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The thought of that fills me with dread, but I remind myself of why I need to speak to him. Amelia Ryder. Everything about her calls to me. Her deep, infectious laugh, the way her eyes sparkle when she smiles, her hands in my hair. My head between her thighs. Her scent. Her taste.
I stifle a groan. Today is going to be a long fucking day, made even worse by the fact that she won’t be in it.
I jerkmy head in the direction of my older brother’s office door. “Is he free?”
Helen offers me a brief smile. “Well, he’s not in a meeting.” Her not-so-subtle way of telling me he’s slammed and I shouldn’t take up too much of his time. Probably sorting out the shit with the Ryans that he mentioned on Friday, which now feels like a different lifetime.
“I won’t keep him long, Helen.”
“He will always make time for you, Mr. James, you know that.”
“Noted.” I stride past her desk and knock once, then announce it’s me before stepping inside.
He’s just putting down his phone and raises an eyebrow when he sees me. “Hello, stranger,” he says, looking marginally pissed. “Where the fuck have you been?”
“You mean over the weekend? Traditionally the time when people aren’t in the office?”
“You’re notpeoplethough, are you Drake? You’re a workaholic who thinks weekends are fictional. And anyway, I wasn’t talking about work. You disappeared from Dad’s on Friday, and nobody’s been able to get hold of you on the phone since. I ended up checking in with Constantine just to make sure you were alive.” His right eye twitches, and he shoves his hands through his hair. I bite back my sarcastic retort. He already looks stressed as fuck, and I’m about to add to his woes.
“Message received and understood, brother. I was a selfish ass, and I apologize. You okay? You look like shit.”
“Thanks, I appreciate the compliment.” He scrubs his hand down his face and sighs. “Sorry I went off on you. You’re a grown-up, you can do what you like with your spare time. I’m just in a crappy mood. Luke is teething, and sleep is a distant land. Plus, three of the Ryans’ clubs got raided last week, so they’ve obviously pissed off somebody important. I feel like I’m wading through shit.”
I drop into the seat opposite him, watching as he flicks his tongue over his bottom lip. For the Iceman, this is having a meltdown. “Anything I can help with?”
“You can take me out for a drink when this day from hell is over.”
When this day from hell is over, I’ll either be heading back to Brooklyn or I’ll be in my penthouse wishing I was in Brooklyn. Every moment away from her feels wasted, and I already miss her. Still, this is my brother, and if he needs a drink and some company, I’ll make sure he gets it.
“That I can do, bro. How’s Mel?”
“She’s fine, why?”
“Well, I’m guessing that Luke’s teething and sleepless nights are probably affecting her too. And, you know, I like her more than I like you.”
Eyes twinkling, he places his hand over his heart. “Ouch! You really know how to boost a guy’s morale, don’t you?”
I nod. “It’s a gift. And everyone likes her more than you, so you better get used to it.”
He laughs, then rests his forearms on the desk. “Did you come here to tell me how much you like my wife, or was there something else?”
Oh yeah. That. I wince. This is our firm. The clue’s in the name—James and James. We built it together, but I can never escape the feeling that he’s really the one in charge. Maybe it’s because it was his idea or because he’s a few years older than me.I don’t know where it comes from, but right now I feel like I’m asking permission or apologizing, and I don’t love it.
“Yeah. I do need to talk to you about something.”
He nods, eyes narrowed as he regards me with suspicion. I loosen my tie. “Stop trying to read me, Nathan.”
“Can’t help it. It’s my job. Stop fidgeting and talk to me. Then I won’t need to read you, will I?”
I blow out a breath. I guess I better just rip off the Band-Aid. “I slept with Amelia.”
He frowns. “This isn’t new information.”
“Again. This weekend. Several times.”
He closes his eyes and leans back in his chair. “For fuck’s sake, Drake,” he mutters.
“Don’tfor fuck’s sakeme. Like you just said, I’m a grown-up.”