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“You should’ve told me Dad chose you,” Bran said.
“He asked me not to.” Royce held his arms wide.
“Gloves up. I don’t want to break your nose.” Bran demonstrated by shielding his own face.
“This is stupid.” But Royce put his gloves up. He liked his nose the way it was, thank you very much.
“We’re in this together, big brother. That means circumventing Dad sometimes. Like when we broke the window in the guest bedroom and moved a plant in front of it instead of telling him what happened.”
“We didn’t get away with that, either.” Bouncing on the balls of his feet, Royce lifted his gloves in time to thwart an incoming swing.
“Good block. That doesn’t change the fact that I would’ve liked to know what you knew. Rather than sit there with my dick in my hand at the party.”
“Pretty sure all eyes were on me. Which I didn’t appreciate, you know.”
“We could’ve been a unified front.” Bran swiped the air, but Royce ducked out of the way.
“Nothing above the neck, remember? Those were the rules.”
“They’re more like guidelines.” Bran danced in a half circle. “How are you and Taylor doing?”
“What?”
“Don’t play coy with me. You and Taylor have been all over each other lately. Beyond the one time Addison caught you in the supply closet, I’m assuming.” Bran took another swing and, thankfully, missed. “Didn’t suspect you for the falling-in-love type.”
“What are you—” Royce dropped his gloves but lifted them just as fast to block a blow meant for his jaw.
Bran laughed, enjoying himself way too much. “Keep your guard up!”
“What are we, teenagers? I’m not falling in love. Taylor and I are partners in the most physical sense of the word.”
“She doesn’t want any more from you?”
Her words from the night they’d shared scotch came back to him. “She wants a family and marriage, but she also wants a career. I’m certain I’m only involved in the last part of that list.”
“How certain?”
Royce stilled, giving his brother an impatient glare.
“You’re smart, Royce, but dense when it comes to women.”
Royce threw a punch and missed, but knocked Bran’s footing off. That felt good.
“You’re one to talk,” he told his younger brother. “Addison wants you and you’re a clueless oaf.”
“Taylor embarrassed us both when she shouted that we’d be good together. The whole office heard.”
“The four of us were the only ones in the office.”
“Yeah, well, Addi and I are coworkers in themost physical sense of the word. Stop changing the subject.”
A few more swings were thrown, but none of them connected. Bran’s comments circled Royce’s head like a school of hungry piranha.
“What do you know about Taylor, anyway?” Royce finally asked, wondering if Bran was dancing around a point as well as this boxing ring.
“She’s been my friend most of her life,” Bran answered. “She’s always talked about having kids, a husband. A golden retriever, for Christ’s sake. That doesn’t sound anything like you.”
It didn’t. But that was never what Royce and Taylor were about.
