The Summer of Sunshine and Margot - Susan Mallery Page 0,95

serious than sex.”

She wasn’t being funny, he realized. She was stating a fact because she understood him. From what he’d told her and no doubt from what his mother had mentioned, Margot knew that he wasn’t one for relationships. Trusting someone was difficult and there were other considerations. Usually he insisted on casual, short-term encounters, but being with Margot was different.

“I’ll make reservations,” he said. “Any preferences?”

“Just that I’m with you.” She lightly kissed him. “Now I really have to get back to work or there are going to be too many questions.”

“I’ll see you later.”

She waved and left.

Alec sat at his desk and struggled to gather his thoughts. He’d been working on something when Margot had arrived with her delightful interruption. Something about a—

He stared at his desk, horror sweeping through him. He’d been reading a French-Spanish trading treaty from the 1600s. An original document. Nothing overly rare or unique, but still a piece of history he’d been asked to review. A professor had entrusted him with the painstakingly handwritten pages, believing Alec would protect them and handle them carefully.

Alec looked at the mess that was his desk. Yes, he’d cleaned the surface before removing the papers from their protective box. Yes, he’d worn gloves, but when Margot had arrived, he’d simply dropped the pages on his desk and left them there!

They’d started making love and he’d pulled off her panties. Impatient to be inside of her and claim her, he’d been the one to help her settle on the desk. He’d never once thought about the precious sheets or what might happen to them. They’d had sex on a sixteenth-century French-Spanish treaty.

He swore as he slipped on gloves he didn’t remember removing and studied the individual sheets. There weren’t any stains or wet spots, but there were a couple of creases and a torn corner he was sure hadn’t been there before.

It wasn’t even a rookie mistake. A rookie would have followed protocol. Instead he’d been careless with a five-hundred-year-old document and he had no idea how he was going to explain the damage.

He put down the pages and leaned back in his chair. What had happened? How could he have forgotten he was working? This wasn’t like him at all.

Chapter Twenty

“This is not a good idea,” Margot muttered as she met her sister at the entrance to the restaurant.

“I thought I was the one who lived on the emotional roller coaster,” Sunshine teased. “You’re the ever calm, nonreactive twin, or did you forget?”

“I’m not reacting and I am calm. I’m also certain disaster lurks.”

Sunshine hugged her. “It’s lunch with Bianca. Seriously, it’s going to be completely fine.”

“You say that now.”

Margot knew the potential for disaster was nearly limitless. Bianca could want to talk about Alex and Margot having sex, or ask Sunshine something embarrassing or start a conga line. There was literally no telling. She never should have agreed to the three of them having lunch, and yet here they were. Bianca’s power could never be underestimated.

Margot led her sister back to the table where Bianca was already seated. She saw that in the two or three minutes she’d been gone, Bianca had ordered a bottle of champagne. Because that was how she rolled.

“Sunshine, so nice to see you again.” Bianca stood and kissed Sunshine on both cheeks before patting the space next to her in the booth. “Come and sit by me.”

“Two against one?” Margot asked lightly. “I think it should be Sunshine and me as a team. Even then we won’t have a fighting chance against you.”

Bianca dimpled. “While that’s true, I still want Sunshine next to me.”

They took their seats. The server, a guy in his early twenties, kept looking at all of them, as if unable to believe his luck.

“Are you all related?” he asked. “Is this your mom?” The question was asked of Sunshine.

Margot was surprised the server didn’t recognize Bianca. Later, when he put the pieces together, he was going to kick himself for not figuring out he’d had a movie star at one of his tables.

Bianca smiled. “Why yes, these are my girls. Aren’t they beautiful? I made them myself, with a little help from God.” She reached across the table, her hand extended.

Margot did the same. Bianca squeezed her fingers, then smiled up at the server. “They are a blessing to me every day.”

“Oh, Mom,” Sunshine said, batting her eyes. “You’re such a tease.”

Champagne was poured. Bianca shooed away the server so they “could chitchat before ordering,” then