AllFreeNovel
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“Thrilled. She’s been trying to kick him out for weeks. Free-loading cheater.” She rolls her eyes, opening her mouth as I feed her another bite. “Mmm, so good. Anything awesome happened toyoutoday?”
“Hayden and I went to that old Gianetti’s building on Fourth and Castle. He’s thinking of buying it.”
“Buying a restaurant?” She tilts her head. “What would he do with a restaurant? Is he not busy enough with the firm?”
“He wants to buy it for our mom.”
She gasps. “Oh my god, Aleck, Midge wouldlovethat.”
“It needs some serious renovations, but it’s always been a dream of hers to have something like that on the side. She’s been bored after retiring from designing. He’d have to hire a management staff to make sure the business runs smoothly, so it doesn’t all fall on her, but I think it’s a great idea.”
“Oh, me too.” Her smile stretches, showing her beautiful teeth. “I really do. Hayden truly has been better, hasn’t he?”
“He’s still a dick.” I laugh, then dump another spoonful of Phish Food into my mouth. “His assistant quit. That’s the third one in two months. I keep telling him he’s too much of an asshole, but… you know Hayden.”
“Yeah, well, he’s onlyhalfhuman,” she teases. “Give him some credit.”
“Hester Latham is bringing his daughter in at the firm and until he finds a suitable position for her, he’s instructed Hayden to give her tasks to help him until he finds a new assistant. Needless to say, Hayden’s not taking it well.”
“Why? Doesn’t he need the help?”
“Yeah, but he doesn’t wantherhelp.”
She laughs, crinkling her cute little nose. “Why? What’s wrong with her?”
“Nothing. Pippa’s great. We grew up with the Latham family. Spent every summer at their beach house in Nantucket, hearing my dad and Hess tell story after story about their Harvard legacy and days in college. They spent winters at our cabin in Aspen skiing and sipping hot toddies, overlooking the snow-capped mountains… It was great. Me, Hayden, and Pippa were the only kids in a room full of stuffy old people…” I laugh, remembering Hayden stealing bottles of rum and champagne so we could drink down by the water, or in the den while our parents and their friends thought we were playing video games and drinking too much soda.
“Actually, when I think about it, that was the only time Hayden and I got along. It’s like, his discomfort around Pippa forced him to accept me. Pippa is four years younger than us. He always said he didn’t want thebabytagging along, but she barely made a fuss. She was cute and kind of funny, looked up to us, you know? Hayden just always had athingfor her and I don’t mean in a good way.”
“Well, that’s not completely surprising. Hayden hates everyone.”
“Yeah, but hereallyhates her.”
“Hereallyhated you, too. How have you two been getting along?”
I’m taken aback by the question. Mostly because ten months ago, it would have stirred negative emotions in me. It would have raised my blood pressure and made me angry justthinkingabout Hayden. But not anymore. We’ve come alongway. A lifetime, I suppose.
We’re good… we’rebrothers.
“We’re doing well. I was worried the extra hours spent together at the firm would aggravate our progress, but Hayden’s taking his position more seriously. Since becoming senior partner, the board and I have decided to throw him into the deep end and submerge him in more high-profile cases.”
Winter brushes a piece of hair from my forehead, and the brush of her soft little finger sends a little blood rushing to my cock.
“Is he sinking or swimming?”
I smile. “He’s proudly swimming, baby. Aside from his previous nonchalance toward his career, Hayden is a born lawyer. He may even be more cutthroat than I am.”
“Not possible.” She smirks devilishly, and a little more blood rushes south.
I lean in and kiss her softly, tasting the milky ice cream on her lips. “There’s this one other thing…” I say, stabbing the spoon into the ice cream, then setting it down next to us on the island. “I bought you something. I was going to wait to give it to you, but fuck it. I don’t want to wait.”
“It’s not a restaurant is it?”
I laugh. “No, it’s not a restaurant. Why, do youwanta restaurant?”
She shakes her head with a chuckle. “No. Maybe a bookstore someday though…”
Mental note: Buy Winter a bookstore.
