Key of Light (Key 1)

“I believe you. I think that’s why my stomach hurts.” Malory pressed a hand to it, then looked at Dana. “Buy?”

“God help us. Buy,” she agreed.

“I guess we should shake or something.” Zoe held out a hand.

“Wait, before we do, I should tell you something.” Malory cleared her throat. “I had sex with Flynn last night. Three times.”

“Three?” Dana abruptly sat down on the stairs. “Ah, go, Flynn?”

“You’re okay with that?”

“I’m his sister, not his mother.” But she rubbed at her temple. “Weren’t you drunk last night?”

“No, you were. I was just buzzed. I’ll add that being aware I was buzzed, he attempted, pretty strongly, to be a gentleman and step back.”

“That’s so sweet,” Zoe offered.

“Even after I got naked and jumped him.”

“That’s . . . Wow!”

With a laugh, Malory patted Zoe’s shoulder. But Dana remained silent. “I didn’t get naked and jump him just because I was buzzed and well, horny. I’m in love with him. I don’t have the whys on that any more than I know why I want to own this house with the two of you. It just is, from somewhere deep inside me. It just is. I’m in love with him, and I’m going to marry him.”

“Malory! This is wonderful.” Leading with her romantic heart, Zoe flung her arms around her friend. “I’m so happy for you.”

“Don’t hand out the orange blossoms yet. I still have to convince him he can’t live without me.” She stepped forward. “I’m in love with him, Dana.”

“I’m getting that.”

“I know this might complicate our friendship, and any business relationship we might plan on having.”

“And if it does?”

“Then I’m sorry. I’ll back out of the friendship. I’ll back out of the business plans. But I’m going to keep Flynn, whether he likes it or not.”

Dana’s lips twitched as she got to her feet. “I guess he’s toast. We going to shake hands on this deal and get us a lawyer or what?”

Chapter Twelve

SHE didn’t know what she was feeling. She wasn’t sure what she was doing. But little snags like that had never stopped Dana before.

The minute she could manage it, she tracked down Flynn.

She missed him at the paper, followed his trail to the vet’s, where she was told she’d missed him and Moe by fifteen minutes. The irritation of that had her deciding she was angry with him, though she had no concrete reason to be.

But by the time she arrived at his house, she was enjoying her temper.

She slammed the door and stalked into the living room, where both her brother and his dog were sprawled out like the dead.

“I need to talk to you, Casanova.”

“Don’t yell.” Flynn remained on the sofa. On the floor beside him Moe whimpered. “Moe needed his shots. We’ve both been traumatized. Go away. Come back tomorrow.”

“Now, right now, before I find a sharp implement to stick in your rump. What’s the idea of banging Malory when you know perfectly well she has to keep her mind on the goal?”

“I don’t know. Might’ve had something to

do with my tripping and falling over her naked body. And it wasn’t banging. I object to the term ‘banging,’ which is beside the fact that it’s none of your goddamn business.”