A Reborn Bride Pearl Emerging from Dust by Sally Garcia

"Lance, why don't you take a seat? What kind of coffee do you like? I'll have someone whip up a cup for you," Monty said, trying to sound as accommodating as possible.

Lance shot him a look. "Dude, you are seriously annoying."

He didn't even bother to glance at Monty or the others, keeping his eyes fixed on Calliope instead.

"Hey, Callie, who are these weirdos? Are they your family or something? I never even heard you had family-I figured they were all dead and gone!"

He gave the run-down office a once-over. "Why are you even working at a dump like this?"

"If you're so into running a company, I could just buy you one, you know!"

"Seriously, just let someone else handle this mess for you and come with me already. Weren't we supposed to head out together?"

Lance rattled on, barely pausing for breath.

Calliope ignored him, laser-focused on her work.

Finally, without even looking up, she said, "Lance, if you don't shut your mouth, I'm gonna shove a couple of dirty socks in it!"

blinked. He shot upright

me. I've got nothing better

a good impression. If JK Group ever ended up working with the Jewell

three of them over

asked, pulling out

glances. Sure, they'd played poker, but they figured Lance, having fived abroad, wouldn't

shark. He played fast, smart, and

his group had lost every hand,

said, wiping sweat from his brow. "We can't beat you!" "Yeah, I'm tapped out," Valerian admitted. "Can we play

empty wallet. He'd hoped to win a little extra cash, but now he was

Valerian were just as shocked. Who knew this rich kid

guys suck!" Lance teased, shaking his head. "If it was Callie playing, she'd have me betting

grinned. "You guys act like you're family, but you're nothing like her. How can you be so

and Horatio

laying into Monty and the others, especially Horatio and Valerian. He went on about

brothers-who'd grown up withel