Page 106 of Spurred On

“Wait. You’ve discussed this?” Behind his back? Holy shit.

“Discussed what?” Lisa pushed into the office next to Cade.

The office wasn’t that big to begin with, and with all of them crowding around and staring at him, he felt like a bug pinned to an entomologist’s block.

“The question,” Claire said, and Lisa’s lips made an oh.

“Did you all talk about this?”

“Of course.” Claire didn’t even try to dissemble. “It affects us all.”

“It does not.”

“It kind of does,” Cade said. “So . . . What’s the deal?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Are you going to seduce her?”

Seriously?That question from Lisa? Heat crept up his neck.

“Are you?” Claire eyed him warily.

“Well? Are you?” Even Cade was in on it.

Cody leaped to his feet, but still felt closed in. “It’s none of your business.”

“It’s all our business,” Claire said primly. “I think that’s the point.”

“I can’t lose her,” Lisa said. “She made a perfect pate a choux yesterday, with just five minutes of coaching. And that soufflé she made—”

“Perfect,” Cade said.

“Wait.” Cody frowned. “I didn’t see any soufflé.”

Cade flushed. “We kind of ate it before you came home.”

“What the hell?”

“Point being, I can’t lose her,” Lisa said. “She’s practically a sous savant.”

“I can’t lose her either,” Claire said. “So we need you to behave.”

It was all too much. Too freaking much. “I have been behaving,” he snarled. “Do you have any idea how hard that has been?”

Oh, hell.He should have checked his words. They all gaped at him in shock.

Claire frowned. “What do mean, you’ve been behaving?”

“What do you mean, it’s been hard?” Surely Cade knew exactly what he meant.

“I wish you would all just butt out.”

Lisa stepped forward. Of the three of them, she was the only one who seemed slightly sympathetic. “What do you really feel for her?” she asked softly.

Cody raked his fingers through his hair. “A lot.” Too soft for them to hear, but Lisa nodded. “We have this new chance.”

“New chance?” Claire chirped. “What do you mean, new chance?”