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After she’d gone, Dorian stood up and ran his hand through his hair. “What the fuck was all that about? Care to fill me in?”
“I told her about that—”
“That had nothing to do with a fucking dog.” His arm jutted angrily in the direction of the living room door.
“All right,” I agreed, throwing my hands up in the air as my mind raked around desperately for something to say. “I’ll be honest, Dor, I didn’t like what I saw. You don’t mess around with my hired help, understand?”
“Mess…hired help? Are you fucking serious right now?”
“As a coronary,” I bit back without a trace of humor and nodded vigorously.
“Hmm, and why is that? You got designs of your own on her or something?”
“Don’t be facetious. That woman is Layla’s world. She isn’t here to help you fill your nights.”
“Fill my nights? Have you taken a close look at her? She’s so fucking hot, it’s a wonder she hasn’t been lured away from the boring domesticity of her life. You’ve been so caught up in what happened with Grace that you’ve forgotten there are two sides to everything. Your side appears to be the only one that matters.”
“Really, so what are you saying? I’m a selfish prick? I’m a self-absorbed asshole?”
“Normally… before Grace, I would have said you were one of the good guys of rock. Despite all your fame and fortune, your feet were firmly planted on the ground. Now? I’m not so sure. It’s like you’re using what happened with Grace to excuse any and all behaviors when it suits.”
“That is not fucking fair, Dorian. That’s not who I am.”
“No? Then have you ever thought about doing something nice for Harper?”
“Harper is treated—”
“Bullshit. I’m not talking about pay and conditions, severance packages, and healthcare. I’m talking about treating her like she matters.”
“She does fucking matter. That’s the fucking point,” I roared. “Apart from Layla, she’s what matters the most. If I don’t have Harper, we cease to function. She’s been the constant for Layla, and she’s the reason my daughter is as well balanced as she is.”
“While all that you’ve pointed out is true, she’s also a beautiful woman. Why the fuck shouldn’t she have a life? You don’t own her, Cole. Like you stated, she’s a hired hand, and as such, she’s free to do what she likes, whenever she likes, with whomever she wants, as long as it doesn’t interfere with her doing her job.”
For a second I almost protested, but I knew he was right, yet I still threw more at him.
“Dorian, if you go after her I will never forgive you,” I threatened, sounding completely irrational.
“If not me then it’ll only be someone else.”
“That’s as may be, but I can’t have her here and you making what’s already a bad situation worse, ” I replied. I knew if my brother went after her and she took up with him, it would kill me. Especially when she knew I was attracted to her as well.
However, all that aside, if Dorian and Harper did get together and it didn’t last, it would be another reason for her to leave.
“Listen, if you do this and it doesn’t work out, it’s Layla you’d hurt the most. Think about it.” Without saying anything else, I strode toward the living room door.
Opening it, I glanced toward the kitchen where all our parents were gathered around the table, then switched and looked up the stairs. Fury motivated me to take the stairs and as I reached the top, Harper was leaving Layla’s room with Spot in her arms.
Walking purposely toward her, I grabbed her by her free wrist and almost tugged her off her feet as I dragged her reluctantly along the corridor and into my bedroom. Swinging her away from me, I closed the door and placed my back against it with my hands behind me.
“Got a thing for my brother as well, huh?”
Harper’s mouth gaped and she strode over to my bed, placing the puppy carefully down on it. The fucker immediately scooted up to the top and nestled himself between my pillows like he owned them.
Turning to face me, Harper’s eyes were ablaze with piss and vinegar, her face flushed with fury. Gone was the calm, even temper I had admired so much about her whenever Layla tested her patience. But fuck if the fuming fire in her belly that showed on her face didn’t make me hard. It was the first time I’d ever seen the raw passion that lay underneath her cool exterior.
“You think? And what if I have? You had your chance, Cole, and you threw it away. Look at me. To you I have more value as a child’s nanny than a woman. Do I look like the type of girl that has to beg a man for attention?”
Before I could reply, she headed toward me and I stepped forward to meet her halfway, but she strode right past and reached for the door.
