Page 69 of Nothing to Fear

“Darroch.” Laying her hands on his, she parted them to wriggle out of his arms. “This feels like the moves.”

You know, the ones he’d promised his mother he wasn’t making.

“Saying good morning.”

He kissed the back of her head and her lips quirked. Guy could be such a goof, endearing, and sometimes infuriating, but exactly what she needed.

“You have an amazing bed.”

“I like to think the company makes all the difference.”

Relaxing to her back, she slid a hand up his arm. “It does.” She accepted a short kiss. “Can I take a shower?”

“Can I join you?”

“I do not want to be wet and slippery the first time you see me naked. No.”

“I like that,” he said as she shimmied to the edge of the bed. “That was a when statement, not an if.”

Rising, she peeked back at the guy with his hands locked behind his smug head.

“You keep on dreaming, Gentleman,” she said, slinking into the bathroom.

***

WHEN SHE FINISHED her shower and came out, he was nowhere around. Having snuck down for breakfast before, she expected to replay the experience after creeping down the stairs. That was until she reached the table’s adjoining room. Talking, laughing, a general hubbub of noise betrayed people awaited. Shit.

Should she sneak back the way she’d come? Curiosity awakened. If there were many people in the dining room, odds were that she’d know at least one of them… right?

She couldn’t stand there all day, so ventured in, head held high.

A guest, that maybe the ranks weren’t aware of, did draw attention. With Benedict at the head of the table, Alice and Buoy in their usual places, she had allies in the room.

“Savanna! Good morning.” Of course she could trust Alice to give her a warm welcome. “Come and sit down, there’s fresh coffee.”

Dougie, Astor, they were familiar. No sign of Darroch or Caber. Aiming for discreet, she checked out the three additional men there.

Alice was pouring coffee at the place by Buoy where she’d sat before. “Savanna, meet Brant, Troy, and Ward.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” she said, taking her seat, unsure which Breckenridge was which. “No elusive Tripp?”

“Why is he always the one people want to meet?” one of the trio asked.

“He’s a popular boy, Brant,” Alice said, seating herself again. “Darroch would have a better idea where he is.”

Except Darroch wasn’t around to ask. Not that it mattered much.

“I’ve heard his name a few times, that’s all.”

“You’ll meet him at the Cavendishs’ Ball. All our boys will be there.”

“Except the four we have in college,” Benedict said, swiping something on the tablet by his plate.

“Wow, four,” she said. “Must be expensive to…”

Huh, except, yeah, this was fairytale land.

“Like we care about the money,” Brant scoffed. “It’s nothing.”

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