Page 32

THIRTY-TWO

Kinsley

I’m scooping some ice cream in a bowl for a much needed mid-afternoon snack when there’s a knock at my door. Not sure who it could be, though. June is the only one of my friends who knows where I live, and she was already here this morning.

Maybe Colin forgot something at her place?

That has to be it.

I leave my bowl on the kitchen counter and open the front door, a smile on my face. A smile that dies the second my eyes land on my three bosses.

The fuck?

As they push their way into my apartment I’m stunned, stunned for so many reasons. They’re carrying broken down boxes. There are at least ten guys behind them carrying more boxes and packing material. And Brantley, Wyatt, and Maverick are wearing jeans.

Jeans!

I’m not sure what’s more alarming—the denim or the cardboard currently being assembled and taped together.

I think the correct answer is both.

“What do you guys think you’re doing?” I catch up to Maverick, closing the silverware drawer he just opened.

He ignores me and reopens the drawer. I close it. He reopens it and packs the contents in the box he’s holding. He doesn’t look at me. Nope. He looks over me toward the movers swarming my living room. “Don’t worry about loading that couch; it’s going straight to the dump.”

“What? No one is throwing away my couch.” I whirl around and focus on the men unmounting my television from the wall. “Put that back up there.”

They don’t.

I don’t know what the hell is going on here, but this insanity has to stop. I have no intention of going anywhere. These guys are going to feel like big jackasses when they have to put everything back where it belongs.

You know what, I’m calling into work tomorrow. I’m going to be way too busy moving back into my damn apartment. They can respond to their own emails.

“Maverick, stop packing.” I’m so close to stomping my feet on the ground and throwing a tantrum. Why? Because Mr. Hotshot doesn’t even spare me a glance.

He continues packing up my kitchen and giving directions to the other guys, completely oblivious to my existence.

Anger flows through me, boiling in my veins. Usually, I have a pretty long fuse, but I think it’s safe to say these assholes snipped it and set it on fire. They may sign my paycheck, but they have no right to come into my home and pack up my things.

And for what?

God only knows, but I sure as hell hope they don’t think Colin and I are going to move in with them.

Wyatt and Maverick may have gotten one night out of me, but that’s where I draw the line. I’m done. I should’ve taken the money and sent them on their way. I don’t know what I was thinking.

Oh, yeah—I wasn’t.

They hypnotized me with their lips and dirty words.

They should be ashamed; I know I am.

It’s clear I’m not going to get anything out of Maverick, so I change course, stomping straight to Brantley. Clear, level-headed Brantley.

He’ll be on my side. He’s reasonable. Surely, he thinks this whole idea is ridiculous…even if he’s dressed as casual as the rest of them. And damn. I have to pause for a second and admire the view because I’m sure this isn’t one I’ll see again.

He’s wearing a pair of ripped jeans that do wonders for his ass and a T-shirt that has no business wrapping around his biceps like it is. No wonder he wears a suit all the time. If the girls at work knew he looked like this in a simple T-shirt, they’d be fighting each other to get to him.

Even now, I’m tempted to let him proceed just so I can sit back and watch his muscles flex like the needy harlot I am. But I won’t. I’m not.

I’m sure they’re dressed like this to throw me off, and I hate to say it’s working.

I don’t like it and right now, I don’t particularly care for them.

Plus, this entire thing seems very illegal. They’re lawyers, for fuck’s sake. They should know better. Unless Maverick and Wyatt are hoping they fucked the brain cells out of me last night. Which since I haven’t called the police is a real possibility.

“Brantley, what the hell is going on?” I stop beside him, hand on my hips, doing my best to keep from getting distracted. I’m angry, not horny. “What are you doing here? Who the hell are these guys? I’m pretty sure I can have you arrested for this.”

For several passing seconds, I don’t think he’s going to answer me either. His face is a wall of stone, completely unreadable, as he takes one picture off the wall and then the next.

I don’t know what possessed me to touch him, but I do, laying a hand on his shoulder. He tenses beneath me, but I keep it there. “Please.”

The word comes out as a whisper, but he rears back like I’ve slapped him.

Slowly he turns and runs a hand down his face as he sighs. “There’s a three-bedroom apartment below mine that’s empty.” He sighs again, and I can’t help but notice how his T-shirt stretches over his chest with every deep breath. No distractions, Kinsley . “You deserve to have your own space.”

Is he kidding me right now?

“What I deserve and what I can afford are drastically different things, Mr. Ellis. You can’t just move me into your building because there’s a room available.” My voice raises with each word, and by the time I’m finished I’m practically yelling. You’d think the guys milling around us would take that as a hint and stop, but you’d be wrong. I take a deep breath and count to ten. “I can’t afford it there.”

“Sure you can.”

“I’m not joking, Brantley.”

He crosses his arms, his deep green eyes searching my face. “Neither am I.”

“I’m not moving.” I cross my arms too, mirroring his stance.

