Page 30 of Liar's Point

“Was,” Nicole said. “I heard he’s back.”

“Back back?” Kate asked. “You mean he’s back here for good?”

“That’s what I heard. I think he rented an office downtown.”

Siena and Kate stared at her as she took another sip of her drink.

“What?” Nicole asked.

Kate rolled her eyes. “You know what. Alex Breda is amazingly hot, not to mention successful.”

“So?”

“So, you have the perfect in, as usual. You’re friends with his two brothers.”

The server reappeared, this time with a heaping platter of nachos. She set it in the middle of the table and passed out appetizer plates.

“Anything else for y’all?” she asked.

“Thanks, that should do it,” Kate said.

As soon as she left, Siena scooped up a nacho.

Kate elbowed Nicole. “Maybe if things don’t work out with David, you should hit up Alex Breda.”

“Right.”

“Why not?”

“It would be beyond weird. I work with both of his brothers.”

“So what?” Kate said. “What does working with his brothers have to do with anything? It’s not like you work with him every day. I could see how that might be weird.”

Nicole shot her sister a warning look at the not-subtle reference to Emmet. But Nicole would never go there because she didn’t want to be one of Emmet’s casual hookups. Plus, they worked together, and the fallout would be bad, especially for her. She’d spent her whole career trying to get the men in her field to treat her as an equal and take her seriously. The last thing she needed was everyone talking about her sex life. The guys she worked with—hot as they might be—were definitely in the look-but-don’t-touch category.

“You have no idea how good you have it,” Siena said. “You spend your days surrounded by attractive men. If I were you, I’d take advantage of the situation.”

“It’s not that great, trust me.” Nicole picked up a nacho and pinched off a strand of cheese. “They can be annoying as hell. And too many badge bunnies.”

Siena frowned. “Badge bunnies?”

“Women who chase cops,” Kate told her. “It’s a thing.”

Nicole glanced across the bar to where Owen and Alex were now playing darts while Kyle flirted with a pair of women. Emmet was still in the back with Lainey the manager, presumably.

“Well?” Kate asked.

“Well what?” Nicole chomped into her nacho.

“If things fizzle with David, why don’t you make a play for Alex?”

Nicole could see from Kate’s smirk that she was just trying to needle her. And as usual it was working.

“I’m not going to make a play for Alex Breda,” Nicole said. “I’ve got enough guy problems.”

***

Lainey stepped into the office where Emmet was waiting and dropped her purse on the desk piled with paperwork.

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