Her bag is packed, and she swings it over her shoulders. I gesture for her to lead the way to the elevators. As we ride down to the waiting car, the chemistry in the elevator sizzles. I need to stop thinking about what her breasts feel like pressed up against me—and her tongue sliding into my mouth.
I clear my throat. “Have you told Claire you’ve invited Tomas tonight?”
She looks at me, surprised. “No, I forgot, but this way it will seem like less of a fix-up.”
Chemistry Bar & Grill is on the other side of my neighborhood, certainly within walking distance, but Jim Adelson, the head of Clear Security, has asked that Claire and I not wander the streets alone until he has something figured out. I know Jim well enough that I don’t question.
The ride is short, and when Greg stops the car, we get out. I watch Tinsley stretch her neck. Sitting and staring at a computer makes us all a little hunched over.
“You need a massage to work those knots out,” I tell her.
“Are you volunteering?”
“I do have magic hands, but if we’re going to stick to our plan, I can’t do it.” I lean down and whisper in her ear. “My hands won’t stop at the knots in your shoulders, nor will they stop until you’re shaking from multiple orgasms.”
She yelps and steps away.
I look at my watch and then at Greg. “How about two hours, unless I call?”
He nods.
Inside, I spot Claire with a man, deep in conversation. We aren’t actual twins, but we are incredibly close. I can tell she’s flirting, but not overly interested.
Tinsley points to a tall, lanky man on the other side of the bar with a beer in hand, talking to a girl whose breasts are barely contained in a low-cut T-shirt. “There’s Tomas.”
Tinsley catches his eye, and he nods.
Claire stands and gives Tinsley a giant hug, and the guy talking to her seems to disappear. “How is working at Landon’s place going?” she asks. “I hope he isn’t annoying you too much.”
I don’t wait to hear her answer, instead walking over to the bar to order our drinks.
After a minute I place a sloe comfortable screw in front of Tinsley and wink. If nothing else, we can have our little secrets.
“What are you drinking?” Claire asks.
“It’s sloe gin, Southern Comfort, and orange juice,” Tinsley tells her. “Would you like to try it? We can get a glass and pour some in.”
She shakes her head. “I don’t have to taste it to believe it’s good.”
“It is.”
Claire turns to me. “You’re drinking a sex on the beach? What happened to your typical bourbon?”
I shrug. Nothing gets by my sister. I have no doubt she knows what Tinsley is drinking. “I felt like a fruity drink.”
“You cannot take the bartender to a hotel tonight,” Claire tells me. She looks over at Tinsley and rolls her eyes, as only a sister can do.
I kiss her on the temple. “Little sister, I will make you that promise.”
Claire turns her focus back to Tinsley.
“Has Mattis figured out what’s going on with your computer?”
Tinsley shakes her head. “He wasn’t in this morning, so I don’t know.”
“I spoke to Jim and his team this afternoon,” I tell them. “They can’t figure out what’s going on. He also insisted we need to travel with protection for now. No walking.” I take a swig of my drink and watch Claire, making sure she understands.
“Yeah, I know,” she says. “Has something changed?”
“He’ll let me know tomorrow.” I look at Tinsley. “They’ll have someone meet you in the morning, too.”
“I planned on going swimming first thing. Is that okay?”
Claire nods. “Oh yes, they’ll go where you go.”
“I’ll let them know you want to hit the pool,” I tell her. “What gym do you go to?”
“Just the Y.”
“I’ll alert them. They’d also like to look at your computer. I told them we might be able to drop it off tomorrow afternoon after you’re done working.”
Tinsley’s face contorts. Like any good developer, the idea of having strangers look at her computer scares her. “How long do you think they’d keep it?”
“We’ll stand there while they download it onto a secure portable drive, and you’ll have it back immediately.”
Her face relaxes. “That works then.”
Tomas shows up and puts his arm around Tinsley. “Hey!”
No fucking way. The hair on the back of my neck stands up. I don’t like how friendly this guy is at all.
She turns and smiles at him. “I can hug you now.”
She gives him a quick squeeze. When they break, she turns toward us. “Tomas, please meet Claire and Landon, my business partners.”
I don’t like how familiar this “old college friend” is with Tinsley. I essentially growl at him, and Claire gives me a funny look.
“Don’t mind him. I’m Claire, and grumpypants is my brother, Landon.”
Tinsley maneuvers so Tomas stands next to Claire, and they begin to chat. She’s asking him all about what he’s working on—some water purifier thing. My radar is up, and I don’t like this guy—not for my sister and definitely not for Tinsley.
“What’s wrong,” Tinsley asks quietly.
How does she not see that Tomas wants in her panties? She can’t be that blind. I give her a look.
Her hand rests on my thigh as she leans into me. Under her breath, she whispers, “It was only a hug. I invited him so he could meet Claire.”
“It’s exciting to see so much enthusiasm for environmentally based companies,” Tomas says.
Claire nods. “Our friend Jackson Graham’s solar panels recently exploded.”
“Aw man, that was awesome to watch.
