Page 28 of A Break in Communications

Ugh—she had me on a string and was making me dance. I needed to just leave and go to the office. Except Kelcey would probably go to the office today too, and then I’d have to hear her talk about fucking my sister,andhave Lucy on my back making thinly veiled sexual innuendos.

Or maybe she wasn’t actually trying to make sexual innuendos and everything just felt like one because I’d just masturbated in the shower with Lucy in the next room.

“No,” I said, finally, opening the closet and dumping my clothes in the hamper.

“I didn’t even tell you what it was yet.”

“Don’t need to.”

She sighed. “I guess I’ll have all the cookies myself, then.”

“Cookies?” I stood up, shutting the door and leaning back against it, shooting her a look. “Really? Like I’m five years old?”

“You’re never too old for homemade, fresh-baked cookies, Preston.” She took a Tupperware from her bag, setting it down on the table, and she popped open the lid, pulling out a snickerdoodle and taking a bite, absently. “Veronica told me they’re your favorite.”

That damn woman. I rolled my eyes, picking my laptop up out of my bag and sitting down at the table across from her. “You’re not bribing me with cookies, Masters. You really put in the time to bake a batch of cookies thinking I’d hand over the documents for that?”

She laughed, leaning against the table, her chin in her hand, elbow propped on the table. “You’re so cynical, dear. It doesn’t suit such a pretty face.”

I rolled my eyes, opening my laptop, and I didn’t know what made me smile drily. Probably just the tackiness of it all. “Are you this much of a flirt with every girl you meet?”

She laughed brighter this time, eyes twinkling as she finished off her cookie. “What’s that? Is Anna Preston getting jealous over me? Possessive?”

“Ew.”

“I baked them together with my grandmother to spend some quality time with her. And we had some of them together over tea and talked about you.”

I arched my brows painfully at her. “You hang out talking to your grandmother about me, Masters? Isn’t that a little… obsessive, just for someone you’re competing over a promotion with?”

She put a hand to her chest. “Preston. Is that really all I am to you?”

God, everything really rolled right off this woman. “No… silly of me. Of course, you’re the love of my life.”

“That’s better,” she said, sliding the container of cookies my way. “Seriously, though, have some. My grandmother and I already had more than we should.”

“I’m not giving you the documents in exchange for cookies.”

“Ah… shame. Just take some for free then. You win.”

Seriously, what the hell was she thinking? That I’d actually hand it over for a cookie? Did she take me for a child? Even went out of her way to find out my favorites… I took a cookie, and she stood up, turning on the coffee machine. I didn’t really even register it until she’d finished an americano and set it down for me, and I raised an eyebrow at her. She smiled serenely.

“Can’t have a Christmas cookie without a hot drink, dear.”

Whatever… if she was this desperate, I could use it to my advantage. Get some work in while I had Lucy Masters as mypersonal assistant to bring me coffee and snacks. I picked up the drink, sipping lightly. “Little overextracted,” I said, and she didn’t take the bait, just went back to her laptop and tapped something out.

“Noted,” she said. “I’ll scale it down to twenty grams next time.”

Hm. Yeah, this could work. “I look forward to it,” I said.

“You should,” she said.

Well, if Lucy was happy with it, that was the only thing that mattered, now, wasn’t it?

Ugh. The cookies were good, too.

Chapter 8

Anna

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