Page 79 of Off Limits Mogul

“It was a wild guess. I didn’t expect to hit the nail on the head.”

I run my fingers through my hair. “Well, you did.”

“If that’s the case, what’s the problem?”

“Noah.”

“Isn’t Keira an adult?”

“She is.”

“Is it unrequited?”

I shake my head. “It’s not. She’s made it clear in the past she was interested. Since she was only sixteen at the time, I dismissed it as a teenage crush. I was a grown man. No way was I going to lead her on or even consider looking at her that way. But Keira is persistent. She became a hell of a lot wittier at finding ways to catch my attention as the years rolled by. My blinders were safely on, so I was somewhat oblivious to her advances… well, that’s what I told myself.” I pause. “Frustrated, she stole a kiss to drive her point. Sure, she was eighteen at the time, but she was still Noah’s little sister. On top of that, the age difference was still a factor, I was getting my life back on track after rehab, and Beckett and I were just starting SCORE. I was juggling a lot of balls. That was too much baggage for such a young woman––”

“Did you tell her?”

“I did. After the kiss, I pushed her away and told her it could never happen again. She gave me the silent treatment for six long months. When Noah told me she was leaving for London to pursue a music career, I thought I’d give her some advice to prepare her for the reality of a business that can be unkind and cruel. Let’s just say, she wasn’t receptive.”

“You have history together,” Shane says.

“A lot of history. Which is why I was uncertain about her living with me. After three years of tension and distance, I wasn’t sure how it would play out between us.”

“Are things tense?”

“The first night they were. So much so, I had to get the hell out of my own house. I needed space.”

“Is that why you’re here now?”

I shake my head.

I tell him about Keira spending the weekend with Arianne and Phoebe.

“I see.” He nods. “You have the weekend to yourself.”

“Yes. I can think freely.”

“Think about what?”

“How to navigate this thorny situation. She’s going to be living at my place for a while.”

He nods a few times, but doesn’t offer a response.

I polish off the rest of my drink.

He does the same. “Do you want her?”

His frankness doesn’t surprise me.

In a slow motion, I drop my tumbler on the bar top and ponder his question for a beat.

My wet dreams kept me company all week long. After sliding into bed, I’d imagine her…

Under me.

Beneath me.

On top of me.