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“Bleh,” I answered, fake gagging over that answer. Then, turning toward my brother, I said, “Is that howyouknew?”
“I…” He opened his mouth but looked too guilty to continue, especially when his face turned bright red. “Not…exactly,” he finally said.
“Then how?” I asked, and now, Teagan was looking at him curiously as well.
He glanced at her, then flushed deeper and turned back to me. “Okay, so you know how all the girls in our group are beautiful?”
“Sure,” I said, not following how this had anything to do with anything.
“They’re all beautiful in their own right,” JB went on. “And we were there when each of them hit puberty and turned into women.”
“Where in the hell is this going?” I asked, shaking my head in absolute confusion.
“Just shut up and listen,” JB growled. “The point is that it never phased me when one of them would start blooming and growing curves and breasts, you know. Not until Teagan did. It made me extremely uncomfortable whenshedid.”
I shrugged, unimpressed. “Well, that’s not helpful to me at all. They’ve all given me a woody at some point or another.” Batting my lashes at my sister-in-law, I murmured, “Even you.”
She cringed. “Eww.”
I turned back to my brother. “Is that all you got, then? A little sexual attraction made you fall in love with her?”
“No,” he growled, scowling at me. “I mean, ithelped. It tipped the scales. But she was always the first I worried about when I heard one of them was in trouble. I was always just more emotionally tethered and attuned to her than anyone else…you know?”
I shook my head. “No. I don’t.”
Even though, my gut lurched strangely as I spoke. I’d been way more worried about Chloe the night she’d been kidnapped than I had Lucy or her baby.
JB sighed in irritation. “Teagan’s my soul mate, okay? I don’t know how else to explain it. It just happened. It wasn’t something I had any control over.”
“No, I think that’s bullshit,” I said. “People fall in love every day because they justwantto, and so will I.”
“Luke, you’re… I mean…” After letting out a strangled laugh, my brother shook his head helplessly. “Just… Don’t be insane. Youcannotforce yourself to fall in love with someone.”
I merely cocked an eyebrow in challenge. “Watch me.”
21LUKE
Ihad to rush to get to work on time after my early lunch with Teagan and JB.
Being that this was my first day on my new schedule, I was kind of jazzed to learn the Pick side of things. I rubbed my hands together in anticipation as I strolled down the darkened back hall of the club and approached the open door to my boss’s office.
I had been hoping I’d get to see Chloe, but it seemed that she was long gone from her visit…if she had indeed come to see her dad, which I’d bet money she had.
I’d definitely hear about it in about ten seconds, anyway.
I stepped into the doorway where Pick sat, talking on the phone to what sounded like a supplier. When he saw me, he immediately narrowed his eyes and shook his head before pointing and warning me not to take another step forward.
I jarred to a halt and playfully lifted my hands in surrender, while he murmured, “You too. Thanks again, Roger. Have a good day now.” Then he hung up and rose to his feet, growling, “Nope. You’re fucking fired. Get out of my club. Right now.”
With a laugh, I came the rest of the way into the office. “Wow. You sure got your panties in a bunch today, boss.” Plopping into the chair in front of his desk, I stretched out my legs and folded my hands behind my head. “Bad morning?”
“What the fuck part of don’t tell Chloe about this conversation under any circumstances did you not understand? Jesus, you didn’t even last a single day.”
“You’re the genius who told me to beniceto her.” With a snort, I added, “If you think she didn’t catch on to that shit immediately, you’re delusional.”
“Because you were way too obvious of an idiot about it,” he accused. “Dammit, Luke. If you ruined your chance with her by doing this, I’m going to have your ass; you got me?”
“Hey, if I’m going to be her life partner like you want me to, then I’m not going to start off our relationship with a lie or deception or whatever you want to call it. At least this is open and honest.” Unfolding my arms from behind my head, I spread them wide and shrugged. “I’m glad she knows.”
