“Jasper,” Stark ground out.
“A bachelor/bachelorette fundraiser,” Rayna said. “It’s this Friday at the Harmony Falls Community Hall. You should attend. Tickets are only twenty dollars, and you’ll get appetizers and wine and the chance to bid on a bachelorette or,” she cocked her head, “bachelor?”
“Bachelorette for me. Will you be one of those bachelorettes?” Jasper asked with a cute smile.
“No, but we have some really amazing women participating in the fundraiser,” Rayna said. “You should check it out. Especially if you’re as rich as your cousin.”
Jasper’s grin widened. “Oh, I do like you, Rayna Abrams.”
“You’re the only Stark who does,” she said cheekily.
“Ms. Abrams, it’s time for you to leave,” Stark snapped.
“See what I mean?” she said to Jasper. “It was nice to meet you, Jasper. I hope to see you Friday night.”
He took her hand and pressed a kiss against her knuckles. “Likewise, Rayna.”
CHAPTER 18
“What are you doing here, Jasper?” Stark poured them both cups of coffee and slid Jasper’s across the table to him.
“It’s good to see you too, Isaac,” Jasper said.
Stark bit back his retort. His cousin might not be his favourite person, but he hadn’t done anything to piss him off today. Yet.
Oh yeah? So interrupting you when you were about to fuck Rayna didn’t piss you off?
He ignored his inner voice. Nothing would have happened between him and Rayna. One of them would have come to their senses even if Jasper hadn’t interrupted.
You sure about that? She wanted you to fuck her. Don’t pretend she didn’t.
“Isaac?”
“What?” he scowled at his cousin.
“What the fuck is going on with you? First, you’re not at your office on a Tuesday afternoon, then I find you in your bedroom about to fuck a plumber, and you have goddamn cats now.”
“They’re not my cats,” he said. “The cat broke into my damn house and had babies, and it’s too dangerous to move her while the babies are this young.”
“Right. And you were about to fuck the plumber because why?”
“The plumber has a name, and I wasn’t about to fuck her,” Stark snapped.
“Well, that’s some bullshit right there,” Jasper said. He gave him that look, the one that always set Stark’s teeth on edge. “Never thought I’d see you slumming like that for a bit of pussy.”
“Shut up, Jasper,” Stark said. “Besides, you were practically trying to dry hump her in my bedroom.”
Jasper laughed. “Sure, but can you blame me? With a body like that, I don’t care if she cleans toilets all day. I’ll just make sure she showers before I fuck her.”
Stark immediately tamped down his anger. He knew his cousin, and if he even suspected that he was pissing him off, Jasper would use it to his advantage. Still, he couldn’t help but growl out, “Stay away from Rayna, Jasper.”
“So, you do like her.” Jasper pounced like a particularly vicious feline.
“I hate her,” Stark said, “but she has something I want, and I don’t need you fucking her or fucking with her. Got it?”
The genuine Jasper appeared, quick as a striking snake, the jovial, benevolent look on his face disappearing. “The days of you telling me what to do ended the minute you abandoned our company.”
“I didn’t abandon the company, and it’s my father’s company, not yours,” Stark said. “What’s with this ‘our’ shit?”