Page 15 of Knocked up By the Minotaur

“Oli, that’s my mate’s sister. There are so many other females in town, go bother one of them.”

“But they’re not Grace.”

“Grace doesn’t want a man in any capacity right now,” Rho reminds me, but I wave his words away.

“People change their minds all the time,” I mutter slyly, quickly continuing before he can say more. “Besides, Bradleydoesn’t know that. And neither does Sera. This could be the perfect scenario for the both of us.”

Ismelda cocks her head to the side as she studies me. “Be careful that you don’t overstep with her.”

“I would never,” I tell her seriously, and she smiles.

“Well, as long as you promise to be on your best behavior, I can’t say I disapprove.”

Rho turns his glare towards the witch. “Traitor.”

Malachite clears his throat. “Shouldn’t we be discussing—”

“What about you?” I interrupt, having half-forgotten he was still here. “What do you think, it’s a good idea, right? It solves both mine and Grace’s problems, and nobody gets hurt in the process.”

He only stares at me blankly.

“Oh, come on, Mal! Give us your thoughts.”

The gargoyle clears his throat again, and shifts his weight. “I’d rather not.”

“He doesn’t think it’s a good idea,” Rho huffs, “because he’s a sane being with a rational mind, and your idea is idiotic.”

“I think it’s romantic,” Ismelda says. “It’s the perfect environment for true love to grow.”

“Well,” I hedge, “let’s not get too ahead of ourselves.”

“This is ridiculous,” Rho growls.

“Don’t worry your little heart, Rhokar,” Ismelda says, with tiny love-hearts practically glittering out of her eyes. “Things will work out just as they should.”

Malachite clears his throat again, looking away from us all awkwardly. “I really do think we should get back to discussing the build.”

“Alright, you do that,” I say, pulling out my cell once more and scrolling through my contacts as I begin walking back to my car. “I trust you three implicitly.”

“Wait,” Malachite awkwardly calls out. “You didn’t even…”

“Leave him,” Rho gruffs as I continue on my way, “we don’t need the bastard.”

I grin and throw him a wink over my shoulder, soaking in his glare like it was approval, and I dial Grace.

We were only going to go over logistics today now that the final stage of the lodge’s framework is officially complete, and I had Ella send me over all her notes this morning, anyway. That female is an exceptional Project Manager with excellent notetaking, and if these three make any decisions while I’m not there I trust that Rho will inform me before the day ends.

Besides, I have a different sort of deal to make right now.

Chapter 7

Grace

Yesterday, Oli called me with an offer I couldn’t refuse.

After the draining and frankly embarrassing encounter with Brad at the coffee shop, Oli hadn’t even waited an hour before calling me back with tales of woe about his own ex that he needs to dissuade—color me unsurprised about that particular detail—and a ‘brilliant’ plan to double down on my cobbled together attempt to ward off Brad with a fake relationship.

“Come on, pookie-wookie,” he’d practically simpered at me over the phone, mimicking Brad. “It’s a mutually beneficial endeavor.”

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