Page 47 of Gilded Desires

“You knew they were going to be here. Not just tonight but this whole week.”

I lean forward. Busted.

“That’s the real reason you wanted me here, isn’t it?”

The mood shifts from casual to tense. “You are always talking about wanting a family. I happen to know something and I’ve been waiting to see if the chemistry between you guys would work. And now I think I have my answer.”

I didn’t do any matching, despite appearances, but she doesn’t need to know that. While I believe in kismet, Sapphire is less inclined toward the magic and mystery of fate.

That’s okay. She has me.

She licks the salt from her lips contemplating me from under thick falsies and perfectly dolled-up eyes. “Like some cupid?” she quips.

“Not really. I just played the cards in front of me.” I lean across the table and lower my voice. “Hear me out, okay? A couple of the women who handle club contracts between members were talking in the dressing room and I overheard that all three men of the Southern Alliance are looking for a breeder.”

Sapphire’s face blanches. I can practically see images of cribs, bottles, and onesies flashing across her mind. But her words say she’s lost. “Come again?”

I gesture with my hands over my belly. “You know.” I make a baby bump gesture. “A breeder. Someone to have their baby under contract.”

Her face says: “Yep. That’s what I thought you said.”

“You are not serious. You didn’t talk to them about me, did you?”

Her face reddens and I can tell she’s worried. I grab her hand and squeeze it.

“No, silly.”

She sighs and in goes a healthy gulp of her margarita.

“Let’s start over. Hi, I’m Sapphire. Have you seen my cousin? She’s about this tall, cute, plump ass in a skin-tight white strapless dress. Love in her eyes and is always happy. It’s annoying really. I’ve seemed to have lost her and found a nosy blonde trying to get me killed instead.”

I roll my eyes dramatically. “Cute ass, huh? Okay, I’ll take that.” I tap my phone. “I can give them your number if you like. Walk over, drop it on their table.” I know my smile turns devilish while her expression is closer to a sheet of paper—completely blank.

“Belle, please don’t get me killed. Your brother is sweet and all, but I don’t want to get on his bad side.”

“Okay, okay. I get it. I know how miserable you are about thinking you owe Harlon. I just wanted to help. Tell me I didn’t see what I obviously saw between you and those men just a minute ago and I’ll drop it.”

“It was nothing.”

“Did I mention it’s a paying job?”

Her brows shoot up. “Paid to get knocked up?”

I wiggle my brows. “Yep.”

She gulps her margarita, tossing the whole thing back letting her cheeks bulge with the liquid.

All the movement of her throat draws my eyes to my cousin’s throat. I suck in a harsh breath out of surprise.

There’s not enough concealer in the world to hide the black and blue marks marring her skin, but she definitely tried.

“Oh my God, Sapphire! What the holy hell happened?” My voice climbs and I can’t stop looking at her throat, bare shoulders, and fingers. “Were you in an accident? Here I was flooding your phone all day with silly selfies and talking babies when you were in trouble and obviously traumatized.” I must have sent her a dozen selfies of me with the men. We’d met over lunch to talk about the show tonight. We’d been happy but there was tension there too. Something was up between Gage and Aziel. Rush filled me in when they went to pay the check. He shared they were at odds about Aziel wanting to leave the military. It was hard not to press for more answers, but those two had no plans of opening up to me on that front.

I sigh and shove the men from my mind, turning my attention back on Sapphire. I weave the fingers of her hand through mine over the table’s polished top. “Tell me. What the hell happened?”

I turn her chin left, noticing the thumbprint on one side and the four fingers on the other.

“Damn, Sapph. Is that a cut, too? Who did this to you?”

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