So, Tori wasn’t the first woman he’d pulled this with. Andincentivewas entirely too mild of a word for what Ryan was doing.
“Don’t you fucking hurt her.” The words came out low and harsh.
Ryan approached him and arched a brow. “That’s never been my intention. Didn’t you hear me? Ilikeher.” He paused. “And I’m starting to think you might too.”
Shit.
James froze, trying to figure out how to reply, and hating that he was terrible at hiding his reactions.
Ryan placed both hands on James’s desk and leaned down.
“She’s mine, cuz. You just remember that and things will be just fine.”
Fuck. There it was again, the barely veiled threat. God, his cousin loved to play theI have all the powercard.
“Now get your ass back to work.” Ryan grinned, slapped James’s desk, and turned to leave.
As James watched, his cousin approached Tori, who was across the room. He leaned down to say something to her. She smiled and nodded before he continued on his way.
Fuck.
Why did it bother him so much? The idea of them together? Why did he care who Tori chose to sleep with?
Because Ryan was right. Hehadbegun to like her. He couldn’t even point out when. Maybe he’d always felt it but buried it beneath the anger of that first kiss.
His phone rang, and the distraction was a welcome one. Shoving Tori from his mind, he answered and got his ass back to work.
For once, he finished his tasks on time and was ready to go home at a normal hour. Maybe he’d run the lake again to blow off the stress from the personal injury case he was working on. It was sucking his life away one little bit at a time.
He flipped the light off in his office and made his way to the elevator.
Ah, hell.
Of course Tori would be standing there waiting, too, typing away on her phone.
She glanced up at his approach. The smile in her eyes faded when she saw him.
But she was all politeness as she gave a curt nod. “James.”
“Tori.” He kept it just as civil. “Did you have a good weekend?”
Uninhibited joy flickered in her eyes and the smile spread. “So much fun.”
I’ll bet.
His jaw clenched, and he could only reply with a grunt.
The elevator opened, and he gestured for her to go in first. Not because it gave him the chance to check out her ass in that skirt, but damn. He couldn’t pass up the opportunity. Or notice her long legs that disappeared into heels.
He loved how tall she was, only inches shorter than him. When they’d kissed in the tent that day on the beach, it had been such a novel experience. He’d always had to almost crouch down to kiss Hannah.
Tori fit him perfectly.
It was one of the many things he found sexy about her. Which he’d take to the grave before admitting.
Maybe that’s why he’d been drawn to Nadia too. She was a taller woman.
“What about you?” Tori asked as she pressed the button that would send the elevator to the parking garage. “How was your weekend?”