“Something tells me you’d still like to be screwing her.”
“That’s the thing,” he admitted, “I don’t just want her naked in my bed, I think I want a lot more with her and it scares the shit outta me.”
Aiden’s eyes widened in surprise and he opened his mouth to comment before closing it again as he stared at his brother thoughtfully. It was clear that he was surprised by Eric’s statement and wasn’t sure how to reply to it. With a sudden laugh, Aiden said, “Well, fuck. You’re so screwed, bro.”
“Instead of enjoying yourself at my expense, why don’t you tell me what’s been going on with you.” He smirked, and watched his brother as he squirmed.
“I’d rather not.”
Eric bet he’d rather not as well. Aiden had never been one for talking about himself. He had a reputation for being a ladies man, but he’d never once talked about any of ‘his women’ or admitted to the reputation that followed him around. He sure as hell deserved credit for that because some fuckers couldn’t keep their mouths shut.
“If you’re not going to open up, brother,” Eric smirked, “then tell me why the sudden visit to see Dad and Lucia? It’s not like you to just turn up.”
“I’m tired.” Aiden sighed. “When I’m over there it’s constant. No privacy and, in truth, I hate that part of it.” He threw his head against the back of the sofa and stared up at the ceiling. “I think I’ve finally grown up, Eric. I think I’ve finally had enough of living out of hotel rooms. Of not being able to take a woman on a date without having cameras shoved in our face. I think I’m starting to want peace, and the only place that I can think of getting it is Montana.”
“I don’t know what to say.” And he really didn’t. Aiden had always been the one brother that he thought would never throw in the towel. But he guessed none of them were married, so what the hell did he know.
“I might feel differently after I’ve spent time at home, but only time will tell.” Aiden drained his coffee and leaned forward to place the empty cup onto the coffee table. “I’m going to head off. My flight leaves in a few hours. I just wanted to see you first.”
Eric stood and pulled his brother up and into his arms for a brotherly hug. “You know where I am if you need me, right?” he whispered.
“Yeah,” Aiden replied, his voice strained. He cleared his throat, and added, “Go after your woman, Eric. Life’s too short to let things slip by.”
After Aiden had left, it took a long time for him to settle with his brother’s words still ringing in his ears.
Chapter Six
Sylvia tried to stretch out her aching muscles while she sat on the yoga mat in the living room of her apartment. The small space was shared with her best friend, Talya, but it never felt cramped like it was right now. She just needed to clear her head of the note she had found in her locker last night, which had been forgotten once she’d been with Eric.
Finding the note had shocked her because it meant that whoever had slipped it into her locker had easy access to backstage. At first, the notes hadn’t bothered her, but with the frequency they were arriving, they’d started to frighten her. The writing that had started neat, had begun to look scrawled as though he was angry with her. Talya urged her to tell Yuri, but she hadn’t.
At least her worry over the note had managed to take her mind, albeit briefly, away from Eric and her mad dash to get out of his apartment this morning before he woke. The night they’d spent together had been amazing—the best sex she’d had—but when she’d woken up¸ it hadn’t looked good, and her heart had felt battered. No matter how much she wanted it, she knew she’d just become another notch on his bedpost. Or had she? Eric had seemed awfully pissed and possessive over her job at Poles, which gave her pause as to what he really did want with her.
Her head spun with everything on her mind as she tried to relax in the child’s pose position; drawing in deep cleansing breaths as she did. Nothing was working to clear it.
She just needed sleep to hopefully put everything into perspective.
Sliding into the downward dog position, her head pointed toward the floor, she caught sight of her friend coming out of her bedroom with a yawn hidden behind her hand.
Talya was her best friend and confidante, and she just wished that Talya would confide in her as to what was bothering her. Sylvia had a feeling it was Yuri, the Russian owner of Poles and a few other businesses around Lexington.
Her friend wouldn’t talk until she was good and ready, though. She’d always been like that. Talya had admitted once that it all stemmed from her upbringing, which she never spoke about.
“So,” Talya drawled, stretching out on the sofa, “what happened to you last night? Or should I ask who?” She grinned.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She pulled out of the stretch and sat down on the mat, bringing her legs up into the lotus position as she returned Talya’s grin. “Eric happened,” Sylvia admitted. “It just happened. One look from him incinerated my panties.”
Talya sighed. “I know that feeling.”
Sylvia raised a brow. “Oh, you do? Something you want to tell me?”
“Nope.”
“Let me rephrase that. Something going on between Yuri and you?”
The teasing of their earlier conversation seemed to leave the room as quickly as the happiness faded from Talya’s face.
The silence stretched until Talya turned to face Sylvia. “Nothing is going on between us, other than us wanting each other.”