Page 235 of The Maxwell Brothers

Liz: I’m getting used to it. Guess who showed up on my doorstep just now?

Rose: A tall, handsome stranger wanting to have his wicked way with you?

I burst out laughing, nearly dropping my phone.

Liz: Close. It WAS a tall, handsome stranger. My hot landlord from hell.

Rose: Do tell.

Liz: It was about the music again.

Rose: Hmm… and here I thought you had a steamy story for me.

I laughed again, knowing Rose was only semi-joking. She’d looked Declan up online and declared he was hot enough to warrant jumping his bones if he paid me another midnight visit. When I told her about Helen selling the place, Rose immediately did her investigative work and updated me on the history of the Maxwells. My sister was very thorough.

Liz: Sorry to disappoint. It’s all work for me. No fun. Especially not with my annoying (though gorgeous) landlord.

Rose: Some fun is good from time to time. You need balance.

Liz: That’s why I dance :-)

I knew what she meant though. I was burning the candle at both ends, but I didn’t plan on doing it forever. I wanted to save up as much as possible before I opened my bakery, which could be any day now—as soon as my realtor found the perfect spot. Because once I did open it, I would focus on it 100 percent, and I knew it would take a while to break even, so the more cash I had, the better.

Rose: If that doesn’t work out, maybe you should visit your landlord.

Liz: The late feedings are affecting you, Rose. Go to sleep.

Rose: Hehe, your cute niece is the boss of me, and she says no. But it’s late for you. Sleep tight. Love you.

Liz: Love you too.

I was still chuckling as I went off to bed. Rose always had a vivid imagination, but staying up late was making her extra creative.

Was my landlord sexy? Yes.

Was jumping his bones completely out of the question? Hell yes.

I’d be lucky if Declan didn’t end up evicting me. He was a lawyer, so he could probably find a way to get out of the contract Helen made him sign. I wouldn’t put it past him.

CHAPTER 2

DECLAN

The next dayat the office, I was exhausted. I’d had trouble falling asleep after the encounter with Liz. I had to do something about that situation, but that had to wait, because right now, I was focused on my cousin Reese.

I had five brothers, and two cousins from my dad's side of the family. Reese and Kimberly were practically like sisters to us. I was the oldest, and over the years, I had been given the nickname “the voice of reason.” I liked it.

The Maxwell family was well known in Chicago because my grandparents, and then my parents, ran the successful chain of Maxwell Bookstores until they sold it many years ago. My brothers and I made our own way, as had Reese and Kimberly. The sale of the business left quite a chunk of change in all our pockets—enough that none of us needed to work if we didn’t want to—but that wasn’t how we rolled. We Maxwells were driven and at the top of our fields of expertise.

I hadn’t seen my cousin in a while. Reese had been in France visiting her sister, and I noticed she looked better now than when she left. She went through a rough time when her ex-fiancé cheated on her with her best friend. He’d been an annoyingasshole ever since, but we were all here to support her and see her through this mess.

I was probably the one who knew the most details about it. Well, except Luke. He was the closest to our cousins.

"I'm happy you had a great time," I told her. "Thanks for coming to visit me."

"I missed you. Not just you specifically. All of you. France is great, but it’s hard being away from family."

"Thanks for making me feel special," I teased.