Page 80 of Idaho

"And you slept with Idaho because..." Daisha let the sentence trail off.

"It probably wasn't fair since I'll have to leave, but I didn't want to go home as the same person," I admitted. "My father will probably lock me up in the palace until he can find a suitable man to marry me off to. And I'll be stuck in this life I never wanted."

"That sounds so..." Jenny broke off, searching for the word.

"Archaic," Jordan supplied.

They all nodded in agreement. "If you're not a duchess, why can't you marry who you want?" Dani asked.

"I can, sort of. He has to meet the requirements," I told them. "Like, come from a good family. Have a clean background. But..." My lips thinned out into a grim line before I kept speaking. "I don't want those men. I don't want to live under my father's thumb anymore. Don't get me wrong, I love him. I love my family. But that life isn't something I want."

"So you slept with Idaho because you wanted to have sex before you were married?" Susie asked, looking puzzled.

My cheeks flamed again and I looked away. "Yes."

"That's not all it was," Kit said softly.

My eyes darted away from hers. These women saw too much.

"It was her way of taking control of her own life," Seek stated. "At least in one area."

She was right. And there was the other thing. That small little truth I wasn't admitting to anyone. It had been hard enough to realize it myself. I was falling in love with Idaho. I'd been trying to deny it. How can you fall in love after only a few days? Love at first sight was really only in the movies and romance novels, right? But I couldn't deny how I felt anymore, not when he was here in person and my heart raced every time I saw him. When I thought about never seeing him again...it was like a physical pain in my chest.

"You don't have to tell us," Dani said, reaching over and squeezing my hand. "But we're here if you need us."

"Thank you," I whispered, blinking rapidly as tears stung my eyes.

Keely chose that moment to walk back in the door and saved me from further scrutinization. I heaved a breath of relief as all the attention turned back to her.

"So what are you going to do about the sexy president?" Seek asked with a grin.

Keely groaned, rolling her eyes up toward the ceiling. "I have no idea," she admitted. She looked over at her sister with a pained expression. "I have something I have to tell you."

Dani straightened up, looking worried. "What?"

Keely seemed to be searching for the words to break what was, obviously, going to be bad news. "The FBI approached my firm. They have an opening that they want to fill with a civilian contractor." Dani's eyes widened, but Keely continued before her sister could interrupt. "The FBI is saying the job is mine, if I want it."

"Would it be here in Tucson?" Dani asked, swallowing hard.

"No. I'd have to go to Washington, D.C. for at least six months, for training. Then maybe, I'll be able to come back. I'm not sure yet because I'll have to negotiate my contract with them." She gave Dani a watery smile. Both women were fighting back tears.

"You'll miss the birth of my baby," Dani replied mournfully.

"I know, but I'm going to do my best to make it back here and then spoil the hell out of my niece or nephew."

"You've already made up your mind?" Kit asked.

"Well, no, but my firm is pushing for this. Hard," she replied with a rueful smile. "They want the prestige that will come with having one of their lawyers working with the FBI."

"Are they forcing your hand?" Gwen asked.

"In a way. My employment contract with them is iron clad," Keely said with a wicked smile. "I made sure of it. But... They could make it so I could never promote. Never make partner if I don't do this." She looked down, then shot Dani an apologetic look. "And it would be pretty amazing to do."

"What about Lockout?" Jordan asked.

Keely's lips pursed together as she thought about that. "I can't wait around and turn down amazing career offers for a man who doesn't want me."

"Doesn't that show from today prove that he does?" Jenny asked.

---