Page 82 of Crave Me

“Me, too,” I agree, speaking softly. Neither of us move away. It’s like magnets appear at once, keeping us locked together.

“I have to pick up the food for the meeting,” I say, knowing we can’t just stand there. “I’ll be back in half an hour.”

“Can’t someone else do it?”

“With the new launch of Mechanicus?” I shake my head. “Everyone already has too much on their plates, babe, including the administrative staff.” I push the extra mile for Evan, so do his employees. But they’re close to their breaking points. I’m not asking anyone for more than I have to.

Evan knows as much. “All right,” he says, giving me another kiss. “Don’t be long.”

“I won’t,” I assure him.

My cell phone rings as I hurry down the hall. Given all the hang ups on my office line, I almost hesitate to answer. “Yeah?”

“Wren, it’s Dee. I’m parked out front. You ready?”

“I’m coming,” I say. I don’t break my stride until I see Finn by the elevators, posing with fans for a picture.

“I didn’t know Finn O’Brien was your brother,” Alison squeaks as she walks by me.

“He is,” I tell her. I don’t think she hears me, too busy gawking at Finn.

He shakes the hands of the men he posed with. “Good to meet you,” he tells them, rushing to catch the elevator with me.

He punches the button to the elevator, waving to a few more people across the sea of cubicles who also seem to recognize him. “So you and Evan are shacking up, living in sin and all that good stuff?” Finn asks, his big grin making him look younger than he is.

“I didn’t move in,” I remind him. “I’m just staying with him.”

“You’ve been staying with him for a month, Wren. Just cause your shit’s still at my place doesn’t mean you aren’t living with Evan.”

“My shit is still in our place,” I correct.

“Why?”

My stomach lurches as the elevator speeds down to the lobby. “Because Ma gave that house to us,” I reply, although I know that’s not what he’s really asking me.

“You know what I mean.” The echoing sound of chatter wafts into the elevator when the doors part. Swarms of iCronos employees march forward, ready to jump into their day.

I know many by name. But with Finn here, I don’t stop to say hello. I follow him off to the side, knowing he parked in the deck, but that he isn’t done talking.

He leans against the black marble tile wall, beside a large palm stretching out toward the light streaming in through the glass atrium. “He’s nuts about you,” he tells me. “And it’s obvious you’re nuts about him right back. What’s stopping you from committing?”

“You mean besides Ma driving up from Florida to beat my ass?”

“I don’t think she would.” He thinks about it. “Much.”

“Much? Oh, yeah, that’s comforting.” I laugh, although for the most part, my brothers and I still know better than to piss her off.

“If you want the truth, I think Evan’s given her hope that you’ll give her another grandkid before your ovaries shrivel up and drop all their eggs, or whatever the fuck your womanly organs do.”

“Is that why you and Sol are officially living together? To spare her organs?” I nod when a few of staff walk by me with their coffee cups.

“No, she’s living with me ‘cause I love her, and I’m asking her to marry me.”

“Get the hell out of here,” I say, throwing my arms around him.

He lifts me up, laughing. “Yeah, can you believe it? I actually found someone who’ll put up with me, my dark past, and a clown car stuffed with crazy.”

As much as he’s joking, there’s a lot of truth to Finn’s dark past. Maybe that’s why I squeeze my little brother tighter. “She’s a good woman, and you’re great man, Finnie.” I release him slowly. “I’m real happy for you.”

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