Entice - By Ella Frank Page 0,35

was in for a massive disappointment, and that was the only reason Josh stayed in his seat, biting his tongue.

Roger stood and excused himself, and the minute he was out of earshot, Josh watched Lena place her hands on the table.

“Are you out of your mind?” Lena asked Shelly.

Josh remained silent, waiting to hear what was about to go down. He’d noticed Shelly’s eyes shift to his several times during the course of the last hour, and he knew she was making sure he kept his mouth shut and didn’t give them away.

No problem, Barbie. Things are getting interesting without my help.

“No. Shut it, Lena,” Shelly warned her friend through clenched teeth.

“Shut it? Our boss, Dr. Roger McKinney, just basically told the whole table he wants to bang you!”

Josh chuckled, watching Shelly’s eyes turn and give him what would’ve most definitely been a lethal stare.

“Got something to add?” she snapped.

Holding up his hands, he shook his head. “Not at all.”

Rachel was munching on some bread and piped up, “Seriously, Shel. What’s your deal? Always going for these stuffed shirts.”

Shelly rolled her eyes. “He’s not a stuffed shirt, he’s—”

“Balding,” Josh threw in with a shit-eating grin.

Mason chuckled. “You did seem very specific about that just a little while back.”

Josh fully laughed now, completely enjoying himself, and he was sure Shelly was about to deliver a scathing reply when a phone started to ring. He watched as Shelly reached into her bag, pulling it out and glancing at the number. Sighing, she clicked it off and set it on the table. Interesting, Josh thought as she looked to Mason again.

“Yeah, well, that was the other day. Maybe I changed my mind,” Shelly told him.

“Please do not tell me that he is Mr. O,” Lena hissed.

Josh looked from Lena to Shelly, who, for once in her life, had gone slightly pale and completely silent. She seemed to be glaring at Lena, trying to get some kind of message across to her. It failed.

“If he is who you told me about this afternoon, I think I’ll die,” Lena continued.

“Mr. O?” Rachel asked as Mason and Wendy started to laugh. “Would someone please answer the number-one question floating around the table? For all of us, either ill-informed or stupid people, who or what is Mr. O?” Rachel demanded.

Shelly seemed to straighten her spine like she was about to do battle, and then her eyes met his in what he could only describe as a direct challenge.

That was when Lena stated very plainly, “Some guy who gave her the big O.”

Everyone at the table started to laugh as though this was a normal conversation, but Shelly’s eyes were glued to his, her eyebrow raising in challenge.

“Got something worth saying, Daniels?”

Josh pushed his tongue into his cheek and shook his head. “Nope. But, for someone who got the big O, you seem awfully grouchy. Maybe he wasn’t very good?”

He could see she was about to probably agree and try to make him feel like shit, but Lena ruined it for her.

“Oh, yes, he was!” Lena said in a singsong voice.

He watched with complete satisfaction as Shelly appeared to kick her friend under the table.

“Shut up,” she hissed at Lena.

“Geez. It doesn’t matter. They all know and love you. We’re family.”

Shelly looked back to him, and Josh had to admit that he was wearing the most arrogant grin he’d ever sported in his entire life.

***

Well, shit, Shelly thought as she conceded defeat. Lena had completely and utterly outed her, giving Josh Daniels ammo for life.

Hang on a minute. Life?Where did that come from?

Not only was she stuck here with everyone grinning at her like she was the evening’s entertainment, the phone call she had ignored had been home calling. She heard it beep, which meant she now had a message. Standing up, she smoothed her hands on her skirt and held up her phone.

“Thank you for completely humiliating me, Lena. I need to go and check this message. Can you let Roger know I’ll be back in a second?”

Lena nodded with a smile.

Mason chuckled. “Don’t be mad, Shel.”

“Shut it, Casanova. I’ll be as mad as I want.” Then looking at Lena and her fiancée, she smiled and muttered, “Traitors.” As she turned to walk out into the back kitchen.

When she got there, she turned on her phone and listened to the message.

“Shelly, love, it’s your momma. Your father and I would love it if you’d come on home for the weekend sometime soon. I promise to make your