Page 304

I smiled because she was probably right.

There was something absurdly pleasurable about being spoiled without anyone attaching a price to the kindness afterward. Lachlan liked buying things for me. Lacey had told me Nik was the same. Scarlett claimed Lucian could turn purchasing a pair of shoes into an act of organized crime if someone told him the right size was unavailable.

Apparently powerful men became very determined when faced with retail inconvenience.

“What are yours doing tonight?” I asked.

Scarlett shook her head, half amused and half annoyed. “Lucian won’t tell me anything. I asked whether we were all doing something together, and he said, ‘Absolutely not. I have no intention of sharing you with anyone after dinner.’”

Lacey snorted.

“I thought it was romantic.”

“It is romantic,” Lacey said. “It’s also Lucian informing the entire world that he expects sex.”

“He doesn’t have to inform anyone. I already know,” Scarlett said, bouncing her eyebrows.

They both laughed.

My cheeks warmed, but not because this type of conversation embarrassed me anymore. A few weeks ago, I probably would have sat quietly and listened while two women talked about their husbands’ sex lives. Now I knew exactly what it was like to have a large Irishman decide sleep was less important than finding another way to make me come.

I took a sip of champagne.

Lacey watched me over the rim of her glass. “What?”

“Nothing.”

“That smile says otherwise.”

“It was a private thought.”

“Those are usually the best kind,” Scarlett said.

I considered preserving some dignity, then decided I’d spent enough of my life doing that.

“I was thinking Lachlan probably plans to spend considerably more time between my legs than sleeping tonight.”

Scarlett grinned. “See? Much better than keeping it to yourself.”

Lacey leaned back, pleased. “I like getting dressed up and going somewhere beautiful, but sometimes I honestly want to skip the heels and makeup and spend the entire evening in bed being thoroughly worshipped by Nik’s mouth and hands.”

Scarlett sighed. “That sounds lovely.”

“It is.”

I laughed. “Is death by orgasm actually possible?”

“I have no idea,” Lacey said. “But if I have to go, that seems like an excellent option.”

Scarlett lifted her champagne glass. “To dying happy.”

I tapped mine against hers.

Somewhere between the champagne, ridiculous conversation, and the fact that no one in the room needed anything from me, an odd little realization settled quietly into place.

I had girlfriends.

Actual girlfriends.