He stood in the kitchen, one of Mom’s coffee mugs in hand, sipping as though he had all the time in the world to live.
“Asshole,” I snarled, rubbing a hand through my hair, water droplets scattering. “You think holding on to Mom’s mug is going to stop me from beating your ass?”
He shrugged. “I know you don’t want to risk breaking it.”
“Then you better hold onto it for the rest of your short life,” I said as I strolled up. When he started to smile, I struck. A lightning-quick but light jab. Dean let out a grunt, the cup slipping as he touched his busted lip.
I caught the cup in my other hand before he could blink and took a much-needed sip of coffee. Unfortunately, it was loaded with sugar. Grimacing, I set it down on the counter and eyed my scowling brother.
“Asshole,” he muttered. “Fucking fast asshole.”
“At least I pulled the punch. I’m guessing that little show…” I nodded toward the bedroom, “was for last night?”
A flush of rage colored his cheeks. “You’re damn right it was. I was stuck in there for over an hour, not to mention I missed my date with Parker, who won’t answer my calls, by the way.”
Interesting. The thought of Parker made me smile. For reasons I didn’t want to dwell on.
Dean saw the smile and glared. “You’re such a dick.”
“I know.” I shrugged. “But I warned you that plan of yours wasn’t going to happen.”
He gave me a pleasant look, the kind we used to give Great Uncle Morty when he’d do ventriloquist impressions with his false teeth in hand. “I’m not sure if you’ve realized this, but you’re not actually my father. He’s dead and I’m a goddamn adult.”
“I’m as good as, and have been for years.” Waving him off, I went to get my own coffee. “I’m not rehashing it, Dean. It’s done. Your job opportunity is gone.”
“You don’t know that.” He pressed his hands on the counter, bracing himself. “I’ll explain to Parker—”
“It’s done. Use that fancy-ass education your big brain earned and go get a true job. Make your life happen.” I quirked a brow. “And then you can pay me all your back rent.”
“If you cared so much about me paying rent, you’d have let me go on my date. No, this is about control. You can’t stand not controlling everything around you.”
He might have a point. I took another sip of coffee—black, thank you very much. “That may be, but believe it or not, it’s more about me wanting more for my baby brother. Sappy but it’s the truth.”
Dean shifted his feet, not meeting my eyes. “Fine. I get it.” His chin lifted high and stubborn. “But what you did was shitty and wrong.”
“It was.”
He shook his head in disgust. “I’m calling her—”
“I took the job.”
The words landed between us like a stink bomb. Dean’s nostrils flared as his eyes narrowed. “What job?”
I was pretty sure he knew, but I answered anyway. “I’m going to pose as Parker’s boyfriend.”
The kitchen clock ticked out a loud ten seconds before he responded. “You? You’re telling me you went in my place last night?”
It was weird how much he sounded like my mother just then, the way she used to get when we’d done something really wrong, right before she totally lost it.
“Yes. I met up with her and we came to an agreement. It’s a done deal,” I told a silent Dean. “So, like I said, put on the suit and hunt down a job you’re made for.”
I felt like an asshole. How could I not? I was. But some things had to be done. You sucked it up, pushed away the guilt, the regret, and got on with it. I’d been doing that my whole adult life. And my adult life had started way before I’d been ready.
“I can’t believe you,” Dean rasped. “You fucking stole my gig with Parker.” He laughed broadly and without humor. “You dickhead! You weren’t worried about me. You just saw a good opportunity to make some cash yourself. You selfish, fucking—”
“Hey.” I pointed at him in warning, guilt riding me hard. Because he was right. And he was wrong. “That’s not what I had planned when I went over there. I planned to hand her her ass.”
“And then you saw how cute her ass was,” Dean said, nodding as though it all made sense to him now.
“No.” Yes. Maybe. “I realized that she was hanging out with Franklin Fairchild.”
He blinked. “Who the fuck is that?”
“Some big-shot billionaire with too much time on his hands and not enough ways to spend it. Parker works for one of his companies.” I glanced around the sparse loft apartment before pinning Dean with a stare. “I didn’t want to worry you, but we’re in danger of losing the gym—”