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“And?” he finally inquires, his fingers clenched over the curve of my hip.
I shift so I can raise an eyebrow in his direction.
“Was there more to that sentence?” he asks dryly.
I shake my head. “No, not really. That felt really good. More so because it was you.” I smile sweetly at him, waiting for the confusion to cloud his expression. But instead, he looks thoughtful.
“Hmm. Let’s get breakfast and maybe get out of the house for a while?”
I nod again and wait for him to release me. I have to hold back the smirk when his arm lingers. “Can’t go anywhere until you do, Heath,” I point out gently knowing there’s no chance in hell I’ll get a repeat performance this soon.
7
Heath
I’m positive Bets will realize she can do far better than me before Christmas. And that’s even more likely to happen if we’re out in public mixing with other people. So I take her out for breakfast again. This time to a quaint little cafe near the college that should be practically empty now that it’s winter break.
It is. Empty, that is. Betsy keeps her red coat on because there’s a freezing draft coming in from the door that refuses to swing completely closed. The contrast with her dark curls is stunning, as is the delicate blush on her cheeks. You would think after all she’s been through recently she’d be broken and lying in a heap on the floor. “You’ve had shit luck the last few years, haven’t you, Bets?” It’s almost a rhetorical question, but Betsy just frowns at me.
“No. I had shit luck three years ago and then you came. I’ve had nothing but good luck ever since.” Her voice is mischievous, her eyes twinkling. Daring me to argue.
“Need to get your eyes checked after breakfast,” I mutter.
She grins outright and curls her hand around the fingers of my left hand. “I like what I see just fine. And more importantly, I like you when the lights are off, too.” She goes back to eating her omelet, but her fingers stay where they are, claiming me. And I can’t say that I hate the sensation.
I clear my throat. “I thought we’d stop by the office for a few minutes after this. I need to take care of some paperwork and maybe you want to look around? See if there’s anything interesting on the internal notice board?”
Betsy nods enthusiastically.
I think better of my suggestion when we enter the lobby and all eyes turn to Betsy. My arm is low on her back, but that doesn’t stop the eight guys who move closer. Betsy blinks and looks up at me with curiosity. I’m too busy glaring at them to answer her. And it’s too late to retreat.
I send another round of glares and guide her to the elevator in the far corner. Betsy starts giggling as soon as the doors close. I wait for her laughter to slow before even asking, “What’s so funny, Bets?”
“You!” she chuckles. “You’re so sweet and then boom! Ready to annihilate anyone approaching within fifty feet.” She goes up on tiptoe to kiss my cheek. “Thank you, though. That convinced me that you weren’t just taking pity on me last night. It’s kind of a relief.”
She exits the elevator without waiting for me and heads with confidence down the hall towards my office. I brought her here once a few years ago. How the hell did she remember where to go?
Betsy plops herself down in the chair by the window and takes out her phone while I turn on my computer so I can approve shit that I promised to get done before going on vacation. I wasn’t expecting Betsy home until this afternoon originally. This way we can relax and enjoy the holidays, assuming Betsy continues to confound me by imagining a happily ever after in my arms.
“Five more minutes, baby. Then we’ll go look at the job board,” I promise as I send the last of the forms off and quickly check email for anything urgent. I could do that from my phone at home, but I promised myself not to while Betsy was here.
There’s a flurry of movement at the doorway, and then my head is being hugged. It’s not Betsy because she’s staring at me with wide eyes that begin to narrow with suspicion.
Finally, the arms pull back far enough for me to find out who it is, but the laughing voice gives her away. “Heath! I thought I heard your voice. It’s so good to see you! Who are you? I’m Evie.”
Evie’s gaze is now focused with interest on Betsy, but her arms are still around my neck. Something that seems to annoy both Bets and the large man growling from the doorway. Evie taunts the devil by dropping a swift kiss on the top of my head. “Oh, don’t mind Duke. You know he’s a sweetheart deep down.”
Duke doesn’t seem to agree. “Evie, baby. Stop harassing the man just to tease me. Santa still has time to change his mind, and Christmas is on a Tuesday this year.”
That makes Evie roll her eyes. I sigh and say, “Evie, Duke, this is Betsy. She’s my…” I hesitate to fill in the blank, but Betsy doesn’t. “Wife?” she offers helpfully, her eyes slitted. I give her a small smirk of capitulation, but it’s lost in Evie’s flurry of excitement.
“You got married! And you didn’t tell anyone? Heath, this is huge!” I’m braced for another hug but instead she scurries over to Betsy, pulls her out of her chair and hugs her instead. Then she bundles her out of the room, calling out over her shoulder, “We’re going to the restroom — be right back.”
Duke stares after them and then turns to me with a shrug.
Betsy
One minute I’m sitting quietly waiting for Heath to finish and the next I’m being kidnapped for interrogation in an empty bathroom down the hall. Evie is maybe a few years older than me, but quite a bit shorter, and her curiosity could look right at home on the face of an eight-year-old.
