Page 5 of Royally Tempted

I was working from home that day, seeing as I’d been up late and we didn’t have any staff meetings on the schedule. That was one good thing about Martin: even if he was a pervert and had terrible personal hygiene, he was fine with his team working remotely.

But, I’d been in my room, and when I’d heard Julia creep back in — clearly thinking and probably hoping that I was already at work, I’d grinned.

Now I was going to grill her on her insane night.

“I’m working from home today,” I shrugged before focusing my grin on her.

“So?”

“What?” she shrugged in a way that I betshethought was casual. But really, the whole thing was written all over her face. She’d hadfunthe night before, and I wanted details. Immediately.

“Hey, don’t you pull that ‘who, me?’ crap, lady.” I laughed. “You went home last night withtwototally gorgeous men, and if you think I’m not going to press you for details, you’re actually insane.”

My friend blushed deeply, biting her lip and looking away.

“It was…it wasgood?”

I rolled my eyes. “Good? Seriously? That’s the best you can do?” I grinned at her. “Two guys and all you’ve got is ‘good’? It sounds likeverygood to me.”

Somehow, she blushed even deeper.

“No, it was—”

“Julia.”

“Okay! I—” she swallowed, her eyes looking wild.

“I had some fun.”

“Some fun.”

“Okay!Lotsof fun,” she said quietly.

“Those aren’t details!” I groaned. “C’mon, some of us went home last night with Netflix and half a bottle of rosé I might have found in the back of our fridge. Let me live vicariously through you and your wild night!”

I knew Julia wasn’t the kiss-and-tell type. But then, I also knew she wasn’t really even much of thekiss at alltype, so I was hoping maybe her crazy night would spark some sharing. That, and I knew she knewmewell enough to know she couldn’t just ignore it.

“Let’s just say it was the single hottest night of my life and leave it at that?”

“Details! C’mon!”

“Now way!”

“Prude,” I stuck my tongue out at her.

“Nosy.”

“Yeah, guilty. Iama journalist.”

I let Julia get dressed, hanging out in the kitchen until she joined me for some coffee.

“Fine, I’ll just wait until you decide we’re friends enough to share, jeez.”

She laughed into her coffee, until her brow suddenly furrowed.

“Hey, Emma?”

She looked up at me, biting her lip.

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