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Reese raised his hands. “Jesus, Ryder, why you gotta stir the shit?”

He shrugged. “It’s my job. But it’s really more of a pleasure.”

“For the record, I didn’t sequester her anywhere. Her friend got arrested, and she was feeling a little out of sorts, so I took a few minutes to calm her down.”

“I bet,” Ryder said with a chuckle.

“Totally professional.”

“She’s beautiful,rich, and single,” Ryder pointed out. “How long are you going to stay professional?”

I tipped my beer bottle toward him. “Forever.”

Reese laughed. “You obviously don’t know Addie.”

“And you do?” I was surprised by how much his comment rankled me.

“Not as well as Asher, but she and I are friendly. She’s cool. I’ve always liked her. She takes people at face value.”

“How so?”

“You never knowhow someone’s gonna react to finding out you used to be a 1%er, which is why we don’t really tell anyone, but she was cool. Didn’t seem to bother her,” Reese said. “She’s just as warm and friendly today as she was when I first met her. She’s good people.”

I nodded, but didn’t comment. I didn’t like that Addison Allen was ‘just as friendly and warm’ to Reese. Regardless of the fact that he wasin love with someone else.

I wanted Addison for my own and that thought rocked me to my core.