“Yes, ma’am.” He sighed heavily. “Fine, I guess I’m in. But you’re gonna have to catch me up because I’ve never seen an episode of that show in my life.”


Brett beamed at him. “Oh my God. You don’t know what you’re missing.” Her earlier reluctance vanished as she took his hand and dragged him toward the living room. “Okay, so there’s a town full of vampires, and this girl—Elena—is torn between two vampire brothers. They’re both smoking hot, but one of them is kind of a dick. He’s the one I’m rooting for, though. Trust me, he’s way more interesting than the other one…”

AJ—God bless his sexy soul—didn’t utter a single disparaging remark while she chattered on about the show, and as they cuddled together on the couch, it occurred to her that they’d reached a turning point tonight.

Only she had no idea what it was, or where it would lead them.





Chapter Twelve


“So…what are you wearing?” AJ drawled the second Brett picked up the phone.

Her laughter danced over the line and tickled his ear. “A very skimpy dress, actually. You’d like it. It barely covers my thighs.”

The words sent a spike of lust straight to his cock. As his mind conjured up the image of her firm, creamy thighs, he wished she were there right now so he could yank her dress up and bury his face between her legs.

Yup. After two and a half weeks, his overwhelming desire for the woman still hadn’t dwindled. If anything, he just desired her more.

But in a few days, Brett’s father would make his decision about who’d be running the new studio, which meant AJ wouldn’t have to pretend to be Brett’s upstanding, responsible boyfriend anymore. The thought disturbed him more than it should, and a part of him didn’t want their time together to end yet. It was an idea he’d been toying with ever since the night at the grocery store. He’d shown Brett the ugliest part of himself when he’d confessed to the selfish act that had gotten his brother killed—and she hadn’t shied away from him.

Brett’s reaction hadn’t eliminated the guilt—he doubted that would ever go away—but she’d made him feel…whole. For the first time in his life, he’d experienced an actual sense of belonging.

“AJ? You there?”

He snapped out of his thoughts, realizing he’d lapsed into dead air. “Are you on your way to the bar?” he asked. It was Jordan’s birthday, so he knew Brett was meeting up with her brothers to celebrate.

“Yep. I wanted to have a couple drinks tonight, so I’m walking over there.”

“Crap. I was hoping you hadn’t left yet. I decided to join you after all.”

“Really?” She sounded delighted. “I thought you were working.”

“I was supposed to, but one of my barbacks asked for extra hours. There’s no reason for me to stick around if he’s here.”

“Then you definitely have to come by. Jessica’s going to be there, and I could use the moral support. One of these days I’m going to lose my temper and break her nose, you know.”

AJ cringed at the memory of Jordan’s shrieky girlfriend. Christ, he had no idea what Brett’s brother saw in the woman. Actually, scratch that. He knew exactly what Jordan saw—a gorgeous blonde with endless legs and a rack liable to make men drool.

AJ had learned a long time ago that looks didn’t make the woman, but unfortunately, he couldn’t exactly say anything to Brett’s brother about it. Jordan had readily admitted to being unable to “quit” the girl, and there wasn’t much anyone could do to change that.

“I’ll be there within the hour,” AJ told her. “Which pub is it again?”

“The one on Cambridge. Donaghy’s—”

A swell of music drowned out Brett’s voice as the office door swung open. When Reed appeared in the doorway, AJ held up his hand, signaling for his friend to wait.

“I’ll be there soon,” he murmured into the phone, then hung up abruptly.

Propping one hip against the doorframe, Reed cast him a meaningful look. “The girlfriend, huh?”

“I already told you, I don’t have a girlfriend,” he said irritably.

In fact, he’d gone to great lengths to keep his friends in the dark about Brett. He hadn’t asked her to come to the club since that first night, and they spent all their time at her apartment in Allston, which meant there was no chance of running into Reed or Gage, who both lived in Southie. It wasn’t that he was ashamed of her—he’d willingly parade her all over the damn city…if they were actually dating.

But they weren’t, and he had no desire to advertise their fling status to his friends, who’d only harass him like crazy if they knew.