He’d been a quick student when it came to all things Daisy Sinclair’s body, and he knew when she was close. Took her to the very edge with his tongue against her clit before easing away right when she was at the edge.

She moaned in protest.

Lincoln shoved pants and briefs down just far enough to free his cock, and roughly jerked her to the side of the desk.

“Here’s your hard, Wallflower.”

Lincoln ripped her underwear down her side, and thrust into her, fast and ruthless, and Daisy put a hand over her mouth to stifle the cry.

He fucked her. He fucked her like his life depended on it, fingers digging into soft hips, eyes locked on the sway of her tits as his body slammed into hers again and again with frantic need.

He was on the brink of a massive orgasm in record time, and his thumb moved down her body, pressing her clit to take her with him.

He quickened the pace, their mutual need almost unbearable.

Daisy’s arms flung over her head at her release, something clattering to the floor as Lincoln met her there in the ecstasy, thrusting inside once more as he came with a harsh groan.

It was so good. Always so damn good. As though he could never get enough of this.

Of her.

He pulled her upright, stealing a kiss. “Best Monday morning I’ve ever had.”

She laughed low in her throat. “Believe it or not, this isn’t really why I came in here.”

“No?” he asked, jerking his pants back up over his legs.

“Cassidy wanted everyone in the conference room. Nine o’clock.”

He glanced at his watch. He had five minutes. “You could have called to tell me that.”

“Oh definitely. I’ll be sure to do that next time.”

He pulled her in for another kiss. “Don’t you dare. Every message in person, from here on out. Sexy dresses mandatory.”

She laughed and went to retrieve her clothes.

Lincoln was bending to retrieve his suit jacket when he saw it.

The item Daisy had knocked off the desk during their furious fucking?

The picture of Katie.

Lincoln froze, staring at it. There was a crack in the frame.

Fitting. Because Lincoln was pretty sure there was a crack in his heart.

And damned if it hadn’t gotten just a little bit bigger.

Chapter 29

Daisy had hesitated before accepting Mollie Carrington’s invitation to girls’ night.

Growing up, she and Emma had always been adamant about having separate friend groups. Sure, they had a handful of mutual friends, but by the time they got to junior high, they’d recognized the importance of being part of a group where they had an identity outside of “one of the twins.”

Going over to Mollie’s felt a bit like she was stealing Emma’s friends.

But dang it. She really wanted to go. For starters, she liked these women. She’d gotten to know Penelope especially since she worked at Oxford. And Grace too, since Grace not only worked in the same building but was married to an Oxford guy.

She didn’t know Julie, Riley, and Mollie quite as well, but from the time she had spent with them, they too were impossible not to like. Julie was all vivacious and sassy, Riley was outrageous and fierce, and Mollie had somehow cornered the market on being both geeky and sexy as heck.

Daisy had rationalized she wasn’t stealing Emma’s friends so much as borrowing them. And when she’d tried to explain that to Emma, Emma had merely rolled her eyes and grabbed Daisy’s cell phone out of her hand and RSVPed on Daisy’s behalf.

As she knocked on Mollie’s door, she replayed Emma’s words. They love you. I love you. Quit acting weird and be there.

The door opened, and it wasn’t Mollie who answered, but Riley, who stuffed what seemed to be a dip-heavy potato chip into her mouth before motioning Daisy forward for a hug. “Daiz! I don’t see you nearly enough since you’re up there with the boys all day. Ooh, are those brownies? Girls! Daisy’s here!”

Less than five minutes later, a glass of champagne was shoved into Daisy’s hand, and she found herself quite comfortably jumping in on the argument of Italian takeout versus sushi.

She was on the losing side with Italian, but she didn’t care because it felt so darn good to be around people again. She hadn’t realized how much she’d isolated herself since her divorce. Heck, before her divorce.

Now her weekends held the promise of gossipy girls’ get-togethers, her weekdays of a job that, while temporary and borderline tedious, wasn’t horrible. And her nights…her nights were all about Lincoln.

“Uh-oh,” Grace said as they settled around Mollie’s living room. “Is anyone else recognizing that look on Daisy’s face?”

“What look?” Daisy asked innocently, dunking a baby carrot in ranch dip and then sitting cross-legged on the floor next to Julie.

“You’re smitten, sweetie,” Grace said sympathetically. “Is it with who I think it is?”

“Oooh, I love Nick,” Julie said, clicking her glass against Daisy’s. “I totally get it.”

“Um—” Daisy bit her lip.

“Oh, Jules, that’s super old news,” Mollie said, waving her hand.

“How do you know?” Grace asked.

“Jackson told me,” Mollie replied.

“Wait, what am I missing?” Julie asked.

“Lincoln and Daisy are hooking up,” Grace and Mollie said at the exact same time, with a hint of smugness.

Julie gasped. “What? No. Seriously? I’m out sick for two days and Lincoln Mathis is taken?”