Page 55 of Nothing to Deny
Blinking, it was a wonder to her sometimes. “Baer, I work with kids every day, all the time. Some of them get it. Some of them are really hurt by rejection. Please… please, go be gentle about it, don’t let Charlie be the one to tell him.”
After searching her eyes another few seconds, he cursed under his breath and climbed off the bed. “Goddamn,” he grumbled, stomping over to swipe his jeans off the floor. “This is madness.” Sticking his feet into his jeans, he pulled them up. “You were mine before you were his.” Despite the urgency, she rose on her elbows to smile at him. It was sweet of him to care about her feelings and his brother’s. “I kissed you first.”
“This will grease the skids for you, I promise.”
“Grease the skids,” he muttered and pointed at the bed with his thumb and forefinger just an inch apart. “We were this fucking close before the kid walked in.” Turning around, he stomped out. “Goddamn.”
Flopping onto her back after the door closed, she relished just being there. Hmm… naughty thoughts. She could peel off her underwear, crawl into his bed, and wait there for him to return. But they would only have to leave the sheets, unsated, to go on their date. A date he’d be paid for. They weren’t supposedto have sex when he was being paid to be with her. Whose dumb idea was that?
Forcing herself to get up and dressed, she accidentally on purpose forgot to don one item and cast a slow eye over the room. She liked it. Would she be there again? If not, at least the silk panties on his pillow would be a memento of her.
SEVENTEEN
“PLEASURE DOING BUSINESS with you,” Conrad said, leading Freya out of his office and down the stairs toward the Squires reception.
The twenty guys loitering there were a surprise that halted her and Conrad halfway down.
“It’s a James Bond convention,” she murmured, scanning the tuxedos laid out beneath them.
“What the hell are you all doing here?” Conrad asked, checking his watch. “You should be in cars, going to your appointments.”
“Garage door is broken,” one of the guys said.
Conrad descended another couple of stairs, so she stayed at his side. “And no one thought to call maintenance?”
“Baer’s on it,” Donoghue said, holding a candy packet high over his head, offering her one. “Royal?”
She descended to dip her fingers in. Accepting the invitation, she popped the sweet treat between her lips.
Conrad wasn’t satisfied. “None of you are helping him because…?”
“Didn’t want to mess with the merchandise,” the first guy said, gesturing at his suit. “We get dirty, we have to shower and change… That takes time… Baer said it was okay for him to be late.”
Conrad’s nervous laugh came with a side-eye her way. Their leader was probably trying to judge her reaction without risking full eye contact.
Breathing out, she sank to sit on the stairs. “All dressed up and no place to go… story of my life.”
She didn’t mind so much; Holly was her only concern.
Creeping closer to the stairs, a man she didn’t know checked her out. “You could join me, sweetheart… I can handle more than one.”
“That’s nice,” she said to be polite.
Donoghue laughed. “This one only has eyes for Baer, trust me. And he’s right… she’ll wait. Won’t you, Royal?”
Everyone turned to the elevator when it pinged. She couldn’t see what was going on through the amassed bodies.
“Well…?” Conrad asked whoever must have come off the elevator.
“I need a shower, but you’re good to go,” Baer’s voice carried to her. “Cars are ready.”
“It’ll be like the president came to town all those limos pouring out the garage at once,” Donoghue joked.
Conspicuous. Sure.
“How long do you need, Baer?” Conrad asked. “I have a date of my own to get to.”
“So go…” Baer said. “All of you can go. I’ll lock up.” The guys began to move. “I just need to call—” She stood up next to Conrad, making herself known. Baer pointed at her. “Never mind.”
