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She’d texted him last night, but he was in meetings and didn’t get home until after eight. By then they talked for a few minutes, he said he loved her and missed her and would try for lunch today.
In his mind he knew it was too soon for her to move in with him, but he was starting to feel like his brother and wanted her with him more.
Even if that was only to sleep next to her at night.
She’d argue she still had six months or so left on her lease and there was no way she’d leave.
He’d buy it out for her. Or she could still pay it if she had to, as it wouldn’t cost her anything to be with him.
He also expected she wouldn’t be happy that she couldn’t walk to work, but they could ride in together no problem. She’d just have to catch a ride home without him at times.
He shouldn’t be working this all out in his head and had to stop letting his thoughts run on him.
“Did Stella give you more crap this morning?”
“She’s giving me the cold shoulder,” she said. “I’m good with it. It means she’s leaving me alone. I’ve gotten some short emails giving me work to do and snide messages in it to make sure it goes to her before it’s completed. But I’ve always done that.”
“You can’t do anything without her looking it over?” he asked. “That’s worse than Thomas when he was first hired.”
He might have been with West from day one, but when the empire was building so fast, West needed more than Braylon was qualified to give.
It hurt to not be able to do that for his brother, but he understood and would never put anyone in jeopardy.
But that was five years ago that Thomas was hired. Before Thomas, there was Cheryl. She’d taken the job knowing it’d be just a few years and she could fully retire.
West had made it worth her while to relocate to New York when he moved his operations here. Cheryl had recommended Thomas, knowing it’d be the same situation. Thomas wasn’t going to work that long. He’d talked about retiring early.
Only now, it seemed like the guy wasn’t going anywhere unless he was forced out.
Thomas wasn’t doing anything wrong in terms of business. Nothing more than being a controlling dick to those in his department.
Braylon’s time would come; he just didn’t know when.
“You have your brother you can go to if you want,” she said.
“And be a whiner?” he asked, grinning.
“Do you think your brother would feel that way?” she asked quietly and looked around to make sure no one would hear.
He appreciated that she never said West’s name in public. Always said his brother. He’d asked her to do that once and she’d listened.
Other women he’d dated didn’t listen or didn’t care.
They wanted it known that he was West’s brother. That they had some kind of a connection to his brother even though he rarely introduced any of those women to his family.
That could be another reason why Lily was so right for him.
She respected him enough and understood his need for privacy.
“No,” he said. “But I don’t want to put him in a position to make a decision at this point. He knows what is going on. Or at least enough of it.”
West always was aware. Which was why he didn’t feel the need to say anything about what Thomas was saying or doing.
“That’s good at least. I don’t feel like I can do anything but take it.”
“You could look for another job,” he said. “But then I like you in the building with me.”
“I like knowing you’re just a few floors up too, even if I don’t get to see you.”
