“So, who didn’t go to UW? And where did you go?” she asked to keep the conversation flowing, so she could ease out of it and continue eating her boring lunch.

  Every now and then, she’d sneak a glance down the table at James. He was clearly doing his best to avoid looking at her, but one time—just as she’d shifted her gaze his way—he’d been watching her. Their gazes locked and something shifted in the room between them.

  The sandwich in her mouth grew tasteless and dry and she couldn’t seem to swallow.

  Finally, she blinked and jerked her attention back to the paralegal who was speaking about his plans to pursue law school.

  She quickly tuned him out, distracted and irritated by her response to James.

  What the hell was wrong with her? Men didn’t make her weak in the knees or giddy. She was used to appreciating the male form, all while managing to be indifferent to them.

  Why was James the exception?

  This was a distraction she didn’t need, and hopefully, it wouldn’t become a bigger problem.

  There was zero chance of her getting involved with James. Zilch. That door was closed and nailed shut.

  Her gaze drifted back one more time and she couldn’t quite stop the sigh of regret.

  Fuck it all if he doesn’t look like a total snack in that suit, though.

  *

  “Did you know Tori works at the same firm I do?” The words were out before James could stop them.

  His sister, in the middle of draining a pot of pasta, turned to glance over her shoulder at him.

  “What? My Tori?” Kristen frowned. “I heard she was interviewing at a law firm, but I had no clue it was the one you worked at. We’re doing brunch this weekend. I’m guessing she was waiting to fill me in.”

  “Yeah, she’s at Wright and Williams.”

  “Well, that’s not awkward or anything.” Blake strode into the kitchen and wrapped his arm around his new wife’s waist, pressing a kiss to the back of her neck. “Smells delicious, sweetie.”

  “Me or the dinner?”

  “Why not both?”

  James cringed. “I appreciate the dinner invite and all, but could you maybe save this nauseatingly sweet newlywed stuff for when I go home?”

  Blake released Kristen and grinned. “Sorry, man. Sometimes I forget she’s your sister.”

  “Wouldn’t be the first time.” James couldn’t help the lighthearted jab.

  It was a clear reference to how the pair had gotten together. Kristen had been on a mission to lose her virginity—a cringy conversation James wasn’t supposed to overhear—and Blake had become her target.

  Neither had planned on falling in love, let alone rushing to the altar not even a year later.

  There was no animosity anymore toward his friend, though initially, he’d exploded over it. Now, Blake, who’d been like a brother, was legit his brother-in-law.

  “But really, how awkward is it working with her?” Blake leaned against the counter, facing him. “I mean, you guys sucked face once, right?”

  Twice, but he’d only confessed the one time to Blake. And it seemed Tori had told Kristen what happened too, so it was the worst-kept secret ever.

  “But you’re going to be cool about her working there?” Kristen gave him a pointed look. “This is a great opportunity for her. Did you know she’s even considered going to law school?”

  Chapter Four

  James bit out a sharp laugh, certain his sister was joking.

  “Tori? Right.”

  Kristen dumped the pasta back into the pot and turned to face him.

  “Yes, Tori. Don’t give me that look. You don’t know her, James. Not the first thing about her. That girl is actually really fucking smart.”

  Why was it hard to envision the Tori he knew being that kind of brilliant?

  Because she’s basically a walking wet dream.

  He made a noncommittal grunt in response that had Kristen’s scowl deepening.

  “Stop writing her off as a brainless hot chick. I know you’ve got more sense than that.”

  His sister was way too good at reading his mind.

  He knew Tori wasn’t stupid, but he was dubious that she was some kind of stellar intellect.

  Having her join the lunch table last week had been like taking a baseball bat to the knees.

  He’d managed to avoid her, and bam, she’d plopped down with their lunch group like some celebrity.

  And some of the guys at the table had gawked at her as if she were one. Granted, they didn’t overtly drool, because some of these guys were the cockiest SOBs out there. Having attractive women in their lives was an everyday occurrence.

