Page 77 of Nothing to Beat

Did he have to bring up her father like that?Her whole “complicated” explanation put that to bed, didn’t it?She didn’t want the pus from her tormented mental wounds to rain on anyone.

“Is your father in LA?”Carolyn asked.

Oh, great, so that mention hadn’t dashed by unnoticed.Had he honestly expected it would?This was the number one subject she wanted to avoid.

“I hope not, I don’t speak with him or follow his calendar.”Now she sounded defensive again.“It’s a complicated situation.”

Carolyn knew who she was, who she really was, without her mother’s maiden name.They’d been a part of each other’s lives sporadically, more so at family events or social situations when she was with Breck.As for sitting down and pouring it all out, yeah, she didn’t have the energy for that.Or time!Time, time, time.

“We’re going to be late, Stat,” she said, tapping at an invisible watch.“If you want to stay here with your mom—”

“No.”Breck stood, straightening his slacks and his cuffs.Jeans and a tee-shirt would have been inappropriate, yes.Was it any more appropriate that he was wearing a tie?Showed the rest of them up.The “rest of them” being her.“Given you don’t know where the meeting is, since our change of venue, I think it’s important I tag along.”

Hmm, yeah, match point.

“Do you have to wear a tie?”she asked, wrapping her fingers around it when he reached her side.“You do the whole sexy bossman thing, I’ll forget our purpose.”

His mom was in the room.Did that matter?Throughout the duration of their relationship, Alice Breckenridge had seen, and heard, her do or say much worse with her son.

“Yes, I have to wear a tie.You didn’t drink your coffee.”

Observant, wasn’t he?

“I got enough coffee this morning.”

Okay and the way she’d said that made it seem like she wasn’t talking about java.Something about him being close to her melted her bones.She was maybe supposed to be mad at him… why was that again?

He looked to his mother.“Do you want me to wake Tripp before I leave?”

Good question.Better Breck go in there and find whatever carnage Tripp brought back from the club last night, than his mother witness any horrors.Plus, Tripp slept naked, and no relative wanted to see that.The woman might have changed his diapers, but he’d changed a whole lot since then… she’d suppose, and didn’t want to imagine.When the choice was him or his mother, Breck would take one for the team.Tripp would probably prefer his brother do the waking too.All the Breckenridge men adored Alice, few other women got a second look when it came to their maternal dedication.

“No, I’ll just—”

“Mr.Breckenridge?”

Their butler’s voice brought them all around.Usually when someone addressed that name, there was a cornucopia of people available to answer to it.This time, there was only one.

Breck stepped up.“Is there a problem?”

“You have a guest,” the butler said.

Another one?What the hell?Had they brought Times Square with them?Their unplanned trip was supposed to be discreet.You know, secret, unknown.They’d been failing on that from before they even touched down.She wasn’t used to being so popular.Except, hmm, okay, maybe Breck was the exception; he didn’t really count as a guest.

“Bring them in.”Breck’s impatience was appreciated.Maybe now he was getting her persistence about the hour.“We don’t have a lot of time.”

As the butler retreated, she spun around to Breck.“We don’t have time at all.”

“The meeting is in the building, Coy, relax.There’s no travel time.”He stroked her cheek.“And they want this as much as we do.No one’s walking away.”

It was supposed to set their relationship free; the fact Ackley and his cohorts would relish the win was a bonus.But Breck was right, that did keep the power balance teetering.Except, who cared?This wasn’t business.She didn’t care who blinked first or who had more power.This wasn’t a negotiation that ended with zeroes on a check, this was so much more important.Of all people, Breck should understand that.

“And I thought our Grand Hotel was fancy…”

Her jaw relaxed as back she went and… “Porter.”She couldn’t believe it.Couldn’t explain it.Didn’t even have a guess as to… “What are you doing here?”

“You tell me, Ms.Gambatto.What am I doing here?”

TWENTY-SEVEN

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