Page 36 of A Break in Communications

“That lack of emotional availability, I guess? I’m working on opening up.”

“Zero emotional availability and you still got my whole family falling for you.”

She beamed. “Calling me charming, sweetheart?”

“Asking for more compliments, sweetheart?”

She laughed, eyes twinkling. “You’re right, it’s only fair I start to give you some, too. Let’s see—”

“We don’t need to go there—” I was blushing even worse now. She went there anyway.

“Do people tell you very often that you have a beautiful voice?”

Was that—a real compliment? That was too specific to be something just to throw me off. “What?”

“It’s such a unique vocal register. Warm, a little dark, deep but unmistakably feminine. And when you speak, it’s always in this sharp, precise way like you’re just saying what you need to and not trying to get anybody to like you… ironically, it’s captivating.”

Was it? I’d never really… thought about my voice. Why was I getting shy, blushing like this, like a nervous teenager? “So what you’re saying is that you like it when I yell at you.”

She laughed, moving her face in closer to mine, and it made something pitch inside my system, this nervous rush even as she didn’t touch me, just—closer. Too close. “What don’t I like about you, Anna?”

Ugh… why was I spinning so much, swimming in this nervous sensation? Whatever it was she’d done to me, I didn’t know how to counteract it, to—get the upper hand, unless—the only thing I’d found to really work was—

I kissed her. Again. Leaned in and pressed my lips up to hers, firmly, capturing her in a kiss, my hand slipping to the back of her head, and she made a muffled sound against me, her body tensing up—I felt her hand on my hip tighten, fingertips gripping into me, and my whole body reacted with it, leaning into her, pulling her tighter against me. I moved my lips against her slowly, once, tilted my head to meet her at a different angle,kissed again, and I pulled back to where she was absolutely, beautifully stunned, that smug smile gone from her lips, eyes wide, blinking fast.

“You’re cute when you’re embarrassed, Lucy,” I said, and taking the high, I slipped out from between her and the counter, leaning against the next counter instead, kicking one foot up over the other. “Now, do you want to tell me what you actually came in here for?”

She looked down, scratched the back of her head, touched her lips. “I just wanted to get away from the music.”

I snorted. “You know, fair enough. Do you need a minute here alone or something?”

She laughed, a short thing, but she wouldn’t look at me. Poor thing. She really was cute when she got flustered. “I’m good.”

“You sure, sweetheart?”

“You know?” She put her hands up. “No, I’m not sure, thanks for asking. I’ll stay here a minute. Maybe I’ll finish these dishes.”

Oh—I’d kind of forgotten the dishes. “Well, we can’t have a guest clean the kitchen. Shall I stay and help you with them?”

She turned to the sink, starting on the dishes. “Maybe… you can bring some drinks out to the living room for everyone.”

“Aw. You’re so cute when you’re nervous, babe.” I turned to the coffee station, a sleek espresso machine that was normally the highlight of going back to the family house but was a little bit forgettable right now. “Feel free to come out whenever you like, then. I’ll be thinking of you.”

Chapter 10

Anna

Poor Lucy took her sweet time with the dishes. I rode the high through making drinks, bringing them out on a tray to where everyone was gathered in the living room, and I smiled and made conversation with everyone as I handed out drinks, determined to one-up that damn woman coming in and charming my whole family.

It took Lucy a while to join us, and I got to squeeze in plenty of comfortable time together with my extended family, making small talk, sharing stories. Anything to position myself subtly as the obvious choice to take over the department—anything that might have gotten back to Gould one way or another.

Once Lucy did finally join us again, it was with Veronica at her side, the two of them looking like they’d been talking for ages. Maybe Lucy had recovered faster than I’d expected, and Veronica had just held her up.

Just as well. I’d just go harder next time and make sure Lucy wouldn’t recover anytime soon.

“Sorry I kept you waiting, angel,” Lucy said, coming over to my chair next to the couch where Mom and Dad were sitting, and she held a hand out for mine. I kicked one leg over the other, looking up at her—my conversation with Uncle Matt was suddenly miles away, and Mom chatting to Dad about something was just background noise now.

I took her hand, lifted it up to my lips, and I kissed her knuckles. “I’m not going to have to start fighting my sister for you, am I?” I said in my best low, husky voice—because if she liked my voice, then I was going to use it to my advantage—looking up through my lashes at her. Her eyes glinted, and I think time paused for a second there, just for the two of us, eyes locked as she processed the challenge, and then she met it, because she turned and sank into the chair with me, where there was definitely only room for one. She pressed up against me, her legs across mine, and I felt my stomach tangle when she pressed a kiss to my cheek—not a quick peck like before, but a soft kiss that lingered there.

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