Page 3 of Unfinished
“You should’ve thought about that before you let her catch you with an unidentified woman in your bed when you were supposed to be at Thanksgiving dinner.” I give him a serious look. “A woman who clearly didn’t understand the parameters of your arrangement.”
I love my baby brother. He’s a hard worker, smart, driven, easy-going and laid-back.
He’s also a slut.
But usually, he’s an ethical slut. Tucker has always been upfront with women about his complete disinterest in a relationship of any kind. I’ve seen firsthand how bluntly he puts it to the women hoping to find their way into his bed. That doesn’t mean there still haven’t been a few who thought they would be the exception.
And my mother happened to walk into his house while he was attempting to nicely run one of them out.
“I told that woman it was only sex.” He throws both arms out as we walk down the hall. “I tellallof them it’s only sex. I don’t know how much clearer I can be.”
“Maybe you should write up a contract they have to sign.” I’m only half joking. “Or you could try to keep your dick in your pants for a few months. It might do you some good.”
Tucker wrinkles his nose. “Fuck no. That sounds awful.” He smirks at me. “No offense.”
I shoot him a glare. It’s no one’s business how long it’s been since I’ve had a woman in my bed. Including mine. I try like hell not to think about it. It’s humiliating. Embarrassing.
Depressing.
Also unexplainable. As in, I don’t know how to explainwhy it is the way it is. And I’ll be damned if I’m going to discuss it with my fuck-boy baby brother.
As I expected, our mother doesn’t even notice my arrival as Tucker and I enter the kitchen. She’s focused entirely on Mariah, discussing possible shower dates, along with themes and favorite flowers.
Titus sits close to his new fiancée, looking proud as shit. I can’t blame him. He should be proud. Mariah is awesome. She’s smart, kind and sweet. She’s also one hell of a good cook, which is how she found her way into my brother’s life to start with.
After losing his childhood sweetheart and their unborn baby in a car accident, he’d all but stopped living. And eating. After over a decade of watching him suffer, Mom decided she was fed up, and hired him a live-in chef.
Who he’s now staring at like she’s the answer to his prayers.
She probably is.
Maybe I should start praying.
Tucker and I sidle up next to where our next oldest brother, Trevor, is standing at the island with our cousin Walker, deep in conversation. I grab an olive from one of the platters spread across the counter, popping it into my mouth before asking. “What’s up?”
“Same shit.” Trevor blows out a loud breath as he scrubs one hand over his eyes before counting off his fingers as he lists out issues. “We still can’t figure out who tried to breach our system through Alaskan Security.” One finger. “My assistant is a pain in the ass.” Two fingers. “And we’re all about to suffer for the ideas Titus is putting into our mother’s head.” Third finger goes up.
“Your assistant is a douche canoe.” I shove in a carrotdipped in some sort of creamy concoction, chewing through it aggressively as I think about Dan. “He better hope I don’t catch him being a fucking creeper to any of the women at the office. I’ll stick an air hose up his ass and open the valve.”
I’ve overheard a couple of the women talking, and it’s got me looking for any reason to work out a little frustration. Unfortunately, unless I catch him in the act, or someone makes a formal complaint, I can’t blow him up like a balloon.
Trevor wrinkles his nose. “Please don’t. The last thing I need to add to my list is finding a cleaning crew willing to scrub douche canoe residue off the walls.”
“Then fire him, because it’s only a matter of time before it happens. He’s got that look to him.” I saw it the first time Trevor brought Dan to my wing of the building. Dude reeked of prickish entitlement.
Trevor scoffs. “Now you tell me.”
“How in the hell didn’t you see it?” I shove a couple crackers into my mouth, trying to shut up my growling stomach. “He’s not very good at hiding how big of an asshole he is.”
Trevor’s expression flattens. “I don’t know if you’ve heard, but the same thing is frequently said about me.”
“Not so much now that Titus had to go and ruin shit for all of us.” Tucker scowls at where our mother sits next to the happy couple. “I hope to god she goes in order. It will buy me some time to figure out how to get out of whatever bullshit she tries to drop on me.”
“She’s already out of order.” I tip my head at Walker. “Otherwise she would have started with him.”
“Don’t put that evil on me.” Walker takes a sip of the beer clutched in his hand. “A woman is the last thing I need.”
“The last?” I angle a brow at him. “What’s the first?”
