Page 86 of A Break in Communications

“And remind you of how much fun we had? Absolutely. I just want you to know what I have in mind for you tomorrow, darling.”

“Ah—um.” I swallowed, shoving my hands in my pockets, looking up at the ceiling. “We’re going to get in trouble with old man Gunner before long.”

“I know the old man. Trust me. I know how to make it work. And Iwillmake it work, if it means I can get my hands on you… darling.” She paused. “Or at least one hand. Have to be pretty subtle.”

“Lucy,” I hissed, my face burning. Still, it wasn’t like I didn’t like it—as much as I wished I could say I didn’t, my body arched into her, hot with want remembering last time, when we…

It all fell apart violently with the worst thing that could have happened, which was Veronica’s voice behind us saying, “Damn, you really fucked at the tree farm? That wasn’t cold?”

“Veronica—” I whirled around, shooting her the most withering look I’d ever summoned for anyone, and that was saying a lot. “Jesus Christ, stay out of our private conversations.”

Veronica, dressed down for once in her life in a T-shirt tucked into some red chinos, hair frazzled and no makeup on, raised her eyebrows. “I thought the whole point of an exhibitionism kink was that you wanted your private things not private.”

“If you say one more word aboutkinksto me then I’ll bury you in the snow.” I paused. “Did you roll down a hill to get here? You’re all rumpled and you’ve got snow in your hair.”

“Oh… I just got here.” She picked at her hair. “Woke up late today and had to rush to make it.”

Lucy sighed. “You spent last night at someone else’s house and went back to your own at two in the morning, is that what you’re getting at?”

Veronica scowled. “That’s not it. I mean…” She stopped, chewing her lip, and she looked away. “Yeah, that’s what it is. I was at an orgy and forgot about the Christmas party today.”

I paused. “Veronica, what actually happened? You’re not sick, are you? Because if you are then I’m going to need you far away from me.”

“Yeah, I’m sick. Picked something up at the orgy.”

Quite a fast incubation time. Veronica Preston, hiding something? I thought I’d never see the day. I furrowed my brow. “Since when were you cagey?”

“I’m not cagey. I just told you. I was at an orgy and I got sick.”

I stopped. “Oh, god, you pulled a Kelcey again, didn’t you?” I said. “Who was it this time?”

“Oh my god, it was just an orgy! People go to orgies all the time!”

She really needed to stop shouting about orgies at a family function, let alone one that one of my most major clients was at. “Veronica—”

“Let’s leave the woman to her secrets,” Lucy said, looping an arm under mine, and she tugged me away despite my resistance.

“Hey—how is that fair? God knows I don’t get to keep any secrets—”

But she tugged me away anyway, off to the windows at the side, where she pulled me in close by the tall window frame overlooking the snow drifting over the backyard, and she lowered her voice and said, “I’m pretty sure she did pull a Kelcey again.”

I frowned. “What—you know about it? With who?”

“Kelcey again.”

I whirled on her. “What? Are you—is Kelcey out of her damn mind? I mean, I know she is, but what the hell is she going back for? Veronica already broke her heart three times.”

Lucy grimaced. “Apparently, that’s the problem. Kelcey told me about it—that Veronica tried to come onto her again and Kelcey said no this time, stood her ground. That was just the other day.”

I stared at her, blankly, for a good few seconds, before I found myself smiling incredulously. “You’re kidding.”

She shrugged, looking out the window. “Kelce was pretty shaken up. Could tell she’d really wanted to go for it and regretted shooting her down.”

“Oh my god. So the reason Veronica’s a mess is because someone brokeherheart?” I laughed. “I really never did give Kelcey enough credit.”

“Seems like it. I kind of figured Veronica would have just moved on and found someone else, but…” She shrugged, helpless to fight back a smile. “Apparently she’s taken it a little toheart. Guess you can only play with a girl’s heart so many times over a year before you catch feelings and drive her away at the same time.”

“I’m going to ask Veronica about Kelcey every time I see her for the next six months. That’d be about one percent what she’s done to everyone else in her life.”

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