This thing between her and Jake was starting to worry me. “Do you really think our lack of business is Jake’s fault?” I asked.
She nodded, still staring out the window.
Bracing myself for what would probably prove to be an entertaining explanation, I asked, “How do you figure?”
She tore her gazeaway from the window long enough to frown at me. “He’s well-connected and afraid for our safety. I bet he called everyone and told them not to hire us.”
“Everyone, huh?” I asked, hoping she’d come to her senses and hear the crazy in her explanation.
Instead, she nodded.
Time for a different approach. “So, you’re saying you think your busy detective boy toy dropped everything to go throughthe Portland phonebook, in order to block our business.”
Her chin rose. “Jake is resourceful and determined. I’m sure he thought of something.”
I made cuckoo bird noises because it sounded nuts, but she did have a point. If Jake could figure out a way to keep us safe, he would. Even if it meant going to war against Addison.
“Well, if it’s not my boy toy, it’s yours. Ashey’s probably up to somethingas well,” Addison announced.
The mention of her brother formed a lump in my throat. It’d been four days since I’d heard from Asher, and I had no idea if our newly-forming relationship was going to survive our most recent fight. But I refused to give in, and I would not cry.
As if sensing my battle to keep it together, Addison turned and studied me, her expression softening. “Oh, Dylan...”
“Don’t do that,” I warned. We were both hurting, and I didn’t want her sympathy. I wanted two things in life: Asher’s unwavering support and to make this business a success, so I could feel less like a loser sponging off my best friend and more like a contributing member of society. So far, I was zero for two.
She squared her shoulders and went back to staring out the window. “Right. All the morereason we need to prove them wrong.”
Before I could comment further, the front door opened, and Asher walked in wearing his normal workday tailored suit and oxfords. His hair was perfectly styled, and the sexy things his five o’clock shadow did to his face made me want to wrap myself around him. I missed him like crazy, but wasn’t ready to face the angry words we’d lobbed at each other.
“Ashey,”Addison said by way of greeting. She and Asher had always been tight, but after his blatant lack of faith at our career path, she was almost as upset with him as I was.
Neither of us invited him in, but he stepped across the threshold and closed the door behind him, smirking. He held a brown paper bag in his hands that smelled faintly of teriyaki. “Addie. Dylan.” His gaze swept over the office.“This place looks great.”
“Yep, Addie does good work,” I said, popping my laptop back open like I had something important to do and wasn’t the least bit interested in his sexy self or the mouth-watering scents coming from his bag.
“You’rebothstill mad at me?” Asher asked, stopping between our desks.
Without taking my eyes off my screen, I replied, “You haven’t exactly been the supportiveAsher Allen we both know and love.”
“It’s not his fault,” Addison said to me. “There’s clearly something in the water turning our men into overprotective assholes.” She glared at her brother, and then went back to staring out the window.
Asher chuckled. “Okay, I probably deserved that.”
Addison huffed. Then her entire body tensed and she reached for her jacket. “He’s here.”
“Jake?” I asked.
“Yeah. He’s taking me to lunch. And I swear if he tries to talk “sense” into me one more time, I’m gonna make him eat his badge.”
“I’d like to see that,” Asher said.
She glared at him again. “I’m gonna meet him at the elevator. I don’t want him bringing his negativity into our office. Dylan, be strong while I’m gone. Don’t give in to the charming wiles of this one.” She jerked a thumb atthe one in question. “Solidarity.”
“Love you too, Sis,” Asher replied.
Blowing us a kiss, she stepped out of the office. The door closed behind her as her heels tapped on the wood floor, heading toward the elevator. Awkward silence filled the room as I tried desperately to find something resembling work to do on my laptop.
“I brought you lunch,” Asher said, setting the bag on my desk. “Bentofrom one of the food carts. I don’t know how good it is, but the guy barely spoke English, so that’s a positive sign, right?”
