Charmed: A Masters and Mercenar - Lexi Blake Page 0,44
killing it at karate. All she was doing was warning the world that Coop had the nits.”
“Carys told me Coop had been talking to another little girl when Kala made her announcement.” Eve McKay rounded out the foursome, all of them dressed for the cocktail party. It was a bit intimidating to be around Eve McKay. Charlotte Taggart tended to view the world as one big soap opera being played out for her pleasure, but Eve took everything seriously and through a psychologist’s eye.
She hadn’t been at McKay-Taggart and Knight for very long. Was Eve here to ensure she wouldn’t screw things up?
Charlotte nodded as though she’d thought that was what had happened. “Alice Diaz. She’s adorable, and I couldn’t figure out why Kala hates her until now. And she’s definitely crushing on Cooper no matter what Ian says.”
Ian had his fingers in his ears. “Lies. Lies, I tell you.”
Alex stood near Ian. “No one wants that to be true less than I do.” He glanced Nina’s way. “Sorry. The kiddos are starting to show signs of pairing off, and it’s freaking the rest of us out.”
“I thought it was funny when it happened to Sean,” Ian said with a frown. “He’s going to end up with Jake and Adam and Liam for in-laws if he doesn’t shut that shit down. As for my baby girl, Kala will be too busy saving the world ninja style to date. I’m afraid I’ve given up on Kenz. She’s too much like her momma. All I’ve asked is that she bring home an American.” He shuddered. “I couldn’t handle it if she brought home some stuffy Brit or worse.”
“What’s worse than a stuffy Brit?” Alex asked.
“Canadian,” Ian retorted. “With their politeness and weird bacon. I fear the Canadian more than any other.”
Charlotte was the one rolling her eyes now. “Can we cut the kid talk and focus on the actual Brit in our midst?”
Big Tag grinned. “Nina’s not stuffy. I heard she took her last bullet like a champ. Avoided the roofie the bad guy slipped into her tea but took one to the chest.”
“Well if I’d known he was going to shoot me, I would have had the tea,” she admitted and held up the wine she’d taken from one of their suspects. “Speaking of drinks, I’m not about to drink this. It’s probably fine, but once roofied, twice shy and all that.”
Charlotte took the glass from her. “I can find something for you. This house has a bar in almost every room. I’ve always liked the Malones. How is it going between you and JT?”
“We get along quite well,” she replied.
“How was the shopping?” Charlotte asked, expectation in her tone.
“It was fine. We’ve been three times this week. Apparently, I need a lot of clothes.” It had been paradise. Everywhere they’d gone the world had opened up and invited her in. Or rather JT. Back in London, she could barely get the bloke who ran the register at Tesco to look up from his phone. “We got everything we need for the retreat. Well, everything we need that we can get at a shopping mall. I assume Sandra and Hutch have all of our equipment, including my gun. I don’t want to take it with me in case security decides I look sketchy.”
Charlotte studied her for a moment and then sighed. “I hate it when Ian’s right.”
Ian smirked. “I told you she was into him.”
“I’m not into him.” She wasn’t about to tell the man she’d slept with the client all week.
Charlotte shook her head. “If you weren’t into him, you would have been more excited about the shopping. Unlike Alex and Eve, Ian and I have spent time with you. You flipped out when you got to escort that pop star around Harrods, and you didn’t even get to buy anything.”
It had been such fun to watch the young woman shop. She’d been bright and peppy and kind. She really should have enjoyed the shopping more, but every time they went to a store her mind had been on JT. “I’m not into him.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if you were,” Eve said from her place next to her husband. “JT is one of the nicest men I’ve ever met. Knowing what I know about him and what I know about you, I would say you’re a decent match on paper.”
“I’m still confused about how we went from Nina going in as an assistant to fiancée. I get that she couldn’t