Page 44 of Fierce- Royce

“We did,” he said. “Coffee okay?”

“It’s good,” she said after she’d just taken a sip. “It hits the spot. I’m glad I’ve got tomorrow off as I’m going to need to go to bed early tonight.”

“You never said if you had any plans which is why I woke you up.”

She was wondering if he wanted her to leave until he said he was hungry and was going to make breakfast, but she wasn’t going to assume she was staying here all day either. That would go against their rules of keeping this a simple booty call.

Though there was nothing simple about what they did last night. She was still a little sore this morning, but no way she was going to complain about it either.

“No plans,” she said. “I had my fill of my family last week. How about you? I can leave right after breakfast, no worries.”

“I have no plans,” he said. “You’re welcome to stay as long as you want.”

It was the grin on his face that had her walking over and leaning up on her toes to kiss him. “So you can have your hands on me again.”

“If you’re willing, then yes,” he said.

“I’m more than willing. And if you want, since you’re cooking me breakfast, if you’ve got anything in your house for me to make us for lunch I can do that for you. Might as well give you something back for what you’re giving me.”

He took the cup out of her hand and lifted her up so that she wrapped her legs around his waist again. “You are giving me plenty, but if you want to stay and cook me dinner I wouldn’t turn that down either.”

She wasn’t going to comment that he changed her lunch to dinner and that would keep her here longer.

She’d sort this all out in her head tomorrow, but today, she was just going to enjoy what she had.

“We’ve got news,”Diane said into the phone. Grant watched as she put it on speaker. They’d just left his brother’s house after a New Year’s Day dinner.

“Don’t tell me that Julia is engaged,” Jolene, the wife of his older brother Gavin, said.

“She is,” Grant said, laughing. “Did we beat you to it with Ivan?”

“Yes,” Jolene said. He could tell his sister-in-law was put out by that too. “I swear that nephew of mine is doing everything on purpose to ruffle my feathers. I thought for sure he’d propose at Christmas to Kendra, but nope. Then last night and even today, but again, nothing.”

“He’s probably continuing to yank your chain,” his wife said.

“I’m sure. You guys did a really good job on this one,” Jolene said.

“There is some tongue and cheek there and you know it,” he said.

“You give her hell,” Gavin said, joining the conversation. “My wife seems to think she has a monopoly on getting people set up.”

“Not this time,” Grant said. “And I’m going to brag because I know I had a bigger hand in it this time. I was there for Flynn when he needed it the most.”

Diane sighed. She’d already yelled at him for rubbing everyone’s face in this for months since he was at Flynn’s office when he’d found out Allen Martin had passed and given Flynn advice. “You’re never going to get tired of saying that, are you?”

“No, I’m not,” he said, puffing his chest out more. “You women think you are controlling it all, but we can help out too.”

He had to tell himself that after he was afraid he might have caused issues with Megan and Jonah. Normally Garrett was the one with the loose lips. He tried to redeem himself by hunting down Royce and Chloe but got nowhere with them either.

“We’ll let you go with this one since things do seem to be going well with Flynn and Julia. And today Flynn said he’d been talking to his siblings a bit more and even Rachel is going to meet them at some point. She was more excited than anyone about the engagement. She came into the party with them because Flynn was afraid she’d announce it before he got there.”

“She’s just excited,” Jolene said. “It should make you feel good about the work we do. So who is next for you guys?”

“I’m still working on Jonah and, well, Grant and Garrett are doing it too. It’s their employee,” Diane said.

“That’s right,” Grant said. “My employee, and Garrett, and I have got this one under control.”

Diane nudged him with her foot and laughed. He’d confessed last night what he’d slipped and said and how Jonah seemed shocked and then not really thrilled. He might have to do some damage control for Megan this week, if he only knew how. Jolene snorted on the other line. “Well then, you’ll have to show us what you’ve got. In the meantime, Happy New Year and may we get an engagement out of Ivan soon. That boy is probably clutching his wallet closed and doesn’t want to buy the ring.”

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