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1
CALLAN
If there’s one thing I should never be in charge of, it’s holding the wedding rings for any of my brothers on their wedding day.I was put in charge of my eldest brother’s rings precisely half an hour ago and I’ve already misplaced them.
“You’ve lost the rings?”Olivia asks when she realizes I’m searching for them.
“No, I’ve momentarily hidden them.”I reach into my suit jacket and check the pocket inside.The rings aren’t there and Olivia’s expression conveys her lack of surprise over this.My best friend knows me better than I know myself, so she’s more than aware that when I say I’ve momentarily hidden them, I actually mean I’ve put them somewhere really fucking safe and may never find them again.
“Jesus, Callan.Bradford should have known better than to ask you to safeguard those rings.”She’s got that look in her eyes that says she’s taking charge of the situation now.It’s a look I know well.Olivia’s been taking charge of my situations since we were eight.
“In my defense, it’s been a hectic half hour.”
“Where were you when he gave them to you?”
“In his bedroom.”
“Do you think you might have put them down somewhere in there?”
“I would have thought I’d put them in my jacket, but clearly not.”My attention drifts away as I spot Olivia’s plus-one weaving his way through the wedding guests who are gathered in Bradford’s grand salon for pre-ceremony cocktails.
Slade fucking Sullivan.
I wasn’t aware she was working with him again or that she intended on bringing him today.I might be a fan of the New York Power hockey team but their goalie is another story.He’s nothing but trouble and I don’t like that Olivia has to work with him, because he cuts in on her personal time with all his fucking antics.
His smile is broad when he reaches us.“Callan.Good to see you again.”
“Slade.I didn’t realize you were back working with Olivia.”
He grimaces.“The team gave me an ultimatum.Fix my shit or I’m out.Our girl here is the best and is going to help me do that.”
Ourgirl?
I manage to hold my tongue, but only just.Olivia’s a crisis management expert and sheisthe best at what she does, but she’s nothisfucking girl.I want to point that out, however if I learned one thing while she managed Slade’s last crisis, it’s that Olivia doesn’t appreciate me stepping in the middle of her professional life.
Slade and I got into it one night when I mentioned how handsy he is with her.Olivia had to break us apart before it turned physical, and she and I ended up in the middle of an argument the likes of none we’ve ever had.I don’t want a repeat of that because I endured a day of radio silence from her afterward.Olivia is like air to me; I need her to function.So, Slade gets to have a free pass from me now, and that’s stealing every ounce of focus I have because it’s the absolute last thing I want to give him.
Olivia eyes him.“I just need a few minutes to help Callan with something and then we’ll go over the interviews I’ve got lined up for you next week.”
“Thanks, babe.”
I don’t miss the way his eyes soften when he calls her babe.
Fuck it, I can’t hold my tongue any longer while watching him saunter away from us.“Babe?”
“Callan.”Olivia’s voice contains a warning.
“I’m just saying, babe isn’t keeping it professional.”
She shrugs.A little too casually in my opinion.And completely out of character for her.Olivia is a stickler for rules and professionalism, and in all the clients she’s worked with over the years, I’ve never known her to allow any of the guys to call her that.“You know what he’s like.He doesn’t mean anything by it.”
I arch a brow.“Really?”Slade has a reputation for sleeping with every woman he ever meets.He’s smooth, and he doesn’t give a fuck about any of them from what I can tell.I don’t know if Olivia is interested in him, but I saw the way he won her over five months ago when they first worked together and I could imagine her developing feelings for him.The last thing I want is for him to hurt her.
“Give him a break.The guy gets a bad rap in the press.If you knew him better, you’d know he’s nothing like the way the media presents him.He calls every woman babe.”
“Why’s he your plus-one?I thought you were bringing Wade.”
“Hayden called this morning and asked me to work with Slade again, and since Wade came down with a stomach bug this morning, I figured I’d kill two birds with one stone.While we’re waiting for the ceremony, I can get some work done.”Her features turn serious.“Now, we need to find these rings.What did Bradford do after he gave them to you?”
