Accustomed to seeing Addison in a suit, to see her dressed so casually took Joanna by surprise. In place of pressed trousers were loose-fitting black track pants hanging low on her hips, and barely covering her torso was a nylon hoodie. Unzipped and loose, there was no need for Joanna’s imagination to take charge as she could clearly see Addison’s toned, flat stomach and a white sports bra that wasn’t as opaque as the wearer probably wished.

Joanna’s body reacted instantly, jolting her back to now with a jerk. “Well...um...we should be going. I hope he wasn’t too much of a bother.”

“He wasn’t a bother. He wasn’t in here long enough to—”

Addison’s words were cut off by the slam of the door, leaving her feeling more alone than she had been a few minutes earlier.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

The sound from the clock chiming ten echoed through the house, and before its tolling had ended, Addison tossed the report aside. Since the night at the Langham, she had yet to take another sleeping pill, using exercise in its place. Her cigarette habit had also ceased, as had her romps with Luce. She no longer wanted either.

Addison hung her head, massaging her temples in hopes it would make her headache go away. She sighed as the pain persisted, and looking at her watch, she sighed again. She was wide awake and even though she wasn’t in the mood to exercise, if she didn’t hit the gym, Addison knew she wouldn’t get any sleep. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the squeak of hinges. She looked up, and for a split-second, a vision of Robert came to mind. “Shit, she said, her shoulders sagging from the weight of reality.

“Yip.”

While it was hardly booming, the small interruption to the silence surrounding her caused Addison to jump.

“Yip.”

Addison scowled, and pushing herself out of her chair, she walked around the desk. “You again,” she said, staring down at the puppy.

Chauncey looked up and immediately began to wag his tail. “Yip.”

“I don’t want you in here.”

“Yip.”

“You don’t belong in here.”

“Yip.”

“Fine,” Addison said, taking a step in the pup’s direction. “I’ll show you where you belong.”

Before Addison could take another step, Chauncey dashed across the room and scrambled under the credenza. A moment later, he stuck out his nose and announced his thoughts. “Yip. Yip. Yip.”

“Oh, that’s just great,” Addison mumbled as she got down on her hands and knees. “Come here, you little bugger. I’m not in the mood.”

With his tail in full wag mode, Chauncey crawled backward under the credenza until he was out of Addison’s reach. “Yip.”

“Stop that blasted barking,” Addison said, waving her arm under the furniture.

“Yip. Yip. Yip.”