Same/Difference (The Depth of Emotion #4) by D.D. Lorenzo Page B

Manny was absent. “Where’s your husband?” Irritation darkened his timbre. She picked up on it immediately and threatened him with an equally hostile tone.
    “He had a meeting.” She grabbed his chin between her thumb and index finger. “I’d advise you to rethink how you talk to me.” He angrily snapped his head away from her grasp and in response she defiantly moved into his personal space. “Perhaps you should spit out the reason for your attitude.”
    He loathed her superior posture. “I just saw Falcon Grey.”
    Her eyebrows shot up. “Carter’s dog? Why would he bother you?”
    “He doesn’t.” Walking away from her he attempted to disguise any telltale emotion. She stared after him, boring holes in his efforts.
    “You’re a liar.”
    Defiantly, he spun around., “And you’re a bitch.”
    A sinister smile touched her lips and she regarded him with a narrowed glare. “Touché.”
    Like a matador interprets the movement of a bull, she moved aside to allow his testosterone driven charge to pass. “Now, if your little temper tantrum is over, perhaps we can have a nice meal.”
    Blake responded with a smile, then led the way into the restaurant. Marisol was right; he was a liar. That was exactly the skill he needed to put his plan in motion.

 
     
    S nowflakes floated delicately and deliciously, high above the frosted lights. Their flavor was enormous. The tiny crystals burst into sparkles, igniting on my tongue and making light dazzle through my smile. They were sweet, like Amaretto, matched only by a hypnotizing texture. Soft and sticky, gold trimmed batting stuck to my body in a sugary embrace. I rolled around in it. Hip to hip it cushioned me as I sailed high above the lights. The sky was cobalt and was decorated with tiny, white, buzzing lights. There were too many to count. They just buzzed, and buzzed…and buzzed
     
    …and buzzed!
     
    My body ignited and my thoughts cleared as I shot out of my dream. The sudden jolt up in bed made me dizzy. I fumbled for my cell; suddenly petrified that something terrible had happened. No one would ever call me in the middle of the night unless it was bad news.
    What time was it?
    Four in the morning!!!
    I picked up the phone. An image of Declan and Aria lit up on the display. Oh my God! Aria! I pressed the answer button, hoping and praying that everything was okay.
    “Hello?” My voice was thick with worry and hoarse with concern.
    “Paige? It’s Declan.”
    He sounded…different. My heart immediately quickened, beating hard against my chest. His tone caused a rippled chill that traveled up the back of my neck. Declan’s usually steady voice was quivering and he sounded like he had been crying. He was the steadiest person I knew. All at once, my mouth went dry and my tongue grew sticky. I hopped out of bed in search of a bottle of water while I held the phone up to my ear.
    “What’s wrong?”
    “Calm down.” As soon as he heard the apprehension in my voice, his tone immediately became soothing. “Everything is fine. Aria and I…” His voice cracked with emotion. “We have a little girl.”
    A little girl!
    A LITTLE GIRL!!!
    I nearly got whiplash from my upended emotions and reached for the bed pillows, propping them behind me so I could sit up.
    I wanted to talk. I NEEDED to talk. I wanted all the details.
    Tears stung the back of my eyes. “Oh, Declan! I’m so happy for you! Congratulations!”
    My mind bounced with emotions. Joy, fear, and concern collided in my mind making me laugh and cry at the same time. This wasn’t supposed to happen now. She wasn’t due yet. When I left, Aria’s pregnancy still had six weeks to go. I had planned to be home for the baby’s birth; I had promised her. I even had her baby shower before I left so that everything fell nicely and neatly according to plan. I even told her I would cancel my trip if she wanted me to, but she teased me, telling me that it would take her nearly a month to put all the