Page 155 of Off Limits Mogul

“Where did you go?”

“When I passed the security gates with fume still billowing from my ears, I grabbed a cab that was driving by, intent on heading to LAX, just to realize on the way there I had left my suitcase at your place. I asked the cabbie to drop me off in Venice instead, where I spent the day.”

I chuckle.

Noah follows behind me as I stride to the living room.

“Take a seat,” I say. “Scotch neat?”

“Perfect.”

I pour his drink and grab mine.

I drop both tumblers on the coffee table before taking a seat on the couch opposite him.

Noah lifts his glass. “Here’s to not letting a woman––even if she’s my sister––come between a friendship.”

“I’ll drink to that.”

We take a long swig of our drink.

“This is good stuff.” Noah nods.

“It goes down easy… and God knows I needed it.”

“I might’ve been a little abrasive earlier,” Noah says.

“You were an asshole. Not only to me, but also to the sister you proclaim to care so much about. True, her delivery sucked, but you implied a lot of awful things about me.”

His smile falls away, replaced by a somber expression. “You’re right. That’s why I’m here. I’m sorry. I let my emotions do all the talking.” He studies me for a long beat. “You’re not going to hurt her, right?” He doesn’t give me a chance torespond. “I mean, you don’t do relationships… not since Dana.”

My jaw tenses.

“If you’re seriously asking me that question, our friendship is over because that means you know nothing about me, Noah. Will Keira and I disagree? Yes. Am I going to say things that upset her? Yes. Are we going to fight? Yes. I’m only human, and so is she. Would I intentionally hurt her? Never.”

He lets out a frustrated sigh.

“You have to let go, Noah. I understand your need to protect her from assholes and douchebags, but to quote your words, I’m neither of those things.”

Another loud sigh leaves his lungs.

“I have no idea where this is going because we just made a decision to take the plunge a few days ago,” I say. “That said, I’ve had an interest in her for a while––”

“You have?”

“It’s a good thing you don’t see her that way, but your sister is attractive.” Telling him she’s smoking hot might be pushing it. Still, Noah seems to shrink to half his size at my words. “Her impetuous nature and zest for life make her that much more irresistible. You haven’t been around her since she came back from Nepal. She’s changed into a more confident and brazen woman. I’m done suppressing my attraction for her. Things lined up perfectly. She’s here. Under my roof. Before she left for London, the timing was off––the age difference seemed more jarring than it does now, rehab happened, followed by SCORE, and then she was crossing the pond.”

He nods, pensive. “So, you two are dating.”

“We are.”

“My best friend and my kid sister… I can’t wrap––”

“I shouldn’t have to choose between my girl and my brother.”

He takes a slow sip of his drink, eyeing me from over the rim of the glass. “You won’t have to.”

There’s acceptance in his statement.