Page 38 of Bonded in Death

“He shouldn’t have pulled you in, pissed you off. He thinks he’s smarter than you, and wants the shine of winning. I have good reason to doubt the first and categorically refute the second.”

She lifted her coffee in a toast. “Add, he shouldn’t have taken an arrogant swipe at a friend of mine. I’m also goddamn smart and goddamn tenacious. You’ll get him, and if anything I do helps, I’ll take that shine. And the interview.”

“Maybe you’re Adult Quilla.”

Nadine’s laugh held easy delight. “She’s a gem, Dallas. Another thing I owe you, for putting her in my sights. She’s so fucking bright. And the school? An Didean? What you and Roarke have done there—”

“He did it.”

“She’s doing so well there. Not just academically, but socially, emotionally. She works hard, but she’s made friends. You know she’s seeing Jamie.”

Eve slapped a hand on her eye as it twitched. “I don’t want to hear about it!”

“It’s not serious. He’s in college, she’s still in high school. She wants to do what I do, he wants to do what Feeney does. They both know youcan’t mix that. But they’re good for each other, and I really think they’ll stay friends.”

“Fine. Friends is fine. Look, I don’t want to block her from this project, but I don’t know when I can talk to her, or spare Peabody.”

“She’ll wait. Anyway.”

She set down her empty mug. Then heaved a breath.

“Hell, hell. Do you have two minutes? Just two minutes for something completely else?”

“Maybe.”

“Jake.”

“Oh.” Eve had the sudden need to roll her shoulders as if shifting a weight. If there was trouble between the reporter and the rock star, what the hell could she do about it?

“Look, Nadine, if something’s gone wrong there—”

“No! Everything’s right. It’s just so right. It’s terrifying, and wonderful. I’ve loved other men before, but never been in love, and it’s different. For him, too. For both of us. Together.”

She pressed a hand to her belly. “I get the jitters. Nobody ever gave me the jitters before. I like it. Am I supposed to like it?”

“Maybe” was the best Eve could do.

“I thought it would be easy once we said the word. Theloveword. But once you do, it’s right there. Before you do, it’s this is fun, it’s great, it’s interesting and exciting. It’s amazing sex.”

“I don’t want to hear about the sex.”

“I’m not going to talk to you about the sex.”

“Okay then.”

In her sky-high heels, Nadine turned a circle.

“I’m crazy in love with him, and I didn’t expect it. I wasn’t looking for it. But now I have it, and I want it. I want to keep it. He’s moving in with me.”

“Oh, well, good?”

“It is, it is.” Now Nadine paced in her green spikes. “He was practically living there before. And he’s got his place with the recording studio, and he’ll keep that. He travels, I travel. Sometimes we can coordinate that, but it’s all good if not.”

“And the problem is?”

With a hand to her heart, Nadine pivoted. “What if I screw it up? How do you not screw it up?”

“I screw it up all the time.”

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