Page 5 of Nothing to Beat (Nothing to… #13)

“SEQUOIA DRURY, meet Roxanna Kyst. She prefers just Roxie.”

The private dining space in Blaze was decked out just for them. Cocktails, canapes, a variety of goodies. All laid on by the striking beauty smiling at her, offering a hand of welcome.

“Breck’s squeeze,” Roxie said. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“It’s probably mostly true,” she said, sitting as the others did too. Huh, alcohol, she hadn’t drunk any since the previous year. She should’ve thought this socializing thing through to the end. “Tripp your source?”

“It’s not like Breck would be,” Savanna said, presenting her a cocktail.

She hesitated. “Anything virgin? I’ve been a little piqued the last couple of days.”

“Sure,” Roxie said. “You can have anything you want here, ma’am, anything at all. Baker!”

A guy scurried in. “Roxie?”

“We need virgin cocktails, sweetie, please.” The hostess looked at her. “Anything specific?”

“Something fruity?”

“Fruity we can do,” Roxie said. “Anyone else? We want different food? We should have something more substantial. We’re busy working women, we don’t need to suffer this dainty crap.”

“Roxie,” Alice said on a laugh.

“What? And Jane’s in LA for a few days…”

“So you won’t be reminded you have a certain dress to fit into soon?”

“Exactly! You get me, Alice.” Roxie’s head dropped back. “We need something, I don’t know… solid, not sensible.”

A suggestion slipped out of her. “Pizza?”

“Ah ha!” Roxie snapped her fingers and pointed. “Pizza! Sequoia, good! Yes, but real pizza… Where will we get deep dish in this town?”

The Crimson helper still stood, expectant, waiting for instruction. “I can ask around.”

Roxie raised a finger to Baker. “Oh, you know who’s from Chicago? Miguel.”

“The… staff chef?”

“Yes! Ask him… Want me to ask him?”

“No, I can ask him. I’m sure the kitchen could make—”

“Okay, but if they do, don’t tell me.” Roxie leaned back and patted her belly. “There’s a figure under here our Emperor likes playing with. If I find out there’s a limitless supply of Chicago pizza in the building… Phew, forget the wedding, he’ll have to roll me out of bed.”

“Okay,” Baker said on a laugh that was joined by Roxie’s smile. “Anything else?”

“Yes.” Roxie grinned. “Keep being you, Baker. You’re a superstar I wouldn’t be able to live without.”

“Yes, Roxie,” he said like maybe he’d heard it before and disappeared to do as told.

“I love that guy.”

“You’re kind to all of your staff,” Alice said. “From what I hear, you’re on first name terms with them all.”

“Like you, you mean?” Another smile. “Z knows them all by name, I was backed into a corner. Can’t be outdone, can I? Though with you in the building, Alice, the rest of us are put to shame.”

“You’re a very generous employer.”

“Says the kindest woman in the whole world,” Roxie said to Alice. “Z’s got me beat there too. They walk all over him. He’s not good at cracking the whip.”

“Zairn listens,” Sequoia said. “It’s one of his best qualities.”

“Until it gets me into trouble.” Roxie’s eyes narrowed. “I love meeting people who’ve known him a long time.”

Startled, she didn’t expect to be the instant focus of everyone. “Oh, I haven’t known him… he’s closer to my sister. Breck’s known him forever. He has a lot of respect for Zairn, a lot of time for him.”

“And Breck doesn’t have a lot of time for a lot of people,” Savanna said. “I think the only time I ever exchanged words with him was when Darroch was in the hospital.”

Roxie reached for Savanna’s hand on instinct. To comfort her?

“Darroch’s okay now, isn’t he?”

“Oh, yeah, that’s all done and forgotten and… I’d like to know Breck better.”

“My eldest has always been the most discerning,” Alice said, taking some of the heat, thank God. “He’s protective of the people he cares about and sees it as his responsibility to corral his brothers. He’s also a teller of truth, often guiding others from unwise paths.”

Except her… hmm, or maybe that should be himself.

“How long have you been together?” Roxie asked.

Wasn’t the first time she’d been asked that question when—“We’re not together. Haven’t been for a while now.”

“It can’t be easy to be with a guy who doesn’t say much,” Savanna said, enjoying her cocktail. “Darroch never shuts up.” The woman looked to Alice. “Not that I don’t love that about him.”

Alice laughed. “Darroch lights up with you, Sweet Savanna. You inspire that energy in him.”

“Probably inspires energy in him when they’re alone too.”

Although Roxie feigned murmuring under her breath, the whole room heard.

“Roxie!”

Though Savanna chastised, Roxie’s eyes widened in innocence. “What? So we’re not allowed to talk about sex at all?”

