife on a ten-year anniversary…
when a relationship has proven itself. What if I did break things off next week?
How would you feel when your credit card statement came next month with that charge on it?
You shouldn’t be splurging on brand new girlfriends.
I wonder about the state of your finances if you feel compelled to be that extravagant with everyone you date. ”
The corner of his mouth curved up. “You’ve made a host of erroneous assumptions.”
She blinked. “Well, I can’t imagine that I’ve made a host of them, but I’m interested in hearing your thoughts.”
“We’ll have a longer discussion about money at some point, but not right now.”
“All right.” She paused and then glanced at her laptop and at the door. “Are you thinking we’ll go for lunch? Or should we try to work a bit before that?”
“Neither one.”
She looked back sharply at him. “What are you thinking?”
“I’m waiting for an apology. Then you’ll submit to a punishment. Then we’ll figure out the rest of the day.”
She sucked in a gasp. “I did what I felt was right. And there was no rule about returning gifts, so I didn’t break one.”
“You felt it was right to accept the necklace and gush over how beautiful it was and then to return it without explanation? You thought it was right to make me look bad?”
“What do you mean? I—yes, maybe I should’ve told you I’d had second thoughts about keeping it, but I’ve found you to be impossible to argue with about things like that.
I thought if I gave it to you to return, you might not take it back, out of pride or whatever.
I thought it might be simpler and less awkward to just return it myself. ”