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Tess pointed. ‘Bloody hell, I knew he would be phenomenal in bed. He is, isn’t he?’
Iona coughed out a laugh as embarrassment warred with smugness. ‘Well, I’m no a great judge, because my sex life sucked before I met him—but I will say that, for once, the advertising doesn’t lie.’
‘Stop right there, before I have to slap you.’ Tess held up her hand in mock indignation. ‘Do you have any idea how much a toddler mucks up your sex life? These days me and Nate have to make an appointment to have an orgasm. And foreplay? Forget it.’
Iona laughed. ‘So what are Zane’s Golden Rules?’ This should be interesting.
‘Okay, let me see if I can remember these correctly. First off, he never sleeps with anyone on a first date, because he doesn’t like to appear too pushy.’
‘Oh.’ Iona felt her colour rising again.
‘Ah-ha, I’m getting the impression from that lovely shade of pink that he broke that rule.’
‘Well, I…’
‘How about this one, then? Another of Zane’s Golden Rules is that he always gives his dates The Speech.’ Tess did air quotes. ‘Before he sleeps with them.’
‘What Speech?’
‘You haven’t even had The Speech? About how this is strictly short-term and lightweight and not to get too attached.’
‘Ah, well, yes, he did sort of give me that.’ Hadn’t he said something along those lines the first morning they’d spent here?
‘Only sort of?’ Tess gave a considering hum. ‘That still sounds like a fairly significant departure from Zane Montoya’s Golden Rules of Non-Engagement.’ She did a quick check on Brandon, who was busy tugging on the ever-patient C.D.’s one good ear. ‘Especially as we already know the last two are already toast.’
‘What are they?’
Tess lifted her fingers to count them off. ‘He doesn’t let dates meet his family—and you went to his cousin’s party, right? He even invited you specially.’
‘But I think he only did that under duress,’ Iona qualified, starting to feel very uneasy.
‘Fine, but it’s still breaking the rules, and, most important of all, he never lets women move in with him. Period.’
‘What? Never?’
Tess shook her head. ‘I think he had some live-in girlfriends back when he was a cop and he told Nate they would freak out when he did overtime or nightshifts and didn’t mention it. In other words, they had the audacity to make demands on him like any normal person would. So these days anything beyond the occasional sleepover is too heavy for Zane. And yet here you are, living in his house.’ Tess sniffed the air. ‘Cooking him delicious dinners. Working on your art. Bonding with his beloved dog.’ Tess’s grin widened. ‘You may think this is casual, but all the evidence suggests it’s anything but for Zane.’
Iona felt the pit of her stomach swoop down to her toes.
‘Which brings me to my next question.’ Tess leaned forward, skewering Iona with a determined frown. ‘What exactly makes you think this isn’t a serious relationship, with serious potential?’
Iona opened her mouth, to say all the platitudes that had come so easily a month ago. Because her real life was in Scotland and she was buying a ticket home, soon. Because her arrangement with Zane was never meant to be anything but temporary. Because they’d always agreed that this was casual—and not serious.
But not one of them would come out of her mouth, because not one of them sounded true. Or at least not the whole truth. Not any more.
‘Th-there are a lot of reasons,’ Iona stammered, and heard how lame that sounded.
Tess’s eyebrow arched. ‘I’m sure there are, but aren’t there also some reasons to think this might be a lot more than the casual relationship you say it is? Like Zane’s a fascinating, complex, intriguing and gorgeous guy—and you seem to be the only woman who’s ever got under his guard?’ Tess rocked back on the stool. ‘Of course, if one of those reasons
is you’re not enjoying being with him—’
‘But I am,’ Iona interrupted, only to realise she’d given herself away big time when Tess’s smile became a little conniving.
There was a heavy clatter and both women turned to see Brandon sitting on his butt on the marble floor, his face screwed up in a horrified grimace.
Tess jumped off the stool and scooped him up before the wail let loose. ‘Bran, baby, it didn’t hurt that much.’ She settled the baby on her hip, apparently unfazed by the decibel level as her son howled as if he’d been stabbed in the eye with a hot poker.
‘I better go,’ she said, cooing at him. ‘He only had a twenty-minute nap this afternoon so this is merely the start of the meltdown.’ Gathering up her purse from the countertop, Tess leaned in to give Iona a kiss on the cheek. ‘It was wonderful to meet you, Iona. And I really, really hope this isn’t the last time I see you.’
