Seriously, he acts like a five-year-old.
He lowers his voice as he leans towards Ryker. “Our big brother here has been busy making his own acquisition.”
My own acquisition? What does he mean…? Oh, that.
I roll my eyes as I take a bite out of my slice of rye bread and cheese. Doesn’t Asher have anything else to talk about?
“Do you mean he’s sleeping with someone?” Ryker asks. “Because if he was trying to acquire another company, I think I’d know.”
Asher grins. “Exactly.”
Is he really that happy about the fact that I’m getting laid?
“Is she Swiss?” Ryker asks. “Someone famous, like a supermodel or a tennis player?”
Great. Now he’s interested in who I’m fucking, too. When did my sex life turn into a reality show?
“Nope,” Asher answers. “But you know her.”
I stop in the middle of taking another bite out of my open-faced sandwich. He knows?
“Who?” Ryker asks curiously.
I look at Asher, waiting for him to answer the question as well.
Does he really know about Stella and me?
“I’ll give you a clue,” he says. “She’s staying at this hotel.”
Ryker looks around the restaurant. I don’t. I know Stella isn’t coming down for the breakfast buffet. She said something about not being used to a heavy breakfast. Or maybe she just said that because she doesn’t want to be seen with me and arouse suspicion – a futile effort if Asher already knows what we’ve been up to.
“Also, yesterday, she was wearing a red dress,” Asher adds.
I go still. Fuck. He does know.
Ryker looks at me with creased eyebrows. “Stella?”
Asher points a finger at him. “Bull’s-eye.”
“Bullshit,” I say calmly before finishing my sandwich.
It’s too soon to admit defeat. For all I know, Asher may just be speculating. What proof does he have?
“I saw the two of you on the balcony,” he says.
I nearly choke. He did? Well, he did say they arrived at the hotel ahead of schedule.
“Balcony?” Ryker asks. “Doing what?”
“Let’s just say they were getting some fresh air,” Asher answers. “It seemed to be a hot evening.”
I sigh. Great. Now I’m never going to hear the end of this.
Ryker still looks confused. “But she’s your…”
“Assistant, I know,” I finish his sentence as I reach for my cup of coffee.
I suddenly wish it was Scotch.
“I guess she’s assisting him with something else now,” Asher says.
I narrow my eyes at him in warning. He may be my brother, and he may think he has one over me because he discovered my secret, but I can still punch him.
“So that’s why he kept looking at her yesterday,” Ryker says.
He noticed?
“And why he looked like a raging bull when I was flirting with her,” Asher says.
So he was doing that on purpose?
“Let me guess. She’s not here for breakfast because you went on a little rampage after you whisked her away.”
I really want to punch him right now.
“But she’s your assistant,” Ryker says again.
“That doesn’t mean he can’t fall in love with her,” Asher says. “In fact, maybe that’s why he fell in love with her. Because she’s always by his side.”
“I am not in love with her,” I tell him.
Wherever did he get that idea?
“Really? How long have you been sleeping with her?”
I set my cup down. “You know what, Asher? It’s none of your business. And speaking of business, we’re meeting later in my room to go over some things from yesterday’s meeting.”
I look at Ryker.
“You too.”
“I hope you cleaned up this time,” Asher says.
I ignore that and grab another piece of bread. Can’t he just shut up?
He leans forward on the table and looks at me. “You know, why is it that when I’m sleeping with someone, everyone seems to have an opinion, but when it’s you doing it, we can’t even say a word about it?”
“That’s because when you sleep with someone, you can’t keep it to yourself,” I tell him. “It’s not like Ryker and I pry. You just like to brag, so of course Ryker and I have to say something.”
“True,” Ryker agrees.
“I don’t brag,” Asher argues.
Ryker and I say nothing.
Asher frowns. “Not like you can keep a secret either. If you were more careful, I wouldn’t be asking questions.”
“If you didn’t flirt with the receptionist so she would give you a spare key and use it to barge into someone else’s private suite, you wouldn’t be asking questions,” I point out.
Ryker gives him a look of horror. “You did what?”
“I didn’t flirt with her,” Asher argues. “I just asked. Nicely.”
Yeah, right.
“Very nicely,” he adds.
In other words, he did flirt with her.
“But it doesn’t matter. You’re forgetting I saw you on the balcony.”
Which was probably why he came to my room.
“Fine,” I give in. “You win. Can you shut up now and let me eat the rest of my breakfast in peace?”
“Only after you answer my question.”
“You’ve already asked a lot of questions,” I point out.