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As always, Jennings was holding open the back door, and she smiled sunnily at the chauffeur. “Morning, Mr. Jennings.”
For a moment, Frost wondered if she’d ever look at him with that kind of genuine, unforced warmth. Last night, she’d been responsive to him, but she’d been in a passionate, endorphin-fed state of mind.
“Good to see you, ma’am.”
“I’d prefer it if you’d call me Kaylee.”
Frost curled his hand into a fist. Not even last night had she invited him to do that.
She slid onto the backseat and scooted toward the far door, putting as much distance between them as possible.
God almighty. One step forward, several back.
Once Frost slid in beside her, Jennings closed the door, and Frost picked up one of the stemless flutes and offered it to her.
“We’re having mimosas?”
“We are.” He tipped his glass toward hers. “I’ll open a celebratory bottle of champagne after my ring is on your finger.”
“Atemporaryring,” she corrected him.
Frost exhaled his frustration. Did everything have to be a struggle?
Only after she’d issued her correction did she accept his invitation to clink their beverages together.
As Jennings smoothly accelerated toward downtown, she took a sip. “Oh my word.”
“You approve?”
“This is not made with a ten-dollar bottle of bubbly.”
“No. It’s not.” He grinned.
“Aren’t you supposed to use the cheap stuff when you add orange juice to it?”
“That’s the recommendation, yes.”
“Well, after tasting this, I respectfully disagree.”
“Someplace we have common ground.”
By the time they reached the French Quarter, tension seemed to have drained from her shoulders. He hoped that meant the shopping excursion would go well.
After parking, Sam hurried around to open the vehicle door.
On the sidewalk, she paused to look around. Streetlamps were decorated with garland and wrapped with thick red ribbon, and wreaths were hung in the storefront’s plate glass windows. “This looks expensive.”
“I could hardly take you to a strip-mall jeweler.”
“You most certainly could have. And should have.”
Greta had turned her nose up even at this fancy location.
“You will be able to return it, right? After the sham is over?”
Sham?The word and her emphasis on it both rankled.
Struggling to restrain the flare of his temper, he strode to the Charme du Vieux Carré’s door and pressed the bell that was tucked away to the right.
