Chapter 31
Dexter
He laughs through his teeth, flashing me a pained smile.
Same old song and dance. We’ve done this too often for him to be remotely intimidated, and he just swats at my hand.
“Get your dirty paws off me. You’re ruining my favorite tie.” “Um,” Junie says from behind me. “Is this a good time?”
Fuck. Me.
She has a sixth sense for showing up at precisely the worst time. And what makes it worse is that she’s exactly on time today, down to the minute. Which makes me the idiot for choosing to squabble with my idiot brother.
“Wow. You must be Juniper.” Patton’s face lights up and he barrels forward with his hand outstretched. “Pleasure to meet you.”
Of the three of us, Patton got the best people skills. This glorified brat could charm the wheels off a car and sell them back to the owner at a horrifying markup.
Archer got the dick–with–me–and–you’re–dead energy, and I got–stubbornness, I suppose.
A certain pigheaded tenacity that serves me in business as much as it hinders me with people.
Right now, though, I wish Patton had shared some of his magic, because Juniper blinks her big green eyes at him like she’s dazzled by his smile.
Jealousy knifes through my blood.
“Hi,” she says, shaking his hand. “Is everything okay with you guys?” “Don’t mind him,” Patton announces, sending me a wide, malicious
smile. “Tensions run high in this family. We still fight like puppies.” She glances between us. “Oh, so you’re Dexter’s brother?” “Patton Rory, at your service.”
My blood turns to magma.
I swear, if he bows or kisses her hand, he’s dead.
“It’s great to finally meet you,” he says. “I’ve heard so much about you.
All good things from less than sterling sources.”
“You’re joking?” Her gaze cuts back to me, something damnably unreadable in her eyes. “If it’s from Dexter, it’s probably slander.”
Patton couldn’t look more delighted.
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Chapter 31
“Damn. She already knows you like the back of her hand,” he says, elbowing me in the ribs. “And you’ve been fake–engaged for–how long now?”
“Go, Pat. You’re late for another miserable night alone with your fish,” I growl, giving him a little shove closer to the door and his nerd life of aquariums back home. Of all the expensive hobbies my little brother could’ve chosen, he just had to pick slimy things that swim and bite.
“Aw, you have fish?” I loathe the way Juniper’s eyes flash.
“He has no life,” I growl back. “Hundreds of miles from anything bigger than the Missouri River and he just has to have a bit of the ocean in the Midwest.”
“Oh, man, I’d love to enlighten you another time. I’ve pissed Dex off enough for one day, which means my work here is done. You watch this guy,” Patton tells her, jerking his thumb at me. “He’s always been the funny one in the family.”
“Patton. Out. Now.” I can’t form coherent sentences anymore through the red haze over my vision.
“Don’t forget my report!” he calls as he heads to the door–fucking finally. “It’s a risk, but I think it’ll be worth it.”
Yeah, whatever.
He thought the same about Forrest Haute, too, and look how that’s paying off. I hate to admit Patton gave us the kick in the ass we needed, downplaying Archer’s objections when he went digging through Haute’s old dirt.
He pauses at the door and smiles at Juniper again.
“I trust he’ll treat you nicely,” he says before flashing me a devilish look. “My stone–cold brother, engaged. Never thought we’d see the day. Just wait until Mom hears about this.”
“Mom? You better fucking not!” I slam the door right in his leering face and lean against it like I’m holding back a dragon,
I’m not sure it’s much improvement since I’ve stranded myself with a siren.
I’m alone with her now.
Alone with her autumn hair softly curling around her face and her lit green eyes and a knitted sweater that looks like it’s been molded to her frame. Shit, who gave this girl tits that are just the right size for filling a man’s palm?
“So,” she says, quirking an eyebrow. “That was your brother? Are you guys close?”
“Closer every day to beating him senseless,” I bite off, gesturing to the sofa and ready to be done with this conversation. “The brains in the family skipped him, but believe it or not, he’s an idiot savant when it comes to sniffing out new opportunities.”
Juniper laughs. Of course, it’s sweeter than her death bringing pastries. “You’re lucky. Must be nice having a
brother.”
I snort. “I have two, unfortunately, and there’s nothing nice about either.”
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Chapter 31
I’m weirdly annoyed and relieved when she sits as far away from me as possible at the end of the sofa. She looks around the room, taking in my workspace, which is only fair after my visits to the Sugar Bowl. She stops and lingers on the diagonal stripes of red along the walls–three different shades creating a certain rhythm–and the painted red cardinal on my desk.
“Interesting style for an office. It looks more like a lounge in here. Is this a real estate thing?” she asks, linking her fingers together.
Goddamn, her nerves are making me nervous.
“It’s partly a family thing and partly meant to impress potential partners. Judging by your reaction, it works,” I tell her. “Anyway, would you like a drink before we get started?”
“Just some water, please.”
I grab a bottle from the mini fridge behind me and pass it off to her. She chews her lip before taking a sip.
“I wasn’t late,” she says, glancing up at me through her eyelashes. “That means you have to be nice.”
“It means I won’t be an asshole,” I say with a shrug. “There’s a premium for nice and dealing with Patton just doubled it.”
“Was that a joke?” Her eyebrow quirks up again. “And for the record, Patton Rory seems like the nicer one.”
I clear my throat.
Fuck, I almost regret saying anything. I need her on my side.
More, I need her to commit to this fake relationship bullshit before she has another breakdown on the phone because someone’s asking questions she doesn’t know how to answer.
“So, let’s get on with it. Where do you think we met?” she asks, curling her legs up under her. “Someone like you and someone like me… it’s not an easy match.”
Chapter 32
