Page 30 of Nothing to Deny

After fixating on it for a few seconds, Baer looked from her to Donoghue. “No, she’s not,” he said, releasing her hand as he leaned across to roll down the side window. Picking up the flower, he tossed it out, then closed it up. “She’s too polite to tell you the real reason it upset her.”

“No, I…” she started. Roles now reversed, Donoghue was the scowler, while Baer was more relaxed. “You didn’t have to be rude about it.”

Baer straightened his cuffs, ignoring her assertion. “Was it on the prep sheet?” he asked. “What was under the flowers section?”

Donoghue lost his irritation in the face of sheer surprise. “I… nothing, it said nothing,” he said, lowering his voice to a hiss. “What the hell you doing talking prep sheets in front of a client?”

“It’s okay.” She showed a palm to each of the men. “Let’s start over… Have you two worked together before?”

The question amused Baer so much his smile broadened fast. “We haven’t worked the same woman at the same time, if that’s your question.”

Threesomes? He was talking threesomes!

Her shock boosted his smile.

Donoghue’s fingertips touched her knee and ascended to gather the hem of her dress. “That wasn’t on her prep sheet either.”

Baer’s rage returned fast. “Don’t do that.”

“She likes forward,” Donoghue said, his touch sliding higher.

“I don’t,” Baer growled. “Move your hand.”

“Are you kidding?” Donoghue asked.

Plucking up his hand, she put it on his thigh and gave it a pat. “Maybe it would be best to just…” Pinning a glare on Baer, she couldn’t for the life of her figure out what was wrong. “What is with you?”

“Wait, I thought she was a new client,” Donoghue said. “You seen her off the books? You moonlighting?”

“No.” She landed a broad smile on Donoghue. “We met at Squires. That’s all. Just Squires.”

“Clients pick us, buddy,” Donoghue said, putting a heavy, almost clumsy arm around her. “Not the other way around. Get over it.”

Baer’s scowl didn’t flinch. Even when he shifted it to the opposite side of the car, he couldn’t keep it away. Donoghue said something about the bar they were going to, but she didn’t hear it. All she could see was Baer’s displeasure.

It would be rich if he was angry with her for being on a date with another man when he’d been sleeping with another woman last night. This was professional for him, and he was about to go on a date with her cousin. Why couldn’t he see it was professional for her too? No, okay, granted, this wasn’t herjob, but she wasn’t doing it for love. Not romantic love. Not sex. Family love. This was support for Holly. Surely Baer could understand that.

Without seeing, she stared out her window. By the time the car stopped again, silence reigned.

Holly got in, giving Freya an eyeful of what was under her cousin’s scandalously short dress. Blinking, why couldn’t she unsee that view too?

Shuffling past Baer, Holly dropped into the seat on his other side. “Isn’t this a party?”

Sitting up, Freya gestured at the men in turn. “Holly, this is Donoghue, and you remember Baer.”

“Yes… I do,” Holly said, presenting Baer a hand.

And… he wasn’t paying attention, not to the woman at his side. With widening eyes, she nodded to indicate he should say hello. While he was gracious in grazing Holly’s knuckles with a kiss, his ease and charisma didn’t match that of the first day in Squires. Holly noticed too, from the awkward air to the lukewarm engagement, how could she not?

In her purse, her phone chirped a distinctive tone.

“Uh oh,” Holly said, recognizing that melody as she did.

Scrambling for her phone, Freya swiped the screen without taking it fully from her purse, diverting the call to voicemail.

“Damnit,” she whispered.

That was against their rules. Justifying the diversion wouldn’t be easy. Avoiding the call while hanging out with escorts sort of spoke for itself, but it wasn’t a reason her grandfather would accept. No, because she wouldn’t give him the chance. No way could she tell the truth. A lie? She hated lying to her grandfather. Mostly because whether he called her on it or not, he knew. Somehow, he always knew.

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