Page 23 of Let Me Be the One

“You heard enough to whet your appetite, is that it?”

She really was irked. He could see it on her face, hear it in her deliberately soft tone. Knowing how it felt to be cornered, he relented, but only a little. “I didn’t meanto listen in, but voices carry around here. You might want to remember that.”

Since he’d turned more congenial, her annoyance eased up, too. “Thinking about what parts you might have heard is pretty embarrassing.”

“Something about his dick in someone else’s hand.”

She sputtered at how he just threw that out there. Quickly, she set down her coffee and accepted the napkin Tanner offered her across the table.

Deadpan, he said, “Guess your coffee went down wrong.”

“Actually, your audacity choked me.” Her frown faded into a beautiful smile—the kind he associated with her. “So you heard all about Sutter, did you?”

“Afraid so.” That and a lot more. But he wouldn’t ask her about the pressure, and whatever harebrained plan her family had cooked up for her.

Like a warning, she said, “Just don’t think I’m heartbroken, okay?”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” But was she?

“When I busted him, honestly, it was a relief.”

“Is that so?” He wouldn’t pry, but he’d listen to anything she wanted to share.

“We’re going to be neighbors—”

“For the time being, anyway.”

She made a face at him for his continued insistence.

At this point, he did it more to rile her, and remind himself that it was temporary, than for any other reason.

“For the time being,” she conceded. Then she added, “And possibly longer, so it wouldn’t be right for me to hold a grudge over you listening in on a private conversation.”

“You practically blasted the news on a megaphone.”

“Plus,”she said, emphasizing the word. “Addie and Kam have been so welcoming. And you’ve tolerated me. Sort of.”

Gesturing at the table and shared coffees, he said, “For me, this is about as welcoming as it gets.”

With a sly smile, she drawled, “Well, that’s a pity.” The second she said it, her eyes went round and she clamped her mouth shut.

Flirting? Yeah, pretty sure that counted. Howwelcomingdid she want him to be? He was about to ask, but she rushed into explanations about her bastard ex before he could formulate the question.

“Sutter and I had this idiotic arrangement and it was supposed to be a good way for two powerhouse families to unite. The eldest son of a family with an upscale chain of vacation accommodations, the only daughter from a family specializing in luxury travel, boom, instant harmony, specialized promotion, lucrative for all concerned. When he pitched the idea to me, or to my whole family, actually—”

“Is that a joke?”

“Nope. During dinner with my folks and Glory, he threw out the scenario like a business plan that started with us getting married.”

Tanner gave a low whistle. He’d never understand rich people. Pretty sure he didn’t want to. “Your folks should have told him to take a hike.”

“Are you kidding? They were ecstatic and toasting our impending nuptials before I could even process what had happened.”

“Thenyoushould have told him to take a hike.”

“For real,” she readily agreed. “But it took me by surprise, and my parents were so psyched by the idea,going on and on about such a beneficial alliance and how lucky I was. I was already dating him, I worked with his family. Our families meshed and got along, and everyone seemed to assume we were headed for marriage anyway. I didn’t despise him or anything. I mean, he was nice enough, affluent, well connected and educated, and we had a decent time whenever we went out together.”

It annoyed Tanner that she didn’t mention love. Didn’t even hint at it. “Sounds like a really hot romance.”

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