Page 66 of Crude Heir

“Did you offer our guest a drink?” Our conversation is interrupted by Addler’s voice booming in from the doorway.

“Yes, I’m good.” I hold up my can of Diet Coke.

“We have a wine cellar,” he offers. “And I can fix something stronger if you’d prefer. We also—” He reaches into the fridge.

“No,” Derrick calls out in a protective voice from somewhere down the hall. “No alcohol for her.”

Addler raises an eyebrow, his lips forming a wry smile as he hands Derrick a beer bottle.

“Turns out,” Derrick says as he opens the bottle, “the first thing places run out of during a storm, are condoms.” His eyes twinkle mischievously.

My cheeks heat up. “Derrick,” I plead, in a harsh whisper. I press my lips together, silently praying for patience.

“And,” he continues, undeterred, “I wasn’t about to stop—”

“Derrick!” I snap, wanting to sink into the floor.

Addler chuckles, putting his arm around Elena. “Same here, with the not about to stop,” he adds with a knowing grin.

“I did wish you luck with your girl.” Derrick grins, holding out the bottle neck in a toast.

Elena, holding up her Diet Coke, chimes in, “Came to work on Friday, ended up trapped for the weekend.” She gives Addler a sharp glance out of the corner of her eyes. “And likely went home Sunday with a bun in the oven.” She holds up her Diet Coke for a mock toast. I raise my can to her, the awkwardness disappearing.

“Same,” I mouth.

“Yeah, I stopped that shit real quick.” Addler takes a drink from his beer.

Elena elbows him playfully. “I was already home,” she points out.

“You weren’t going to be there for long,” he assures her. “A de Marco belongs on the ranch.”

“You don’t even know if I’m pregnant.” Yet she chose a nonalcoholic drink as well.

“The way we were going at it—”

“Addler.” Now it’s her turn to keep her man from oversharing.

He chuckles. “It’s always been you, baby,” he says in a more serious tone. Elena dips her chin then turns to him. The look they exchange speaks to their shared history and maybe feelings that are still a little too new to define.

Tears prick behind my eyes. I glance away, blinking rapidly, as they share a kiss. To have someone who cares that much, waiting for you half their life, then suddenly claiming… I smile to myself. I guess I have some of that. My own whirlwind cupping the back of my head when he comes down for a kiss.

“Let’s get everyone fed,” Elena suggests. “Can you get some plates for us?” she asks Addler, pulling him away from the table.

“Elena says she’s been helping Bill Connors correct the coding on their invoices,” I inform Derrick, hoping to put his mind at ease. He nods, visibly relieved.

Elena opens the fridge, pulling a container out and removing the lid before putting it in the microwave. “The admin he had wasn’t coding correctly so a lot of what the guys sent up was wrong. But we’re almost done getting it all cleaned up.”

Addler nods approvingly as he pulls plates from a cabinet. “Never thought I’d be so damn grateful for someone else’s incompetence.”

By that, I assume he means it’s what brought Elena back into his life.

“So did you find anything in the coding?” I ask Elena.

“No.” She stops, spoon in the air as she’s about to serve. “Everything was wacked because the girl was choosing the wrong codes. But the documents are signed by our leads and the field tickets are signed by the field guys.”

I chew on my lip, pondering the possibilities.

“What are you thinking?” Derrick asks, looking over at me curiously.

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