Page 37 of Mark my Words

The server eventually wandered over to take our orders, Kristine ordering an outrageously expensive porterhouse cut of aged beef and Greg following suit. Not yet knowing if I needed to dip into my savings for this meal, I stuck with a more sedate eight-ounce New York strip with a side of julienne potatoes and mixed grilled vegetables.

“Exactly how long are you going to be here?” Kristine asked as she placed her silverware down across her plate. The only remnant of her meal was the small bone in the middle of the delicate porcelain.

“Love you too, Krissy,” he retorted with a smirk as he leaned back in his chair, smiling fondly at her.

“Oh, quit with that bullshit,” she smiled, clearly more relaxed than when we arrived at the restaurant an hour earlier. “We both know why you’re here in person. Sloane could have introduced that software to the office without your little spiel. But you’re too much of a narcissist to resist getting the credit for something.”

“Just a few days. I’ll fly back on Friday morning.”

“Please stay out of Sloane’s ear on the promotion,” she requested, her voice ringing with quiet sincerity. “You can tell Mason I’m just fine without him meddling in my professional life. You know Nana would lose her shit if she knew what you two were trying to pull.”

“You know Ms. Graves will put you wherever you want if you ask. Sloane thinks very highly of you. Almost makes me proud.”

Kristine scoffed, sipping from her glass of water after they’d exhausted half the bottle of scotch. “If I have to cheat to get it, I don’t want it. I don’t need things handed to me because your father has a superiority complex. Not with the strings Mason would attach to it.”

“He’s our father.”

“I said what I said.” Clearly, Adrian was right about Kristine having some Daddy issues.

It must be nice to have that kind of sway. Having the flexibility to call in favors just because of who you were. I would have been a little bitter about it, but Kristine was perfectly capable of earning the promotion without her family interfering. The only thing that worried me was that she was determined to stay away from New York, and I knew she’d never be interested in being a non-fiction editor. Most likely, I didn’t want that position for the same reason. It wouldn’t present the same challenges in developing a fiction manuscript.

Which left us with a bit of a dilemma, we both wanted the same job, and neither one of us would submit to the other.

I casually listened to the siblings bicker about much more mundane topics while we waited for the check. Gregory insisted on paying, and I thanked him while Kris continued to stare daggers while he signed for our meal. He wasn’t a terrible guy, but I could tell he enjoyed his privilege and the things he could get away with because of it. She never leveraged her family’s wealth like it seemed he did.

After everyone had finished their drinks, he bid us goodbye and disappeared into the hotel bar staring down at his phone as Kristine and I headed out the doors to wait for a ride.

“Do you want to ride back to my place?” She asked, leaning into my shoulder slightly as we stood side by side outside the restaurant, both pleasantly numb from the rich food and the alcohol.

“It’d make sense to have them drop you off first. It’s closer.”

“Not what I meant, Sam.”

“I know.” I smiled as my fingers reached for hers, barely ghosting against the soft skin before I pulled away, trying to respect her boundaries.

“Thank you for behaving yourself in there,” she said, smiling softly as she glanced up at me, her eyes soft as she momentarily glanced toward my lips.

“Wish I could say the same for you.” She laughed as I shook my head at the memory of her and her brother lobbing verbal grenades at each other. “You might have just as well stabbed him with your fork.”

“Don’t think I wasn’t imagining it. He irritates me sometimes.”

“I couldn’t tell.” She rolled her eyes as she leaned against my shoulder, tucking her hand in the crook of my elbow. “I wasn’t sure if I needed some protection against your barbed tongue in there. You’re scary when you’re worked up.”

“I’d be happy to demonstrate how not barbed it is if you join me for a drink at my place.”

“Well—“ I grinned as I leaned in closer, grazing my lips against her cheek. “Maybe I’ll let you. However, I do recall someone not wanting me to see her apartment. And I also seem to recall something about only one night, and that’s it.”

“If you don’t want to see me naked, Sam, that’s fine.” Her voice was calm, but she tried to let go of my arm and gasped when I held her fingers in place. “I’ll just pull out one of my battery-operated boyfriends that don’t talk back.”

My eyes widened as I realized she was telling me that she’d get herself off with a vibrator if I didn’t come home with her.

“Close your mouth.”

Giving up on keeping a polite distance from her, I snaked my arm around her waist, pulling her into my chest. “Ever have a threesome with one of those boyfriends?”

It was her turn for wide eyes as she scanned my face, her eyes lingering on my lips. “There’s a first time for everything, Sam.”

KRISTINE

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