Page 104 of Nothing to No One

Exactly what she didn’t want. Running her hands over her hair, she buried her face against Struan. This wasn’t what he needed either. How could he go back to his brother when this drama was all over the place?

“There’s no need to panic,” Zairn said, his voice level, cool, he actually sounded like a grown up, the opposite to how she felt. “Didn’t I tell you this wouldn’t be a bump-free fairy tale ending?” Yes, in fact, he’d prophesized a lot of this, and warned her of Magnus’s line before he’d drawn it himself. “Being together is an option.”

He’d said that too. Said Roman would go off the rails if he lost Struan, said Struan would languish in the guilt of that.

“Struan needs time to think about—”

“I don’t need to think,” he said, catching her chin to wrench it up. “You told me we were together. I understand your family being in play changes things, if you don’t—”

“Nothing has changed.” Her hands leaped to his chest. “This is what I want. More than anything.”

“And if it takes sacrifice?” Zairn asked.

She and Struan stayed lost in each other.

“The only thing I won’t sacrifice is Bambi,” Struan said, so sure that tears blurred her eyes. “I want us. More than my brother or my job, I can’t let this go. If I do, I’ll never forgive myself. You’re my chance to have a life, to be me, and see where it goes. With you, I make my own choices,wemake our own choices.”

“Okay.” Zairn inhaled. “Struan, stay here, go to Vancouver tomorrow with UO. I’ll take Tripp and Sway back to New York—”

“And I’m going to Wishbone,” Roxie said, startling her into turning around.

No one ever sounded so excited about a trip to her hometown.

“Why are you—”

“I’ll call Stone,” Roxie said without addressing her unfinished question. “And by me, I mean Casanova.”

“We’ll need at least mid-scale deployment,” Zairn said, raising the phone to his ear. “We’ll be back to get you in an hour. Say your goodbyes.”

For how long? To be without him, she didn’t want to imagine it. This was a step on the road to their future, which couldn’t come quickly enough.

THIRTY-SEVEN

“THIS IS COOL,” Roxie said as Wishbone’s buildings passed by the limo’s windows. “Pretty.”

A limo. Unless it was prom season, those were never seen in these streets. Not that the chopper landing in a Greenhaven field was discreet. Even without saying a word, she’d be causing a to-do.

Twenty-four hours ago, she’d been making love with Struan in her apartment. Now she and Roxie were on their way to her mother’s. What would be waiting for them? She couldn’t even imagine. The clowder of press better have moved on. If they were there, what was she supposed to say?

“Thanks.” Her heart was hammering. “It’s nothing to Chicago.”

If only they were heading for Roxie’s instead of hers, more anonymity there.

“No! Everyone loves novelty! If we stopped and got out right now, everyone would know you. I love that, it’s cozy.”

“They’d know you too.”

With a dismissive wave, Roxie’s interest stayed pinned outside. “Yeah, but for different reasons, boring reasons. These people are your family, they know your past, who you are. All your stories.”

Including the ones she’d rather forget. “Thank you for this, for coming with me.” Watching her friend say goodbye to Zairn that morning wasn’t easy. “You don’t have to be here. Zairn and Tripp need you in New York.”

“Tripp is like our oversized child, it will do him some good to spend time with Daddy. Mommy has better things to do.”

“Zairn will be worried about you.”

“I am a pro…” Stated with confidence until her friend conceded. “Plus, my Casanova knows Stone’s already got guys in place. Him and his team arrived last night.” Roxie linked their hands on the seat between them. “Don’t be shocked, okay? This is going to feel a little different than usual.”

“This?”

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