Page 133 of Point of Contention

Cabot

With documents spread across the kitchen island, the three of us sat on barstools, scanning each one slowly, searching for anything we could find that would help in my meeting this morning.

“Was there an earthquake?” Travis asked, pulling my focus away from my task.

I looked up and followed his gaze to the chandelier hanging above us. I’d had the light repaired, and it was again secure in the ceiling, but I had yet to hire a drywall repair company to come fix the ceiling.

My gaze flicked to Rylan and her cheeks turned crimson.

“Faulty wiring,” I said, holding her gaze.

“Weird.” Travis stood and strode to the coffee maker, his back to us.

“Faulty wiring?”she mouthed, looking at me incredulously.

I shrugged. It was the first thing that came to mind.

Travis turned round slowly and we both dropped our heads, pretending to focus on the documents.

“Because, it looks like…” He paused and I rolled my lips together to keep from laughing. “Maybe somebody tried to swing from it.”

I flicked my gaze up to my best friend. He smirked at me over the lip of his mug, then took a sip.

“I’m going to get in the shower.” With wide eyes and red cheeks, Rylan pushed off her barstool and hurried out of the kitchen.

“Something I said?”

We both chuckled, but when she growled down the hall, I roared with laughter. “She’s going to kill me.” I said fighting to control myself. “You know that, right?”

“Probably well deserved, buddy.”

He returned to his seat at the end of the bar and resumed scanning the paperwork in front of him, and I returned my attention to the documents in my hand, even as I heard the shower turn on and pictured my girlfriend naked just a few yards away from me.

I had to focus. The meeting was fast approaching, and I couldn’t go in their blind.

“We may have jumped the gun.” I sighed, leaning back to stretch my neck.

“No. We’ll find it.”

“I don’t even know what it is. What are we looking for?”

“Cabot.”

I swiveled my head quickly. Rylan stood in the middle of the living room, a white bath towel wrapped around her naked body. Her hair dripped onto the Italian tile, forming a puddle at her feet. Glancing over my shoulder, I caught Travis staring at her and nearly growled.

He ducked his head, focusing on the paperwork again.

I stood, scanning her. “What’s wrong?”

She strode toward me and I had this insane fear that she’d slip. It was right there alongside the outrageous possessiveness I felt at the fact she was practically naked in front of another man.

“I know what to do,” she exclaimed.

My mouth gaped as she walked past me and I grabbed her arm, spinning her back into my body. “What todo? Like put some clothes on in front of our guest?”

Her gaze flicked back and forth between my eyes, then her lips pulled into a smile.

I growled, staring down at her.