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Kodi wore a furious scowl as he got in the elevator and headed back down to his own office. His fists clenched at his sides and he rammed them into his suit trouser pockets when the door opened. He stalked to his office, his nose filled with the scent of stale liquor.

One look at Lennon’s blood-shot eyes confirmed the smell was coming from him, and it had thrown Kodi for six, and with it came anger—jealousy.

Had Lennon been with someone else? Giving him what Kodi craved? Lennon’s touch. His compliments. His quirky laughter. His time…

He walked faster, trying to outrun the thoughts when he didn’t like what they meant. Lennon was correct, he had no right to demand answers about things around his personal life.

He’d gone up to Lennon’s office, knowing his tendency to arrive around seven thirty because he could admit to himself, he was after a spanking. Needed it after a long weekend where his mind had too much time to get on the fairground Waltzer. The unsettled feeling at not finding him in his office—alright it wasn’t just that, he wanted the spanking—made him twitchy, and he’d been on his way back to his office to pretend he wasn’t desperate when he had bumped into Lennon.

Kodi’s eyes held a dangerous light as he had sniffed at Lennon, his watchful animal as angry as him when it came with concern about where Lennon could have been to smell that strongly of liquor, and with who.

At no point had Kodi considered, when they’d negotiated whatever this was between them, Lennon being involved with anyone else. They hadn’t discussed anything personal, and Kodi could see now that was a mistake. In his arrogance, he’d clearly made a misstep. He didn’t share.

You didn’t explain we’re in a relationship.

Kodi face planted his office door at his wolf’s belief, his heart lodged somewhere at the back of his throat making it impossible to breathe. He cursed and went cross-eyed to see if his nose was bleeding while trying to find his balance. Only the door opened so fast, Kodi lurched into Silas dressed in a fitted black suit and yellow shirt and tie, not a hair out of place. Those blue eyes of his missed nothing as he gripped hold of Kodi’s arms to steady him.

“What the hell, man? You need to take a bit more water with your liquor,” he suggested, laughing and unintentionally making the situation a lot worse by reminding Kodi why he was in a foul mood.

Kodi shook free and stomped past Silas to his desk, rubbing his sore nose. “It’s not me that needs to take more water,” he gritted out, too far gone to hold back, plonking himself down with a grunt in his chair. His hand shook when he grabbed his mouse to wake up his computer, ignoring Silas who was standing staring at him.

“What?” he demanded when Silas remained quiet.

“What’s eating you?” he asked in a quiet voice.

All fired up, Kodi didn’t temper his response, “Lennon stinks of liquor!” His jaw ached at how his teeth ground together. “He’s been up to gods knows what and with fuck knows who. That’s what’s fucking wrong.”

Silas’s smile spelled trouble, but Kodi didn’t notice it when he was seething at the whole situation. His need. Lennon, dating someone else. Doing who knew what with someone else that wasn’t me.

“Oh dear,” Silas replied, taking the seat opposite.

Kodi grunted his displeasure. “Oh dear?” His voice went up several octaves. “It’s a fucking catastrophe.”

“And why is that?” Silas asked, trying to come off all innocent.

Except Lennon chose then to knock and enter Kodi’s office before he could say another word.

His expression revealed none of his thoughts about what he’d possibly overheard with Kodi not being quiet.

Two could play that game—just not him, fuck!

“Morning, Lennon. Have I got you to thank for Ziggy’s state this morning?” he asked, his voice full of amusement, his gaze going from Lennon to Kodi.

Lennon’s unusually pale complexion became infused with a bright blush of pink while he directed his attention at Silas.

“Guilty as charged,” he responded easily, casting a quick glance at Kodi that, for a second, held the flame of retribution.

Silas, the bastard, had known all along who Lennon was with. That didn’t explain where they had been, and neither man seemed inclined to say more. “Guilty of what?”

It came out more of an accusation, and both men glanced at him. Kodi had to clench his thighs together to resist squirming in his seat. “Having fun with my friends.”

Lennon took the empty seat next to Silas and flipped open the case of his iPad, then glanced up. “I’ve emailed the quarterly report with the amendments after the board meeting…”

It took Kodi considerable effort to concentrate through the meeting, and several times he had to ask Lennon to repeat himself when his scattered thoughts wouldn’t line up.

Perspiration soaked the shirt under his arms making him consider if he had forgotten his deodorant by the end of the meeting. He had no chance to grab a minute alone with Lennon, who left before Silas. Lennon had avoided making eye contact, therefore making it impossible for Kodi to silently request he stay.

His brother lingered in the doorway, and Kodi’s scowl was back in full force. “Why are you looking at me like that?” he snapped, when Silas was clearly amused about something.