Page 62 of Nothing to Win

Zairn agreed.“There’s truth.”

“You’d still rather be home.”With a guy like Zairn, who wouldn’t?“Home is better than this.”

“Home for what?Whatever we can do there, we can do here.”

“Not…” She squirmed a little.“Anything.”

“What are you talking about?”Roxie asked.“Sex?‘Cause we can, and do, have sex wherever we want.”

“I vouch for that,” Zairn was cool in the way he spoke and assessed the room.“She does it here, there, wherever.”

“She?I’m not out there doing it myself, Skippy.”Her friend’s head went back.“At parties?Is that allowed?Interesting.Where was that in our vows?”

“LoLo usually does it herself in private.”

“What?Your job for you?Hooking up with a lothario, I had higher expectations.”

“I live to serve.”

“And now he makes me sound like a bitch,” Roxie said with an exaggerated sigh.“I give him points for effort and he did tag-along last minute tonight.”

“He didn’t know about the party?”she asked.“You didn’t know about the party?”

“Casanova is just my date.I was coming to the party for you.He’s an extra.”

“Can’t deny it,” Zairn said.“I wouldn’t be here if my wife wasn’t.”

Signaling him and Bram weren’t close.Good.Selfishly, she preferred it that way.

“Enough about us,” Roxie said.“How’s it going?Has your dad had a meltdown yet?Did we miss it?”

“Ideally that’s what we hope to avoid.”

As Zairn’s gaze rose, she stepped back to see Brogan join their group.

“Irish, you upset Abernathy.”

“Not difficult,” Zairn said.“He’s a guy who deserves to be upset.”

“Oh, are we playing mean girls?”Roxie asked, interest darting around.“Where’s the target?”

“No capers tonight,” Zairn stated.“Husband.Wife.Alcohol.”

“You want to play pretend?I can give you the last three.The last one isn’t so certain.There must be someone we can play with, Casanova.”

“I get a say?Usually you don’t ask before roping me in.”

“Fine,” Roxie said, using Gia’s hand to pull herself away from her husband.“You stand here and be boring.Gia and I will find our own fun.”

“I’ll have Tibbs bring bail!”Zairn called as they ebbed from the guys.

When she glanced back, Zairn almost wore a smile, though Brogan seemed more concerned.

“I shouldn’t run away from him,” she said.“Brogan’s been chasing me around the room all night.”

“Exactly how it should be.”Roxie stopped at the bar, right in front of the bartender.“Good sir, good evening.Gin and It times two.”The guy’s blank face wasn’t encouraging.She couldn’t judge.Until Roxie, she hadn’t known what it was either.Roxie groaned.“God, where do you get your staff?”

Her friend spun around seeking something.Like magic, her husband was already cutting his way through the crowd.