Friends to Lovers Read Online Free PDF Page B

Daphne.”
    “Well, there’s rosemary, for remembrance. For my mom.”
    “Nice,” Gib said as he scooped a spoonful of eggs onto his plate.
    Daphne ran her fingers through the fluffy greens. “Parsley, for festivity.”
    “Great.” Ben plucked off a leaf and popped it in his mouth. “When brunch is over, you can dump it into a pot and make stew. And when you do, count me in for a bowl.”
    “Very funny. After the workout I gave my pots and pans this morning, I probably won’t be cooking again until the spring thaw.”
    Gib used the tongs holding a fat sausage link to point at the cluster of tiny white berries. “Isn’t that mistletoe? I’ve seen a bunch of it over the past month. Our head housekeeper, Letitia, keeps hanging it over the time-card punch station. I’ve tried explaining to her that it’s inappropriate, but she’s got her eye on one of the maître d’s. She thinks trapping him under mistletoe is the only way to get him to notice her.”
    “Might work,” said Sam.
    “True,” Gib conceded.
    Ben loaded two cinnamon rolls onto his plate, leaving a drizzle of thick icing across the table. “You of all people should be in her corner.”
    “Not in the least. I’ve never dipped into the company well. Too dangerous. Rife with complication to get involved in the workplace, and twice as bad since I’m the manager. Regardless, a built-in kissing station is a bad idea with three hundred employees of both genders.”
    A kissing station at Gib’s work. Daphne was sure the maître d’ wasn’t the only man that housekeeper hoped to trap into a secret smooch. “Mistletoe means I surmount all difficulties . I thought it would be a positive affirmation to start the year.”
    Gib barked out a laugh. “What’s the flower to avoid all difficulties? Seems easier.”
    Men. Always wanting a short cut. “The language of flowers is rather limited. It’s not like that full Klingon dictionary you bought last Halloween.”
    “I wanted to be able to converse with all women, no matter their nationality. And trust me, those Star Trek nuts are quite keen to show their appreciation if you go the extra mile.”
    “Gib, you’re incorrigible,” Mira laughed. “What’s the tall flower?”
    Daphne appreciated being pulled off the detour her mind took in picturing Gib rolling around in bed with a lusty, green-skinned Trekkie. “As my former roommate, I’m sure you’ll appreciate that one. It’s hyssop, for cleanliness. You know, that thing I’m woefully lacking? Sort of my New Year’s resolution. To de-clutter and remember to clean before it gets so bad I can write my name in the dust on the mantel.”
    “This is the year you’re going to land a man,” Gib declared.
    Was it upside-down-backward day? Had he figured out his best kiss ever came from his best friend? Was he about to offer himself up to her, and maybe carry her off to the bedroom to finish what they’d barely begun? “What do you mean?”
    “Surmounting difficulties? Keeping the place tidy so it’s always prepared for an unexpected visitor? Obviously you’re on the prowl.” He leaned back, crossing one ankle over his knee. “Now that Mira and Ivy are cozily hooked up, you’ve decided that it’s your turn to bag a trophy.”
    “Better than your catch-and-release habit.” Her retort tumbled out automatically, the way they always yanked each other’s chain. It was the most normal she’d felt conversing with him since the kiss. Maybe Daphne could recalibrate her emotions. Go back to their standard friendship, unimpeded by her unrelenting lust.
    “Hey, nobody gets hurt my way.”
    And normalcy disappeared just that fast, pinched off like a dead flower. “Want to bet?”
    Ben sank cross-legged onto the pale purple throw rug in front of the fireplace. “I know somebody Gib wants to catch—and keep.”
    Ivy pounced on his announcement. “Who?”
    “The mysterious Cinderella from last night’s wedding.”
    Freezing in place, Daphne