Giving My All to You

Afterward, he used a towel to wipe his face and crossed the room to do his leg workout. His legs were on fire by the time he completed the exercises. He rested for two minutes and moved over to the bench press. He had just finished the second set when a shadow fell over him.

“Thinking about a woman while trying to run at full speed on the treadmill can get you killed.”

He tilted his head forward and met Khalil’s smiling face. “What the hell are you still doing here?”

Khalil folded his arms, his grin still in place. “This is my gym. I don’t have to justify why I’m here. You, on the other hand… Let me guess, you’re ready to take things to the next level and she’s not, leaving you frustrated and horny as hell.”

Brandon snatched the bar off the rack and did his next set. He replaced the bar. “Don’t you have somebody to train or somewhere to be?”

“That bad, huh?” He chuckled. “This isn’t the first time you’ve come in to work off your frustrations, but I sense something else going on with you.”

His brother had always been good at reading Brandon, as well as all their siblings. And he hated it. “I don’t need a damn psych evaluation, I just need to finish my workout in peace.” Khalil stood at the end of the bench. “Do you mind?”

Khalil stepped to the left. “If she’s not ready, maybe you should move on. Isn’t that what you typically do?”

Brandon had planned to finish his upper body, but the urge to punch Khalil was so strong, he opted for the heavy bag instead. “If you say one more word, I’m gonna risk Mama’s wrath and knock the hell out of you.” The last time they’d gotten into a brawl, he had been twenty-five and Khalil, twenty-three. He couldn’t remember why they were fighting, but during the scuffle had broken two of their parents’ deck chairs and ruined their mother’s flower garden. She told them if she ever found out they’d been fighting—no matter where they were—she would ban them from the house. And he had no doubts that she’d find out.

Khalil raised his hands in surrender. “Damn, Brandon. Relax. You know where to find me if you want to talk about it.” He turned and strode off.

He finished his workout and went upstairs to his brother’s office. “You never said why you’re still here.”

Khalil glanced up from his desk. “I lost track of time drawing some designs. Better now?”

Brandon dropped down in the chair. “No,” he grumbled. He had worked out over an hour and the only thing he’d successfully done was work up a sweat. He still wanted Faith. Bad.

“Is this the same woman Justin mentioned on Sunday?”

He nodded and told Khalil about the visits and dinners. He groaned. “I can’t stop thinking about her.”

“She must be something.”

“She is. But she’s leaving in a week or two.”

“That’s a good thing, isn’t it? You said you weren’t looking for anything serious.”

He frowned. The thought of her leaving didn’t sit well.

Khalil grinned.

“Why are you smiling?”

“No reason.” He stood, packed up his papers and locked the desk. “I’m going home.”

They walked out and stood in the parking lot talking for a few minutes.

When the conversation ended, Khalil said, “You never answered my question.”

Brandon remained silent.

“That’s what I thought. Sounds like she means more to you than you expected.”

“Yeah. More.” With her intelligence, teasing smile and sweet kisses, she was getting to him. And he didn’t know how to make it stop.

CHAPTER 9

Late Friday afternoon, Brandon sat in his office staring out of the window. He’d spent a restless night trying to figure out how to proceed with Faith and decided to go with the flow for now. She’d be gone soon and then he’d move on, as would she. He left his office and went down the hall, wanting to catch Siobhan before she left. She was packing up when he entered.

“Hey, sis. I’m glad I caught you.”

“What’s up? I hope you don’t need anything today. It’s almost six and Justin and I are going to a movie.”