Page 63 of Courting Gossip (Courting)
Darien nodded. Brody returned the gesture, but he wasn’t comfortable. He didn’t like people in his private space, and he especially didn’t like drop-ins. The situation was way too exposing. Not only were he and Genieve not dressed for guests, he didn’t like strangers poking around his life.
Yet when he saw Darien wrap his arm around Rielle’s waist, he knew this wasn’t a matter of competition. It was a matter of protection.
He could appreciate that.
He closed the door and locked it.
‘Sorry to just pop in like this,’ Rielle said. ‘Nina wanted this contract signed as soon as possible, but…it looks like the two of you decided you don’t need it?’
Brody stiffened. Together, he and Genieve were wearing barely enough clothes for one. For someone who specialised in putting up fronts, the feeling of being exposed was intolerable. He didn’t like people analysing and judging, and, if tough guy Darien didn’t stop looking at Genieve’s legs, they were going to get into it.
Genieve glanced up at him, a hopeful look in her eyes, but then her lips flattened.
He’d missed something there.
‘We negotiated terms,’ she said crisply. ‘We just got started early.’
He struggled not to flinch. Was that how calmly they discussed these things? In the office, was it so orderly and matter-of-fact? They were talking about sex here. What he and Genieve had done all afternoon was nobody’s business but theirs.
Rielle shifted uncomfortably. ‘I tried to call, but nobody answered. I got nervous.’
‘Sorry,’ Genieve said. ‘I’m still not used to that phone. I tried to pick a ringtone, but I might have muted it. Or it might have fallen under the be –bureau.’
Brody said nothing. If the phone had rung, he hadn’t heard it. He didn’t even know if it had been in the room.
‘I could have dropped by the office for the contracts,’ he said. They were taking a chance coming here like this. He’d tucked Genieve away for a reason.
‘It’s not a problem,’ Darien said, once again looking like the Rock of Gibraltar. ‘Rielle wanted to check on how things were going.’
And make sure her friend was safe? Brody fumed. She was safe with him. He wasn’t as sure about her safety at Luxxor.
He held out his hand. ‘She’s good. We’ll sign now, and you can take Nina back her copy.’
‘Oh, Brody,’ Genieve said. ‘Do they have to go so soon?’
He looked into her crestfallen face. She had been going stir-crazy out here alone. He’d given her a backup phone, but it wasn’t the same – especially if her friends couldn’t get through.
Rielle gestured towards Darien. ‘It might have been presumptuous, but we brought food.’
The guy was carrying plastic bags. The scent of Chinese food wafted through the foyer. On cue, Genieve’s stomach let out a growl. She’d missed lunch because she’d been angry with him.
‘Please, Brody. Can they stay? I want to hear all the latest.’
He relented. When she looked at him like that, he couldn’t say no. He was a loner, but she needed to be social. Nina had warned him, and he could deal with her friends. Her work was becoming a more bitter pill to swallow.
‘It’s probably a good idea to get caught up.’ He pointed down the hallway. ‘The kitchen’s that way. Just give us a minute, and we’ll join you.’
The moment he got Genieve to the safety of the hallway, she bounced up and planted a hot kiss on his lips. ‘Thank you.’
‘Don’t thank me,’ he muttered. ‘Death by Chinese food would have been embarrassing.’
She laughed. ‘Darien’s not that bad.’
‘Just put on something modest,’ he said. Her friend might have the guy on a leash, but there was no need to put a steak in front of a wild dog.
Uneasy with strangers in his house, Brody quickly put on a white shirt and shoes. Not formal, but not as casual as he’d been with Genieve here alone. He was rolling up his sleeves when he passed the guest bedroom and heard female voices. Rielle had apparently joined Genieve for some girl chat, leaving him alone with…
Great. The Terminator.
