Page 85 of Diamonds & Deception

“Full disclosure.” I give her a long, tender kiss. “The feeling’s mutual.”

I move off her before I make it completely impossible to leave. After a quick shower, I change into dress slacks and a dark gray button-down, completely aware of Nora’s appreciative, watchful eyes.

“You getting dressed is almost as sexy as you getting undressed.”

“We can agree to disagree. You getting undressed is the sexiest sight I can see. And you screaming my name in the throes of passion is the sexiest sound I’ve ever heard.”

“If you keep talking like this, you’re going to have a pretty impressive bulge behind your zipper all day at work.”

I kiss her one more time and stand. “I promise not to keep you locked in my gilded cage for too long. Will you stay inside again today? It won’t be for long. I already let Daisy out earlier and will send someone by in a bit to bring her out again.”

“You let her out already?”

“You sleep like a log. Even snore a little.”

“I do not.” She tosses a pillow at me.

“I had to kiss you until you stopped. It was either that or smother you with this.” I chuck the pillow back at her.

She gives me a shy smile. “I had a wonderful time last night.”

“There’s more where that came from. Text me if you need anything. I—”love youalmost slips from my lips. The words don’t come easily. Hell, my mother and I rarely use them, not even when I was little.

Yet, with Nora, they seem natural.

“I’ll check in with you and Daisy in a bit.” I give her a wink and leave her naked and gorgeous in the middle of my bed.

I rap my knuckles on the penthouse next door and use my universal key card to let myself in. Nolan, Trey, and Ryder are sitting at the dining room table, each with their computer in front of them. I didn’t think to bring mine.

“You and Nora. You two good?” Nolan asks.

I can’t help my goofy grin. “Yeah. We’re good.”

“Fuck. Knew it.” Ryder says with pride.

Trey and Nolan each take out a ten spot and whip it at him.

“I didn’t say we were getting married.”

“We had another side bet going on.”

“About my sex life?” I smack Ryder upside the back of his head.

“It was lack-there-of for quite some time. Figured once you got back in the saddle, even falling off a time or two last week, you’d be back in it in no time.”

“Thanks for your vote of confidence. Just out of curiosity, was the bet about me getting laid in general or about getting back with Nora?”

I narrow my eyes at Ryder, then Trey and Nolan.

“For the record, I put my money on Nora.”

Ryder convulses in his chair. “Dude. This is me getting run over by your freakin’ bus.”

“If you’re done being a dumbass,” Nolan groans. “Can we get this over with?”

“Please. I didn’t leave a warm, naked woman in my bed for your teenage sense of humor.”

“Your princess doesn’t need to stay locked in your castle any longer.” Nolan turns his laptop and slides it over to me.

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