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“Tristan is your cousin. He’s been like a brother to you since you got here,” Anita replies, with a lift of her chin. “I don’t know what’s going on between the two of you, but this isn’t how we resolve issues.”
“Yes, it is.”
“It needs to change,” Anita snaps after a brief pause. She glances over her shoulder at Tristan, and her expression tightens further. “Trying to change includes changing how you deal with family, Carter. Whatever your issues are, they need to be set aside.”
“I am not the one who has issues,” Tristan reveals, pausing to stand up straighter. “Carter can’t control everything, and the sooner he can get that through his thick head, the better it’ll be for everyone involved.”
I launch myself at him, but Anita holds a hand out to stop me. When I skid to a halt, I’m still furious, red-hot anger burning steadily through me.
While a part of me isn’t surprised that Tristan has reached the end of his tether, the other part of me is in disbelief. Tristan and I have had our share of disagreements over the years, but I’ve never felt like he hasn’t had my back.
Even when he disapproved of Isabella and put her in harm’s way. At least then, I was able to justify it.
Now, for the first time in my life, I’m standing across from Tristan, and I’m having a hard time recognizing my own cousin. Why is the thought of taking over so repulsive to him?
Tristan is a much better fit than Daniel, and he’s been my right-hand man from the beginning.
Of all the people to choose, I couldn’t possibly name a better successor, but since we were kids, he’s never shown the slightest bit of interest in the position. I even remember a great deal of reluctance to become my right-hand man with all that entailed.
Anita places both hands on my shoulders and waits till I meet her gaze. “Your cousin isn’t wrong. I know you’ve been dealing with a lot, and you’re trying to turn over a new leaf, but you need to find another way to cope with the anger.”
I fold my arms over my chest. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean? What does any of this have to do with me?”
Anita gives me a knowing look. “You know what I mean.”
I throw my hands up in the air and shake my head. “This is a waste of time. I’m not dealing with this.”
Without waiting for a response, I brush past both of them and stumble out into the living room. Isabella is leaning over the counter in a pair of sweatpants and a tight top, a spoon dangling from her mouth. I give her ass a firm slap on the way past, and she yelps and tries to swat me away. Then she spins around to face me, confusion playing out across her face.
“Is everything okay?”
“Get dressed. We’re going to the club.”
Isabella opens her mouth to protest, then catches the look on my face. Wordlessly, she licks the rest of the spoon clean. When she’s done, she washes the spoon and sets it out to dry. Then, she takes the stairs two at a time. I tap my feet against the floor and resist the urge to check my watch. A short while later, Isabella appears in a knee-length dress with silk stockings underneath and her hair in loose waves around her shoulders. On the last step, she loses her balance, and I catch her before she goes sprawling, face-first onto the floor.
“Do I need to put you in a bubble?”
Isabella’s face is flushed when she draws back to look at me. “I’d really rather you didn’t.”
One hand rests on her waist, and the other palms her ass. “Give me a reason not to then.”
With a smile, Isabella pushes herself up on the tips of her toes and kisses me. I growl and cup the back of her neck. A jolt goes through me when she tilts her head to the side, allowing me better access. I keep my grip on the back of her neck and bite down on her bottom lip hard enough to draw blood.
Isabella’s answering whimper makes all the blood rush south.
Anita clears her throat, bringing the two of us back to the present with a jolt. Reluctantly, I pull back and drape an arm over Isabella’s shoulders. I tuck her into my side and give Anita a tight smile on my way past. She doesn’t say anything as we walk out the door and down the sidewalk, where Ernesto is parked next to the curb. He pushes himself off the car, holds the door open, and offers Isabella a small smile on her way past.
The two of us exchange a quick look before I slide in after Isabella.
As soon as Ernesto gets in the driver’s seat, I raise the partition between us and pull Isabella onto my lap. She lets out a startled gasp when my hand darts underneath her dress, and I palm her over her panties. She makes a low choked sound, and her head falls into the crook of my neck.
She smells like honey and flowers.
I want to bury myself in her and forget everything that happened earlier.
Ernesto pulls away from the curb as I grip the back of Isabella’s neck and kiss her. She sighs and whimpers when one hand moves to her breasts. I press them together, and she makes another low noise that drives me crazy. With a growl, I lift her dress up and toss it onto the leather seat next to us. Isabella shivers, and her skin erupts into goosebumps. Her face is bright red, and she tries to cover the upper half of her body, which is completely exposed, but I won’t let her.
In nothing but a pair of thigh-high stockings and a pair of panties that are already drenched, she is the most alluring thing I’ve ever seen. Reaching underneath my seat, I pull out a tie and secure her hands together. Isabella’s eyes widen, and her mouth parts when I rub my hands up and down her arms.
