Page 36 of The Desperate Warrior

“I’m a realtor.”

“Oh yeah? What kind of real estate—residential or commercial?”

“Mostly residential, but I dabble in commercial when the opportunity comes up. What about you? What do you do?”

“Finance.”

Jules barely suppressed a snort. Finance. Yeah, right.

“Oh,” Dean said, nodding. “What kind of finance?”

“You know … a little of this, a little of that. Whatever pays the bills.”

Jules laughed inwardly. Brock was paid very well for what he did. He made it sound like he was barely scraping by.

“Cool.” Dean didn’t seem bothered by Brock’s evasive response.

Jules stared at the ceiling, praying for rescue—and then, thank heavens, Nikki burst into the room in a flurry of chaos.

“You know what bugs me the most about Stalker Boy?” she launched in and then stopped, eyes flying open wide when she saw Dean and Brock. “Looks like I’m late to the party.” Amusement colored her features as she cut her eyes at Jules.

Dean stood. “Hey, Nikki. Good to see you again. We met at Zoe’s wedding,” he prompted.

She waved a hand in mild annoyance. “Of course I remember you. It hasn’t been that long since the wedding. Please sit back down. Relax.” Her eyes flicked to Brock and Jules on the couch. She went bug-eyed when she spotted Brock’s arm draped casually across the couch behind Jules. A coy smile tugged at her lips. “It must’ve taken me longer to get a shower than I realized.”

Jules threw Nikki a warning look that said,Cut it out.

Smiling sweetly, Nikki pranced over and plopped down in the seat beside Dean. She turned and flashed him a disarming smile. “So, Deano, what’ve you been up to.”

His eyes bulged. “Um, same old. Work. That’s about it.”

Nikki studied him with a calculated expression.

Jules’s insides tightened. What was her cousin up to?”

“Has Jules told you about her birthday party?”

“No.” Dean looked at Jules in surprise. “You’re having a birthday party?”

“I am.” Jules threw her cousin a death glare, which Nikki pointedly ignored.

“It’s next Friday,” Nikki announced in a sing-song voice. “Jules didn’t get to have one on her actual birthday because she was in the hospital. So we’re having one now.”

Dean’s face fell. “You were in the hospital on your birthday?”

Jules forced a smile. “Yeah, that’s how it worked out.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” His expression turned wounded.

She felt Brock tense beside her and had to resist the temptation to put a hand on his knee to keep him from going on the offensive again. “I had a few other things on my mind,” she countered. “Like trying to survive.”

“Of course,” Dean readily said. “I totally understand.”

Jules threw Brock a quick glance and saw the muscles in his jaw flick. What did it say about her that sitting so close to him was revving her cells into high action? It had been much easierto despise him from a distance. Now that he was here … well, things were bound to get complicated.

Dean turned to Nikki with a large smile. “I’d love to come to the party. What time?”

Nikki thought for a minute. “Seven o’clock.”

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