Page 7 of Nothing to Beat

He laughed, though it wasn’t a joke, so she didn’t get what was funny.“Why?”

“Reasons,” she said and shrugged while stacking the papers to tap them on the desk, aligning them.“And we tend to have sex when he gets closer than that.”

“Might be inappropriate in meetings.”

“It might.”

“Doesn’t explain what’s changed.You two have always been like that.The rest of us are so used to it, it’s expected.Disappointing when you don’t follow through.”

Darroch could be serious when he had to be serious, and she could see through that amiable smile.

“Did Breck send you here?”

“No,” he said, maybe a little too quickly.“Guys and I have a bet.”

“Oh, what a surprise!The Breckenridge boys egging each other on, does today end in day?”

He laughed.“Ah, you know us so well.Coming to the Valentine’s Ball?”

“Any excuse for a ball, right?”

“It’s all for charity.”

Yes, charity, another thing the Breckenridges were exceptionally good at.That was the trouble loving a man from such an incredible and altruistic family, there were so few things to stack in the con column.

“Didn’t get your RSVP for my engagement party either.”

“Did you ask Savanna yet?”

A sudden thwack spun Darroch around fast.The woman who’d just smacked his ass quickly tucked herself under his arm.

“Are you talking about me?”

“I’m always talking about you, Cherry,” Darroch said and bowed to kiss her.“What are you doing here?”

“Am I not allowed to be here?”Savanna asked, feigning wide-eyed ignorance.

“You’re always allowed to be here.In fact, I’d recommend you spend all your weekdays here.”

“Why’s that?”Savanna threaded their fingers together.“Because you work here every day?”

“You’d be good for morale.”

“Whose?”

“Mine.”

“You two are adorable.”

“We were just talking about the engagement party,” Darroch said.“I asked you to marry me, didn’t I?Did I ask you?”He picked up her hand to elevate her ring finger from the others.The size of that diamond left no doubt.“Yeah, I asked her… and I think she said yes… either that or she’s fleecing me for the jewel.”

“He asks me every day even though I’m always wearing his ring.”

“It’s a nice ring.Goes with every outfit.I’m just checking you don’t forget.”

“I wake up with him every morning, but he thinks I’ll forget the man I love.The man who’s promised me children.”

He kissed her head and left his lips there in her hair.“Any time you want to get started…”