Page 52 of Secrets of the Forgotten Heir

I rolled my eyes. ‘Do you know any other Frasers?’

‘What the hell were you doing with him? Bea, he is theenemy.’

I sighed. Maddie could be a little black and white at times. ‘He was at Sonny’s and he offered to pay for my drink so that I could go and talk to Jacobson. Actually, he offered to pay for our drinks from this morning and buy me another.’

‘I have a horrible feeling you’re starting to like him,’ Maddie scoffed. She narrowed her eyes. ‘You realise he’s manipulating you, right? He wants to get into this house – and wecannotlet that happen.’

I held my hands up to placate her. ‘I know, I know. We won’t let him in, I promise.’

I’d considered Fraser’s motivation for trying to get close to me, but everything about him felt genuine. The chemistry between us was unreal and you couldn’t fake the rush that I’d felt at his touch. Then there was the smallmatter of me feeling his emotions even when my shields were up: his compassion had swarmed all over me. Still, there was no way I could tell Maddie about any of that because it would open a whole new can of worms.

‘Are you enjoying your new job?’ Maddie changed the subject as she stirred another spoonful of sugar into the hot chocolate.

‘It’s a little more active than Yanni promised. So much for sitting around answering phone calls all day – I’ve barely been at my desk. But I absolutely prefer it that way.’

She lifted two large mugs from the cupboard above her. ‘Any closer to working out who’s behind Warren’s death?’

‘No – but it wasn’t Mrs D. Itcouldn’tbe.’

‘I know, and for what it’s worth I think Yanni knows it too. It’s…’

‘It’s her job,’ I finished for her.

‘Exactly,’ Maddie said. ‘How long have you got before you go back to the station?’

‘I need to be back by seven.’

As she handed me a mug, she grinned. ‘Great. Plenty of time for a midday film while we drink our hot chocolates. What do you think?’

‘Sounds good. I fancy some sort of crime thriller. Something actiony?’

‘Too late,’she said with a smirk. ‘I’ve already picked one.’

I should have known. Maddie loved romantic clichés like a moth loves an open flame – and with about as much self-preservation.

Two grown women curled up under blankets in the middle of the day sipping hot chocolate with marshmallows while we watched a cliché-ridden romcom was ridiculous. Maddie hadn’t managed to get whipped cream for the drinks but I couldn’t hold that against her after she’d picked out all the pink marshmallows for me. Her choice of film, however, Icouldhold against her. And I totally would.

‘I can’t believe you still love these ridiculous movies,’ I said as we watched a couple embrace in the pouring rain after ninety minutes of will-they-won’t-they tension. ‘No kiss in the rain could ever be nice.’ I huffed. ‘That girl’s got cold water running down her spine, soggy socks and a ruined blow-dry. If I were her, I’d be more focused on getting to a radiator than snogging some bloke with suspiciously perfect hair. It’s unrealistic and completely unsexy. Who actually kisses anyone in the rain in real life?’

‘We get it. You’re not a romantic.’ Maddie grimaced. ‘Though I was hoping Ezra might change your mind.’

I threw a cushion at herhead. ‘Will you quit it with the Ezra thing? He’s a great guy but there’s no attraction there, no spark. Not on my side, at least.’

‘You haven’t given him a chance,’ Maddie objected. ‘Maybe you’ll see things differently on Friday.’

I knew that she only wanted me to be happy but I really needed her to see that Ezra and I wasn’t going to happen. ‘Maddie, I’ve got to survive the week first. Let’s see how I feel on Friday.’

‘Fine.’ She sounded crochety. ‘Just as long as you’re not giving him the brush off because you’ve got a crush on our sworn enemy Fraser Banks. Because if you are, I swear on my best tattoo gun that I’ll stage an intervention.’

I didn’t answer. But my stomach did a little flip. I was doomed.

On the floor by our feet Eva was gnawing on a meaty treat that Maddie had given her. It looked rubbery, tough and altogether grim. I didn’t bother asking what kind of animal it came from; my limits for ‘gross’ had shifted dramatically since I’d become a dog owner. Letting Eva chew on a pig’s trotter in my living room? Sure, why not. A knucklebone at the end of the bed? Absolutely.

Maddie’s eyes were already drooping. Considering how early she’d gone to bed the previous night, I foundit difficult to believe she wasn’t getting enough rest. I frowned. ‘Hey, Mads, are you okay? You look shattered.’

‘Yeah, I did a big tattoo session this morning – Shady the vampire. He doesn’t usually bother with them given that he owns a nightclub, but he’s doing a bit of travelling. He wanted to make sure he wasn’t confined to night-time sightseeing. It always takes a bit more out of me than normal when it’s not a regular customer.’

‘You still haven’t explained how you’re doing these tattoos without the Eternal Flame,’ I noted.

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