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Looking back on it now though, I realized Tobias wasn’t just being dramatic. He probably would kill anyone who touched his sister—including me.
I shuddered, feeling profoundly disappointed with myself for winding up in such a predicament when I had clearly known better. It was no secret that I was a sucker for a pretty face, but I had never anticipated one getting me into so much trouble.
Yet I knew that after the previous night, it was going to be impossible to keep Joanna out of my head. I kept recalling the feel and scent of her skin, stirring feelings of desire within me so strong that I could hardly stand it.
Which begged the question, how the hell was I going to be able to keep facing Tobias?
Although he had always been protective of Joanna, ever since her return to Chicago he seemed to be even more protective than usual. He had practically been catering to her from the moment she arrived. It was like he was extra-focused on her well-being for some reason.
As I sat there thinking about it, I contemplated whether it would be wise of me to bring this up to him, to ask if there was any particular reason he was being so overly attentive to her. It may not have been my place, but I wanted to point out to him that she was no longer his baby sister; she was a grown woman, fully capable of looking out for herself. She didn’t need to be coddled. And after last night, I got the feeling she wasn’t fond of being coddled by him in the first place…
Yet I knew it simply wasn’t my place to say any of this to him.
I tried putting myself in Tobias’s shoes, wondering if I had a sister, whether I would be just as protective. How would I feel if I thought a man was disrespecting her? Would I ever feel that anyone was good enough for her?
Most importantly, what would I think if someone I’d grown up with, trusted, and considered a brother had suddenly developed an inappropriate interest in her? Would I be happy that she was with someone I trusted, or would I feel betrayed?
I sighed, knowing I couldn’t fathom the answers to those questions because I simply had never been in such a position before. It was impossible for me to know how I would feel under those circumstances.
The only thing I knew for sure was that there was definitely something up, and that Tobias was being extra watchful for a reason. And if he didn’t know about me and Joanna yet, then it was just a matter of time before he did.
Shit, when that happened, we’d all feel the heat.
CHAPTER 8
Joanna
Every time I thought about Anderson, a secret smile spread across my face that I was completely helpless at suppressing. I’d been avoiding Tobias all day, terrified that with one look, he’d somehow know what I was hiding. Granted, as an adult I knew I was perfectly entitled to do as I pleased. But, the thought of messing around with my brother’s best friend still felt taboo, and no matter how grown-up I felt, I had no idea how to approach Tobias over such an issue.
I had woken up and left for work before he had, knowing I wouldn’t be able to handle riding to work with him, especially if there was a chance he had realized how late it was when I’d returned the night before. I hadn’t left Anderson’s apartment until the crack of dawn. Even though Tobias had been sleeping by the time I’d returned, there was no doubt that my lateness hadn’t gone unnoticed. Furthermore, I knew he had likely wondered why I had snuck out on my own this morning without him.
When I’d seen Anderson at the office, we exchanged seductive glances before hurriedly leaving each other’s vicinity. He had been going through my mind ever since. I still couldn’t believe what had happened between us. When I was a kid, never in a million years would I have thought he’d ever returned my affection.
On my third cup of coffee, I was feeling jittery and happy at the same time when my office phone rang. I simply stared at it for a moment in surprise; it was the first time it had rung. And considering I had just been given my own office, I hadn’t even had an office phone number for long, so I couldn’t fathom who would be calling.
I leaned forward in my chair to answer, suddenly expecting it to be Tobias delivering me a message or new assignment.
“Hello?”
“Well, well, well…” the voice on the other line said.
An ice-cold chill went down my spine, and I could hardly believe what I was hearing. “No…” I said in disbelief.
“Yes,” the voice responded.
I could hear the way his lips curled into a smile around the word and bile rose in my throat. I gripped the phone receiver so tightly that my hand started to ache. I looked toward the window of my office, almost wanting to toss the phone right out of it. “Zander, how did you get this number?”
“I have eyes and ears everywhere, sweetheart,” he said, making my skin crawl.
I hadn’t told him where I was going. In fact, I had never even told him about my brother’s business. With all the money Tobias made, I was always careful to keep his business private, for my own safety, as well as his. Someone like Zander was the very last person I ever wanted to know about it.
“The better question,” Zander said, “is what made you think you could run away from me?”
“Zander, it’s over,” I said, tears forming in my eyes. I could so easily hear the deranged tone in his voice. Even if he was a million miles away, it shook me to my very core.
“It’s not over until I say it’s over,” he said, his voice dropping to a dangerously low pitch. “And I’m not done with you yet.”
“Oh yeah?” I said, attempting to sound braver than I felt. “Well, I don’t care, because I’m done with you. Now, I don’t know how you got this number, but I suggest you lose it. Don’t ever call me again, Zander. I’m warning you.”
