He was just about to drop her to the bed when they heard pounding on the door in the vestibule adjacent to the elevator. The noise was loud and cacophonous as it resonated through the air and Nick's hold on Courtney tightened immediately. They both looked in the direction of the door and then they heard Garrett's voice. "Nick! What the fuck? Are you in there or not?"
Courtney felt Nick's body tense as his head came down to her ear and he said under his breath, "Not a word. Don't move a muscle. I'm not letting him in."
Realizing that she was half-naked and that Garrett had to know they were inside the apartment, she started squirming, wanting out of Nick's arms.
His hands clenched as if he wasn't going to let her go until Garrett changed gears by shouting, "Courtney! I know you're in there. I need to talk to you. Come open the door, damn it."
Nick growled, low in his throat.
"Let me down," she hissed at Nick and with a low rumble of anger, he loosened his arms. She didn't wait another second. She raced back to her room and then to her closet and pulled on the jeans and panties that Nick had taken from her not five minutes before.
Sixty seconds later, she opened the front door, sans shoes, and let a clearly pissed-off Garrett inside.
Nick stood at the sideboard in the dining room pouring a drink, and Courtney couldn't believe he was letting his agitation show by mixing a cocktail in the middle of the afternoon. As far as she knew, he never drank during the day, unless absolutely forced to because of business reasons, and certainly not on a normal Thursday afternoon. But she'd been gone a while. Who knew?
"Hey," she greeted as Garrett strolled inside and looked first to her and then to his brother with a suspicious glint in his eye.
"What the fuck's going on?" he asked as he continued to look between the two of them.
Courtney was guiltily aware that her hair was wild and her color was heightened. She glanced at Nick who was grimacing as he swallowed a hefty drink of his bourbon. He made no attempt to answer his brother; he didn't even glance in his direction.
"Nothing," Courtney answered Garrett as neutrally as possible. "I was unpacking in the closet and didn't hear you. Where's my hug?"
With another quizzical glance in Nick's direction, Garrett took her in his arms and embraced her. "Congratulations."
"Thanks," she said, looking up at him.
"We're all proud of you, you know," his deep voice resonated through the room.
Pleasure infiltrated her at his compliment. "I know. Thanks."
As he ruffled her hair and let her go, she surreptitiously glanced at Nick who was wearing a full-blown scowl as he watched them.
Courtney stepped back as Garrett turned his attention to Nick again. "Why are you drinking? It's two o'clock."
"Who are you? My mother?" Nick sneered.
Garrett narrowed his eyes and put his hands on his hips. Ignoring Nick's sarcastic quip, he questioned his brother in pulsing anger, "What the hell's going on with you, Nick? You trying to get to Courtney first? I told you. I get her. I've been telling you that for the last six months."
Courtney sucked in a breath, confusion coloring her expression. Get her? What the hell?
Nick slammed his glass down on the glass-topped sideboard and finally turned to fully face his brother, his eyes lighting with rage. "And I told you there's no fucking way she's going globetrotting with you. It. Isn't. Fucking. Happening."
Globetrotting? Courtney was sure she was missing something. Trying to understand the sudden dynamics in the room, she looked between the two men.
"You're not her goddamn keeper, Nick. She's a full-grown woman now and she can make her own decisions," Garrett shot back.
Courtney had had about enough. "What's going on here? One of you better start explaining. And quit talking as if I'm not standing in the same room."
The brothers continued to glare at each other and then began talking to her at once.
"I want you for Acquisitions," Garret announced.
"You're going to work in Restructuring," Nick shot out, looking directly at her and pinpointing her with his gaze.
Garrett turned and blasted Nick with a look of disbelief. "You have more than enough people in Restructuring. I'm going to build the fucking holding company with or without The Rule Corporation backing me and Courtney's coming with me."
"What the fuck do you mean by that?" Nick fumed.
Garrett's voice deepened and the control Courtney heard in it was almost chilling. Where had she ever gotten the idea that this man was more approachable than his brothers? "I'm goddamn sick and tired of my brothers telling me what I can and can't do. It's time to start making some real money and I know exactly how to do it. If you and Damian want in on it, fine, but if not, I'll do it myself, and I'm taking Courtney with me."