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“Well, then my offer is better. See you though. Oh, wait—just thought of something. You go.” Zoe hurries away. “Rachel, I’ll be a minute! Start without me!”

C appears in the hallway. “Z, what did I say about yelling in the house?”

“Oops. I forgot.” She turns and walks backward down the hall. “But my excuse is really good. You’re going to let it slide this time, C.” She blows him a kiss.

“We’ll see,” he murmurs, returning to the game room.

My heart thumps in my chest; the thought of sitting at a small table with Connor McCann makes my nerves twitch. “Calming breaths,” I whisper to myself.

Trick follows me into the room, his hand on my lower back. “Laurel’s going to play.”

“Good,” C says.

Everyone in the house has obviously decided that my membership in C Crue is to be made official and apparent. I’m both touched and a little skeptical.

All three men gesture for me to take a seat.

“Where are you sitting?” I ask Trick.

His brows rise. “Wherever you want.”

I touch the back of a chair, and he drops into it. I take the seat to his left side, licking my lips.

“Who needs one?” C asks, walking to the bar. “And what for you, Laurel? I’ve got any kind of juice. Can I mix you something sparkling?”

“C, here!” Zoe says, rushing in with a silver tray that’s got a collection of liquids and purees in various small glasses and bowls. There are also several cuts of fresh herbs. “For mock-tails.” She holds up a small glass. “Fresh ginger juice. Trick said she likes ginger ale. How about the ginger citrus mock-tail? Rachel liked that one.”

C smiles at her. “What you said earlier? You were right.”

She smirks. “Letting me slide?”

He nods and gives her a kiss. “What about fresh blood orange? Did we have any?”

She points at two purees. “No, but these with a little more lime?”

He dips a fingertip in and tastes each, then nods. “Bring it in,” he says, holding his arms wide for her to step into and be hugged.

She throws her arms around his neck and kisses him. “I love you.” Then she sashays out.

C grabs a shaker and mixes several things and then strains them into a glass of shaved ice and adds some torn herbs. He brings it to me.

I take a sip. “That is delicious. Thank you, C.”

Trick leans over. “Let me taste.” I raise the glass to his lips and tip it. He swallows and nods. “Yeah, that’s good. Not my first choice for the last of the ginger root.”

C stops and turns to look at Trick. “Was that the last of it?”

Trick nods with a smirk. “She made ginger cookies day before yesterday.”

“None in the grocery delivery?”

“Not that I saw.”

“Hmm.” C turns back to the bar and makes three whiskey cocktails.

“Why is that a problem? About the ginger?” I whisper.

“I’ll tell you later,” Trick whispers back to me. “What do you say, C? A grand?”