Love Loyal and True (Must Love Diamonds 2)

“Then why don’t you give Grayson the money? No strings attached.”

Loyal’s hand stilled as he lifted his head in surprise.

Huh. Now that was an idea.

He hadn’t even thought of that angle. Dad couldn’t insist on him being CFO if he used his own money. He also wouldn’t look like such a selfish bastard for saying no, and best of all, he wouldn’t have to work with his half-brother.

“You know, I like that,” he said, warming up to the idea fast. “I really like that.”

Roxanna smiled, and he was hit with a sudden urge to haul her into his arms and kiss her. Then he noticed a shiver shake her bare shoulders, and saw the goose bumps on her pale skin. Here he was all warm in his shirt, vest, and suit coat, while she was freezing in the November night air.

He set his glass on the hood of his vehicle, then shrugged out of his coat and moved in to sling it around her shoulders. Her startled gaze rose, but got caught up on his mouth. He gathered her long hair back to pull it free, loving the cool silkiness of it against his skin. His breath hitched as her lips parted the tiniest bit and her tongue darted out for a quick sweep. The moisture left behind glinted in the light from over the door behind him.

Releasing her hair, he gave a quick rub up and down her arms over his coat. “That better?”

“Yes, thank you,” she breathed. Then she blinked and stiffened as her gaze met his for a split second before bouncing away. “We should get back inside.”

Loyal inched closer. “I don’t want to go back inside.”

He heard her hard swallow, heard the shallow rasp of her breath to match his, but when he tightened his grip on her arms and leaned forward, the hand not holding her wine glass flattened against his chest to hold him back.

“Loyal, I can’t. We can’t.”

He chose in that moment to believe she was only talking about them kissing outside the ballroom while his whole family waited inside for the election results. It wasn’t any worse than them having mind-blowing sex in the stables while his whole family was up at the house for the Halloween party, but he listened to his gut and didn’t push her.

He reached for his empty glass, then stepped back to give her some space. She gulped down the rest of her wine while she straightened from the bumper.

As soon as they stepped back inside, she started to slip his coat from her shoulders.

“You can keep it until you’re warm.”

She cast a furtive glance around and handed it over. “I’m good. And…um…about tomorrow—”

“Yeah, about that,” he interrupted as he took the suit coat. “You close at six, so I was thinking I’d pick up takeout on the way over. Any preference?”

“No. Loyal, I don’t—”

“I’ll get Italian then. There’s a great place near my hotel.”

Right outside the doors to the family suite, she swung around to face him. “You can’t come over.”

“Why not?”

“Because, you can’t.”

He did an eyebrow raise and head tilt to let her know because wasn’t going to cut it.

“I hired someone else.”

He wasn’t coming over for the accounting and they both knew it. She wanted him, but like last night in her shop, she was running scared. So he called her bluff. “Liar.”

Her gaze narrowed and her chin lifted as she insisted, “I did.”

“Who’d you get?”

“You wouldn’t know them.”

“Gimmie a name.”