Christy Barritt - Squeaky Clean 04 - Dirty Deeds by Christy Barritt Page A

you’re immune.”
    “I’ve had my fair share of ugly relationships. Riley’s different.” I glanced down at my princess-cut diamond and smiled. I never wanted to take this ring off.
    “Any relationship can turn sour. Any one. I hate to be the bearer of bad news.”
    What did she know? I shrugged.
    “That said, you’ve got yourself a good one,” Lillian continued. “I always wondered what kind of girl would finally snag Riley.”
    “Snagging’s one of my many specialties.” I realized how lame that sounded and decided to not be cute. “I’m really thankful to have him in my life, actually. Sometimes I still pinch myself.”
    She rested a well-manicured hand on the chair. “He was a hot commodity in law school.”
    I raised my eyebrows, not in surprise of the fact that Riley had been desirable, as much as I was shocked by this conversation. “What was he like?”
    She stepped closer. “Let me put it this way. Derek is handsome and he knows it. Lane is smart but kind of nerdy. Jack was … well, he was Jack. Riley was a perfect mix. He was handsome like Derek, but smart like Lane, and minus all of their bad qualities.”
    I nodded. “He’s a catch.” A catch ? Did anyone say that anymore?
    She crossed her arms and leaned against the chair, as if she was ready to settle in for a long talk. “He had this wild streak that made him interesting, too.”
    I nearly choked on my spit for the second time today. “Wild streak?” Of all the things I would call Riley, wild was not one of them. Ever. By any stretch of the imagination. In my craziest dreams. Not even after what Derek had said earlier.
    “He was always the one planning our outlandish excursions. Spring break trips. Backpacking adventures. We all went to Europe one summer and stayed at hostels. We knew if Riley were there, we’d have a good time. He liked living on the edge.”
    “Riley?” I had to stop repeating things. But I felt certain she was talking about someone else and not my fiancé.
    She seemed to be on a roll as she waved her hand in the air and settled in for the conversation. “He was the king of drinking games. He could come up with some outrageous ones.”
    I leaned forward to get a better look at her face. Certainly there was a twinkle in her eyes that would let me know she was joking. Nope, there wasn’t even a sparkle. “Drinking games?”
    She straightened, crossed her arms, and shook her head. “It was such a tragedy about his best friend … ”
    I wanted to ask, but just then I saw Riley approaching. Lillian waved and scurried off, mumbling something about giving us some time alone.
    I forced a smile as Riley got closer. I was so not good at this whole being fake thing. In other words, I could never work at this hotel. I’d be fired in a day.
    I wanted to tell Riley about Jackie. I wanted to ask him about his drinking games. I wouldn’t do either. At least, I wouldn’t do either right now. There was a time and a place for everything. I often forgot that rule, especially when I was looking for answers.
    But my goal was to be prim and proper this week. That meant abiding by certain rules of social etiquette.
    He leaned down and kissed my cheek, the scent of his leathery aftershave filling my senses. “How was your day? Did you visit the spa?”
    I shook my head. “No, but I did take a tour of the building.” At least, I’d taken half a tour. “A historian led it. It was interesting. And the guide had a monocle. If he’d had a cane and a top hat, he would have reminded me of Mr. Peanut. That made it all worth it.”
    Riley chuckled under his breath. He took my hand and pulled me to my feet. His hand went to my waist, sending flutters up my spine. “Good. I’m glad you found something to amuse yourself. I don’t want you to feel bad about taking time for yourself. Sign up for some lessons. Enjoy the pool or soak in the springs. You’ve been busy lately. You deserve to relax some.”
    I nodded as we started walking