“My pleasure.”
The warm night air envelops us as we stroll down the long path paved with waves of cobblestones to the guesthouse in silence.
A movement catches my eye.
A woman with short blonde hair lurks in front of a window of the mansion’s top floor.
I tip my head in greeting.
She returns the favor and smiles.
“Your friend is watching us,” I say.
Her eyes shoot up to the house and she waves.
Her friend waves back.
“Right before leaving the restaurant, I texted Keira to tell her I was on my way,” Michaela says.
“We’ve talked about this before, but she’s trustworthy, right?”
“You have nothing to worry about,” Michaela says. “Keira is a friend, not a foe. She’s on my team. She knows what the Villiers Grand means to me.”
“Good. I’m sure she’s going to have a lot of questions for you tomorrow morning?—”
“Keira sure is going to give me the third degree.” She laughs.
I chuckle.
We stop in front of the guesthouse.
I turn to face her. “You were fantastic tonight. You handled Payne Meldrum with such finesse. I was awestruck. I would’ve chewed him up, but you pulled out the kinder, gentle side of him. I didn’t even know he had one.”
“It wasn’t too much? I mean, after all, I kind of lied about the rings.”
“It was over-the-top, but you had me convinced.”
“Phoenix’s Prodigious Phallus?” She flashes me a cocky grin. “That’s quite the title. Is it a myth?”
There are so many devious ways I could answer that question, but I decide to be good. “I’m going to leave that one alone.”
Michaela cocks an eyebrow. “Are you going to leave me guessing?”
I could put an end to the suspense by unzipping my pants, pulling them down with my boxer briefs, and showing her theproof, but that might be pushing the envelope. Not to mention, my mother raised me right.
I weigh my words.
“Is that your way of saying you changed your mind and you’re no longer stuck on us entering a sexless marriage?”
She looks me up and down, stopping at my crotch. “Regardless ifit’sonlya myth, it’s a catchy nickname.”
Oh, she’s asking for it.
I narrow my gaze at her.
She responds with a broad smile.
She’s good at poking the bear.