  But there was something about Tori—or Victoria, as she went by at the firm—that had even the most seasoned players taking notice.

  “Blake, can you add the sauce to the pasta? I need to run to the bathroom.” Kristen placed a kiss on her new husband’s cheek before dashing off down the hall.

  “Bro, you look like you’re sucking on a lemon.” Blake emptied the pot of sauce into the noodles and grinned. “Is it really that bad?”

  “She drives me crazy. Makes me totally irrational.”

  “Been there.”

  When Blake jerked his head toward the hall Kristen had disappeared down, James shook his head.

  “No, it’s nothing like what you have with my sister. You guys actually like each other. Tori and I are more likely to come to blows than agree on something.”

  Blake’s lips curved into a lazy smile. “Blowing can be a good thing.”

  James grabbed the nearby baguette—still wrapped in paper—and smacked his friend upside the head with it. “Try and focus here.”

  Blake snatched the bread from him. “That is serious abuse of a carbohydrate.” He tugged the paper sleeve off to begin slicing it. “And your sister makes a mean garlic bread.”

  Garlic bread was the last thing on his mind now that Blake had put that imagery of blowing in his head.

  The visual wouldn’t go away. Tori on her knees and James’s hand tangled in her thick brown hair as she took him with her mouth.

  “Ah, shit, I got you thinking about it, didn’t I?” Blake barked out a laugh. “I don’t envy you and this stage you’re in, bro. But I’m sure you guys will end up bouncing the bedsprings together.”

  “No way.”

  “It’s inevitable. My guess is within a couple months. If we hit May and you guys still aren’t hooking up, then I owe Eric fifty bucks.”

  “You what now?” James blinked as the words sank in. “Wait, you guys are betting whether or not I sleep with Tori?”

  “No, of course not. It’s not if, it’s when. Like I said. It’s as inevitable as the sun rising.”

  “Okay, I’m back.” Kristen returned to the kitchen and hip-checked Blake to get him to scoot over. She took over the bread slicing. “So, what’d I miss?”

  “Nothing.” The word was past James’s lips so quickly, she cast him a suspicious look.

  “Mm-hmm.”

  “How’s grad school going?” Desperate for a change of topic, he focused in on his sister’s life.

  Fortunately, she seemed eager to fill him in. While he tried to be a good brother and listen, his mind still wandered back to Tori.

  Everyone was so convinced they were going to sleep together.

  Why? Why couldn’t he stop thinking of her?

  Maybe Ryan was right, and he needed to start dating. Distract himself with someone else. Anyone else.

  Which, on that same line of thinking, his cousin had already called dibs on her anyway. So even if James got it into his head to make a move—and he wasn’t that stupid—Tori was basically off-limits by rule of the Bro Code.

  You don’t go after the girl your friend—or cousin—already likes.

  And more than once, he’d found Ryan and Tori alone together chatting away, so clearly that ball was already rolling.

  Ryan and Tori.

  God, even their names sounded good together. Maybe they would be the perfect couple. Both highly attractive to the opposite sex. They were outgoing and ambitious. People at the office loved them.

  Love almost didn’t seem like a strong enough word for Tori. It’d only been a week since she’d started at the firm, and already she’d become as popular as the bougie citrus soap in the bathroom.

  It was like being back in middle school. She was the kid everyone wanted to have at their table. Men wanted her, and women wanted to be her.

  The whole thing was almost nauseating.

  “You get to take the bar again soon, right?”

  Kristen’s question interrupted his brooding, and thoughts of Tori vanished.

  “Yeah. Next week.” He nodded, feeling a different kind of weight on his chest now. “I’m going to be so damn relieved when it’s done.”

  “I’m sure.” Blake clapped a hand on his shoulder. “You’ve got this.”

  James grunted.

  Blake’s hand tightened on his shoulder, to the point where James lifted his attention to meet his friend’s solemn stare.

  “You’ve got this,” Blake repeated, so calmly and confidently that James felt any doubt slip away.

