Gwyneth Sutton Lerner rang zero bells. Clearly this woman and Reese had a history. And she refused to let Gwyneth think that Merina was in the dark.
"My apologies for not recognizing you." Merina slid a gaze down the woman's lithe figure and back up to see Gwyneth's mouth slide into a sneer. "Excuse us, we were just visiting the bar."
Merina steered toward a wine cart, Reese's arm under her hand as rigid as rebar.
"Care to share?" she asked as they strolled. Well, she strolled; Reese marched since he was too tense to stroll.
"No," he answered.
"Well, if I'm going to help you out here, you need to give me something."
"I said no, Merina."
The air between them had gone from sizzling to frigid—like someone had opened the door on an industrial-sized freezer. Merina doubted the freak ice storm had been caused by a one-night stand gone wrong. No, this Gwyneth woman had been more. A thought that didn't sit well with Merina at all.
Reese shifted away from her and ordered a glass of wine, delivering it instantly. "I'm going to grab a scotch." He dipped his head at the other bar across the room where spirits were lined. Before she could protest, Reese walked away.
In full view of the board, what else could she do but sip and smile and pretend her husband wasn't hiding something from her? And that was what bothered her the most. She'd never seen Reese hurt. Given his reaction—closing down when hurt crept in was his defense mechanism.
Across the room, Gwyneth locked arms with a bulky blond guy, his hair sharply cut, his facial features severe. He wasn't unattractive, but his choice of arm candy made Merina dislike him instantly. Yes, there was a story there, and she intended to find out what it was. But for the moment, she was forced to mingle.
Reese hadn't given her much choice.
* * *
Pull it together, Crane.
Reese, fists balled at his sides, stalked across the Crane Hotel ballroom. Not so much for whiskey but to escape his ex-girlfriend, who had ambushed his father's retirement party. It'd been years since he'd seen her, since he'd punched Hayes in the face and demanded that Alex fire him.
It was the act of a desperate man. A younger man. A less in-control man. But Reese didn't care how unfair it'd been to take Hayes's job away from him. Reese's former best friend took his girlfriend, so it seemed only fair. After years of not seeing either one of them, finding himself faced with one was enough. Hearing that the other one was around the corner was too much.
This was the problem with the unexpected. Reese thought he knew what to expect tonight. He knew his efforts and energy would be focused on Merina and the board and making sure his marriage appeared legit. Now he needed to regroup. It was obvious Merina knew something was up, but he wasn't anywhere near ready to give her the short version.
Scotch neat," he ordered. "Actually, make it a double."
The woman behind the bar poured what could be considered a triple. Reese jammed cash into the tip jar—could've been a five or a fifty, he had no idea—then lifted the scotch to his lips.
Before he took a drink, Tag appeared in front of him, grabbed the glass, and set it on the bar. "Hi."
"Do you want to die?" Reese asked under his breath. The bartender cleared her throat and gave them some privacy. One of the benefits to being a Crane was that the staff tended to respect them.
"Do this." An easy grin appeared on Tag's face. "You want to look as if you don't want to kill me since people are looking."
"I don't give a shit who's looking."
"I can see that." Tag deposited the glass behind the bar and pointed across the room. "Over there is better. For a lot of reasons."
He turned to walk away and Reese followed. Tag kept up conversation, talking about absolutely nothing as they cut through the crowd, pausing to say hello to a few people Reese hadn't greeted yet. Once they were at a bar lined with taps, Tag ordered a few beers. From this part of the room, they could see the crowd, and no one was close enough to overhear.
"Let's talk about why you abandoned your gorgeous new wife after she met your despicable ex-girlfriend." Tag took a drink of his beer, filling his cheeks with the brew before he swallowed.
"Merina has questions I can't answer right now." Questions like who was Gwyneth to him, how long did they date, and what about her presence turned Reese into an overly starched shirt?
"And you think walking away is going keep her from asking? If anything, you're making it worse. Merina knows Gwyneth has something on you, or was something to you. She's going to want answers." Tag lost his easy grin.
"You forget I have things under control."
"You forget I know a hell of a lot more about women than you do. Your wife is by herself after you introduced her to your ex-girlfriend." Tag spoke purposefully, making sure Reese heard every syllable. "I'm not the only one noticing, Reese."
He glanced around the room. Merina was alone, drinking her wine and trying to look casual. Board members were dotted throughout the party, the one female board member standing in a huddle of other women whispering. Was she talking about Merina?
"I suggest you sweep Merina in your arms and start dancing. Better yet, take her into one of the side rooms and have sex with her up against a wall."
Reese's eyes snapped back to his brother.
"Thought that'd grab your attention." Tag gave him a brief smile. "Anything is better than everyone witnessing you nursing your wounds after Gwyneth dive-bombed you."
"Can't we tell her to leave?" Reese growled.
"No, you cannot." This came from their father. The man of the hour was wearing an all-black tuxedo, tuxedo shirt, and bow tie. The stark contrast against his white beard and white hair made him look that much more regal. "I saw her, son. And Hayes. They are not here to cause trouble."
"Bullshit," Reese said, turning to face his old man. He wouldn't censor himself when it came to Hayes and Gwyneth. His father may have seen it as post–high school drama, but Reese knew better. It was the only time he'd ever been in love, had ever seen his future hovering ahead of him. The only time he saw potential for a family of his own. Marriage. A home. And then all of it was gone. In the blink of an eye.