Page 54 of Trap ’N’ Trace

“Oh, right.” Penny slipped past him, intentionally brushing her upper arm against his chest. “I forgot, Kat, that you have a bodyguard.”

Kat rolled her eyes, something that was happening with increasing frequency lately. Her mother had always told her the gesture was unseemly and rude. Worse, a spurt of jealousy made her want to slap that lascivious expression right off Penny’s painted face.

Lord, what is happening to me? Cursing, eye rolling, and now this—smacking her friends for being such…tramps. Who am I to call anyone a tramp?

“Maybe we can change your mind.” Natasha started past Dayne, batting her eyelashes.

“I bet I can.” Elaina dragged one long, blood-red polished fingernail over his bicep.

Kat nearly rolled her eyes again. For the first time in her life, she was embarrassed by her friends. They treated Dayne as if he were their new toy. Boy toy. It was disgusting, and it was sexual harassment, for god’s sake. He was handling it surprisingly well, though. With courtesy they didn’t deserve.

At about six foot four, well over two hundred pounds, and loaded with hard muscle, there was no doubting he could take care of himself physically. That didn’t mean he had to suffer being pawed at like he was their next meal.

Champagne corks popped as Dayne closed the door behind them.

“Where are your glasses?” Penny began opening and closing cupboard doors.

“I’ll get them.” She opened the one cupboard Penny hadn’t tried and took down four slender Baccarat champagne flutes. While Penny poured, Kat held her hand over her mouth and yawned. Alcohol was the last thing she wanted or needed. All she wanted was to fall into bed and sleep for a week.

A squeak came from the living room where Remy and Angus fought over the puppy’s toy.

Nat accepted a flute from Penny. “Why do you let dogs in your house? They’re so dirty.”

“Dogs are a lot cleaner than you’d think.” Reluctantly, Kat accepted a glass then glanced at her watch. How fast can I get them out of here?

“Can’t you see she likes animals?” Elaina nodded to where Dayne reached for his jacket, the movement tightening his slacks over his extremely tight, muscular backside. “The man moves like a jungle cat. A very hot jungle cat.”

“Knock it off.” Kat gripped the stemware tighter. He was out of earshot, but she hated her friends talking about him that way. Plus, the thought of him with another woman… Well, let’s just say that veil of irritation was jealous pea green.

“Where does he sleep?” Penny whispered.

Dayne joined them in the kitchen, heading straight to the coffeepot and scooping fresh coffee into a filter. He had to have heard Penny’s insinuating question. From the tight set of his jaw, he didn’t like it.

“Please, ignore her,” Nat said. “It’s that time of the month and she’s in heat.”

“In that case”—Elaina winked—“it’s always that time of the month for her.”

The women snickered.

Kat tapped her finger on the rim of the glass, finding their sexual banter and innuendos increasingly obnoxious, to the point where she was on the verge of kicking them out. Twenty minutes. Thirty, tops. Just to be polite.

Penny draped an arm over Kat’s shoulder. “So tell us, what was it like finding a dead body?”

She stared at the tiny bubbles floating to the surface of her glass. Try two bodies. Reliving those moments was the last thing she wanted.

“Leave her alone,” Elaina said. “Let’s talk about something else. Did Nat tell you she’s seeing Chad?”

Kat jerked her head up, staring first at Elaina then Nat. Chad? My Chad? Well, not hers, not anymore. Reality check. He was never mine.

Dayne caught sight of what must have been a horrified look on her face and stopped filling the coffeemaker with water. What did it say about her friends when he was the only one to pick up on her feelings? He didn’t even know who Chad was to her.

Losing Chad didn’t matter. Not anymore. That last thought surprised her, and she loosened the death grip she’d had on the champagne flute. The anger she’d expected to feel at Nat for moving in so quickly on her ex wasn’t there. Betrayal, however, was.

Nat should have been the one to tell her first. Hearing it from someone else, the same way Penny had so bluntly delivered the news that Chad was dumping her because he heard he’d have to sign a prenup, was totally insensitive.

“Well, not seeing him exactly,” Elaina added, “but definitely sleeping with him.”

“Elaina, that’s enough!” Nat slapped Elaina’s shoulder. Champagne slopped over the edge of Elaina’s glass.