Page 48 of Bargain With the Boss

No, I knew she wouldn’t be there.

I don’t know why I knew, but I did.

“X?”

“I knew she wouldn’t be at Jude’s,” I muttered.

“Are you fucking her?”

“What the hell, G?”

“You’re being too cagey.”

I set down the can before I crushed it. “No, I’m not fucking her.”

“You want to fuck her.

“Can we stop saying fuck?”

Gavin’s eyebrows shot up. “Since when?” He sipped more slowly, and I could tell he was assessing.

“Shut up.”

“Dangerous game, bro.”

“It’s not like that.”

“No, you would get her out of your system if it was. You’re not shy about getting a woman under you, X.”

“She’s Jude’s sister.”

“Not like it would stop you if you really wanted her.”

And I did. That was the problem. If she was only staying for a few months it shouldn’t be a problem if we wanted to get naked. Then why was I so damn twisted up? “It’s been a few months,” I said absently.

“Not like you.” He finished off his can and tossed the empty back into the cooler. “Probably why you’re so cranky.”

“At least I let off some steam. You’ve been a damn monk.”

“The hell I am. I’m just more discerning than you.”

“Fuck off.”

He grinned. “Besides, you were sniffing around her like a puppy the minute you met Sydney. J was just too blinded by love to notice.”

“She’s interesting. Smart, too.”

“And you have a weakness for redheads.”

“Shut up.”

Gavin hopped off the tailgate. “Get out of here and make some money. I found a new property on Sullivan Hill that looks promising. It’s an old estate that we could make into some cool apartments.”

“At least Maitland won’t block us from buying that one.”

He snorted. “Don’t put it past him.”

I took my Coke to go and we agreed to check in with each other at the end of the day. Instead of heading to the family office, I opted for ours. I wasn’t ready to get back into a stuffy suit. I had a change of clothes, and we had a shower so I could get rid of the grime.