Before We Kiss (Fool's Gold #14)(67)

Better to be alone and be safe, he told himself. As he always had tried to do. But for once, the price of that safety seemed high. Maybe too high. Which left him with a difficult dilemma.

* * *

DELLINA HESITATED BEFORE walking into Jo’s Bar. She loved meeting her friends for lunch, and having the Score party behind her meant she had a lot to celebrate. What made her stop for a second before pulling open the door was her concern that everyone would take one look at her and know something had happened. Something amazing and wonderful and...

Even as she tried to get annoyed, she couldn’t help smiling. Aftershocks from her time with Sam continued to ripple through her. Just when she thought she had recovered from their incredible lovemaking, she got a little ping from somewhere deep in her belly. That sensation made her remember and remembering made her want to do it again.

She had loved being with him, she thought. Well, loved what they did together. She didn’t love the man. She was susceptible, not foolish. She wasn’t looking for love and Sam thought all relationships ended in disaster. What she meant was—

“Hey,” Larissa said, coming up behind her. “I heard you were a wild success. I’m sorry I missed the party.”

Dellina opened the door and stepped inside. “Me, too. I could have put you to work.”

Larissa laughed. “You say that like I should be scared, but I spent the weekend with my mother and sisters. Trust me, you have nothing on them. My mother’s campaign to get me married and pregnant continues.”

As always, Larissa was casually dressed in an oversize T-shirt and yoga pants. Her long blond hair had been pulled back into a ponytail and she had on athletic shoes. She was tall and lithe and moved with the grace of a natural athlete. As a kid, Dellina had preferred books to sports. As an adult, that hadn’t changed.

“Do you get along with your family?” she asked as they walked to the large table in the middle where Patience and Isabel already waited.

“I do,” Larissa told her. “Mostly. It’s not so horrible. It’s just I’m the oldest and my two younger sisters are already married.”

Dellina realized she was kind of in the same position. While Fayrene wasn’t married, she was settled with Ryan.

“They both already have kids,” Larissa continued. “The pressure is on for me to settle down and produce grandchildren. I finally had to threaten to never speak to my mom again to get her to stop.”

“Intense,” Dellina murmured, thinking she wouldn’t mind a little pressure from her mother. Or complaints or any kind of conversation at all. Because that would mean they weren’t gone. Not that she would say that to her friend.

“You did so well,” Isabel said as they approached. “Congratulations. Everyone has been raving about the party. It was fun and went smoothly. Brace yourself—you’re going to get a lot of business out of this.”

“That would be nice,” Dellina said. “I like to stay busy.”

She pulled out a chair. Larissa sat next to her.

“The people seemed really nice,” Patience told her. “They came into my store and tipped really well. I appreciate that.”

Dellina grinned. “I’ll pass on your approval.”

Noelle hurried in and joined them. She hugged Dellina. “You kicked butt! Yay you. I can’t tell you how much your people bought at the store. It was a very happy Saturday for me.”

Before Dellina could respond, the door opened again. Taryn and Lark walked in together. Dellina felt herself starting to blush. Oh, no. Not Lark. She would take one look at Dellina and know instantly what had happened. Dellina looked for an exit, but before she could find one, the other two women had joined them.

Taryn hugged her. “My new favorite person ever. You were fabulous. Everyone had a great time. The weekend was perfect. You’re a goddess.”

“I wish,” Dellina murmured. “But I did enjoy the corporate aspect of it.”

Taryn settled next to her. “You should look for more accounts like that. What about CDS? They have those corporate weekends but it’s really just about the obstacle courses.”

“She’s right,” Patience added. “Justice has to work with the companies all the time, telling them what’s in town and where to stay. He really doesn’t like it.” She leaned forward. “You should get together with him and talk about coordinating a package or something. Where he can just give them your name and you can pull meetings together.”

“I’d like that,” Dellina admitted. Plus, if Sam was able to show her what she was doing wrong with her bookkeeping, she might be more financially successful. And wouldn’t that be nice?

She smiled at Lark, thinking a distraction would keep the other woman from reading her aura or whatever it was she did. “You were brilliant. Everyone loved your lecture.”

“That’s true.” Taryn grinned. “I’m sure there was a lot of sex happening in the hotel that night.”

“I hope so.” Lark reached for her water. “It’s so nice when a couple who’s been together for a long time finds a new level of sexual energy and compatibility.”

“Where do you go next?” Larissa asked her.

“New Orleans. Reggie and I will drive there. We’ll have a week on our own, then have a small seminar. Only five couples who want to experience the ultimate pleasure.”