Page 79 of Nothing to Tell

“You don’t believe in marriage?”

“I don’t believe in relationships working out, no offense.For me, I should add.I don’t believe in relationships working out for me.”

As did her family and maybe every person she’d ever known.

“I don’t believe in that,” Roxie said.“In fact, I guarantee I can find you the man of your dreams in this very room.”

“Good plan, Lola.Set her up on a date while her date for the night is standing beside us.”

“He’s a faker, Casanova.”Roxie waved over her head as though Zairn was an irritating bug.“Not the real deal.”

Zairn caught his wife’s hand and pressed his lips to her palm.“You know better than that, Lo,” he said, trailing his fingertips down Roxie’s arm.Her friend flinched and she guessed it wasn’t the cold.“Who do you think you’d set her up with?”

“Rourke is in the room.”

“He’s married.And what woman in her right mind would choose that?”

“Good point.Roux had to be the right kind of nutty… and maybe a little high.Never really got to the bottom of that one.Maybe he’s blackmailing her… Hmm…” Roxie reflected for a second then snapped out of it.“Kintyre’s the most stand-up guy you know, Scroogey, but he’s married too.Wow, your single friends are dropping like flies.Soon there’ll be no way to get my friends laid.”

“There are Breckenridges,” Zairn offered.

“Right, Tripp, of course, sex on tap.He can work them on a conveyor belt.”

“Sexy,” Zairn murmured, kissing the inside of Roxie’s wrist.“And I’ve often wondered what you two talk about.”

“Innovation, Lover Man.Innovation.That boy models himself on you in your heyday, Casanova.The legend that no longer exists.”

“A previous lifetime.”

“Yes, just a teeny, tiny blip in your rearview that marriage will never allow you to experience again.You’re stuck now.For good.One pussy, no waiting.”

“I spend half my life waiting for you, Lo.”

“You’re lucky to get it at all, Husband.Honestly, one of us will end up permanently damaged if we don’t stop all this newlywed sex stuff.”With her lower lip just a little out, Roxie pouted toward her husband.“What kind of mileage we get out of this newlywed stuff anyway?”

“You mean how long can we completely neglect our grown-up duties before we start hearing hostile takeover?”Zairn asked and half shrugged.“I don’t know.I’m getting laid, what do I care?”

Roxie scoffed.“Like that’s ever been a problem for my big, handsome billionaire.I’d be more worried about how long Ogilvie can be without you before we have to institutionalize him.”

“You’d institutionalize him in a heartbeat.”

“Yeah, I’m already in negotiations with the therapist Tripp’s screwing.She’ll handle the paperwork to have Ogilvie committed providing Tripp keeps her coming… if you know what I mean.”

In that drawled deep voice, Roxie could almost be channeling Elvis.She was some woman.

“Lola says the therapist thing for effect,” Zairn told them, for the first time breaking the volley with his wife… kind of.“But don’t bet on it being untrue.”

“Tripp sleeping with a therapist?”Roxie asked.“Why do you think he’s so well balanced?”

“He’s a Breckenridge,” Zairn said like it was obvious.

“Yeah, but come on, Tripp talking to a woman, other than me, who’d believe that?”Roxie’s lips went to the side for a second.“Where is your protégé anyway?On the hunt?”

“If he’s a real pro, he’ll be onto his third or fourth course by now.”

“Ah, romance, Casanova, so smooth.”Roxie fake swooned, gathering her hands by her cleavage.“Lickety-split in the ladies’ room then on to the next one.”

“Sharing your proclivities there, Lo?”