Page 63 of Breaking the Ice

Samantha waited until they hit the street before turning on Bec. “What are you doing?”

Walking at pace, Bec didn’t waste time pretending she didn’t know what Samantha was talking about. “Someone has to give you two a little push.”

“No. They don’t. Nick and I are only temporary. Temporarily at Birdie’s. Temporarily working in a bookshop. We both have other bigger things waiting for us. We’re… friends and there’s zero point complicating that.”

“Apart from the fact the man is utterly gorgeous. He kissed you in an alley and ravaged you in an elevator. Even if you don’t end up together youhaveto have birthday sex with him.”

“Why? Because my bossy older sister said so?”

“No.” Bec bugged her eyes. “For the sheer heck of it.”

“That’s not a reason.”

“Okay, how about… so you can tell your grandkids about your best birthday present ever.”

“Well firstly,ewwwand secondly, I actually have to havechildrenfirst, remember?”

“Despite what your eggs are telling you, there’s plenty of time for that. But Nick’s only here until September. Don’t let him get away without having some fun. You’ll only regret it. Now” – she marched on with purpose – “c’mon, I made reservations at a wine bar, I could murder a Chardonnay.”

“It’s barely midday,” Samantha muttered, tripping along in her heels.

“It’s five o’clockeverywhereon your birthday, babe.”

A point which Bec went on to prove as they shared a bottle over a long boozy lunch then indulged in two Margaritas each during a chick flick at the cinema. By the time the Uber pulled up outside Birdie’s at the allotted time, Samantha was fizzing. When she spied Nick dressed casually in olive-green chinos and a funky paisley button-down, the fizz turned to a dirty kind of hum coming directly from her eggs.

Not even threatening them with a contraceptive implant hushed the noise.

“Mmm, that is one fine specimen of man,” Bec said, blatantly ogling Nick.

Yup. He was. Every woman with a pulse walking by agreed. Including a cute redhead who stopped to fangirl, produced a pen for him tosign the front of her T-shirtthen cozied up to him for a selfie. An intense feeling of possession rose like a vanquishing army and Samantha had to grip the seat to stop herself from storming out of the vehicle and pulling Nick away.

A minute later he climbed into the front of the Uber like people’s adulation was just a normal part of his day and greeted the driver before turning to smile at her and asking about their day. She knew it was a good thing he wasn’t some awful conceited jock who felt himself too good for his fans, and she’d definitely seen that in the shop, but his life was a little too surreal for her liking.

Bec chatted away about their birthday adventures and Samantha let her. Her sister was good at small talk which was handy considering she wasn’t able to string two words together at the moment. Between the buzz, the hum and that streak of possession, she was a little nonplussed.

But, with the first glass of wine and Bec’s entertaining chatter with the wait staff, Samantha soon relaxed. Add to that the fact that neither BecnorNic batted an eyelid when she asked for the dessert menu first and she was in birthday heaven.

“I’ve got a cake from Martha’s Teahouse at my apartment,” Nick said as she perused the sweet treats on offer. “We could have dessert there?”

“Oh yes.” Bec clapped her hands. “That sounds perfect,” she gushed and Samantha shot her adown,girllook.

An hour later, Nick watched Samantha trek through the restaurant to the bathroom. He couldn’t remember an evening of late when he’d had this much fun and he’d been wined and dineda lot. But so many of those events felt performative where this felt real. Real food – simple but perfectly cooked. Real company – not there because of who he was or what he might offer. Real conversation orchestrated by a true maestro.

Bec told outrageous stories about Samantha as a little girl and got him telling some of his childhood stories with six older brothers and the nagging, lingering awkwardness from the elevator he hadn’t been able todateaway, finally evaporated as they all laughed and talked.

He hadn’t seen Samantha quite this loose and easy and he liked it. Almost as much as he liked how her hips swayed and the way her dress slid enticingly over all her curves. He sure as shithad no regrets canceling his date. He’d only been dating in an attempt to distract himself from the elevator incident, anyway.

“Okay, Nick. What’s going on with you two?”

Nick laughed as he returned his attention to Bec. “You’re a straight talker, huh?”

Bec grinned. “I’m a mom of four, I don’t have time for softly-softly.”

While he appreciated Bec’s style, he wasn’t quite sure how to answer. Or if Samantha would appreciate him talking about this to her sister. “We’re friends,” he hedged.

“Oh please.” She swatted his flimsy answer away with her hand. “Do you not see how hot she looks in that dress?”

“I did notice, yes. In fact” – he grinned – “I must thank you for removing that dress from my sight today. It was a little distracting.” Which was the fucking understatement of the year. He’d spent all morning wondering if he pulled the bow, would the whole dress just fall off her?

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