Beyond Ruin Read Online Free PDF Page B

Natalie watched her until she re-entered the elevator in the hallway, then closed the door and sighed as her fingers locked it shut. After a moment of solitude she stepped deeper into the living space and nearly jumped when she spotted a pair of bare feet making their way down the spiral staircase leading up to the loft.
    "Now I know I've had a few glasses of wine and the view from up here isn't great in this dim lighting, but I'd bet any amount of money that I just saw you kissing Audra Robertson goodnight."
    "Hi Quinn." Ignoring the terse pounding in her chest Natalie climbed the steps, passing her pajama-clad friend with relative ease, and walked to the makeshift bar they'd setup in the loft space. As promised there was a chilled bottle of wine; Natalie poured herself a glass and sipped it slowly. Quinn followed up the stairs, her expression agog at what she'd just witnessed.
    "Well?" She waited for explication.
    Natalie shrugged. "Yes, you saw me kissing Audra. Had you been in the bedroom of her private plane a few hours ago you would have seen a hell of a lot more than that."
    Astonishment marred Quinn's pretty face. She reached for Natalie's wine glass, snatching it out of her hand before Natalie could react, let alone protest. "Okay, no wine for you. What the hell is going on?"
    "Nothing," Natalie answered patiently, meeting Quinn's disbelieving gaze with nothing but civility.
    "Nothing? You go away for the weekend and come back half a month later a lesbian?"
    "I'm not a lesbian," Natalie argued. She leaned back against the bar and considered pouring herself another drink. Quinn would probably just steal that one, too.
    "Then you're making out with Audra Robertson because ...? Does James know?" She did a double take at some thought that crossed her mind. "Is this some weird billionaire sex kink they've got going on with you?"
    Natalie was losing her patience. "Do you hear how ridiculous you sound?" She pushed past Quinn and made her way double-time down the stairs towards the dining room.
    "Well pardon me, Natalie, but you're not exactly the type!"
    "I am not having a threesome with James and Audra!" Natalie half yelled, half laughed. As expected there was a recently uncorked bottle of red wine sitting on the table. She was never one to enjoy red, but would make an exception. She poured a generous glass and sipped, swallowing without any attempt to taste the dry wine. "I like her, okay?"
    "Since when? Natalie! " Quinn reached for the second glass of wine and snatched it from Natalie's grasp again. "Tell me what the hell is going on with you. Starting with where the rest of your hair is!"
    Natalie rolled her eyes. "It's in an envelope in my purse," she dismissed with a flourish of her hand. She untucked a cushioned chair from underneath the dining table and took a seat, eyeing her two glasses of wine in Quinn's possession.
    "Fine. You like her. Why the hell are you making out with her? What about James?"
    " Seriously Quinn ?" Natalie spit, her patience officially gone. "You haven't noticed that he hasn't been around these past few months?"
    "No!" Quinn huffed. "Between you skipping town, launching the new agency and moving my entire life into this place I've been somewhat preoccupied." She set the wine glasses on the dining table and sat adjacent to Natalie. "Why? What happened?"
    "We broke up!" Natalie couldn't look at her. Instead she chewed on the insides of her cheeks and lips in an attempt to tamp down the emotions that were ready to take full control of her facial muscles.
    Quinn looked genuinely, terribly surprised. "What? When? Why?"
    Natalie took a deep breath. "Well, let's see," she began, trying and failing to keep her eyes from watering with hot tears. "It would have been the day James received the results of the amniocentesis conclusively determining that he is the father of the baby Celine is carrying. Coincidentally that was the day after I suffered a miscarriage."
    She couldn’t bring herself to look up