Page 67 of Nothing to This

Holding up a hand, she counted off each of her fingers.“You live together.You work together.You have two children together.You spend every waking moment together.You spend more time with her than you do with the kids!”

“I won’t be living in her apartment forever.”

“Have you even looked for another place?”He slapped the folder shut and stood up.“Has she asked you to leave?”

Rounding the desk, he marched across the room with Brenna in his wake.“Leave it alone, Bren.”

“Both of you are doing this crazy dance around each other.”

“It’s sexual,” he said, grabbing his jacket from the closet.“It’s an attraction, that’s all.”

She scoffed.“Yeah, right, okay.So fuck her and get it over with.”

“She’s the mother of my children, Brenna.I have more respect for her than that.”

“First it’s sex and now it’s respect, how many more steps until you admit… You.Love.Her.”

He held up a finger.“Stop it.Enough.I mean it, Bren, don’t say any of this crap to Rylee, she’s been through enough.Our business is our business.Not yours.I don’t get all up in your relationship, do I?”

He started for the door and she followed.“Because I’m in a loving relationship.I can admit my feelings to the woman I love.You do the same and I’ll back off.”

Ignoring her, he left the office.Greg was at Rylee’s desk writing something.

“Good.I was coming to find you.The folder is on my desk.Everything is signed.I’m going home.If you need anything else, Rylee and I will be at the apartment or on our cells all weekend.”

Greg stood.“No worries.Have a good weekend.”

“You too,” he said and walked away.

“Think about what I said,” Greg called after him.

He just waved over his shoulder, unwilling to stop and debate his love life anymore.He got to the elevator call button, and, pressing it, was startled when Brenna pounced up beside him.

“What are you doing?”he asked.

She was watching the numbers above the door, doing a good job of looking pleased with herself.“Oh, didn’t I say?My niece called and asked me to dinner.”The elevator came and she stepped inside, flashing a proud grin.“I don’t tell you enough just how much I love your children, Jame.”

Suddenly his feet were heavier; he had to force himself to join his sister.He loved his kids too, oh so much, but sometimes he wanted to wring their necks.God hope Brenna hadn’t included the twins in her and their mother’s conspiracy regarding his relationship with Rylee.He’d have to set some rules about that.

For now, he had a night of torment ahead.Man, his daughter knew how to set him up good.

TWENTY-FOUR

“How you doing, Siren?”

JD approached her in the kitchen just moments after she’d finished cleaning up.

“You’ve done well tonight,” she said.“I’m proud of you.”

“Me?They’re my family.”

“I see more of them than you do.And they like me more than they like you.”

Sliding his arms around her, he pulled her against him.“True,” he said, rubbing his chin side to side on the top of her head.

Sinking against him, she breathed out and slid her hands into the back pockets of his jeans.

Her drowsy eyes landed on the front door at the other side of the space.