Her eyes widened, and I swallowed hard. She immediately looked down at her glass, licking her lips. Could she tell that I wasn’t speaking in any professional capacity?
“When should I contact your team?”
“I’ll talk to them. They’ll be in touch soon.” I straightened up and tried my best not to lean in too close.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed my brothers huddled together.When the hell did they all arrive?I checked my watch and saw it was time for us to meet. Crap, they were only a few steps away, watching me and Piper.
“Just a heads-up, the whole clan is here.”
She furrowed her brow. “Huh?”
But I didn’t get a chance to say more because Chad came forward.
I cleared my throat. “Hi, everyone. This is Piper Dawson. She’ll be working on the next commercial for the bakeries with me and my team.”
Chad looked relieved.
What the hell? What was he thinking? That I’d just started to flirt with a customer? Then again, ithadbeen my MO for my entire adult life.
“I’m Chad.” He held his hand out to Piper. “I run the restaurant branch.”
“And these are my other brothers,” I said as they joined us. “Xander is the chief financial officer of The Orleans Conglomerate.”
Xander was still looking at me suspiciously. Probably trying to figure out my intentions with Piper. With my past, I couldn’t blame him.
“Anthony runs the music venues, and Zachary”—I pointedas my last brother shook hands with Piper—“is the CEO of the shipping branch.”
“Pleasure to meet you all,” Piper said, then turned to me. “I’m going to leave, then. Thanks a lot for the po’ boy. I’ll wait for your team to get in touch.”
I couldn’t help taking in her legs when her dress slid up slightly as she got down from the barstool. Working with this woman wouldn’t be easy. I’d have to ask Chad for some insight about that celibacy thing. After all, he did successfully pull it off for a few years. Then again, he’d never been a man-whore to begin with.
I stared after Piper until she left the bar. Then I realized all of my brothers were watching me.
Busted.
CHAPTER 8
BECKETT
“What?”I asked, somewhat provocatively as Chad sat on the chair Piper vacated. Anthony was on my other side.
“We were just wondering what’s going on with Piper,” Chad replied. “Odd place to have a business meeting, brother.”
“I agree,” Julian said helpfully. Clearly he’d joined the group early enough to overhear everything.
“I figured I’d kill two birds with one stone. I’d have a drink and?—”
“Flirt with Piper so you don’t get out of the habit?” Chad asked.
“I don’t like that insinuation. I already explained why she was here.” I looked at them all, then asked, “Why are you ganging up on me?”
Chad cleared his throat. “We thought that now you have Charlotte, you’d change your ways.”
“Please, I was not hitting on her.”
“We’re not blind,” Xander said. “You definitely have an interest in her.”
There was no point lying to my brothers. “She’s an attractive woman. Of course I noticed.”