  “You’re right. I do.”

  Blake let him go, cracked a beer, and handed it to James.

  “Here. Kristen thought you might want one.”

  “Thanks, man.” James accepted the beer, even as a sliver of self-consciousness slipped through him.

  It was always a little weird drinking around Blake. His friend hadn’t touched alcohol since the day he’d been in a car accident when one of their frat brothers had driven drunk.

  Blake had been the only survivor, and it’d flipped his life upside down. He’d stopped drinking completely, dropped out of the UW’s prestigious business school, and become a paramedic after being inspired by the ones that had saved his life.

  Damn, his friend had really come far.

  “And you know what we’re going to do once you pass the bar?” Kristen chimed in. “We’re going to throw you a big-ass party with all your friends to celebrate.”

  “I am one hundred percent on board with that.”

  Right now? Nothing sounded better.

  *

  “So, I hear you’re working at the same law firm as my brother?”

  Tori choked on the bite of eggs Benedict she’d just popped into her mouth.

  She put up a finger in the silent “give me a second” and took a swig of coffee.

  Wow, James had really moved fast on giving his sister the gossip.

  “I am.” She nodded. “I’m sorry. I suck for not texting you when I got the job. Things just got chaotic fast. I needed to buy, like, real clothes. Nice stuff. Not sexy clubbing stuff, or my other staples, which are joggers and tank tops.”

  “Oh yeah, I bet.” Kristen gave a knowing nod, her eyes glittering with amusement. “Like, pantsuits and stuff.”

  “I find I prefer skirts.”

  “And why wouldn’t you? If I had legs like yours, I’d be showing them off all day in every way.”

  “It’s more finding pants that actually fit my tall body lengthwise. And you have lovely legs.”

  “I am actually what most would call short”—Kristen pointed her fork at Tori—“which means I have short, stumpy legs.”

  “Your legs are not stumpy.” Tori snorted. “And I’m betting Blake isn’t complaining when they’re wrapped around his waist in bed.”

  Kristen’s face turned red, and Tori couldn’t hide her laugh of delight. Sometimes it was all too easy to forget her friend had been a virgin this time last year. The blushing was always a good reminder.

  “You have zero discretion,” Kristen hissed, but then her expression turned smug. “But you’re correct. Zero complaints.”

  For just the briefest moment, a stab of jealousy hit her.

  For a while, she’d wondered if Blake and Kristen had rushed to get married. While Blake was nearing thirty, Kristen was still in her early twenties.

  It had seemed too soon. Too quick. But the way they looked at each other, the way they were together? Kristen and Blake were the real deal. They were so in love, it made everyone around them a little nauseous.

  And maybe a little jealous.

  She remembered Kris telling her once . . .

  We go together like peanut butter and jelly. We’re literally the perfect fit. I can’t imagine being any happier or loving a man any more than I do him. And he feels the same way. This is a crazy, unpredictable world lately and happiness can be fleeting. When you find this kind of love, don’t doubt it. Don’t second-guess it. Embrace it. Nurture it. Fight for it. Because someday, years later, you might regret that you didn’t.

  Pretty deep words, actually, from her friend. But then, Kristen had always been that way. She’d always been super in tune to her emotions and empathy toward others.

  And then, there’s me. The girl who enjoys the sex, but hates the emotional part. AKA, kind of a hot mess.

  “I’m really glad you’re happy, Kris.” The words were honest and without jealousy this time.

  “I am. But let’s get back to you.” Kristen sipped her coffee. “So, you work at the same law firm as my brother and had no clue when you signed on.”

  “No clue.”

  “Would it have mattered if you knew ahead of time he worked there? Would you still have taken the job?”

  “Yes.”

  “I don’t blame you.” Kris paused. “Do you really hate James that much?”

  “I don’t hate him at all.” Tori pushed the hash browns around on her plate. “It’s complicated. He’s complicated. Anytime he gets too close to me, he gets this pinched look. Like, I don’t know, when you order the chicken and get the fish-type of stuffy look.”

