Page 61 of Penny & Royce

Penny smiled tightly at her secretary. Normally, she wouldn’t have cared if her brother dropped in unannounced, but Royce had been here ten minutes ago. He’d only left to pick up some lunch. If they had bumped into each other, she wasn’t sure what she would have done.

Especially if the door had been open when Mathew showed up and he caught them mid-kiss.

“It’s fine, Shelly.”

Mathew chuckled. “Yeah, it’s fine. She’s my sister, and when the door is open…” He winked at her secretary, and Penny rolled her eyes.

“Aren’t you trying to win back the girl of your dreams?”

“Not trying. Have. We’re starting fresh, and it’s going great.”

Penny sat back in her seat and grinned wide at her brother. “That’s amazing. I’m glad it worked out. Will she be your date to the wedding?”

“Of course she will.” Mathew moved farther into her office, but then he stopped short, his eyes locking on the piece of artwork Royce had given her as a wedding gift. “Wow, that’s… amazing.”

Her blood ran cold.

She knew before he even asked what he was going to say next.

“Did somebody give that to you?”

Slowly rising, she focused on keeping her breathing even and her voice calm. Mathew was a pro at noticing whenever she wasn’t being honest.

“I take offense at that.” She forced a laugh. “Am I not allowed to purchase artwork for my office?”

Mathew arched a brow and looked at her, his gaze piercing. “No…” he drawled, “but you’re not exactly known for splurging even when you can afford to.”

Shoot.

He was right. She was the most frugal out of her siblings. Beneath his stare, she fidgeted. “Well, I really liked it. So I got it.”

Her brother’s mouth twitched. Then he shook his head. “If you say so.” He moved closer to her desk. “Anyway, as I said when I got here, I was wondering if you’d like to get some lunch.”

Penny stiffened. “I—I can’t.”

“You… can’t?”

“I’m busy.”

Mathew chuckled. “Well, even you need to take a break for lunch. I don’t mind picking something up and bringing it to you.”

“No.” She winced at the sharpness of her tone and tried again. “No, that’s fine.”

“Penny, I know you. And I know that sometimes you work so hard you don’t take care of yourself. It’s my treat.”

She cut a glance at the door. Any second, Royce could show up with their lunch, and she’d have a lot of explaining to do. She wasn’t ready for that. They were supposed to be strangers to each other except for the few people they’d confided in.

Anxiety swept through her, triggering that nausea she hated so much. She couldn’t let Mathew bump into Royce. Not here.

She reached for her purse so suddenly that Mathew jumped.

“Fine. Your treat. And it has to be quick.”

She hustled toward the door, focusing on her breathing to quell her churning stomach. Her nerves seemed to be getting worse ever since Morgan caught them at Royce’s property. It was only a matter of time before they were found out.

“Penny?” Mathew called after her. “Wait up.”

“If you want lunch, you’re going to have to keep up,” she shot over her shoulder.