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She shrugged, and one half of her mouth curved up into a shape somewhere between smirk and grimace.
He shoved his hands into his pockets and leaned more comfortably against the doorframe. “Explain to me in simple terms why you’re trying to flee in advance the fallout from your sister’s arrival.”
“Well, because Leah would try to convince me to go with her, and I would have to, because if I said no, she’s going to think I’m becoming more laidback about the big sister thing, which I’mnot. She’s ferocious when it comes to needling people. I would end up going, someone would run their mouth about me, and by the time all was said and done, she’d know way too much about me and all the respect I’ve fought so hard for her to give me would gopoof.”
“First of all, you’re not her mother. You’re allowed to have a life.” Just like he was, according to Heidi. He was still trying to convince himself. “Second of all, you didn’t do anything at Clay’s. What is she going to find out about you?”
Valerie’s cheek twitched again.
Oh, hell.She was hiding something. He could feel it in his bones like a thunderstorm moving into the area.
“Here’s the thing,” she said. “I’ve been her shadow and conscience for so long, that I’m not convinced she would know how to make a good decision if it weren’t for me.”
“Again, she’s how old?”
“A year younger than me.”
He pushed up an eyebrow.
“What?”
“I have no idea how old you are. I can only guess that you’re around Carine’s age.”
Valerie smoothed some nonexistent wrinkles out of her top. “Carine’s got a couple of years on me.”
“Which makes you…”
“Why?”
“I’m a numbers guy. I like numbers.” That, and because at forty-three, there was a certain unseemliness about potentially perusing a woman who was in the decade bracket two below his.
She rolled her eyes. “I’m thirty…ish.”
Thank God.
His breath came out in a gust of relief.
“Didn’t your mother ever teach you not to poke around for women’s ages?” Valerie asked.
“My mother is a good woman taught both of her sons a lot of things, but that didn’t stop either of us from straying far outside the standard deviation of decency.” He canted his head toward the door. “Turn off your computer. Let’s go.”
She entwined her fingers and worked her jaw side-to-side for a few beats.
“I don’t mind you changing your mind. That’s a lady’s prerogative, but I don’t think you’ve changed your mind. You just don’t want to give me an easy yes. Would it kill you to come along sweetly?”
“Would it have killed you to tell me upfront that you were a dom?”
He felt like his heart stopped.
Who told her that?
She sat there glowering at him, sitting so primly and comfortably as if those words meant nothing to her. He didn’t believe that lie. They all lied before they understood that Tim was as serious in his play as he was with his work.
“Hmm?” she said by way of nudging.
He played it cool. He most certainly wasn’t going to ask her how she’d figured that out or who’d told her. Notyet, anyway,
“I don’t know at what point we could have possibly had a conversation about that,” he said flatly. “And what difference does it make, anyway?”
