Perfect Partners

he’s not an iceberg. We
are
having a baby, you know.” Stephanie actually turned slightly pink. “I understand that Morgan does have a passionate side to his nature.”
    “Just keep in mind that passion isn’t the only emotion he’s capable of,” Letty said dryly. She took Stephanie’s arm and started walking down the hall. “What you have to remember, Steph, is that this time your pregnancy is sailing along smoothly. In fact, you’re in the safety zone.”
    “How do you know that?”
    “I read an article somewhere,” Letty said vaguely. “You’re not much more than a month away from your due date. Heavens, even if the worst possible case occurred and you went into labor tomorrow, your baby is still old enough and strong enough to survive.”
    “Oh, God, don’t say that,” Stephanie gasped. “Premature babies have all kinds of problems.”
    Letty realized she had miscalculated her choice of reassuring words. “The point is, you’ve got everything under control, and your doctor has assured you that you’re carrying a healthy, normal baby. Everything is going to be fine, Steph.”
    “The doctor is excellent,” Stephanie whispered.
    “The best.”
    “And so is the hospital.”
    “Absolutely top-notch.”
    “Fully equipped with state-of-the-art fetal monitors and incubators.”
    “Right. Able to handle anything.” Letty opened the door at the end of the hall and led Stephanie out into the parking lot. “I’ll drive. You need a little time to pull yourself together.”
    Stephanie looked momentarily dubious. “Have you ever driven a Porsche before?”
    “No. But don’t worry. I’m picking up new stuff every day out here on the frontier. Lucky for me, I’m a fast learner.”

    Letty walked into her apartment half an hour later and was startled to find Joel in the living room. He was lounging on the couch, his feet up on a hassock. He had a small glass of brandy beside him and Keith Escott’s five-year management plan in his hand. He looked up when Letty came to a halt in front of him.
    “Hi,” Joel said. “How did the baby class go?”
    “I’ll tell you all about it later. First, why don’t you tell me what you’re doing in my apartment at ten o’clock at night?”
    “We’re having an affair, remember?”
    “I thought you were extremely annoyed with me because of what happened at the office this morning.”
    “I was pissed as hell. But as you said, the business side of our relationship doesn’t have anything to do with the personal side.”
    “You’re the one who keeps saying that, not me.”
    “So, I’m right.” Joel flipped over a page.
    Letty regarded him for a long moment and then sat down on the sofa beside him. “I see you’re reading Keith’s management plan.”
    “Yeah.”
    “What do you think?”
    “I haven’t finished it.”
    Letty got to her feet. “Maybe I’ll whip up a batch of cookies while you read.”
    “Hell of an idea.”
    Joel ate half the batch of chocolate chip cookies Letty prepared. Then he opened his briefcase, took out a handheld calculator, and started punching in numbers. “You might as well go to bed,” he told Letty. “I’m going to be at this for a while.”
    Letty went to bed and tried to read. She fell asleep in the middle of a chapter. A long time later she felt Joel crawling into bed beside her. She stirred.
    “Joel? What did you think?”
    “I don’t want to talk about it tonight.” His voice sounded grim.
    “But, Joel—”
    “Go to sleep, Letty.”
    “Thanks for reading it,” Letty whispered.
    A long time later she was awakened again. Joel’s hand was between her legs.
    “Joel?
Joel
.”
    “You know something, Letty? You get wet for me even in your sleep.” He leaned over her. “All I have to do is touch you.”
    “It’s two o’clock in the morning,” Letty grumbled.
    “I can’t sleep. I need to run, but there’s no place to run tonight. And all my exercise equipment is back in my apartment.”
    “You can’t sleep?” She touched his bare shoulder.
    “No.” His fingers moved in a tantalizing pattern.
    Letty sucked in her breath. “Are you trying to tell me you think sex will help you get to sleep?”
    “I’m trying to tell you that I want you very badly right now.”
    Letty smiled and put her arms around his neck. “All you have to do is ask.”

    The next morning Joel refused to give Letty any insight into what he thought of Escott’s management plan.
    “I’m still going over it,” was