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“Yeah, but I had a lot of capital to set everything up. Sebastian and Logan are the geniuses of the family, though. Pippa, too. They started with less than one percent of that capital way back when, and pulled it off. Not only pulled it off, but they had profits early on. I didn’t have to take on a single cent in student loans. They paid off college, expenses, everything. Same for the rest of my siblings. I didn’t have a care in the world. Still don’t, as a matter of fact.”
It dawns on me why he never questioned a different career than working at Bennett Enterprises. Family loyalty. That was something I didn’t fully grasp as a child, though I was envious of the way they always had each other’s backs. I’m proud to see that sense of loyalty lasted over the years, intensified even.
“What’s with the smile?” he inquires.
I shrug one shoulder. “I learned a lot about you today.”
“And what’s that?”
“You love your family and your job, are a lousy cook, and kiss your brother’s girl if given the chance. Not to mention you look hot playing the guitar.”
Max pulls my feet in his lap, cuffing my ankles with his hands. “I especially like how you formulated that last part. Not, you play the guitar well, but you look hot playing the guitar.”
“You misunderstood. Great voice plus great notes equals hot. It’s a girl thing. And your fingers looked mighty hot strumming those cords.”
My man’s lips curve up in a delicious smile. “Now I see where you’re going with this.”
“Finally. Thought you’d never take the hint.” I lift up my skirt a tad, offering him a peek of my thigh.
“I’m a simple man,” Max replies, his fingers feathering around my ankles, making me shudder. “You have to tell me what you want.”
Licking my lips, I lift my skirt even higher, until my intimate spot is almost visible. His eyes zero in there, and then widen.
“You’re not wearing your thong,” he says on a groan.
“I’m not.”
“You’ve been walking around like this all morning? Even at the grocery store?”
“I have,” I confirm, pushing my skirt up to my waist, watching with delight as his composure slips away. Parting my legs, he leans to me, peppering my inner thighs with kisses before lashing his tongue against my sensitive flesh. My thighs quiver as my hips lift up infinitesimally from the couch. He rims his thumb along my entrance, dipping his tongue inside me once.
“Max. More,” I whisper. But instead of obliging me, he straightens up on the couch, grinning devilishly.
“That’s your punishment for walking around commando and not letting me know.”
“Tease,” I accuse him. “I’ll have my revenge on you.”
Chapter Seventeen
Max
Monday evenings at Blake’s bar have become somewhat of a regular thing. He opened it a few months back, and in the beginning, we just came once in a while, but now it’s almost every Monday. It’s a slow evening for him, and it gives us all a chance to catch up with each other. I do see and talk to some of my brothers on a daily basis at the office, but we talk about work stuff, mostly. Right now, part of the gang is here: Logan, Sebastian, Christopher, and Blake, obviously. Of the girls, only Alice made it. We’re all sitting at a table near the counter, including Blake. He wears many hats since he opened this place—kicking ass on the business side and mixing drinks from time to time.
“I won’t bring you another round,” Blake says. “It’s a workday tomorrow.”
“Since when are you so responsible?” Sebastian asks him.
“Since I’m supposed to keep my customers in check,” Blake answers, as if barely believing that’s his role. “I used to hate bartenders who refused to give me more to drink, and now I’m one of them.”
“Cheers to karma doing its job,” Logan says, raising his glass of beer. “Good job on this place. I looked over the numbers you sent me. They’re great.”
Blake widens his eyes theatrically, opening his mouth, feigning shock. “Did you just pay me a compliment, Logan? I’ll mark this day on the calendar.”
Logan flips him the bird and everyone at the table bursts out laughing, Logan included. He used to scold Blake and Daniel on a regular basis, mainly because he felt our little brothers were wasting their potential, which they were. But now Blake runs his bar, and Daniel is doing a feasibility study on opening his own business.
“How come Nadine, Ava, and Pippa didn’t make it?” I ask the group at large. Nadine is Logan’s fiancée, and Ava is Sebastian’s wife.
“They’re all at Nadine’s store,” Logan replies. “Trying out the new collection.”
