Page 17 of Best In Class
“I think I need to eat at least three more to be honest about how I feel.” Lia grabs a gougère and pops it into her mouth.
I snort. “Gimme.”
Mira smiles broadly and holds up a plate. I take one and eat it, and then another. “These are terrific.”
“Lots of cheddar, a little bit of Indian spices,” Mira declares proudly.
“Question,” I ask all the women, “Are Diego and Nina dating?”
Aurora nods thoughtfully. “He says they are, she says they’re friends.”
“He’s so smitten,” Mira says, amused.
“The other day, I saw her hair all mussed up after he left her office,” Lia adds to the gossip.
“Does Sam know?” I sit next to Aurora.
Nina’s ex, Samuel Brennan, is an asshole of the highest order. When she divorced him and dragged his adultery into court, it caused a full-blown scandal in Savannah—one Sam still hasn’t forgiven her for. If Sam finds out she’s in a relationship, that too with a younger man who looks hot as hell, he’s going to lose his damn mind.
Thankfully, their daughter, Bianca, is old enough now to see through her father’s bullshit. And even though Nina will saw off her own tongue with a rusty knife before saying one bad word about Sam to her daughter, Bianca isn’t stupid. She knows exactly what’s what. She loves her father, but she knows who he is.
Aurora shrugs. “Savannah is a small town, and Diego isn’t exactly being discreet.”
Lia nods in agreement. “He told Sebastian that he was in love with Nina.”
My heart warms for my friend. Nina deserves all the happiness in the world. She’s an amazing woman, boss, mother, friend…and she should have a man with her who worships her, not Sam fucking Brennan who cheated on her throughout their marriage.
What is it with men not being able to control their pecker?
CHAPTER 5
Dom
Mama’s house sits on Luna’s estate in Ardsley Park, one of Savannah’s oldest and most elegant neighborhoods. Tucked among tree-lined streets and historic homes, her cottage looks like something out of a magazine—white shutters, a wide porch, and hanging ferns swaying in the warm Georgia breeze. Cozy, elegant, and full of life—just like her.
Luna had it built three years ago, on a parcel of land she bought in Ardsley, far from the cold marble halls of the Steele estate.
A fresh start. Clean lines. Her life, her rules.
Mama has her own full staff, a garden she rules like a monarch, and a kitchen that smells like cinnamon and sass.
“It’s been raining! So, shoes off at the door,” she calls as I step inside Luna’s kitchen where she spends a good part of her day. “Unless you’ve forgotten how to behave.”
“I never knew how,” I say, toeing off my sneakers.
“Hmm.” She doesn’t look up from the stove. “Explains everything.”
She’s making sweet tea and frying something that smells like home. Her silver-streaked hair is tied up in a scarf, and she’s still wearing the earrings I got her for her sixtieth birthday.
The minute I could afford it, I wanted her away from the Steele estate, from working, but she wasn’t going to leave Luna. She’s also not going to sit around twiddling her thumbs,soshe works, but I know Luna has hired enough help for Mama, so she’s well taken care of.
Mama raised me, but she also raised Lev and Luna. They love her as much as I do. She loves them as she does me. It’s a bond the three of us share—my mother.
“You look good, Mama.”
She turns. “You look tired.”
“I’ve been working.”