  Kristen laughed. “I’m very familiar with that look. James doesn’t have a very good poker face.”

  “Right? And yet, don’t you kind of need one if you’re going to be a lawyer?”

  “It depends what kind of law they practice. Though I think he’s leaning toward litigation with our cousin, so he might need to work on that. Also, give him time. He’s still a baby lawyer.”

  “Associate is the term they use, I believe,” Tori corrected her.

  “I prefer baby lawyer. So cute. Plus, it drives him nuts, and what else are sisters for?”

  Tori smiled, but that subtle, sad, yet familiar feeling settled in. No siblings. No family. Just a foster care system that she’d finally crawled out of.

  But she’d beat the statistics that predicted her life would downward spiral. She’d gotten the college scholarships, and she’d worked her butt off to keep her grades high and get a business degree.

  And now she had a job she was proud of.

  “I’m so glad we were able to make this brunch happen. It’s been way too long.” Kristen grimaced and shook her head. “And a lot of that’s on me with grad school.”

  “And being a newlywed. I get it.”

  “How have you been? Are you dating?”

  “Dating? Pfft.” Tori laughed. “Who has time for that nonsense?”

  “Um, you make time. There are serious benefits to being in a relationship.” Kristen leaned forward and whispered, “Orgasms being one.”

  “Yeah, you don’t actually need a relationship—or even a partner for those.”

  Kristen’s sigh was adorably wistful. “Oh, but it’s so much more fun when you have a partner.”

  Sure, if the guy knew what he was doing. Which, with her streak in lovers, she was better off reaching Mt. Orgasm on her own.

  “I was trying to think about it, and I don’t think you’ve actually had a long-term relationship.”

  Tori stilled, forcing herself to take another bite before she answered. It was an issue she’d thought about more than once lately, with many of her friends falling in love.

  “I haven’t, really.”

  This was her best friend, and she’d always been brutally honest with Kristen.

  Well, except for that one thing.

  “I tend to be more into hookups,” Tori continued.

  “Not all of them, surely. I remember one guy . . . he lasted a few months.”

  “Ah, yes, Leo.” He’d been pretty fun, until suddenly he hadn’t.

  “What ever happened with him?”

  “Well, one night when he was drunk, he told me, and I quote, ‘You know this isn’t serious, right? You’re not exactly the type of girl a guy brings home to meet their mom.’”

  Kristen’s stricken look made Tori wince.

  “Maybe I should’ve kept that story to myself.”

  “Oh, my god. I’m so sorry, Tori. What a complete asshole.”

  And here was the sympathy she dreaded. The last thing she wanted was more sympathy. It felt as if her whole life had been nothing but people pitying her.

  Screw that. She wasn’t a victim.

  “Yeah, he was. And fortunately, I wasn’t in love with him or anything. So, after I let him get me off, I walked out of his place and blue-balled him. Never looked back.” Tori lifted her coffee mug. “Cheers.”

  The sadness on Kristen’s face made her regret telling her.

  “Not all guys look at you that way, Tori. I know there are guys out there who’d kill to get to know the woman behind the gorgeous exterior.”

  “Thank you. I’m sure you’re right. I just haven’t really put any energy into trying to find them.”

  She put herself first. Her needs. Her time. Get in and get out. Don’t get attached.

  It’d worked so far. Though she was in a bit of a dry spell. No guys had rung her bell, so to speak. The last time she could remember getting a little flustered by a man was . . .

  Her gaze lifted to her friend. Kristen’s brother.

  Which, nope. Not going to happen. Maybe Tori was a bit of a hot mess, but right now, James was worse.

  “Guys our age can still be pretty immature,” Kristen muttered after finishing off her pancake. “Just out of college, love the bar scene, and hooking up with anyone with a pulse. I’m telling you, date older.”

  “Hmm.” She wasn’t convinced it made any difference.

  “Like, for instance, my brother.”

  Chapter Five

 

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