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“But—”
“I want you to stay warm.”
Sonia hesitated, then gave a quick nod. “Call me when you want me.”
She stepped onto the escalator, still feeling the imprint of his hands and lips, pulling his jacket closer around her. When she looked back, Brendan was watching her from the signpost to the station.
17
Thursday
Three days before the wedding
8:02 a.m.
Sheets brushed Brendan’s skin, smelling faintly of Sonia.
He stretched and yawned. Blissfully, he reached out an arm to cuddle her, but the space beside him was empty.
Right. He’d left her at the Metro station.
He sat up in bed, rubbing his eyes. Sunlight streamed through the blinds of his window. His college T-shirt sat on top of his dresser, neatly folded.
Call me when you want me.
“Dammit, I want you now,” he growled. Climbing out of bed, he picked up the T-shirt and pressed it to his face, breathing in her sweet, spicy scent.
He really was losing it.
He could call her, insist that she return for a quick visit before he went to work. But that would be so needy. He’d be handing over what little control he still had.
Pulling on a pair of boxers, he slipped the T-shirt over his head and walked out to the kitchen.
It was a disaster area. Brendan whistled as he stared at the mess. On the rare occasions that Jonah attempted to cook, he used every pot and pan and conveniently forgot to wash them. Today was no exception. Chocolate smeared the counters, dirty dishes filled the sink, and empty bottles of wine dotted the living room. Yasmin’s tiara was perched on the back of the couch, sparkling over the scene.
Normally, Brendan would have dived in and started cleaning, but he wasn’t in the mood to pick up after anyone.
Years ago, Diana had accused him of being a one-man fix-it crew.That’s how you and Ian operate, isn’t it? He gets into scrapes, you take care of the cleanup.
Well, that was half the story. But there was so much more to his relationship with Ian.
Getting himself a bowl of cornflakes, Brendan dropped into a chair at the dining room table. He scrolled through the contacts on his phone as he spooned up cereal, swiping toBro’Brian. He and Ian had thought it was hilarious to list each other that way when they got their first phones at age thirteen, and they’d kept the same contact name ever since.
But Ian was at the gym right now. And if they talked later, it would be about the wedding and their jobs, all on the surface. He didn’t even want to talk to Ian so much as be around him, doing literally anything — shooting hoops, playing pool, driving aimlessly — without the need to say much. Because they understood each other.
Rubbing his eyes, Brendan clicked through to his notes for the day and pulled up his calendar.
Shit.Someone had added the afternoon policy meetings to his schedule for tomorrow. He’d been so focused on Sonia, he hadn’t given Senator Wilson an answer.
Frantically, Brendan dialed the Senator, but there was no response. Shoving his cereal bowl in the dishwasher, he threw on work clothes, knotted his tie, and navigated morning rush-hour traffic to the Senate office buildings.
When he reached the suite, he headed straight for Wilson’s spacious office. The Senator was on the phone, but when the conversation ended, he looked up with a smile.
“Brendan, just who I wanted to see. I’ve got a few minutes to go over tomorrow’s meetings—”
“Senator, do you have any siblings?” Brendan asked abruptly. “Any brothers or sisters?”
“I’m lucky. Got one of each.” Wilson’s pleasant expression didn’t falter.
