Like the night in the hot tub when she'd pointed out the bedroom on the other side of the glass. He'd walled up and fallen silent. She used to believe he was a one-ply, super absorbed a-hole. Now she saw he was more complicated, had more depth. Even a sense of humor, and dare she think it? Feelings.
Feelings she suspected were unresolved and maybe unexcavated in some circumstances.
It's not your job to fix him.
It wasn't. And it would do her good to remember that.
She had practically felt him retreating from what would likely be a painful discussion.
He'd never expounded on the "I used to sleep there," but it wasn't hard to guess that he probably slept in that room with someone he'd rather not talk about. Maybe several someones. Didn't that thought make Merina's stomach twist.
She'd called and talked to Lorelei about it, too afraid to text her in case the conversation was pinched and printed at the Spread, the latest gossip blog to pick up every bit of non-news about the new Cranes. Lore listened between bites of a rushed lunch before her next meeting. The conclusion they'd arrived at was to "let it go" much in the same vein of that overplayed song from Frozen, and so that's what Merina had done.
Whatever lay behind his reasons for leaving the largest room with the best view in the house unoccupied were his and his alone. She'd had to remind herself that more often than she liked.
Today, though…today was a different beast, but possibly the same species. Pain waited for Reese at the end of this trip. It tightened his eyes and pulled at his firm mouth. He hadn't prepared for today emotionally, and had attempted to avoid it by going to work today even though he should have taken the day off.
Men.
"Great," he added at the end of his grumbling tirade as he parked at the end of a long driveway. Rows and rows of expensive, shiny cars—several of them convertibles—lined the massive parking area to the left of a large, three-story house. "I see Frank's car. Maybe he brought his girlfriend. You'd like her. She's your age."
Well, this promised to be fun.
Merina would have grabbed his tie to get his attention, but he wasn't wearing one. Reese was dressed in a casual collared shirt and khakis, and with the exception of hair to his elbows, closely resembled his brother Tag. In lieu of the aforementioned tie, she put her hand to his face and ran her fingers down the barely-there scruff that lined his sharp jaw.
He held his frown, his eyes scrunched in frustration.
She leaned closer and his expression softened, those scrunched eyes opening enough to dip and take inventory of her ample cleavage. She had gone with a summery turquoise dress that wrapped in the middle, low-cut enough to give the girls a day in the sun.
Your tattoo." He stroked the skin above her breast.
Okay, so the cleavage wasn't front and center. He continued to surprise her.
"Shit." She fussed with the material. That was the problem with this dress. "Maybe if I tighten my belt I can hide it."
"Let them see it." Reese captured her hands. "Let everyone see it. It's you." His eyes were warm until his gaze snapped to the house and another flash of pain darted across his features. So quickly, if she hadn't been this close to him, she may have missed it. "Let's get this over with."
He came around to her side of the Lamborghini, a car she'd admit was damn sexy and aside of Reese's sour mood, pretty damn fun to ride in. She accepted his hand and watched as he took in her tat again.
"Who knew you had a thing for bad girls," she joked, draping her hand over his arm so she didn't wobble up the cobblestone.
"There's a first time for everything." She wasn't a bad girl per se, but knowing she'd taken Reese to his knees—both during a blow job and while tickling him—made her pull her shoulders back with pride.
After Corbin, she'd stopped thinking of herself as confident—as a catch. But a man as powerful as Reese Crane succumbing to her specific brand of femininity was proof she still had it.
They walked up the drive and cut across a flower and rock garden, over the lush lawn, and along a path leading to the front door. They passed cute round bushes and red feathery ones. Pink and purple and yellow flowers lined the dark mulch interspersed with spiky green-leaved plants.
Where Reese's mansion was decadent and regal, Alex Crane's house was homey, despite being gargantuan. The siding was a rust-cinnamon color, the windows and roof slate gray. She spotted three balconies—two on the top floor leading out from opposite rooms and one on the middle floor. Downstairs was reserved for a massive patio, the outdoor furniture as clean as if it'd been bought today. Hell, maybe it had.
"This is beautiful," she said. "And a pool house?"
"Heated."
"Like yours."
"Like father like son. I guess I got used to it and wanted one of my own."
She chewed on that thought. "So, you grew up here?"
"Yep." He reached for the door. "Only house I ever lived in until I bought the estate."
Interesting. Was it memories of his mother that made him dread coming here today?
He swung open the door and they were greeted by an attractive red-haired woman wearing a white shirt and black vest and skirt.
"Welcome to Big Crane's home. May I take your handbag and lock it in the private coatroom?" she asked Merina.
"Oh…sure." Wow. Formal.
"I'm Reese," he said. "You must be new."
The woman did look a dash chagrined before her professionalism snapped back into place. "Mr. Crane's oldest son. You must be Merina Crane."
Merina smiled. "I am."
"I was hired for the event. My apologies for not recognizing you, Mr. Crane." She handed Merina's purse off to an attendant. "Right this way. I'll show you to the backyard."
"I can find it, thanks." Reese took Merina's hand. "He goes through house staff like underwear."
Merina sent the redhead an apologetic smile and shuffled alongside her husband out to the yard.
* * *
This house had been his home since Reese Harrington Crane had returned from the hospital swaddled in yellow because his parents didn't find out if he was a boy or a girl until he popped out. His room had been on the third floor, the windows replaced by balconies and sliding doors only after Eli had stopped sleepwalking. Now Alex lived here, though his assistant and house staff occupied the house most of the time as well.