Page 44 of The Forever Rule

“First off, fuck you.”

“No thanks,” he said, giving me a wink.

“Second, she’s just starting off here, and after havingto deal with that asshole boss of hers, she doesn’t need us to be assholes trying to use her for information.”

“What happened with Howard?”

As I explained it, Flynn’s gaze went steely, and he stood up.

“Do you want me to do something about it?” he asked, that blade in his voice that most people didn’t hear. Because he was the happy one, the sweet one. The funny twin to Hudson’s growl.

They didn’t get the blade.

“No. She doesn’t want that handled.”

“I can still look something up.”

“Discreetly,” I said after a moment. “But we’re not going to put her in the middle of anything.”

“Meaning stay away from her?” Flynn asked.

“I know you’re joking with me, but let’s not,” I snapped.

“You’re going to need to get a rein on that temper of yours. Especially if you’re going to work next to her.”

“It’ll be fine. It’s not like we were anything.”

“And isn’t a loss of something that could have been just the worst then?”

“Stop being philosophical and go back to work. And don’t forget to be at my house by five-thirty.”

“I thought dinner was at six-thirty?” he asked.

“And you’re going to help me cook.”

“You’re cooking?”

“I can cook.”

“I know you can cook. I just assumed you’d have this catered.”

“They don’t need to think of us as the assholes who get things catered on our first dinner. Next time we can order pizza.”

Flynn sighed but nodded. “You’re right. We want to make a good impression. Because Dad really messed us up, didn’t he?”

“Understatement of our lifetime.”

And with that, Flynn went back to work, and I tried to ignore the fact that Blakely walked by my office, smiling as she talked to James.

This was going to work. Everything was going to be fine. And as I looked down at the broken pen in my hand, ink spilling everywhere, I realized that no, I wasn’t fine.

Chapter Four

ASTON

Rule #2: Never lie to your family.

“So you’re really going all outhere, aren’t you?” Dorian asked as he popped a grape into his mouth. I glared over my shoulder at my younger brother and looked at the three grapes left in his hand.

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