Page 10 of Full Mountie

The first thing I do when I arrive at Centre Block the next morning is head to the PM’s office. Beth is already at her desk.

Her eyes go wide with surprise when she sees me stalk through the doorway.

I give her a terse smile. “Morning.”

That’s all I can say right now, and we both know it.

Her lips part. Fuck me, now I know what they taste like, and I want another hungry go at her more than anything else in the world. I’m not a coward, but I am weak. I let my gaze linger on her mouth until she purses her lips disapprovingly. Then I jerk my eyes back up to meet hers.

Right. The whole point of me marching in here was to show that what happened last night didn’t affect our working relationship. Or, I hope, our friendship, but that might be wishful thinking.

I’ve already reviewed Gavin’s schedule for the day, so I know he’s got a few minutes before his morning briefing, and I have a message that he needs to talk to me at some point today. I’m just not sure if now is a good time, and Beth holds that magic bit of information. “Can I steal five minutes with him?”

She tips her head to the side and gives me a wary look. “Depends what it’s about.”

It’s not about firing a certain member of my security staff who also got to kiss Beth last night. I get hot under the collar again. Yeah. Very weak. I’m both pissed and turned on.

“It’s about his wedding,” I say through gritted teeth.

“Ah!” Her entire expression lightens, like she’s grateful we’re able to move past last night, too. “Right. I have a note here from the hotel for you…” She reaches across her desk and grabs a light purple file folder. She hands it over, her eyes now twinkling, and relief washes over me.

“Purple?”

She nods pertly. “Lavenderis the wedding colour. So I bought special file folders for the occasion.”

“You’re enjoying this.” A reluctant smile tugs at my mouth. God, I want to say so much more. Tell her how confused I am, how wrong I know it was to kiss her when she’s decided to date Hugh.

I don’t think he’s going to be good enough for her, but she’s right—she can handle herself and she’s going into whatever it is with him with her eyes wide open.

“You wearing the wedding coordinator tiara?” She blinks up at me innocently. “What’s not enjoyable about that?”

“I’m coordinating logistics from a security perspective.”

She nods sagely. “For sure. I think today’s topic is whether or not they need an east coast food item on the menu since they have B.C. salmon and Alberta beef.”

Fuck me. I take a deep breath. “What time is the conference call with the actual wedding coordinators in Squamish?”

She beams. “Noon. So you’ve got lots of time to talk to both Gavin and Ellie about this and round up some ideas.”

“This wasn’t what I was expecting this to be about.”

Another nod. “I know. When Gavin said he needed someone to handle this, though…”

“You didn’t want to do it?” I regret the words the second they’re out of my mouth.

She doesn’t have a big reaction. She doesn’t need to. Beth is a master at subtle shade. She’d never make a scene outside the prime minister’s office, so she knows how to smoothly and politely shut people down.

She reaches for a pen, one with a clicky top, and flicks her thumb against the button. “You’d best go in,” she says, no longer looking at me. “He’s expecting you.”

“Beth…”

Her hair is neatly tucked behind her ears this morning, smooth and shiny. She reaches up and pretends to tuck one side again. Then she straightens the lapels on her jacket. She’s wearing a suit today, pants and jacket over a buttoned-down men’s-style shirt. Like she knew she’d need armour today. Maybe she couldn’t have anticipated I’d come in here and make a jackass suggestion about her being a woman and more wedding-interested, but after last night, I’ve definitely shown my hand, and it’s not welcome.

She wasn’t wrong. She’d needed that armour because I’d trounced all over the perfectly acceptable boundaries she’d worked so hard to construct.

“I’m sorry,” I say quietly, leaning in. “That was stupid of me.”

She glances up at me, and her glittering hazel eyes soften. “Maybe you had other things on your mind and forgot not to be sexist,” she whispers.

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