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“And you’re okay with her knowing…all this?” I venture.
Tanner shrugs. “It makes things a lot easier. And I don’t need to tell her the specifics. She’s made her assumptions and I’m fine just going with that.”
I try not to wince, because I know Kit’s assumption must be that Tanner is seeing a woman. But I’ve said I wasn’t going to pressure him about this, and I meant it. What we have now is more than enough.
***
On Wednesday night, I’m making a quick dinner at home before I plan to head over to the penthouse to spend time with Tanner, when my brother stops by. At first, I’m assuming he’s there to see Drew, because it turns out that they are in fact together, but once Sully’s greeted his boyfriend, he makes a beeline for the kitchen, slapping a folder down on the counter in front of me.
“You want to explain what the fuck’s going on with you and Tanner Grimsay?”
I just stare at my brother in open-mouthed shock. “What the hell? How did you—?”
With a dramatic flourish, her flips open the folder open to reveal several pictures of Tanner and me. They’re from the night we first hooked up; we’re sitting at the bar, looking incredibly cozy. God, I can remember that exact moment: Tanner sliding his hand up my thigh and murmuring in my ear.
“What the fuck is this Sully?” I growl. “You’ve been spying on me?”
Sullivan looks at me like I’m a dumbass for suggesting such a thing. “Don’t be ridiculous. Of course I haven’t been spying on you. My company’s investigator took these. She’s been looking into Grimsay to figure out why he’s been stonewalling us on this deal.”
Realization hits me and my brows fly into my hairline. “Wait—you’rethe one trying to acquire Tanner’s company?” He told me a little while back that one of his big sources of stress came from a relentless investor who wouldn’t accept that he didn’t want to sell this particular company. I had no idea he’d been talking about Sully, though. Or one of Sully’s clients, I guess.
“I don’t understand,” Drew interrupts from beside Sullivan. “What does it matter if Deacon’s dating this guy?”
“Because he only went after Deacon to get to me,” he says darkly.
Ouch.
He says something else to Drew, but I don’t catch it. My mind is too busy warring with the possibility that Sully could be right. Finally, I discard it as bullshit.
“You’re being ridiculous,” I tell him, my voice hard. “He hasn’t asked me one single thing about you. I had no idea you two even knew each other.”
“Well I’m sure he’s just been biding his time,” Sullivan growls, relentless as ever. “He’sstraight,Deacon.”
Fuck, I am so done with this conversation. “Just because he’s not out publicly, doesn’t make him straight.” I’msonot going into Tanner’s complicated identity issues. That’s not any of Sullivan’s business, and I don’t believe for a second that Tanner’s been stringing me a long all this time, having sex, spooning, buying me breakfast…just so he can maybe, possibly, one day dig up some dirt on my brother over some business deal that Tanner doesn’t even like thinking about.
“That’s a fair point, babe,” Drew says, backing me up. “I used to identify as straight, remember?”
“This is different,” Sully says, jaw tight as he fixes me with a hard stare. “He’smarried—did he tell you that?”
I feel suddenly dizzy, like my feet are going to just give way from under me from the sheer shock of my brother’s words. This can’t be right. Tanner’s not married. No.
Fuck, I need to get out of here. I need to get away from my brother’s face, and I need to talk to Tanner. I’m only going to believe it if I hear it from his lips.
When I get to the penthouse, I’m surprised to find Tanner is already there, He flashes a bright smile when he opens the door to me, but it drops the second he registers what I’m guessing must be an incredibly tense look on my face. I definitely feel tense.
“What’s wrong?” he asks, clearly concerned.
I shove past him into the apartment, but don’t get too far inside before I spin around and hit him with a hard look. “You know my brother.”
Tanner winces. “Shit. Yes…we don’t exactly have the best business relationship.”
“Yeah, I got that impression,” I say with a shake of my head. “He knows about us just FYI. He thinks you’re just using me to get to him.”
Tanner’s eyes widen in shock. “Seriously? Wait—doyouthink I’m just using you to get to him?”
I wave him off. “If you are, you’re playing a long fucking game.”
Tanner frowns. “How did he even—was it Skyler? He said he wouldn’t…”
