Page 34 of Broken Daddy

Slapping his hand away, I half rise out of the chair. Chris laughs in a nervous, childish pitch from when we were kids and I see Gen’s ponytail turn with curiosity at the end of the hall. Trying to keep my composure, I walk to the door and close it calmly.

Then I turn around and barrel toward Chris. We pseudo-wrestle for a second, grunting and batting each other around the ears, landing halfhearted punches. Chris keeps laughing, the sound making me grin through the fake fight.

“You’re an ass, you know that?”

Catching his breath, Chris sits on the edge of my desk. “Sorry. Didn’t realize you’d be so upset if I hit on yourpersonal chefa little bit.”

I glower at him, but join him, propped up against the desk. “She’s not even your type.”

His smile softens. “She’s not,” he admits. “I like petite women, and Gen looks like she could match me round for round in the boxing ring.”

One of Chris’s favorite hobbies—slumming it in the city gyms. I can’t count how many times he’s had to apply foundation to hide bruises, but he seems to get enjoyment out of working the energy off.

“Trust me. I doubt you’d be able to handle her.”

He raises a brow at my slip. “Oh, so you’re admittingyouknow how tohandle her?” At my glare, he backs off, but adds, “Don’t worry, she knows I was just joking around. She has eyes only for you, big brother.”

I frown sourly, not liking the twin feelings of jealousy and longing.

She’s not yours,I remind myself.

Doesn’t change the fact I don’t want anyone else to have her. Not even my brother who, in my opinion, deserves love.

Love—that’s a strong word. It sends a frisson of nerves through me and I shake it off, literally.

“Hey, are you okay?” Chris asks, tone turning serious. “You know I was just kidding, right? She seems like a nice enough woman, but I can tell there’s something between you two.”

“There’s not.”

“Um, okay…that’s really what you’re going with?”

“Chris. I told you, she’s Russ’s sister. And she’s my employee.”

Chris snorts. “Yeah. That kind of setup has never stopped, I don’t know…the entirety of humanity. Haven’t you heard the old stereotype that couples meet at work?”

I make a face, never having liked that opinion. But my wife used to say the same thing. We met when we both had the same client. I was doing a build for them and she was part of an interior design company at the time. She insisted it counted as “meeting at work.”

“Besides, it’s more like contracted employment. Not permanent, right? So she’s up for grabs once summer is over. If she’s game for it, that is.”

I stay silent.

Conspicuously silent.

Chris’s brows rise very, very slowly.

“Isthere a reason for you to think she might be game, Nate?”

A quick glance at the door gives me away and Chris chuckles, moving closer and nudging my shoulder.

“Did something happen? Something else?”

I open my mouth to reply, but nothing comes out. So I snap it shut, instead.

“Nothing that hasn’t already happened.”

My brother looks genuinely surprised. After our conversation last week, I must’ve really convinced him I was calling it quits on this whole thing.

“So you two are still…?”

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