Page 19 of Treat

“No.”

“For about six months,” Tommy confirmed. “Until I couldn’t take it anymore and fired her.”

“Youfiredher?”

“Well, I couldn’t date her while she was working for me,” Tommy said reasonably. “I got her a job with a teammate, fired her, then asked her out.”

Jude stared, fascinated. “Did she say yes?”

“She kicked me in the balls and told me to ask her again in a week,” Tommy recalled with a fond smile. “She said yes then. You can’t sleep with Brynn, Jude.”

“I know that,” Jude said, irritation working through the shock. “I’m not completely clueless.”

“I didn’t think so, but here we are.”

Annoyed, Jude scowled. “So, I want her. Big deal. I’ve wanted plenty of women I haven’t slept with. I can handle it.”

“I think you’re underestimating the power of lust combined with proximity, but let’s say that’s true,” Tommy allowed. “Why risk it? Any kind of a sexual harassment scandal could fuck your career.”

“She’s homeless, Tom. Because of me.”

Tommy pointed a finger. “Because of a screwup in your agent’s office, not because of you.”

“I should’ve been paying closer attention,” he insisted, leaving out the part where he hadn’t been paying attention because he was avoiding her due to the aforementioned lust. It didn’t seem like it would help his argument. “It’s my responsibility, ”

Tommy snorted. “So, what? Having her stay with you is penance?”

He wasn’t going to dignify that with an answer. “I owe her a place to stay until this gets straightened out.”

“Then get her a hotel room.”

“I told her she could stay in the guest room, not on my dick,” Jude snapped. “For Christ’s sake, Tommy.”

“Fine.” Tommy raised his hands in surrender. “Fine. You’re a grown man, and you know what you’re doing.”

“Thank you.”

“And when it blows up in your face, I promise not to say, ‘I told you so’.”

“Fuck you.”

Tommy jerked his chin at Jude’s plate. “You done eating?”

Jude looked down. He still had half a steak left, but his appetite was gone. “Yeah.”

“Good. Let’s go get a beer. I won’t tell the nutritionist if you won’t.”

Jude pushed his chair back. “You’re buying.”

Jude crossedthe hall to his front door with a scowl. “I hate you.”

“That hurts me, Jude,” Tommy said, tapping a fist against his chest. “It hurts me right here.”

“Good. You deserve it.”

“Wow. And after I sprang for the good beer.”

“You were supposed to spring for the good beer in a bar, not at my house.”

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