Free Her Favorite Rival by Sarah Mayberry

kidding.
    “You’ll be the first to know. Outside of Zach, of course.”
    “Cross your heart and hope to die?”
    “Stick a needle in my eye,” Audrey promised.
    It wasn’t as though it was ever going to be an issue, after all. She might be sexually frustrated, but she wasn’t an idiot.
    “Okay, fine.” Megan pointed to the half a sandwich still left on Audrey’s plate. “Are you going to eat that?”
    “It’s all yours.”
    “Thank you. That sub barely touched the sides. I think I’m having a growth spurt.”
    Audrey managed to change the subject then, but Megan’s words popped into her mind as she hit the mall afterward to shop for a present for her sister.
    The truth was, she was finding it incredibly difficult to believe that she had ever not liked Zach. He was funny. He was cheeky. He said amazingly clever things that made her brain hurt trying to keep up. And he was also one hundred percent male.
    Hot, firm, hard male.
    Yesterday, they’d shared a pizza and worked into the night as they pasted their separate sections of the analysis into one coherent report and massaged it into shape. At some point he’d loosened his tie and she’d kicked off her shoes. She’d been tired after days of doing her normal job as well as working every spare minute on the project, but Zach had made it fun.
    Be honest. He made it more than fun.
    Okay, he’d made it exciting. Sitting in the same room with him when the rest of the building was dark and silent had created a special sort of intimacy. They’d laughed and told jokes in between bouts of intense productivity. And they were doing it all over again tonight.
    There was no denying the frisson of excitement that fizzed through her belly at the thought. There was also no denying that she’d dressed with particular care this morning, choosing a black pencil skirt and fitted latte-colored silk blouse that made her feel like a heroine in a forties movie. And yes, she’d even spritzed on perfume, something she didn’t usually bother with for the office.
    “He’s your coworker,” she murmured to herself, in case that rather important fact had slipped her mind.
    “Excuse me, ma’am? Can I help you?”
    Audrey lifted her gaze from the scarf display she’d been eyeing and realized that the sales assistant had overheard her talking to herself. Such a good look.
    “I’m just browsing, thanks,” she said with a sheepish smile.
    “For yourself or are you looking for a gift?” the young woman asked.
    “It’s a gift, for my sister. Her thirtieth, actually.”
    “Something special, then? Were you thinking a scarf? We have some lovely French silk scarves....”
    Audrey blinked at the display. She had no idea, really, why she’d stopped in front of it.
    “I was thinking maybe a watch, actually. Or a piece of jewelry.”
    “Lovely. Jeannie is over in the watch department. She’ll be sure to help you out,” the saleswoman said, already drifting away to serve another customer.
    Audrey made her way to the shiny glass display cabinets in the jewelry department, finally locating the watches. She did a slow circuit of the cabinets, running her eye over the range, hoping something would jump out at her as being perfect for Leah.
    Her gaze moved from watch to watch, doubt and indecision gnawing at her. Despite the fact that there were only four years separating them, she and Leah had never really been close. She had no idea whether her sister would be all over a watch loaded with shiny bling, or if she would prefer a more conservative, traditional model.
    Funny, because she could still remember how excited she’d been when she’d learned her parents would be bringing home a little sister for her from the hospital. She’d mistakenly believed that it would be her and Leah against the world.
    She did a slower circuit, this time stopping when she saw a small-faced gold watch with a leather band and distinctive art deco styling. She thought it was beautiful, but there was no