Page 96 of Don't Bet On It
I grinned at her. “I like the way you think.”
“Yeah?” Her smile was flirty, and she burrowed in at my side. “I like the way you think too.”
This was the moment, I realized. It was time to tell herallof my dreams. I would be careful when easing into the relationship stuff—she would need to be brought around to the idea of thatslowly—but would not only understand but be excited about the other stuff.
“I have a dream,” I admitted, my voice lower than I expected. “It’s not just for studios. It’s for galleries too.”
Her eyes were wide when she turned to look at me. “Galleries?”
“Local artists. I think, in a place like Vegas, the eclectic stuff will sell.”
“Absolutely.” She bobbed her head, clearly excited. “Is your father going to invest?”
I snorted before realizing I was going to. “No, he would never invest in that. I’m saving up. It will have to be something I do slowly. The studios would be first. The rent will help me eventually open the galleries.”
“How long?”
“I’m thinking a good three or four years, although the money I’ve been making in the lounge makes me think I can move that timetable up some.”
“As long as Kyla doesn’t try to rip it away from you.”
“She seems more focused on you than me.”
“Yes, but if she gets her way and I’m moved out, I can see her messing with you on principle even though she has no idea that we’re a couple.”
My heart swelled at that word.Couple.
She seemed to catch herself. “I mean, doing what we’re doing,” she corrected.
The shift didn’t bother me. Her initial instinct had been to call us a couple. It was fine if she wanted to correct herself. At least for now.
“She might know,” I said, opting not to mention her slip. “Rex and Zach figured it out.” When I glanced over at her, I found her cheeks turning red. “What?” I asked, my stomach constricting.
“I think they all know,” she admitted. “I had a spa visit with Ruby and Olivia yesterday. They’ve all seen us.”
Did she think that was going to upset me? “I’m well aware.”
“You know?” It seemed like a whoosh of relief blew through her. “I was afraid to tell you.”
I opted to take a practical approach. “Why?”
“Because…” She searched for an answer but seemingly didn’t come up with anything.
“Because nobody was supposed to know about us,” I filled in.
“Yes, that’s it exactly. I was worried they would ding us on the fraternization, but do you know what Ruby said?”
“That the rule is old, and antiquated, and not enforced,” I supplied automatically.
Her eyes went wide. “How did you know?”
“Because Rex and Zach laughed at me when I brought it up.”
“Right.” She pursed her lips. “Well, Ruby says it’s not a concern, so if Kyla finds out we’re … fooling around … we’ll be fine.”
“Fooling around, huh?” My lips curved. “Well, I want to keep fooling around. Even if it was a concern, I wouldn’t be all that worked up about it.”
“Yeah.” She absently scratched her cheek. “Ruby and Olivia are kind of invested in us.” Discomfort rolled across her features. “They don’t think we’re just fooling around.”
