Page 73 of Nothing to Beat

Didn’t that just shake loose the abs distraction.“Change it?Why would you—I don’t want to change it.How long do you expect us to be in LA?I won’t take advantage of your father’s kindness indefinitely.First, he loses you, then you drag his wife across the country because of me.”

“Breckenridge will survive without us.”

“I don’t want it to survive without us, I want it to survive with us, to need us.”

“Okay,” he said, and came to rest his hands on her shoulders without doing a great job of hiding how he enjoyed her being overwrought.“Calm down.I wasn’t suggesting we should delay the meeting.We’ll change the location.Have him come here.”

His logic made sense in the face of her argument but… “Are you sure that’s a great idea with Roxie—she’s paying for the suite and—”

“It’s Bastian’s hotel, no one is paying for anything.”

That wasn’t the soundest business model, probably why she always forgot it.They didn’t pay for things because the families went way back.As for Roxie, she probably paid in the past, before her introduction to Bastian.Though… Zairn knew him, so maybe she hadn’t.Did anyone pay for anything?How did these billionaires make money or stay rich when they gave so much away?

“Still wouldn’t be polite to bring Ackley into her personal space.”

“We can do it downstairs, in another room or suite.Or I’ll talk to Roxanna and—”

“Why doesn’t she like Bastian?”

“Why doesn’t she—I have no idea.What makes you think she doesn’t like him?”

“I think she’s okay with him now, but when we introduced them she seemed, I don’t know… wary.I’m curious.”

“Ask Tripp.”

Yeah, that would be a better idea except they hadn’t been alone long enough for it to come up.It couldn’t be like she was too eager to pry.

But while on the subject of unknown information… “You didn’t tell me Bastian and Robyn split up.”

“Does it upset you?You were never fond of her.”

“She didn’t care about Bastian.They were together but, she was cold, Bastian deserves better than cold; he’s not cold.And there was no equality, it was always him running around after her.”

“Darroch runs around after Savanna, you have no objection to her.None you’ve voiced to me.”

Her head dropped to the side.“You only have to look at them together to know she’s as besotted by him as he is by her.You notice it more from the guy side because he’s your brother.”

“She needed a lot of coaxing to accept the lifestyle.Still does.”

“And she loves your brother in spite of that.”

Breck’s brows rose.“In spite of him being rich?It’s hardly a failing.”

“Money doesn’t excuse all sins.Not everyone is comfortable with it.Roxie wasn’t, sometimes still isn’t, she just hides it better.”

“It will be interesting to see how that plays out at the wedding.”

“Because it will be a big, grand show?No expense spared?That’s for the people, the fans, not for her.Her best friend, Jane, organized the whole thing because she likes that sort of thing.Weddings and bows, and… the pretty, fluffy things.I think if it was down to Roxie and Zairn themselves, they’d have eloped.”

“Not easy to elope when you have such recognizable faces.”

“There’s something romantic about it, isn’t there?”she asked, skimming her arms around him to hold herself close.Of course that meant her head went back and the slow moistening of his lips betrayed how he liked lording over the view.“They’re so well known, the world think they know them, but they still hold something of themselves back.”

“Is that what you want now?Fame?”

“Good God, no.”Which he knew.“We’re not that different to them, if you think about it.Everyone knows we’re together, they just don’t… know.”

“They don’t understand.”

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