Page 42 of Sexy Bad Neighbor

“So you’re good? Your teeth razor sharp and ready to go?”

As if on cue, the phone on James’s desk beeps, and then Myra’s frostier than usual voice says, “The security guard in the lobby just called. Your ten-thirty is here, boss.”

I glance at James, arching my brow in silent question. He shifts the knot on his tie while his cheeks turn a mottled red, which surprises me because James is rarely ruffled. And then he clears his throat.

“Thank you, Myra. Tell Phil to escort him to the main boardroom. Chloe is taking this meeting for me, but don’t tell him that.”

“Of course. You can trust me.” The phone beeps, indicating Myra has dropped the line.

“Er, everything okay with Myra?” I ask.

“Fine,” he says, standing and pacing back to the coffee pot. “She’ll be fine. She’s just irritated about a decision I made while out of town. Thinks I made a poor one.”

I chuckle. “Sounds like you need to start taking your admin with you when you travel.”

His coffee must go down the wrong pipe, because he bursts into a coughing fit that takes a long moment to recover from.

“Right. Yes. Well, anyway. Thanks for taking this meeting.” He nods, the usual sternness back in his eye. “Go get ‘em, tiger.”

Not feeling at all like a tiger or any sort of vicious, goal-driven beast, I head down the hall to my office, where I touch up my lipstick and grab my leather-enclosed notebook, and then I take the elevator down to the lobby.

The main boardroom is overkill for a meeting between only two people, but James made his choice deliberately, I’m sure. It’s a large, cherry-wood panelled room with a long, glass table surrounded by twenty-eight luxury leather desk chairs, and the latest in top-of-the-line presentation equipment. Depending on the nature of the business, there are hidden panels that will reveal a fully stocked bar or an espresso machine. One time, James had a popcorn maker brought in and popped the popcorn ahead of time so that the room smelled enticingly like a movie theater, which was precisely the type of real estate he was attempting to sell that day.

I nod at Phil the security guard as I exit the elevator and round the corner, heading toward the room at the end of the hall. As I stalk past the public restrooms, a man steps out and I come to a stuttering halt.

“Paynt.”

He grins while he straightens the glasses that do not at all detract from his gorgeous, glassy blue eyes. “Hey, Chloe. I was hoping I’d see you while I’m here.”

“What are you doing here?” I glance around, checking to ensure no one is around, even though we aren’t doing anything that would make our relationship status obvious. Or non-relationship status. Whatever. I don’t want anyone in this building to be aware I have slept with this man and desperately want to again.

“James has been bugging me to take a look at one of his programs, see if I can come up with something more efficient.”

I grab his arm, which, for once, is not covered with a wrinkled flannel shirt but instead a basic, black, men’s walking coat, open to reveal a striped button-down shirt that’s actually tucked into his slacks. He’s discovered how to use an iron; he looks dapper and practically edible.

“Remember, you promised not to tell him about us,” I say.

“Him? Who? What?”

That ridiculous Who’s on First Abbot and Costello skit pops into my head.

“James,” I say through clenched teeth. “About us. You said you wouldn’t tell him.”

“I did?” I hate the way his brow scrunched together and there’s a frown on his lips, like he has no idea what I’m talking about.

“Yes.”

“When?”

I don’t just roll my eyes, I lift my face to the heavens, seeking … something. Anything to get me through this conversation. If he told his brother we’re sleeping together…

“We were out on your deck. Er, you know, making out. Spot was there.”

“If we were making out, I’m pretty sure the only words I heard were you telling me to go faster or harder, Chloe. I sure as hell don’t remember having a conversation about my brother. In fact, that sounds like a boner killer to me.”

I clutch his coat sleeve. “You responded. You said uh-huh.”

“Yeah, in my head you probably said, Let’s get naked. Seriously, I don’t recall talking about James, except for that day you got pissed at me when you found out he was my brother.”

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