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couldn’t help it, she burst out laughing. “Thank god for you, asshole.” She patted Zoe’s arm. “Regardless of whatever feels I may be having for him, or not—this is his thing. Look at him, he’s like, I don’t know, if you looked up bad boy in leather your dad would totally hate you dating but is really forbidden and does fabulous things with his tongue in the dictionary, his picture would be above it. It’s part of his allure. But it’s also…it’s only the exterior. He’s more. So I do hope at some point to breach that and give him a raised eyebrow when women shove their lady lumps at him. But that’s not now and I am not so stupid and lovestruck that I can’t understand that very essential thing.”
    Zoe sniffed and nodded. “Good. That shit would drive me nuts. I’d be knocking people out left and right.”
    “He’s the one who’d need it. If he was, you know, in a relationship with me. Which he is…in my head. So, there’s that.”
    He turned as if he’d heard them, his gaze snagging on hers. He pushed himself upright and with a distracted exit, headed her way. Zoe shoved her forward a little and scampered off.
    “You’re still here. Good. I’m done. Come.” He held a hand out and she took it. “Keep me company. We’ll walk over together. Let’s get your jacket first.”
    Kelsey hurried over with it and with one for him.
    “Thank you. Wren and I are heading to Fixe now.”
    Kelsey nodded at him. “Zoe and I will be over shortly. I just have one last thing to finish.” She kissed Wren’s cheek and moved away to where the gallery owner and Gregori’s agent stood.
    Wren found herself nearly saying she’d catch up with him and go over with her cousin and roommate. And then she shoved aside all that stupid conditioning and remembered she liked Gregori and having him alone was actually, you know, what she wanted.
    “You’re okay to leave now? There are still people here.”
    He helped her into her blazer and she pulled her hair free and ended up in a bit of a tangle with him.
    He grinned and her body lit up like a pinball machine.
    “I did my act for them.” He shrugged. “They all saw Gregori Ivanov and now I need a drink and some actual food.” He mentioned it as if he was a ticketed event. And she supposed in a way he was.
    “All right. I think I can handle that.”
    “Ask her about her exciting news,” Kelsey called out as they left.
    He took the outside, all gentlemanly and stuff. He bumped her to get her attention. “Good news?”
    “I told her to keep quiet about it until tomorrow. I’ll tell you when I next drop packages off for you. Tonight is your night.”
    He frowned. “You should tell me, of course. Good news should be shared. It’ll still be my night, so to speak. I promise. Consider it a present to me.”
    They crossed at the light and moved down the block. The mist raised in shiny beads on his jacket. The night was cold, but crisp and clean and she was utterly happy right in that moment.
    “If it’s a present, then I’ll truly hold off and tell you tomorrow.”
    “You would truly withhold your good news from me? You are not fair, Wren.”
    She laughed and he put an arm around her shoulder, which sent those butterflies in her belly into surprised flight. “So tell me.”
    Well he did ask and she was truly excited to share it with him. “This afternoon—”
    “Hi, Gregori.”
    Standing at the door of Fixe was none other than Prentiss Ivanov wearing a skirt so short that if she took a deep breath the entire street would know her as well as her gynecologist.
    “What are you doing here?” His voice had gone flat, all the rich, flirty tones he’d just been using on Wren had gone.
    Wren tried to skirt past them. Go inside, anywhere away from this scene, but Gregori kept an arm around her shoulders to hold her in place.
    “I wanted to congratulate you, of course.”
    He moved past Prentiss. “Thank you.” And tried to keep walking until Prentiss placed