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My gaze flicks to his lips. Suddenly I’m imagining that firm lower lip giving just a little against the pressure ofmine.
“What thing withyour…?”
“Better.” His gaze lingers, warm enough I swear I feel thecaress.
We’re too close. He’s not touching me or kissing me, but every nerve in my body is lit up as if heis.
With that sexy smirk firmly fixed on his mouth, he turns and saunters away, leaving me wondering why my lipstingle.
5
My brother staresat me from my chair as I breeze into myoffice.
“You’re late,” hesays.
“Sue me.” I roll down my sleeves and fasten the buttons as he peruses the files on mydesk.
“If this is what you’re presenting this afternoon, they’ll never go forit.”
“I’ll convince them.” I shrug back into the Armani coat I’d taken off on account of the heat. “Of course, Holt will oppose it because it’sme.”
“No,” Tris corrects, shoving the chair back and rising. “He’ll oppose it because the proposal is risky and their balance sheet isweak.”
Xavier and Holt were already working together when I joined the firm. I was the same age as most of the associates, but had an impressive track record and took my trust fund and turned it into afortune.
This isn’t about the money, it’s about the challenge. I like to meet new people, have my finger on the pulse of what’s happening, and know I got in on something first. Tris likes to point out all the ways people are wrong and fucked up and don’t deserve a chance, which is why even though he clerked for a Supreme Court Justice after law school, he bailed on the public servant track and signed on as counsel forus.
The partners each have different expertise. I specialize in tech. Holt does services. Xavier does infrastructure. There’s some overlap, and with the help of a team of associates, we scope, vet, and vote on companies together. Our Monday meetings focus on newacquisitions.
“It’s not risky once you add it to the portfolio we have. That’s the whole point. Diversification. The model only works with high turnover. We want to make thirty percent a year on our investment. That means some dogs in with the stars,” I say as Tris brushes pastme.
Most people wouldn’t peg us as brothers, except that we have the sameeyes.
He’s smug where I’m serious. He’s details where I’m big picture. He’s an asshole where I’mnice.
At least, he has a chip on his shoulder neither his work nor the revolving door of women in his personal life seems tosoften.
He pulls up in the doorway next to me, frowning. “You were withsomeone.”
“Did you justsmellme?”
“Nah.” Tris follows me out the door and down the hall. “I guessed from the fact that you missed two meetings this morning and were late from lunch. So who isit?”
Game time.“Daisy.”
He cackles. “I don’t believeyou.”
I pull up outside the boardroom. “Whynot?”
“She’s a nine on looks alone. Those eyes. That mouth. Those tits. Come on,” he goes on as I bristle, “I’m not allowed to notice? Because everyone elsedoes.”
My abs tighten in surprise. “Daisy landed Richard Vane as a client thismorning.”
His brows lift. “Damn. She just gothotter.”
A strangely possessive feeling rises—one that could be alleviated by wringing his neck. Unfortunately, I can’t because Xavier is already in the meetingroom.
“Holt’s on his way,” Xavier intones from hisseat.
