Page 18 of Breaking Point
He was not the only person to have an opinion about her and Brice, which she discovered over the next few days and weeks.
Many of her clients and customers dealt with her differently.She couldn’t put her finger on it at first.Her chat with Brion, who owned the coffee stall where she and Devar most often ate lunch together, explained it to her.
Brion smiled as he put her morning cup of cappuccino on the counter and touched his temple.He always refused her credits, even though she tried to pay every single time.“Wouldn’t be right,” he’d told her nearly a year ago.“I make great coffee but couldn’t sell it to no one.I used to break out in sweat at the idea.You got me turned around on how to not sell to people, and still have them lined up to buy and you were right.Me and Katie, we’re living nicely now, thanks to you.So no, I won’t take your money for the daily cup, even two on your tough days.”
Yet on this particular morning, his smile seemed to have something extra in it.Wickedness, perhaps.
“Why are you smiling like that?”Luciana demanded, as she blew on the coffee peeping from beneath the foam.
“You’re looking mighty fine, these days, Luciana.”He winked.
She lowered the cup.“You know about Brice….”
Brion held up his hands.“Hey, none of my business.Only I always figured that when you did get around to finding a man, you would go whole hog.And I was right.You didn’t stint yourself, did you?”
“Everyone calls him the Great Recluse,” Luciana said.“That’s not exactly a great catch.”
“Yeah, but look at his bottom line,” Brion said.“If he’s not the richest man on the ship, he’s up there in the top three.”
I’m not with him for his money.The words rose in her mind.She didn’t speak them aloud.Instead, she said, “Well, I am learning a lot from him about growing a company.”Which was true.Not all of their talk was personal, after all.
“There you go,” Brion said, delighted.“Good for you, Luciana.”
Other market stall managers and residents of the Capitol seemed to have similar opinions, approving of her prowess at hooking up with a man who could do wonders for her business interests.
When she thought about it, she decided that everyone in the Capitol was following a trend that she had set.Ever since Devar had been small, they had only ever seen her working.Of course they would consider Brice to be just one more commercial acquisition.
As she lacked any other descriptor for what role he actually played in her life, beyond that of bedmate, she let the impression linger.It certainly wasn’t harming her reputation.
Oddly, her association with him didn’t seem to be harming Brice’s reputation, either.
“I get my hand shaken and a pat on the shoulder whenever you’re mentioned,” Brice said one night while they were waiting for their bodies to cool and their hearts to calm.
“Most of the men in the rooms you’re in I’ve had dealings with in the past,” Luciana observed.
“And got the better deal out of it, I suspect,” Brice said.“That would explain why they think I’ve handled you better than they managed.”He sounded sour.
“I’m not offended,” Luciana assured him.“I’m rather pleased.They think the only way to get the better of me is to do what you’ve done, which means they respect my business sense.Although if they think that because you’re in my bed, I’ll go easy on you in our business dealings, they’re clinging to an old, invalid idea.”
“We don’t have business dealings,” Brice reminded her, drawing her closer and kissing her shoulder.
“We will one day.”
He answered with his hands, whichdiddistract her.
For a while.
While the Forum speculated endlessly about them, Luciana wondered if Brice would get tired of it and end their arrangement.
Yet when she asked him, he said, instead, “If they won’t shut up about it, then we might as well make the most of it.I have a box at the arena.We won’t be alone because the other six seats can be used by anyone in the Association.We won’t be in the stalls, though.Come and watch the Hounds slaughter the Blues.”
“I hate tankball,” Luciana replied.
“You hate it, or you’ve never understood it?”he asked, his tone deceptively mild.
“Yes!”she declared.
“You’ve never seen a game with me by your side, explaining it all.That makes a big difference,” he said.“Say yes, Luciana.”And he looked down at her steadily, while his fingers stroked her back.
