Page 78 of Nothing to Beat

HOW DID SHE explain this?The polite thing to do would be to introduce Porter, except… Who was he?She couldn’t go into detail.The fewer people who knew her connection to Porter, the better.If she went the other way… dropping Roxie in it wouldn’t be fair.So who was, Porter, their surprise guest, supposed to be exactly…?

“Uh…”

“Mom—”

“What a thing to wake up to…” Roxie’s voice cut Breck’s off and got everyone’s attention.“I’ve told you, Porter, how many times, you have to get over me.We’re over.You’re poor.Move on…”

That could be meant as a joke… or not.Breck had stepped in valiantly, which was a testament to his honor because, as far as she knew, the two men had never met.His attempts to introduce Porter would be more strained than hers.

Roxie had joined them at exactly the right moment.In a man’s shirt, legs bare, the brunette scooped up her tousled hair to toss it down her back.

“RoRo—”

“Do we need to have another conversation?”Roxie marched on over to grab Porter’s cuff.He wasn’t wearing a tie.If Porter didn’t need a tie, why did Breck?“Come with me and don’t say another word.”

Good.Roxie saved the day.And that was a stretch of friendship.The beauty dragged Porter back the way she’d come and, presumably, into her bedroom.Not somewhere an affianced woman should be taking an ex-boyfriend only a day after the groom-to-be was accused of having his own affair.

“Oh, that poor man,” Carolyn said like she was buying it.“He must love her dearly.”

“Not easy for any man to compete with Zairn Lomond.”

Was Alice duped too?It didn’t feel nice to misdirect such a kind and generous woman.

Her eyes met Breck’s.

“I should go and check they’re okay.”

Her feet were already taking her backwards.Breck didn’t say anything; what could he say?What she wanted him to do was get rid of the matriarchs.How exactly could she request he do that without offending them or tantalizing suspicions?

Backwards, backwards.At the last second, she spun to hurry into the hallway to Roxie’s bedroom.

“…crazy person showing up here…” Roxie’s voice snapped her trajectory to the closet.“What did you think that was going to achieve?”

“I was told to come here.”

Porter was just inside the closet while Roxie was further inside dragging a comb through her lush hair.

“Who told you to come here, Porter?”Sequoia asked, incidentally announcing her presence with the question.“Do you mean to California or specifically up to the suite?You can’t do that, show up where I am.People don’t know we know each other.Haven’t you ever heard of discretion?It’s something a man in your profession should understand.”

Roxie waved the comb in agreement.“See, listen to the woman, that’s what I said.”

“Even if you didn’t care about blowing my cover, what about Roxie?”she asked Porter.“Did you even consider what Zairn would think?”

The comb dropped to Roxie’s side.“Zairn?Why would he care?”

“We used to sleep together, you know,” Porter said like Roxie had to be reminded.The brunette’s expression morphed to enjoyment, no concern for miles.“I think she’s implying this rendezvous could be a rekindling of the flame, RoRo.”

“You think he might be threatened by you?By any man?Have you met Zairn Lomond?My Casanova?”

“The guy was accused of having his own affair yesterday.”

Turning around, Roxie propped herself against the vanity.“So you think maybe you saw your chance and showed up to win me back?Oh, or that I called you to come here and get revenge?”Roxie perked up so bright, she bounced on her tiptoes.“Oh my God, that’s what the press will think… How exciting!”Looking this way and that, the woman didn’t find whatever she sought.“We’re in LA, we need Crosby.Where’s Tripp’s cellphone?”

“With Tripp, probably,” Porter said.“And I already talked to Zairn.He’s the only guy I know still working at that time like it’s four in the afternoon.Do you think I was getting on a plane without checking this was for real?Don’t get many calls at four a.m.demanding I get my ass on a plane to LA.I wasn’t going anywhere without verification.”

“Instead of calling me, the woman you used to screw, you called my lover?”

“Says the woman attempting to steal other men’s cellphones.How was I supposed to get in touch with the woman I used to screw when she doesn’t have a working number?”

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