On Wednesday, she was having dinner with Olivia. Dylan was out of town on business, and the other woman wanted to compare pregnancy notes. Since Olivia was due two months later than Meg—they had that in common. She hoped it wasn’t awkward that Olivia was Scott’s sister.
Because there was no way she could hide her reaction if somehow his name came up. Just thinking about him set her on fire. She hadn’t washed her sheets because she liked the musky smell of him, and them, that lingered. She’d like to say it was the sex she couldn’t get out of her head, but it was more than that. The little things. How he’d jumped out to open the car door. How he’d leaned in and brushed his nose against hers when he was saying good-bye. And how he’d thanked her, as if her sleeping with him was something special and meant something to him.
When was the last time she’d been treated well? When the person she’d been with had put her first? She shook her head hard, the answer too painful to contemplate. True, Scott had been nice, but he wasn’t anything to her but a one-night stand. His silence merely reinforced that. Meanwhile, she had a busy week, a full life, and she had to remember that she did not need a man to make her complete.
At the end of a long week, Scott met his brother Tyler at the gym of the Thunder football stadium. The whole family gravitated here, to the everlasting irritation of their father, who had given them all free gym passes at his luxury hotel downtown. Scott, like the others, didn’t want much to do with the old man. In fact, his becoming a cop had been a big FU to his dad and his offer to work in his hotel business. Scott couldn’t be in business with a man he didn’t respect, and from the minute he’d realized the truth about his father’s cheating and other family, any respect he’d hung on to for a man who was rarely around when he was growing up had disappeared.
His grandparents had left each kid a trust fund, so money hadn’t been an issue. He was luckier than most in that he could do what he wanted in life. So he’d gravitated toward law enforcement, because there were rules, laws, and things were black and white. He knew what to expect. He’d never envisioned feeling constrained by those same rules, because after the personal upheaval his father had caused, his career choice had made sense to him at the time. Unfortunately, those restrictions chafed, and he was miserable.
He and Tyler worked out in silence for over an hour, then showered and were finishing up in the locker room. As it was March, the team wasn’t around, and they pretty much had the place to themselves.
“I wanted to ask you something,” Tyler said. “Couldn’t do it the other night. Mel’s is too crowded. And you were too busy looking at that brunette. What did you say her name was?”
“Meg.” Scott’s brain immediately filled with memories of the night with her, causing his cock to swell. Shit. Good thing he’d put his jeans on.
“Right. Meg Thompson. You get her home okay?” Tyler asked.
Scott nodded, unwilling to get into more about his relationship—or lack thereof—with Meg. Knowing how completely freaked out she’d been the morning after, he’d given her space this week . . . but he couldn’t let the silence go on much longer. He didn’t want her thinking he wasn’t interested any more than he wanted to crowd her and send her running. Not to mention he couldn’t stop thinking about her and that hot night.
He and Tyler headed out to the hallway, pausing by a set of oversized couches in the lounge area.
“What’s on your mind?” Scott asked his brother.
“I got a call from someone in the music business looking to hire us for the whole nine yards. Updated alarm systems, personal protection, you name it. Apparently a big band is considering breaking up, and someone leaked the information to the press, and they’re getting angry threats from fans.”
Tyler ran a security company named Double Down, specializing in various areas of protection, including investigations, electronics, and personal protection. He had a group of ex-military men working for him, and he’d done well for himself.
Scott glanced at his brother. “Well, they came to the right place,” he said, as always proud of what Tyler had accomplished.
“Who is the client?”
Tyler eyed him warily. “Lola Corbin called. She’s the lead singer of Tangled Royal,” he said of the huge band currently rocking the music scene.
“Son of a bitch. Grey Kingston’s bandmate is looking to hire you?” he asked, referring to the band’s lead guitarist.
Tyler clenched his jaw and nodded.
Now Scott understood the problem. Avery, their youngest sister, and Grey Kingston had been hot and heavy back in high school . . . until Grey had left town to make it big, leaving Avery heartbroken. To this day, Scott wasn’t sure she’d ever gotten over it. His hands curled into fists at the thought of dealing with the man.
“At least it’s not Kingston who wants your services, but that’s too close for comfort.”
Tyler ran a hand through his dark hair and nodded. “Agreed. I don’t want to upset Avery, but I can’t turn down the biggest rock star on the planet. Not to mention Lola Corbin is engaged to Rep Grissom Jr., one of the Thunder’s hottest stars.”
“Shit,” Scott muttered.
“You got that right.”
“Hey, guys,” Olivia said, joining her brothers. Her office was nearby. “I
