Page 46 of Just Home for the Holidays
“They have every right to speculate. This is the shipping board,” Meesha said sternly. “It’s all about perceiving hidden relationships and speculating on them. That’s the whole point.”
“But Chloe has rules...”
Meesha laughed. “Then she shouldn’t have gone out with you. Anyone else would have known better.” She shook her head. “And she sure shouldn’t have kissed you like that in public. It was inevitable that someone would see it. The first pictures came from the society pages at the paper this morning, so I didn’t start it.” She widened her eyes. “Maybe this was part of Chloe’s plan.”
No. That couldn’t be it.
Meesha pulled out her phone. “Hey, did you get the invite from Cassie? She and Reid are doing a brunch tomorrow here for everyone who’s working the holidays.”
“I haven’t checked my phone,” Hunter said, still watching the feed with horrified fascination. What was he going to do? Should he tell Chloe or let her find out herself?
There were no good answers, as far as he could see.
“You’ll find out there what the partners think of hot office romances,” Meesha noted. “It wouldn’t be very festive if you both got canned there, though.”
“They wouldn’t.”
“No, they wouldn’t,” she said with an assurance he didn’t share. “It’s just fun to pull your chain. You’re really worried about this.”
Hunter frowned at the board, not replying to Meesha even though she was watching him. He couldn’t stop this locomotive on social media: he had to derail it. “I’m going to the dance club tonight,” he said with resolve.
“I thought you weren’t working there over the holidays.”
“I’m not, but I’m going to dance.” He gave Meesha a determined look. “And I’m not going home alone.”
Meesha gave a low whistle. “The Hunter we know and love is back,” she teased then tapped him on the chest. “I want the whole story at brunch tomorrow.”
“I’ll be working.”
“Then I’ll know exactly where to find you,” she countered with a smile. “I’d better make sure Chloe got an invite.”
Hunter knew better than to argue. Any protest would just feed Meesha’s interest. He headed for the change room, fixing his thoughts on the day ahead. Rock-climbing. Weight lifting. Dancing—and with luck, a hot partner to keep him too busy to sleep.
That was the kind of plan he made and lived by, and it would work, just like it always did.
He’d no sooner made up his mind than he got a text message from Chloe. It stopped him in his tracks, tempted him, but he knew the right answer.
Damn, she’d nailed sexting. Against every expectation. It was the hottest text message he’d ever gotten and he was tempted...
No. This time, Hunter wasn’t going to surrender to impulse.
It was the right thing to do.
Even if sending that reply felt all wrong.
* * *
“Wake up, sleepyhead,”Mandy said and Chloe stretched. She opened her eyes to find sunlight streaming through the windows and her sister peeking around the door. Mandy lifted a steaming cup. “I brought coffee.”
“You’re an angel of mercy,” Chloe said and sat up. “Thank you.”
“Better than that, I told Mom that you were here when we got home.”
Chloe laughed just as she was going to sip. “It’s like old times, lying for each other.”
“What time did you get in?”
“Does it matter?”