“And I’m not asking, Kinsley. You and Colin need to be somewhere safer, and when he has his surgery, there’s a good chance you’re going to need help. We’ll be there for you whether you like it or not.” He reaches a hand toward me, but about halfway, he stops, his hand falling to his side. “If you don’t like it, once he’s fully recovered, I’ll help you find another place. One where you can both be comfortable.”

My head is spinning, and while I get what he’s saying, it doesn’t change anything. I appreciate they’re thinking about me, thinking about my brother, but I can’t move. There’s no way I can afford a night in their building let alone a few months. All the money I got from my night with Wyatt and Maverick is going toward taking care of Colin, and I’m not going to make any more sacrifices where he’s concerned.

“This is too much.”

No one has tried to go out of their way to help me before, including my own parents. I don’t like it. I don’t know how to process it. I’ve always been on my own. These guys are heavy handed, demanding, and completely ridiculous. Also slightly sweet, but only a very small fraction.

“Don’t worry about it.” Maverick shrugs, a smile tugging at his lips. “I know the owner.”

“Is this your way of telling me you are the owner?”

That damn smile stretches across his face, momentarily distracting me from the conversation, but it only makes me angrier. I’m about to tell him exactly where he can shove this offer when Colin comes out, his eyes wide, taking in our apartment which is now in total disarray.

Great. Perfect. This looks terrible, and I have absolutely no way to explain.

Colin looks from Brantley to me, his brows scrunched together like he’s trying to work out a math problem. If he gets the answer, I hope he lets me know. Are we moving and you forgot to mention it?

“This is on me. It was a surprise.” Brantley signs as he responds, and my mouth drops open, my entire world spinning.

Brantley Ellis, the grumpiest lawyer I’ve ever met, learned sign language.

For my brother.

After bumping into him once on the street.

All the anger surging through me wizzes right out of me as I deflate like a pathetic balloon. Why didn’t he tell me he was learning ASL?

You learned sign? Colin’s jaw drops, his gaze moving quickly between us.

“Some. I’m not great yet.” Brantley smiles, and I’m completely flabbergasted. I’m so freaking stunned I don’t even notice the guys moving out my couch until it’s gone. Likely to the dump. “I want you and your sister to move into my building. You’ll both have your own rooms. And we can be there when you have surgery.”

You’ll come with me? To the hospital? Colin is looking at Brantley like he invented the Playstation, and I swear if he breaks his heart, I will murder him. No, correction—all three of them. They’re all accomplices here.

“If you want me there.”

Colin nods enthusiastically. Thanks for the books. That was really cool of you. I’ll help pack up my room. I can’t wait to hang out. You guys can come over after work, and we can watch a movie.

“That’s not—” He’s gone before I can tell him we are absolutely not packing up his room or watching a movie with any of these three idiots. I guess it’s a moot point now. Half my damn apartment is already gone. And I did really like that couch, lumps and all. I swing back toward Brantley and point a finger directly in his smug face. “How’s he going to get to and from school? Have you thought about that?”

His hand wraps around my finger, and I ignore the electricity that passes between us as he forces me to lower it. He’s so calm, so collected, and I want to shake him. He may not have on the suit, but the attitude is still there. “I have a driver.”

“I’m not asking your driver to take Colin to school.”

“You don’t have to.” He shrugs like all of this is no big deal. To him, it probably isn’t, but that’s not the point. “It’s already taken care of. You don’t have to worry about it.”

I will worry about whatever I want.

Right now, what I want is to punch something. Preferably one of my bosses. My entire life is packed up, and I’m helpless. I don’t like leaning on other people. I don’t like handouts. And I sure as hell don’t like change.

I was so worried about seeing Maverick and Wyatt on Monday, but that isn’t going to be a problem after all. I won’t be tripping over my bosses, trying not to drool all over them; I’ll be strangling them instead.

I’m tempted to strangle Brantley right now.

But Wyatt comes up behind me, sweeps the hair from my neck, and drags his lips across my skin. His fingers are light as he grips my hips, and his chest brushes against my back.

He fights dirty.

It’s not fair.

Because I know I’m going to give in. They have the advantage. I’ll let them win this time, but the next round is going to go to me. I’ll make sure of it.

“Don’t be mad, baby girl.” He nips at my earlobe, and I can’t help the tiny moan that escapes my lips.

Brantley’s eyes flare with heat, and he’s so close, he must’ve taken a step toward me.

I’m speechless, frozen in place. I can very clearly picture them stripping me naked, one brother dropping to his knees in front of me while the other takes me from behind. They’d claim me. Consume me.

Wyatt’s lips find my neck again, and my knees almost buckle. “We just want to take care of you. Brant needs this.”

“Well, if your brother wanted to take care of me, why wasn’t he there last night?”

The question flies out of my mouth before I can stop it, and it hangs between us. There’s no taking it back now.

But I want to. Especially when Brantley’s eyes fall to my lips, and he leans toward me, his mouth inches from my own. “When I fuck you, it’s not going to be because I paid for it. It’s going to be because you beg me for it.”