Page 16 of Breadwinner

She allowed herself a single moment of appreciation of Sarah’s beauty,letting the burn of it settle low in her before she smothered it with the same precision she used for everything else.

Because this wasn’t about desire.Not yet. Tonight was about a proposal of sorts. One thing she hoped Sarah would be open-minded about. She had already proven to her that she could keep up, but tonight, Nell wanted to know if Sarah could truly match her.

As Sarah approached, Nell registered the way Sarah took her in as well, with the same pointed consideration, the same careful curiosity, and she couldn’t help the involuntary way her shoulders relaxed under that look.

Her mouth twitched, but Nell refused to give herself away as she leaned in to greet Sarah before ushering her out the front door.

They walked to their destination—a last-minute decision purely because it was a nice evening and Nell wanted to walk. Early July in DC hadn’t brought the full blast of thick summer humidity with it yet.

Sarah matched her stride—shoulder to shoulder—her pace perfectly aligned. Nell had been right in her assumption, which made her smile. Sarah might like control, but Nelllovedit.

As they walked, she couldn’t help but wonder—how much control was Sarah willing to surrender? All of it? That thought sent a shiver down her spine. She felt electrified at the idea. If Sarah would let her, if Sarah would give it to her, Nell was ready.

A tantalizing thrill curled through her chest as she glanced at Sarah. Sarah caught her and smirked, like she knew where her mind had been.Nell liked that she knew.

Nell spoke first. “I hope The Prescott is up to your standards.”

It wasn’t a question, more of a statement that implied Nell already knew the answer. The Prescott housed royalty, it would be impossible for it not to be up to anyone’s standards.

Sarah glanced at her, a smile forming at the corner of her mouth. “That depends.”

A perfect lawyer’s answer. Of course. Sarah wasn’t in the business of concrete answers. Not yet, at least. Nell could change that.

She raised a brow. “On?”

Sarah shifted slightly, the slit of her dress parting enough to reveal the curve of a toned thigh as they crossed the street.

“On whether you put me there because you thought I’d like it...” Sarah paused in a calculated way that made Nell want to applaud. “...or because you liked the idea of knowing exactly where I am.”

Nell let out a low, entertained chuckle. “Does it matter?” She noted the pleased tone her words carried as Sarah tilted her head slightly.

“Intentions always matter.”

Nell didn’t respond immediately. Instead, she let the silence stretch long enough foranticipation to settle. She was already having too much fun with this.

With the kind of thoughtful ease that made people nervous, excited, desperate for what came next, she turned her head slightly toward Sarah and murmured, “Then, I suppose you’ll have to decide which answer you prefer.”

Sarah laughed, the sound perfectly cutting through the warm air. “I thought you weren’t in the business of offering choices, Ms. Stanhope.”

Nell smirked at the use of her surname as they turned the corner, arriving at a townhouse with no sign. “You always have a choice, Ms. Gallagher, and not only in the options that lie before you.”

A doorman smiled upon recognizing her. “Good evening, Nell.”

“Garrett.” She greeted him. “I hope you and your husband are doing well?”

“We’re both very well, thank you. Enjoy your evening,” he called after them.

Nell led Sarah into the Foxhall Club, directly to the booth in the back corner she always sat at—the one with the best view of the room where she could watch without being watched. The same one where conversations went unheard but never unnoticed.

The moment they settled into the deep leather seats, two drinks appeared exactly as Nell had arranged them to be.

Sarah, to her credit, took the briefest moment to absorb everything. Nell didn’t know if she would even call it a hesitation. Sarah glanced at the waiter, then at the perfectly chilled glass in front of her, before shifting her attention to Nell.

Nell didn’t explain. Tonight, they were playing by her rules, and they both knew it.

Sarah studied her with those assessing eyes. Then, with the kind of confidence Nell had already grown to expect, she picked up the glass, brought it to her lips, and took a measured sip.

Nell waited.