Claim My Baby (Crescent Cove 2)

“Out of season, isn’t it?”

I draped the end of the lights over the edge of the window frame and climbed down a step, deliberately maintaining my height advantage. “You made an agreement.”

She was sitting on the edge of my desk, her shapely legs in her soft tights cros

sed demurely at the ankle. Her lashes fluttered as she met my gaze. “Did I now?”

“You know you did.” I stepped down the final step and braced my fists on either side of her hips on the desk. “Who is he?”

If she said Moose, I was probably going to do something unspeakable.

“He?” More fluttering. “Oh, the person who asked me to dinner? It’s a she.”

I growled and she smiled up at me, grasping the lapels of my jacket. “She’s very cute though. New schoolteacher in town. Her name is Kelsey, and she wants to be friends.” She licked her lips. “It’s always good to make friends, isn’t it?”

“You enjoy pushing my buttons, princess.”

“Maybe. Just a little.” She tipped back her head. “I’ll tell you a little secret though. I like when you push mine too. One in particular especially.”

“Fuck.” I lowered my head to hers. “If I kiss you here, I won’t be able to stop.”

She didn’t move away. If anything, she inched closer. “That so?”

“Hey, is everything okay in here? We heard a crash, but me and Seth were—” Ally fell silent, stopping in the doorway.

Immediately, I stepped back and smoothed a hand over my tie while Sage hopped off the desk. “Sure thing, all’s fine in here.” Sage’s voice was unnaturally loud as she rushed forward to gather my papers off the floor. “Just a little accident. I seem to keep having them today. Did I tell you how I fell in the snow? But I met this really sweet woman, new in town, and she’s teaching kindergarten at the elementary school. Too bad Laurie doesn’t have her, she’s super sweet.”

The stream of mostly sensible babble fooled no one, including my sister-in-law. But she wasn’t looking at Sage. Her attention was centered squarely on me. “Sage, can you give Oliver and me a moment alone?”

Still collecting papers, Sage looked between us. “No. I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“I do. I think it’s a great idea.” I cocked a brow at Sage’s frown, kneeling down to help her. “About time.”

“Oliver, dammit.”

“What happened to your swear jar?” Ally demanded.

An odd question in light of what surely was at the forefront of my sister-in-law’s mind, but I didn’t claim to understand women.

Sage tilted up her chin. “Maybe I don’t need it anymore.”

“Oh yeah, why’s that?” Ally folded her arms. “I thought you were concerned about swearing in front of Laurie.”

I had a feeling there was vital subtext I was missing here, and quite frankly, it was fascinating to try to discern. I’d probably have to down half a bottle of Tylenol later for my growing headache, but for now, I would settle back and watch the show.

At least until the blood spatter hit my shoes.

Sage let out a derisive noise. “I can manage not to swear in front of her. Hell, you know everyone in this town wants me to stay a goody-goody. I tried. I did. But the clothes got too tight.”

“Not from where I’m crouching.”

“Shut up,” they both said simultaneously.

Another thing I would never understand about women. Even when they appeared to be fighting—although over what, in this case, I had not one clue—they would always side with each other over the nearest man. It was a given.

“No one wanted you to stay a goody-goody. That wasn’t it at all. You were never that anyway.”

“No, I just had crappy luck and crappier taste. At least I finally figured out how to find a man who can get it up.”