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He waited for her to take a drink and swallow. Then he tilted her chin to give her a hard kiss. “Then, love,” he said, voice husky against her lips, “you’d better agree to marry me again. I can’t have you tarnishing my reputation on one of my jets.”
Laughter erupted, and he realized the talk around them had stopped.
“There goes my brother, bragging about his jets.” Eli groaned. “Who are you giving one to now?”
“He’s always doing that, isn’t he? Talking about hisfleet?” Porter rolled his eyes as he put air quotes aroundfleet.
“Shh, you guys,” Becca scolded, her head propped in her hand. “He just proposed to Hartley. And this time we get to be part of it.”
“Yeah, she snuck into their last marriage,” Claire said.
“That’s a great idea.” Georgia clapped her hands. “You guys need a refresher marriage for sure.”
“A clean slate,” Claire agreed.
“She’s not answering, though,” Eli teased. “Smart. Make him sweat, Hartley. It’s not something he’s used to.”
Montgomery ignored everyone, staring only at Hartley. Her eyes were full of lust and love and…home.
“He’s not sweating,” Hartley said, sliding one hand up to his neck. “He knows I’m a sure thing.”
She lifted her face, and he kissed her, his lips giving her the promise he hadn’t made the first time he’d asked.
The room erupted in laughter, then applause.
Over the noise, Montgomery heard the door open, and an old instinct had him on his feet, between the door and Hartley.
Looking confused, Abby and Zarin stood in the doorway.
“What’s so funny?” Zarin asked.
“Sorry, we’re late,” Abby said, looking around the room before focusing on Hartley and the visible scratches on her face. “Good Lord, what happened?”
Montgomery smiled as everyone in the room erupted into laughter again.
“Girl, you never check your email.” Georgia groaned.
“That’s what happens when you become a princess. We’re all nobodies to her now,” Becca agreed.
Abby pulled out her phone, her cheeks flushing. “I just thought it was regular work stuff… Seriously, what’s going on?” she asked.
Montgomery could tell she wasn’t sure if she should be worried or not.
“We know about Lawrence’s body being found, but has something else happened?” Zarin asked, guiding Abby into the last empty chair in the living room.
Montgomery felt Hartley slide her hand into his and tug him back against the couch. “If you haven’t listened to your voicemail, you’d better sit down,” she told Abby. “It’s a long story.”
The shared laughter around him was a testament to the resilience and unity of the women in the room, and it was impossible not to join in. No matter the challenges ahead, together, the Sigma sisters would rebuild and thrive. And he had to admit, he felt proud to be a small part of their group.
CHAPTER36
Two weeks later
The gentle hum of the private jet’s engines and the soft glow of cabin lights comforted Hartley. She reclined in one of the leather seats beside Monty, who sat up as he went through a stack of papers.
She stared at her phone, rapidly texting Maddy.
I’m sorry I blocked you with the Sigma Society, she typed.That was petty. I can’t say we’ll ever be friends, but I don’t want us to be enemies either.She pressed send before her resolve waned.
