Page 11

Since I took over running the firm alongside my three brothers, I understand why he was never home before midnight and only took one vacation a year: the firm demands your time; all of it. Between cases, I barely have the time to sleep. There’s no space for anything else, let alone a wife.
Working long hours is how kings are made, and I don’t need a queen.
Although, weirdly, settling down with someone is something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately, which is stupid of me, when I know it’s not an idea I should entertain given my career; however, having been invited to more weddings than I have digits in the last year, I’ve started to wonder recently if I’m missing out on something. If all my friends are getting married to their soulmate and finding love, maybe there is something more to the whole marriage thing they have become obsessed with.
It doesn’t matter because that’s not meant for me.It can’t be.
And I’m not a sheep—I lead and don’t follow.
Remaining silent, I hang back in Ari’s blind spot, carefully watching her.
“Come on.” She presses the call button repeatedly as if that will make the elevator come quicker. While staring at the digital counter, she shakes her knees back and forth nervously. The whirling sound of the elevator signals its arrival, and it chimes before the doors open. “Silence,” she hisses, her finger motioning toward the elevator doors. “You’re going to ruin my escape.”
I curl my lips. Without even knowing it, she’s funny.
The doors whir open, revealing my three brothers standing inside, and their loud and overlapping voices instantly go quiet as they have a stare-off with Ari.
There’s a beat of silence and I see the power she has over them. She’s breathtaking and one look from her can renderyou speechless. Something that happened to me several times last night. Specifically, when she was sucking my cock like she couldn’t get enough of me and looked up at me with those big eyes of hers. She wasn’t just doing it to please me, it was because she was enjoying it and needed more as she turned herself around and sat on my face and sucked me until I couldn’t see or think straight before she came all over my tongue.
What a rush.
Why the hell am I letting her leave?
Because it was only one night, you fucking asshole.
I do not and willneverdo commitment.
“Fantastic,” Ari mutters under her breath before she says a polite “Morning.” Nodding her head in the direction of the elevator, she points to it. “I was just leaving.”
Eventually, Max, who is younger than me by four years, is the first to jump into action and exit. “Right, yeah. Good morning.” He coughs.
Then my youngest brother, Cole, awkwardly steps out of the elevator, following Max and avoiding eye contact with Ari. “Sorry. We, were just…”
“Please ignore my brothers’ bad manners.” Eli, who is seven years younger than me, trails behind them, apologizing for their stunned awkwardness. “Morning, ma’am.” I don’t miss the way his gaze drifts over her curves.
“Oh, these must be yours.” Sounding surprised, Max hooks his finger into a pair of panties hanging from the side lamp on the entry table and holds them out for Ari to take, the amusement in his tone evident.
Turning brighter than a strawberry, she whips the sliver of red silk off his finger and scrunches it into a ball inside her clenched fist. “Please pretend you didn’t see that.” Her gaze bounces back and forth between my three brothers who are looking back at her.
Max holds his hands up in mock surrender. “I have no idea what you’re referring to.”
“Great.” She steps inside the elevator, and I take this moment to reveal myself and say goodbye.
Her face pales as I come to a full stop just outside the doors. I cross my arms, plant my feet firmly, and lock my gaze on her. “Arianna.”
“Nathaniel.” She holds her chin high, and I take note of the way she checks my physique out before the doors slide closed.
Then she’s gone.
Why do I wish she was staying?
“Who the fuck was the siren?”
Max.
“Spill the tea or whatever the fucking saying is.”
Eli.