“Not with his mother in the room!”

“I know what my boys get up to.”

In general or specifics? Alice would accept her boys no matter what.

If they needed to talk about anything intimate, their mother wouldn’t shut them down.

Still, the Breckenridge boys didn’t burden their mother with details of their sex lives.

Not Breck anyway. Another reason to be grateful he was a man of few words.

“How did you and Breck get together?”

“We’re not together,” she said again, noting the smile Alice concealed behind her glass. “What has he been telling people?”

“Oh, sweetheart, you know our dear Brecken, he says nothing.”

“To anyone,” Savanna said, swallowing a generous gulp. “Ever. Truth is, I’m scared of the guy. Everyone I’ve ever met is scared of him—everyone non-Breckenridge.”

“I’m pretty sure there are some Breckenridges afraid too. Brandt for sure.”

Sequoia laughed. “People say that all the time.” Alice got her focus. “I never understand how anyone can be intimidated by him.”

“Because he’s transfixed whenever you’re near,” Alice explained. “He’s always been drawn to you. You’re drawn to each other.”

Something she couldn’t deny.

“So spill it,” Roxie said, stabbing an olive with a toothpick. “How’d you seduce him?”

“I didn’t seduce him.”

Did she? Maybe she did. Depended on the day of the week. When he was around, she was consistently in a state of seduced and, boy, was it mutual.

Roxie wasn’t deterred. “You work for Breckenridge? Was he the big, bad boss and you the sexy, sultry assistant?”

“I never worked under Breck, not directly.” What the hell!

Why be cagey? “I worked with Ben.” Breckenridge patriarch.

Another glance at Alice awarded her comfort.

“Mr. Breckenridge, Senior.” The boys’ father.

Alice’s husband. “I interned with him in college and took a paid position when I graduated.” Given her baggage, God knew why he’d taken a chance on her.

“He taught me everything I know. Everything useful I know.”

And the rest she tried to forget.

“Ah…” Roxie’s nod was slow in its understanding. “When you realized the original model wasn’t available, you went for the next best thing.”

“From the first moment he saw you, my boy was different,” Alice explained.

“I hadn’t been there when you were introduced, but I knew something had changed.

For the first time, he was distracted, I’d never seen him absentminded in my life.

To this day, I can tell when you’ve had an interaction. You leave an imprint on him, my dear.”

She should send him an apology card, maybe some flowers.

“So, hey, if you’re so hooked on each other, how come you’re not together?”

The trouble with Breck being so stoic was the world expected its answers from her. Sometimes that was fine; other times she couldn’t remember the answers. Did she know the answers? Not always.

“Because life isn’t as simple as that.”

“My Casanova would argue with you there.”

Baker came in with servers and fresh drinks. “Pizza’s on its way.”

“Excellent,” Roxie said. “Thank you, all!” The servers disappeared. She was so grateful to have something to wet her throat. “Being together is always an option.” Were they still on this? Roxie seemed to think so. “You just have to decide what you’re willing to sacrifice.”

“Unfortunately, it’s not my choice.”

“Breck won’t sacrifice? What would he have to sacrifice?” Savanna mused. “The only thing I can imagine he wouldn’t give up is his family and I won’t believe for a second that Alice or any of the Breckenridges—”

“Of course not, they’re an incredible family. It was my honor to be a part of their ranks for…”

Alice reached over to hold her hand. “You will always be a Breckenridge.”

“You do like to adopt orphans.”

Still holding her hand, Alice stroked her hair with the other. “You will always be my first daughter, Sequoia.”

“Sure whoever Breck ends up with won’t appreciate that,” Roxie said.

“That will never be a concern,” Alice said at peace with the situation. “I fully expect my eldest will never marry or have children.”

“Don’t say that, Alice,” she said on an almost groan. “I wish only happiness for him. I want him to have everything he wants in life.”

“And he’s set his mind to what he wants, whether he can have it or not. You can set a man free, but you can’t make him bolt. Together or not, his love for you endures.”

“And I won’t force him to endure what being with me would entail. I’d be unhappy. We’d both be unhappy.”

“I know, sweetheart.”

“ I don’t know,” Roxie said. “Whatever’s keeping you apart—”

“This isn’t the best party conversation.” Having only just met the woman, Sequoia wouldn’t dump her whole sad history onto her. Savanna too. These were women in the prime of their lives and at the height of their love. “Tell me about you and Zairn.”

“Our whole history’s available on video in stereo sound,” Roxie said, crossing her legs and propping an elbow on her knee, mouth wide to take in a deep breath. “But that won’t stop me telling it. Have you ever heard of Talk at Sunset ?”

“The TV show?”

“It all started there on a dark August night. Settle in, ladies, this might take a while…”