Bed of Roses Page 0,34

thought. And then when it was obvious you were just friends again, the rule went into effect. I thought."

"You've had a thing for Jack, all this time?"

"On and off. I channeled it into other areas, or restrained it, due to the rule. But recently it's gotten more problematic, the channeling and the restraining. God." Emma slapped her hands over her face. "I'm an idiot."

"You slut." Face stern, Mac folded her arms over her chest. "You almost had sex with a man I never had sex with. What kind of friend are you?"

Emma hung her head as her lips twitched. "I said I was sorry."

"I may forgive you, but only after you tell me all - coherently and in minute detail." Grabbing Emma's arm, Mac jogged the rest of the way to the house. "Which means after coffee, which means after workout."

"We could skip the workout and go straight to coffee."

"No, I'm pumped to pump." Mac led the way through the side door of the main house and toward the stairs. When they reached the third floor, Laurel and Parker came out of the gym. "Em kissed Jack and they almost had sex."

"What?" Two voices spoke in unison.

"I can't talk about it now. I haven't had coffee. I can't talk about it until I do, and unless there are pancakes." Snarling with dislike, Emma stalked to the elliptical.

"Pancakes. I'll tell Mrs. G." Laurel dashed away.

"Jack? Jack Cooke?" Parker said.

Mac flexed her arms and headed to the Bowflex. "That's what I said."

W HEN THEY SAT IN THE BREAKFAST NOOK, AND EMMA CLUTCHED her first cup of coffee, Mac raised a hand. "Let me tell the first part, because it'll be faster and you'll still have your normal complement of brain cells at the end. So, Emma had the hots for Jack, but thought Jack and I had a thing, including sex, in the way back, so sticking to the No-Ex Rule, she suffered in silence."

"I didn't suffer."

"I'm telling this part. Then during the MBB's reception, Jack did the 'oh, you're so stressed, let me rub your shoulders,' then laid a big wet one on her. Then Parker beeped her."

"That's what was wrong with you. Thanks, Mrs. G." Parker smiled at Mrs. Grady and took one of the pancakes from the platter the housekeeper set on the table.

"So last night, after waiting over a week, she went by his place to give him the what-for. One thing led to another, and they ended up rolling around on the floor naked."

"Half. It wasn't even half naked. It was maybe a quarter naked," Emma calculated. "At the most."

"This morning she apologized to me for nearly having sex with my imaginary ex."

"As well she should," Mrs. Grady put in. "No friend poaches another friend's man, even if she's kicked him to the curb."

"It just sort of happened," Emma began and hunched under Mrs. Grady's cool stare. "I said I was sorry, and I stopped before we actually . . ."

"That's because you're a good girl with an honest heart. Eat some of that fruit now. It's fresh. Sex is better when you're eating healthy."

"Yes, ma'am." Emma stabbed a little chunk of pineapple.

"I don't get why you ever thought Mac had been sleeping with Jack in the first place." Laurel dumped syrup on her pancakes. "If she had, she'd have bragged about it and talked about it until we all wanted her dead."

"No, I wouldn't."

"In the way back you would have."

Mac considered. "Yes, that's true. In the way back I would have. I've evolved."

"How hot are the hots?" Parker wanted to know.

"Extremely. He hit high prior to the back stairs. After, he set a record."

Nodding, Parker ate. "He's an exceptional kisser."

"He really is. He . . . How do you know?" When Parker just smiled, Emma's jaw dropped. "You? You and Jack? When? How?"

"I think it's disgusting," Mac muttered. "Yet another best pal moving on my imaginary ex."

"Two kisses, my first year at Yale, after we ran into each other at a party and he walked me back to the dorm. It was nice. Very nice. But as exceptional a kisser as he is, it was too much like kissing my brother. And as exceptional a kisser as I am, I believe he felt it was too much like kissing his sister. And that's how we left it. I gather that wasn't an issue for you and Jack."

"We're nowhere in the vicinity of brother-or sisterhood. Why didn't you ever tell us you kissed Jack?"

"I didn't realize we