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Before the situation deteriorates, I rest my hand on Jocelin’s lower back and reach for the door handle. “We’d better go inside, Joce. My sister’s waiting for us.” I turn back to Victor. “Nice to meet you. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around.”
When we’re safely inside, Jocelin pulls me into what looks like a pantry area, then whirls around, eyes twinkling, laughter bubbling out of him. God, he’s gorgeous. “That was perfection. And his face! If he could have killed us with his glare, he would have. And did you just give me a nickname?”
I grin at him, captivated by his euphoria. “It seemed appropriate. If we were dating, I’d probably call you Joce. I thought it made things more believable.”
“Thank you again for playing along. I really think you might have finally helped me dissuade him from asking me out again.” Jocelin chews on his lower lip and turns those soft brown eyes on me, and every part of me gets warm. “So, I guess you’re officially off the hook. No need to stick around.” His cheeks pink, and it’s fucking charming.
And it might be wishful thinking, but I swear there’s a hint of disappointment in his tone. “That’s it? Just a thank you? I thought at the very least you’d buy me a beer.” No one has ever accused me of being subtle. But if it gets me a few more minutes of his time, does it really matter?
Jocelin laughs. “The alcohol is free tonight. But by all means, allow me. I’ll even ‘buy’ you something more expensive if you’d like.”
His eyes crinkle at the corners when he smiles, and it’s all kinds of sexy, just like the rest of him. How had I never noticed before? Not that we’re around each other much. Astrid doesn’t bring a lot of friends to the house. Mostly because she’s learned over the years that anything could happen where her brothers are concerned. Okay, mostly where I’m concerned. ‘Anything’ ranging from unmerciful teasing to throwing punches, though I haven’t been that bad in years. But old habits die hard. I wonder if she’s been purposely hiding him. “Oh, really? Well, then I accept.”
I grin at him and hook our pinkies together. “We probably should keep holding hands, in case Victor comes back.” I am not above milking this opportunity for all it’s worth. If Fate is going to present me with a beautiful man in distress, who am I to throw it back in her face?
Jocelin smiles and laces our fingers together. “Probably. We wouldn’t want him to think we’re lying.”
“Absolutely not.” I gesture toward the main room. “Shall we?” We wander into the already crowded tasting room and find a vacant square of space at the bar. When Jocelin orders Krug Grande Cuvée, I raise an eyebrow and lean closer under the pretense of being heard over the noisy crowd. “That’s some fancy champagne.”
Jocelin grins. “It’s my favorite. My parents taught me never to settle. On anything.”
I wonder at that as I order Jameson Blue Label, neat, and turn back to him. “So you’re a lawyer, right? I think I remember Astrid saying that.”
Before he can reply, we’re interrupted. “Jocelin.”
We both turn to look, and since I don’t know the person in front of us, I glance at Jocelin to gauge his reaction. His eyes widen, but there’s no tension in his smile, and I relax. “Alistair.” Alistair is tall, though not as tall as my six feet four inches. He looks to be in his late forties or early fifties, but the way his light gray suit fits over his broad shoulders and slim waist, I’d say he’s still in amazing shape. His sandy blond hair is swept back in an impeccable side part, and he exudes confidence and friendly energy. He also seems pleased to see Jocelin. I move back a bit, putting a little space between us, and let Jocelin lead. “I didn’t know any of the partners would be here.”
A wide grin splits Alistair’s face as he holds up Gary’s latest book. “My wife is a huge fan. She’s out of town on business and couldn’t make it tonight, so I volunteered to get her a signed copy of the new release.” He turns to me and holds out his hand. “Hello. I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Alistair Trumble. Jocelin and I work together.”
Jocelin sputters a laugh. “Technically, yes, but Alistair is one of the firm’s founding partners.”
I shake Alistair’s hand, instantly liking his unassuming manner. “Gunnar Osouf. It’s nice to meet you.”
Alistair winks at Jocelin. “But we do work together. And Osouf. Any relation to Astrid?” He looks between us for confirmation, his eyes briefly stopping on our interlaced fingers.
I nod. “She’s my sister.”
His lips curve into a mischievous grin. “Is that how you two met?”
Jocelin’s cheeks are pink again, but he looks Alistair in the eyes and nods. “Yes. We’ve been keeping it quiet for professional reasons, but tonight seemed like the right time to put it out there.” I’m a bit surprised that he wants to continue the pretense, but it doesn’t really impact me either way. And it could just provide me the opportunity to hang around him and see if there might be more here. There’s definitely at least a spark of interest on both our parts. “Alistair, if you have a few minutes first thing Monday, I’d love to get some clarification on client assignments.”
Alistair raises his eyebrows but nods. “Sure. Is there a problem?”
“No.” Jocelin answers quickly, and something sounds off in his tone, but it’s none of my business, so I stay out of it. “As I said, I’m looking for a bit of clarification. But it’s not worth interrupting your evening. It can wait until Monday.”
Alistair nods. “Oh, before I forget, I’m having a small get-together next weekend at my house. Just a casual thing—a few people from work, a chance to get to know everyone better. Spouses and boyfriends or girlfriends are welcome, of course.” He looks expectantly at me. “Think you can make it?”
Jocelin’s eyes widen, and he looks at me in barely concealed panic. There’s no way I’m committing myself to anything until he and I have a chance to talk. He may not want me to go with him. Hell, I may be over playing knight in shining armor by then. When Jocelin looks at me with those big brown eyes, I know that’s not going to happen. If he asks, I’ll say yes. “I’ll have to double check my schedule, but thank you. That’s very kind of you to include me.”
“We’ll coordinate our schedules this weekend, and I’ll let you know on Monday, if that’s okay.” Jocelin leans into me, and I can feel him vibrating with excitement.
Alistair grins. “That’s perfect. You two have a great evening. I’m heading home with my loot.” He shakes my hand and then Jocelin’s. “I hope you can make it, Gunnar, but if not, I’m sure I’ll see you at future events, now that Jocelin has revealed your secret identity.” With a wink, he excuses himself and heads for the door.
Once he’s gone, Jocelin sighs and rubs his face. “So you don’t have to come to Alistair’s party with me. That’s way above and beyond your already amazing help tonight. I don’t want to take advantage.”
I frown at him. “Will it help you if I go?”
There’s an almost imperceptible shrug of one shoulder. “Maybe? It would help keep the storyline believable. But it’s okay. I can say you have to work or have a family obligation you can’t avoid.”
