Page 76 of Winning Bid

“I require wine. This calls for a celebration.”

“Screw the wine. I want prosecco.”

He grins. “Perfect.”

While I crack open a bottle, he stows his purchases. Some are food, while others get taken into the bedroom. Maybe clothes? Maybe he has a gift for me he wants to hide? I won’t be one of those nosy wives who always dig into their spouse’s business, but I am curious.

When he returns in his lounge pants and tee, I see the man I fell in love with all those months ago. He’s a bit more relaxed than he’s been since we figured out Andre’s bullshit. “Thank god I thought about Dana.”

“No shit. I like her a lot. She’s sharp, and given the rift between her and your folks, I don’t think she’s secretly in cahoots with your dad.”

He chuckles. “No, not at all. It's funny to think Mom was worried about her and Dad.”

“Why is that?”

“You didn’t pick up on the look her assistant gave her when we walked in?”

I shake my head.

“Dana has a thing for younger men. Always has.”

My insides clench. “You’re not about to tell me she was your first, are you?”

He laughs. “Fuck no! It’s like I said before—I think of her as an aunt. The only reason I know that is she was caught with two of the pool boys at the country club. Don’t make that face—they were in their twenties at the time. The point is, she would have never touched my dad. It’s a pity Mom never understood that, or they’d probably still be friends.”

I sigh, thinking about his mom. She never struck me as particularly jealous, but I’d never seen her in a position to be jealous, either. “Maybe one day they’ll bury the hatchet.”

“Perhaps.” He clinks his glass to mine. “One problem down. One to go.”

“Don’t mention the other one right now. I am trying to calm down.”

“Agreed.” He smiles at me, studying my lips for a moment. “You’ve been a fucking trooper through this, June. Thank you.”

A laugh chirps out of me. “You’re thanking me for what?”

“After all the shit I said to you … accused you of … and now, you’ve lost your job.”

“Trying to calm down, remember?”

He pulls me in for a kiss, and I taste the prosecco on his lips. “I know. I’m just telling you why it is. I appreciate you. You have sacrificed so much to be with me, and that is more than worthy of my gratitude.”

“Well, I love you, and I’m willing to make sacrifices for you. I know you’d do the same for me. Hell, you may end up sacrificing your freedom for me, so,” I shrug, “that’s just what we do for each other.”

His face goes pensive—the line in his brow forms. “It really has been one thing after another for us, hasn’t it?”

I giggle, feeling the prosecco’s warmth bubble through me on my empty stomach. I was so nervous all day that I couldn’t eat much. “Since we re-met, things have been turvy-topsy.”

“I think the phrase is topsy-turvy.”

“That’s how fucked up it’s been. Even that’s backward for us.”

He smirks, but it dies fast. “You know Andre will want revenge.”

“Oh, I’m aware. He’s not the kind of man to let this slide.”

“But we’ll handle it together. Like we handle everything else.”

I’ve been tense all day, so my mind bounces from topic to topic rapidly. I’m sure my father’s deal with Andre will fall through after this. The poor baby. I almost roll my eyes at myself for worrying about him. He certainly didn’t worry about me when he was working with Andre for a deal. I take a nervous breath. “Did you tell your dad yet?”

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