Page 28 of Tristan’s Temptation

“No.” She handed one of the bags to each of the brothers.

Tristan took the bag with a frown. “What’s this?”

Adam grinned. “I told you he’d forget.”

“Technically, I didn’t argue the point. This party has nothing to do with work, after all.” Kat playfully patted Tristan’s cheek.

“What party?” Tristan unzipped the garment bag. “Hell. It’s formal?”

“Levin’s birthday?”

“Shit.” He’d forgotten. Completely.

“Don’t worry,” Kat said. “I picked up a gift from you.”

“You did? What’d I get him?”

“A GPS device-thingy from that fancy-schmancy device-thingy store.”

“Wow. That was nice of me. She’s a keeper,” he whispered to Adam in an aside.

“No kidding.” Adam draped his garment bag over the chair and pulled Kat into his arms. “It’s nice having someone around to do things for you. And to do things to you!”

Kat cuddled closer with an impish, knowing grin. “It’s nice to have someone to warm your feet at night.”

Adam shuddered. “You need to quit doing that. You almost gave me a heart attack last night.”

“My feet are not that cold.”

“I beg to differ.”

“Adam Alan Trillo…”

Tristan sighed. Clearly they could be having this conversation for a while and he really wasn’t in the mood to listen, so he interrupted. “So have either of you seen Shannon?”

Adam and Kat turned and stared at him.

“Well, have you?”

“You already asked us.”

“Did I?”

“Yes,” Adam said. “And if her desk is cleared off and her computer is gone…call me crazy but I’m thinking she went home early.”

“Shannon doesn’t go home early.” Dear God, was his voice really that petulant? Hell. He felt petulant.

“Maybe something came up.” Kat pulled out her cell phone. “Let me call.”

Before Tristan could murmur plaintively, “She’s not answering her cell,” she was answering her cell. For Kat.

“Hey, Shannon. Kat Hart.” Kat flashed a thumbs-up at Tristan. “I’ve got her,” she said. “Yeah. Shan, Tristan was wondering where you are. Oh. Uh huh. I see. Okay. Have a good weekend. Sure. Okay.”

Tristan started to fidget, impatient for the conversation to end. How could women talk so much and fail to get to the point already?

“I know. Totally. Huh? What? Yeah. We will. Okay. Bye.”

As Kat flipped her cell phone shut, Tristan realized he’d been holding his breath. He let it gust out in a heavy rush.