Bad Engagement (Billionaire's Club #10) - Elise Faber Page 0,51

she wobbled, and brushed the back of his knuckles down her cheek, over her throat. “Now,” he said, straightening, his voice pitched to the whole room. “I apologize for intruding on Girl’s Night twice in a row. I left my keys to the clinic here last night, and I won’t have any staff there early tomorrow to let me in. Will someone lock up behind me?” He unleashed his sexy JaimeTheVet smile before turning for the door. “I knocked earlier, but I think you were having too much fun to hear.” A glance back. “Or to realize that the last woman in hadn’t locked up.”

His eyes cut to Kate’s, and he winked.

Then he was gone, the sound of the front door closing gunshot loud in the quiet space.

Quiet until they heard a car engine start up.

Quiet until they heard it pull away.

Kate turned dumbfounded eyes to her friends. “Did he say that he loved me?”

Heidi nodded, mute for perhaps the first time in all of the time that Kate had known her.

Cora’s head bobbed. “He did say it,” she murmured. “And he said it incredibly well.” Her stare was glazed, locked on the spot where Jaime had disappeared.

Kels was the first to recover, perhaps because she had her own extremely gorgeous man.

Her own.

Which implied that Kate had her own.

And . . . she supposed she did. She’d cracked the door. He’d come in, and he wasn’t a jerk or an asshole, hadn’t been terrified and run off screaming like his hair was on fire.

He’d stayed.

He’d said . . . God, he’d said so many wonderful things.

“I’m sorry,” Kels said, coming over to her. “I made a snap judgment before finding out the facts.”

Kate smiled at her friend. “You were just trying to protect me.”

“I hurt your feelings.” Kels shook her head. “I saw it in your eyes. That wasn’t fair of me.” She squeezed Kate’s knee. “You’re my friend, and I love you. I don’t want to see you hurt. But that . . .” Another squeeze. “That, honey, is something that only comes around once per life. Don’t let it scare you. Grab on to it. Make it yours and hold it tight.”

“But it’s so soon,” she whispered.

“Yeah.” Kels stood up and poured Kate another glass of wine. “But sometimes you just know.”

“Plus, he seemed inclined on an extended engagement.” Cora’s lips twitched.

“An extended engagement between the sheets.” Heidi grinned, waggled her brows.

They all groaned.

Kels put the drink into Kate’s hand, nudged it toward her mouth. “Drink that and keep his words close. You guys have found each other. Now you can take the time to walk the path together.”

Heidi frowned. “What path?”

Kels rolled her eyes. “You’re hopeless, you know that, right?”

A shrug. “I know that the man just passed his first test.”

“True,” Cora said when Kels disappeared into the hall, saying she was going to lock the front door. “But also, I know that it’s now your turn on the hot seat. What did Kate mean about you leaving the lab?”

Heidi groaned. “No, I’m not ready. Bug that one”—she nodded at Kate—“some more about the vet. Or what Jaime meant about interrupting a second Girl’s Night.” Her eyes narrowed. “Are you cheating on us, Katie girl?”

Kate took a sip, smiled sanguinely. “Distractions don’t work with us.” Another sip. “But because you asked, the first Girl’s Night he interrupted was helping me babysit Lacy. He has magical baby skills.”

“Hot damn. Walk that path, Katie. Don’t deviate,” Cora said, clamping her hands over her heart.

Kels came back in and picked up her glass. “Don’t get distracted.” She turned to Heidi. “Drink that wine and prepare to spill your guts.”

Another groan.

But Heidi knew she wasn’t going to get off the hook.

She spilled about her job. And after that, Cora complained about her brothers—she had six of them. Yes, six. They were protective and overbearing in a way that almost made Kate’s mom seem like a pussy cat. Their dad had died shortly after Cora was born, and they’d made it their personal responsibility to protect Cor from anything and everything that might bring her harm.

And they thought there were a lot of things that could bring her harm.

But Cor loved the big lugs, and so the complaining came from a place as much of love as of annoyance.

Sooner or later they needed to realize that Cora was a grown woman with needs, one of which included a need to not be alone for the rest of her life. Oh, and another