Page 24 of Seduction Under the Southern Stars

She comes in and stands there, clutching her purse with both hands. “Ian and I broke up,” she says, and bursts into tears.

“Oh no!” I shut the door, lock it, put the chain back on, then slide my arm around her and bring her over to the sofa. Zoe joins us, sinking into the chair opposite her.

“What happened?” Zoe asks in alarm.

Hallie wipes beneath her eyes, taking deep, shaky breaths. “I saw him go past in his car, and there was another girl with him. When he got home, I asked him if he gave anyone a lift home from work tonight, and he said no, that he was alone. If he’d admitted having someone with him, I wouldn’t have given it a second thought, but denying it told me there was something suspicious about it. So I told him I’d seen him, and he got flustered and angry, and then said it was all my fault, and…” She starts crying again.

“How can it have been your fault?” Zoe asks, aghast.

“He said if I was less boring in bed, he wouldn’t have cheated.” She presses her fingers to her lips. “Oh God, that hurt.”

“Fucking arsehole,” Zoe snaps. “What does he expect you to do? Pin tassels on your tits and put on a show every night?”

“Probably.”

“I’m not saying it’s the guy’s job to do everything,” Zoe continues, “but most of us need the males to lead. It’s the way of things.”

“According to David Attenborough,” I add. “Unless you’re a spotted hyena.”

Hallie and Zoe stare at me, and they start laughing.

“Sorry,” I say. “Not helpful?”

“Very helpful,” Zoe says.

“It’s just that there are around 5,400 mammal species,” I reply, “and females outrank males during dominance contests in only a couple of dozen.”

“See?” Zoe says. “We expect them to lead. It’s fucking lazy for the guy to just lie there and wait for the girl to give him a lap dance.”

Hallie blows her nose. “You’re being very kind,” she mumbles. “But it made me feel an inch high. I mean, I know I’m not exactly Mata Hari, but I do try…”

“Of course you do.”

“Oh God.” Hallie puts her face in her hands. “The guys will be here soon. I was determined not to cry.”

“Fraser’s too polite to comment, and Joel won’t even notice,” I tell her.

“Yes, but Linc’s coming too. I’d better repair my makeup.”

“Come with me,” Zoe says. “You can use my powder and mascara.”

I watch the two of them go off to the bathroom. I shouldn’t have made that stupid comment about the spotted hyenas. Okay, so it cheered Hallie up, and that was good, but the truth was I wasn’t trying to be funny. I just don’t have anything else to contribute to a conversation about sex.

There’s a knock at the door, and I go over and look through the peephole. Oh God, it’s Linc. He’s still wearing his faded jeans, but he’s donned a dark-purple shirt, and turned back the cuffs to reveal his gorgeous tattoos. He’s carrying a bottle of wine in one hand and a box of something—chocolates?—in the other. He’s looking at the ground, but when he lifts his gaze, it’s like he’s looking straight at me, and my heart skips a beat.

Oh, why did I suggest this? I’d much rather sit alone looking at bird bones.

Sighing, I slide the chain off, unlock the door, and open it.

Chapter Six

Linc

“Good evening.” I walk into the apartment, smiling at Elora as she closes the door behind me. “Wow, something smells nice.”

“Must be me,” she says, and gives me an impish smile back.

I bend and kiss her cheek, because it’s what I’d do to any friend if I was invited around for dinner, but Elora blushes, her English-rose complexion turning an attractive pink. Wow, she looks different tonight. Her hair hangs loose down her back like a field of golden wheat. She’s wearing a blue summer dress that crosses over her breasts before falling to her knees in soft folds. She’s absolutely stunning.

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