Page 23 of One Hot Deal

"You just swore again," the girl says with a grin.

"The word ruddy is not swearing."Diana swats her niece's bottom."Go.Now."

Pippa skips over to the stairs while grinning, pauses to glance back at us, then hurries up to the top floor.

I walk over to Diana and lean my hip against the island beside her."Why didn't you ever mention that you have a niece?"

"Because that's part of my private life.I keep her away from business dealings."

"How long has Pippa been away at boarding school?"

She eyes me sideways."What does that matter?"

"I'd like to know, that's all.You can tell me to shut my mouth and I will.But I'd like us to be friends, considering what I've agreed to do for you.And friends share stuff."

Diana shuts her eyes and exhales a long sigh."I sent Pippa away three months ago."

"Right before you hired my company to protect you?"

She nods.

"You told me at the time that you didn't have any threats against yourself, that you only wanted bodyguards just in case."

"That's true."

I move closer to her."But you sent your niece to boarding school."

"Not because I feared for her safety."

"Why, then?"

She bites the inside of her lip, just like I saw Pippa do, and wraps her arms around herself."I didn't want—I believed boarding school would be good for her."

That's bullshit, I'm sure.But she doesn't want to tell me, not yet, and I won't push too hard today.I want to know where Pippa's parents are, but I won't push about that either.Those questions can wait.Diana is clearly frazzled by her niece's sudden appearance.Her confusion is cute.

Yeah, feeling that way probably makes me an ass.But I swear she's never seemed more likable than she does now.The tough-as-nails shell has cracked.

Pippa comes skipping down the stairs.

I've never seen anyone do that.How the kid can skip down those steps without falling is beyond me.

She halts in front of us."We could all make bangers and mash together.Doesn't that sound like fun?"

"Yes, pet," Diana says, though she doesn't sound enthusiastic about the idea.Her slumped posture matches her tone of voice."Let's do that."

I lean toward Diana and whisper, "She meant the three of us, you know."

"Yes, I know," she hisses out of the corner of her mouth.

Pippa skips around the island and stops at the fridge."Come on, you guys, hurry up.I'm ready to pass out from starvation."

I study Diana's sweats, then examine what Pippa is wearing.And I can't help chuckling."You two have matching outfits."

Diana thrusts herself away from the island and scowls at me."It was Pippa's idea."

She stalks around the island to the fridge and helps Pippa gather what we need.

I amble over there and start hunting around for a frying pan inside the cabinets.

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