Page 8 of The Business of Love Box Set 1: Books 1 - 4

RHYS

B ear was definitely clumsy. After leaving the kitchen, I’d wandered out into the backyard to find him mindlessly chewing on one end of a very thickly bound rope toy. Unable to help myself, I’d bent down, stolen one end, and engaged in a game of tug a war.

I’d managed to get it from him and had thrown it across the backyard when the patio door slid open behind me. I glanced over my shoulder to watch Chris pull it closed, and then my best friend turned to me with a stern expression.

He slid his hands into his jean pockets. “Hey, stay away from my sister. She’s not your type.”

I straightened with a chuckle as Bear trotted back across the yard. “I’m not trying to get with your sister. I was being friendly. Did she tell you I was?”

“No, but I know how you are. That hands on the hips thing only happens when you’re nervous. You did it twice in there.”

“So what? I want to make sure your family likes me.”

“You know full well they like you.” Chris reached down to pet the dog. “I’m serious. She’s a really, really good woman. And she deserves better than the likes of you. No offense.”

“None taken. I assume all this macho bullshit is because she is, in fact, single?” I smirked and hopped back as he swung at me playfully.

Something about Vanny had set me on edge. The last time I’d seen her, she’d been a chunky little fourteen-year-old girl with piss and vinegar flowing through her veins. I couldn’t even offer her a friendly smile in high school without her flipping me the bird or telling me to mind my own business.

Meeting her Nannie tonight made her attitude problem a little easier to understand in hindsight.

But damn, she’d been a mean kid.

My memories barely resembled the beautiful, curvy woman in the kitchen.

My stomach tightened, and I turned from Chris to focus on Bear, who’d rolled over onto his side to expose his belly for Chris to rub.

Good thing Chris had set the tone for what was accepted and wasn’t when it came to his little sister.

I’d be a lying bastard if I said I wasn’t interested in getting to know her a little better.

Then again, rules were made to be broken. I smiled at the thought.

“You need a beer?” Vanny’s voice caused my shoulders to draw up.

There was something so sexy about the way she spoke.

She had a distinctly feminine voice, but there was an edge to it, a little something that was raw and sharp all at once.

And she was clueless. Her grandmother berating her had to have affected her.

“I do.” I took the beer she offered. She’d already popped the cap, so I took a gulp before wiping my mouth with the back of my hand.

She watched the gesture before flicking her gaze to Bear.

“You gonna fill me in on the last ten years now, or am I going to have to drag it out of your entirely overprotective dick of a brother?”

Vanny laughed. It was a wild and contagious sound that made me grin.

I basked in the warmth of it and soaked in the sight of her as the sun dipped down over the mountains to the north, painting the sky a pinkish-orange.

The glow of the sunset shone against her long dark brown hair, which hung in loose curls over her shoulders and in front of her breasts.

Her eyes, a deep rich shade, were streaked with lines of gold.

For a moment, I thought I was imagining it, or it was a trick by the setting sun, but it was not.

Freckles dusted her nose which was small in proportion to the rest of her face.

She was still laughing and her pink lips were glossy and dazzling in the twilight.

Thoughts that belonged to my private moments swam in my mind’s eye, and I had to clear my throat and apologize when I realized she’d been speaking. I hadn’t heard a damn thing she’d said.

Her eyebrow lifted. “I’m not repeating myself again, Mr. Daniels.”

I smiled, unable to help myself. “Yes, ma’am. I’m all ears now.”

Chris cleared his throat. Bear whined. He’d stopped petting the dog and was now looking back and forth between me and his baby sister, clearly aggravated.

But we were only talking. What was wrong with talking?

“I’ve been here the whole time.” A subtle shrug let me know that she wasn’t entirely thrilled with that fact. “I’ve been doing odd jobs and such.”

“College?” I could feel the tension rise between us. Did she think I was judging her?

“No.” She turned her attention toward the bonfire that had been lit up by her father at the back of the yard. The flames licked at the air and little sparks popped out from the wood, floating upward to escape the flames. “Maybe one day. I don’t know. I keep changing my mind too much.”

“Nothing wrong with that.” I nodded toward the flames. “You want to get a little closer?”

I realized the way my words could have been taken when her eyes widened a little too much. “Do what?”

So country . I loved it.

“To the fire. Do you want to get closer to the fire? It’s cold out here this time of year.” I offered her my arm.

She started to take it, but Chris moved up in between us and wrapped his hairy-ass arms around us both. “Yes. Moving closer to the fire sounds great. You two up for marshmallows and chocolate?”

Vanny snorted. “You mean s’mores?”

I smiled. “Yeah, buddy. Go get us some. We were just catching up.”

Chris growled but released us both. He pointed at me with a warning finger. “Off limits.”

“Chris!” Vanny glanced my way as her brother slipped back inside. “I’m sorry. He can be completely obtuse sometimes. I’m sure you’re aware.”

“That, he is.” I finished my beer and slipped a hand into my pocket. My heart was still torn from the situation with Trish, but something about Vanny called to me. She was a welcome distraction to all the bullshit I’d been drowning in. “So are you married? Have kids?”

“If you’re asking if I’m pregnant—”

I cut her off. “What? No, I’m asking about your relationships. Don’t put words in my mouth, pretty girl.”

She glanced down and fidgeted with a shiny black button on her cardigan. “No. Nothing serious.”

“Same.”

“Chris said you were engaged.”

“I was. Well, I wanted to be. She slept with her ex.” No reason to hide what happened. It was what it was.

“I’m sorry.” She bit her bottom lip almost regretfully, and my body hardened. I knew it was wrong and my timing was terrible, but I wanted to get to know this beautiful woman.

More than I should.

Was it a rebound? Was I just lonely?

Hell no . She was everything physically I craved. Maybe it was just surface level. I’d only know that if I had the chance to spend more time with her. Damn Chris for living in Seattle and taking away my opportunity to just casually show up where she was.

I forced my lips to form words. “Where do you work?”

“A dress shop.” She answered curtly. “I’m sorry, but I need to circle back. I have a really hard time imagining that a guy like you got cheated on.”

“A guy like me?” I took a step toward her and locked eyes with her. “What’s that mean exactly?”

“You know. A trust-fund baby with good looks and lots of money.”

“Ouch.”

With impeccably shitty timing, Chris returned with a box of graham crackers, a chocolate bar, and a bag of marshmallows. He looked from me to his sister and noted that we were standing closer together than we had been when he left.

I turned to him. “What have you been telling your sister about me? Sounds like she’s got the story all wrong.”

He smiled proudly. “No, she’s got it right. It’s you who’s in denial.”

And I was. Love wasn’t real. Lust was. Maybe going back to my old ways of doing things would save me the heartache that was sure to be mine again and again.

I was rich.

And a trust-fund baby.

If shallow was what the world expected, then I shouldn’t disappoint.

“This is true.” I glanced over my shoulder and winked at the pretty girl who had misjudged me when I hadn’t done the same to her. “Enjoy your night. Don’t let the bed bugs bite.”