Page 37 of Crushing On My Brothers BFF

“Is something wrong?” I ask her, feeling Sophie watching us.

Riley looks at Sophie, then me, and quickly shakes her head. She fiddles with the knot of her bandana like it’s a nervous habit. “I just want to work. That’s all I’m concerned about. Nothing else is any of my business.”

“Nothing else… like what?” I ask.

“Kaleb,” Sophie snaps over the divider.

I raise my hand, shaking my head, keeping my gaze locked on Riley. I’ve spent enough time assessing people to know when they’re hiding something from me.

Riley steps forward and lowers her voice.“I saw you two, okay?”She nods to Sophie.“But I don’t care. My only concern is for Paul. Please, please don’t fire me.”

Sophie rushes around the divider, lowering her voice too. “Wait, you saw? When?”

“Through the window. Up against the wall, but I don’t care, honestly. I’ve worked in many households with many dynamics.I just want to do my job. This is the best contract I’ve had in years. Please don’t fire me.”

“You haven’t said anything so far,” Sophie murmurs.

I look at Riley, my heart pounding hard as I think about her whispering in Paul’s ear, telling him what she saw. If I’m going to be together with his sister one day, he’ll have to find out eventually, but we’re not. That’s the point. We’re ending it.

Firing her isn’t even the best strategic option, anyway. It would create questions and motivation on her side to break her silence. I could pay her off and make her sign a non-disclosure agreement, but that would be suspicious.

“Many people in your position would try to get more money from me,” I tell her.

“My professional reputation is enough for me,” she replies. “I earn that by doing my job; frankly, I am being very well paid.”

“I trust her,” Sophie says. “Anyway, it was a onetime thing, right?”

“Yes.” It’s so hard for me to make myself say this—a onetime thing. What a joke. I’m hungering for her with more and more fierceness every single second. “It’s over now. It never really started.”

“Yes, sir,” Riley says. “Please. I understand. Believe me.”

I turn away, returning to the living room, dropping into the armchair, and resting my fist against my knee.

“So, what do you think?” Sophie asks, her cheeks flushed. I can imagine all the drama twisting through her now, the anxiety, but she’s keeping it to herself just like I am. We have to.

“I think we should do what Paul wants,” I say. “I can get you a room in my hotel.”

“I thought you’d be staying at an apartment or something.”

Is she trying to fill my thoughts with bad ideas? I need to force myself to think of that video anytime other thoughts stab right into my head. Anytime I start thinking about peeling off her pants, revealing those thick legs, licking her clit, and tasting her, this time, tasting every last goddamn drop.

No, the video. The braces. The wrongness.

“I sold it when I moved,” I say.

She narrows her eyes. “Why?”

“Because I was born dirt-poor and holding onto things I don’t need has always seemed pointless to me.” I stand up, gesturing toward the hallway. “You should pack. Say goodbye to Paul.”

Riley looks at me from across the kitchen divider. She smiles tightly and nods. She’s basically saying,your secret is safe with me.

Sophie gives me a sour look, probably at my bossy tone, and then walks toward her bedroom. I sit on the couch, take out my cell phone, and call Tyrone. I’m too full of energy to do nothing, even for a few seconds.

“Boss,” Tyrone says. “I was going to call you soon.”

“Good. So there’s news.”

“Mark and Lisa have stock in the company that they want to make our new eco-friendly plastic through. They tried to cover their involvement using shell companies, five layers of them, but it’s theirs.”

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