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He shoots me a hard stare before he gets up, followed by the other board members. Only my brother remains seated.

As soon as the door closes behind them, I stand and walk to the bar.

“It’s not even ten a.m., Kade,” Chase says.

“It probably is…in Australia.”

I grab a bottle of whiskey and two glasses before I return to the table.

My hand’s slightly shaking as I pour the golden liquid into two tumblers, spilling.

My anger flares up again. “It’s a fucking mess.”

“Just do it, Kade,” Chase says quietly. “It’s only for six weeks.”

Smiling coldly, I push a glass across the table toward him. “What about my calendar?”

“What about it?”

I wave my hand. “Don’t tell me it’s all been in vain. I only have a few women left.”

He stares at me with no sense of humor. “How many are we talking about?”

I lift my hand. He stares at my three fingers. “Jesus, dude. I’m surprised you haven’t caught an STD yet.”

“I’m not stupid. You know how careful I am.” I lean back, lifting the glass to my lips, but I don’t take a sip yet. “I’m even taking a non-hormonal male contraceptive to avoid getting anyone pregnant.”

Chase’s brows shoot up. “You’re taking a male pill?” His expression betrays his shock, which isn’t a surprise given that Chase can be quite old-fashioned. “You know what? Forget I even asked that. I don’t want to know.” He shakes his head and releases a sigh. “Look, I’m not judging you, all right? You’re my brother and no matter what you do, it’s your business and I’ll always have your back. But…” He wets his lips, hesitating, probably choosing his words. “Please, just do the six-week program. After that… resume whatever you were doing before, just be more discreet about it. Fuck, I’ll even be your wingman. Anything, as long as I can keep you out of trouble.”

I give a little snort.

Chase being my wingman would be the worst thing that could happen to me. He’s married and ready to be a father.

“Do you know what you’re asking me to do?” I ask.

“I…”

“No, answer the question, Chase. Do you know what you’re expecting of me?” I ask sharply. “You request that my dick go on hiatus. That’s not human. It’s fucking immoral. Fucking torture. I wouldn’t expect that from my worst enemy.”

“Look, if monks can do it, you can do it.”

“I’m not a monk. I’m an adult with a healthy appetite for sex.”

Chase holds out his hand, a knowing smile playing on his lips. “I get it. You need it.”

I cringe at his choice of words.

He makes me sound like Ineedsex in a bad way.

“I’m not a sex addict, all right,” I say. “I just enjoy it. That’s all it is. A hobby, if you have to define it.”

“You didn’t go a day without sex in the past year.”

“That’s because I want to reach my goal.”

Chase shakes his head. “You are at the top of the world right now, Kade. The company has never done so well and you want to throw it all away. For what? For some fun?” He regards me for a few seconds, his anger visible in the way his fingers clutch at the glass. “Just do it, bro. How you do it, when you do it, with whom, it’s none of my business. Lie your way through. I don’t care. Honestly, I just want to see your ass at the rehab center tomorrow.”

The door opens.