McDonald_SS_GEN_Nov2014 by Donna McDonald Page A

Talk to me,” David ordered.
    “Nothing’s wrong, but is it too late to get Crystal to ride the float with Nicolas? I looked at her shooting scores. They were decent.” Megan blushed when her brother’s eyebrow shot up. “Don’t start asking questions until you answer the one I asked first.”
    David narrowed his eyes. “Yes, it’s too late, Megan. Crystal can’t do it. In fact, she’s out of town. I sent her to Tennessee on an assignment because she was pouting about you and Nicolas. What’s the problem you’re dancing around?”
    Megan released a long, slow breath as she tried to find a plausible reason she could offer, preferably one which didn’t betray the reality of her and Nicolas. “I’m having second thoughts about whether or not I’m the right person to guard him. Something of concern has come up between us.”
    Laughing, David leaned back in his chair. “ Something of concern has come up between you? Like what? Let me guess—you two finally decided to deal with the attraction between you.”
    “Well, shit. Did Nicolas talk to you about us?” she demanded, blushing hard under her brother’s gaze.
    David laughed at her red face and her worry. “Talk about you? No. Not a word. Are you kidding? Nicolas never talks about women. In fact, he never talks about anything much unless you pry an opinion out of him. He was raised to be polite to a fault. However, since you’ve come home, he’s never stopped talking about you. So what’s the deal?”
    “There is no deal. We just have to work some things out. There’s a distracting tension when we’re in the same place together.”
    “Megan, quit dancing around the truth. I saw the nature of his interest the day he hugged you. In all the years I’ve known him, I’ve never seen the man hug a woman before, much less latch on to one like she was a life raft. Being your brother, I should probably be pissed my best friend and sister have the hots for each other. I thought Crystal was the only woman with a crush on Nicolas.”
    “Fuck you—and it’s none of your business what’s going on,” Megan said sharply, rubbing a hand over her face at her show of temper. She opened her mouth to apologize, but snapped it shut when she noticed David was grinning at her. “Look—I can’t explain this to you. I doubt Nicolas could either. Some old history just sort of erupted between us when we saw each other again. The bottom line is I think way too much about kissing him when he’s near me. I’m only admitting my weakness to you because his freaking life is at stake and I can’t afford to be distracted.”
    “Well, they say knowing the problem is half the battle. Maybe your awareness will keep you on your toes. Or maybe you’re overreacting, Megan. Will you still shoot any bastard who shoots at Nicolas?” David asked.
    Megan smacked her forehead and held out her hand. “Of course I will. That’s a stupid question to even ask. I’d blow the guy’s nuts off without thinking twice, but my attraction takes my attention off potential targets. I don’t want to take any chances. This is his life we’re talking about here.”
    David rubbed his jaw. “Your crush on him is just as funny and awkward as I imagined it would be when it happened. It’s not fair that I don’t have time to laugh over how uncomfortable you are about it. You know I saw this coming years ago, but I figured it would take you two a lot longer to move on the attraction. Would this be a good time to confess I bought you that sexy red suit to wear because I thought seeing you in it might prompt Nicolas into finally making his move? I know he’s waited years to find his nerve. Every time you were around, he couldn’t take his eyes off you.”
    Megan slapped her hands on the arms of her chair. “You will pay for making me wear that sleazy outfit, David. You will pay big. Nicolas does not need prompting with me—any kind of prompting—so never talk to him about it. And stay the hell