Page 29 of Nothing to Fear

Hurrying from their lane to the dimly-lit drinks counter, she needed the time to get her head straight.

The team. That was why he’d showed up. Alice probably sent him there, with Dougie, to keep the boy entertained and support the company efforts. Yep, that was it. Corporate responsibility, civic duty, fraternal bonding. Admirable. And all completely unconnected to her… unconnected to the kissing.

A hand appeared either side of her on the bar just moments before something moved the hair at the side of her neck. Not something. Someone. Darroch Breckenridge’s face was buried in her hair, his heavy head on her shoulder.

“You smell incredible.”

“What are you doing?” she asked, wriggling to turn and face him. Whoa, bad idea, especially with him stooped so low. “You can’t touch me like that.”

“Because…?”

“My colleagues are right over there.” Her arm raised beneath his to sort of gesture in that kind of general direction, but fuck, her mouth dried and she swallowed hard. The memory was alive and burning her throat, boy, those lips, that temptation. “People might… they might…”

Unlocking his elbows, his advance was slow, but ended exactly where her mind put them, kissing again.

Except this one was short. Too soon, his elbows locked again.

“You want to keep this a secret?”

“This is not a this, it’s a—I don’t know what it is, but it’s not a this.”

“Okay,” he said, clearly amused. “I can play it cool in public.”

Maybe he could. Her heart beat in the pit of her stomach. The tempted intrigue of her curiosity roused her sleeping hormones. Darroch Breckenridge, in a million years, no one would’ve predicted this. It couldn’t be happening, couldn’t be real.

She had to give him a chance to come clean.

“Did you lose a bet?”

“What?” he asked.

“Your mom said you were competitive. Did you lose a bet? Is that what this is? You know like in the movies with the ugly duckling and the hot jock?”

He frowned. “Baby, why would you—”

“It’s Jeremy, isn’t it?” God, how stupid could she be? “You know him, don’t you? You’re friends. He put you up to this.” Shoving away from the bar, she pushed past his blocking arm. “Get a couple of pitchers of something for the team, please.”

The team. The charity.

She valued the work she and her colleagues did for good causes. More than just a way to pass the time, it was part of her identity. One she strived to continue and do better. If the Breckenridges, Darroch specifically, decided to include themselves indefinitely, what would that mean for her? This was her social life and her work life, her reason for getting up in the day. If both were taken from her…

Yvette split from the others grouped around the computer when she returned.

“What’s wrong with your face?” she asked.

“Me? What?”

“You look like you want to punch someone.”

“Oh, if only.”

“If only who?”

“Jeremy,” she said.

Yvette relaxed. “So nothing new there.” She smiled at her friend’s comforting tone. “You’ve got to get him out of your head. Don’t let him rule your life like this. Did he call?”

“Every time I think he’s gone for good, he always pops back up.”

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