Catherine lowered the phone only slightly.
She forced herself to swallow every lingering emotion before hurriedly wiping at the corners of her eyes.
Too late.
There was no hiding the fact that she had been crying.
Fortunately, she had prepared for everything else.
The second phone was the same make, the same model, even the same color as the one Dorian knew she carried.
That part could be explained.
The tears...
Those were another matter.
She picked up a tissue from the coffee table, placed the phone face down beside it, and quickly dabbed at her eyes just as he stepped inside her bedroom.
"You're back," Catherine said, turning with a gentle smile. "I was waiting for you."
She walked toward him.
"You look exhausted."
Without hesitation, she reached up and gently straightened the collar brooch that had shifted during the day.
"And you've been crying," Dorian observed.
His eyes lingered on her face.
