Page 9 of Nothing to Fear

Someone, the other guy, smacked his brother’s shoulder. “Best offer he’s had all day.”

“I did—I didn’t—that wasn’t what I meant.” Her laugh was feeble. “I wouldn’t—what a ridiculous thing to say. I’m no virgin, who is these days? You’re sure as hell not. Have you seen you? Not that you would or anyone should—and I just said that in front of your mom. Why am I talking about sex in front of your mother? Why am I talking about sex at all? It’s because you’re attractive. I’m a jabbering idiot in front of hot men and you’re like a twelve on the hotness scale—damn, twelve feels like an insult. I need to—I’m not doing myself any favors here, I should just…”

Squeezing her eyes closed, she was so grateful when Yvette put an arm around her.

“Forgive my friend,” Yvette said, “she has a condition. We don’t let her out much.”

After that spectacle, no one should let her out at all.

“I’m Nessa.” Their younger cohort slid between them. Small mercies were welcome. “And I’ll share my cookies.”

Okay, so that joke was deliberate, but the woman got away with it. That’s what she should do, aim for flirt and maybe she’d hit tease… No, actually, that wouldn’t happen at all, she’d probably end up in cuffs.

“Breckenridge Intimates are very welcoming,” Alice said, her tone indecipherable. “I see our Luxe Leathers have a team as well. Did you consider joining forces?”

“We have a good-natured rivalry, an in-house contest, to see who can raise the most for the charity.”

“Ah, good fun.” Thank God the woman thought that way. “I sense my sons’ piqued interest already. They can rarely resist a wager; it’s a curse they got from their father. What is the prize?”

“Uh…”

“Glory,” Yvette interjected.

The other brother spoke up. “We’ve got to do better than that.”

“Caber?” Alice asked. “You and your brother—”

“What do you say, Roch? Want to make this interesting?”

“Forgive my boys for being competitive.”

“Winner gets lucky.”

“You’re on,” Darroch said. “Leather or lace?”

“I’m taking leather, you have a thing over here.”

A disadvantage: her. The guy’s eyes only flicked to her for a second, but she got it. With this Darroch guy around, she’d be a liability.

“You’re attractive too,” her voice said to the one Alice called Caber.

Her voice? Just all on its own. It wasn’t her. Not “on purpose” her anyway. What was going on with her senses acting without direction… without permission?

“Two things Breckenridge boys don’t share,” he said. “The second is…”

“Women,” the pair said in unison as their mother rolled her eyes.

As the men were about to part, Alice raised a hand, halting them both. “Rules?”

“Ah, Mom—”

“You work back here. I don’t want either of you on the stalls drawing crowds. You are not in charge, follow orders.”

“No money changes hands and no sabotage,” Caber said. “We know the drill.”

“Then let the games begin. I’ll inform your father.”

Caber dashed across the aisle to the opposite Breckenridge team, his mother not far behind him.

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