Beauty and the Billionaire (Billionaire Boys Club #2)(50)

He glanced over at Jonathan. The other man was chewing on his cigar, his brow creased as if something troubled him. He shuffled and then tossed a chip into the center pile. “Everyone ante up.”

Jonathan didn’t look in Hunter’s direction. Good.

Hunter glanced over at Logan, his oldest friend. Logan was staring at him with a suspicious gaze.

“What?”

Logan’s eyes narrowed. “What’s going on?” He tossed his chip into the center of the table and picked up a card that Jonathan threw his way. “Cade’s right. You’re downright cheerful.”

He frowned at Logan. “You’re one to talk. How’s Bront??”

A grin flashed across Logan’s face. “In a state of crisis. She’s trying to take classes and expand her reading charity at the same time.” He picked another card up off the table and couldn’t keep the satisfied grin off his face. “And she keeps complaining that I won’t let her get any sleep.”

Hunter’s lips twitched with amusement. Bront? had a remarkably stubborn streak when it came to Logan’s bulldozing ways, and it was a good thing. The tiny woman would never let him walk all over her like he did his business partners, and it was good to see Logan so completely confounded and besotted and happy.

“It’s a woman, isn’t it?” Logan said quietly to Hunter. “That redhead you asked Bront? about. Greta?”

“Gretchen,” Hunter corrected, and then couldn’t hide his smile. “She’s the sister of your assistant.”

“Audrey has a sister?” Logan looked surprised, then recognition dawned. “Ah, right, the one Bront? stayed with for a time. Bront? likes her quite a bit.” His tone implied that anyone that Bront? liked, Logan approved of.

“She has two sisters,” Cade added. “Daphne lives out in LA.”

Hunter glanced at Cade. “You know them?”

Cade downed his drink, then shrugged. “Old family friends. We go back to childhood. You in on this hand?”

Hunter barely glanced at his cards, then tossed a few chips on the pile, feeling reckless. “Gretchen wants me to invite a few friends over,” he admitted in a gruff voice. “A party of some kind.”

“Does this mean we’re all invited?” Reese asked with a cocky grin.

“No,” Hunter said with a scowl.

Jonathan glanced at his cards, then folded. “I admit I’m curious to see this sister of Audrey’s.”

“You’ve seen one of them before,” Cade replied easily. “Daphne Petty.”

Hunter had no idea who that was, but Reese seemed impressed. “No way. Daphne Petty? The Daphne Petty? The one in the tabloids constantly?”

“Who’s Daphne Petty?” Logan frowned, then looked over at Hunter as if he’d have the answers. Hunter shrugged.

“An old childhood friend of mine,” Cade said. “And Audrey’s twin. She’s also—if rumor has it—heavily into drugs and alcohol, thanks to her career.”

“Her career,” Logan said blankly. “What career is this?”

“Singer. Pick up any magazine and you’ll probably see her sloppy drunk on the cover,” Reese said. “Holy crap. I never knew. Audrey looks nothing like her.”

Cade grimaced in agreement. “I know. Daphne’s not . . . well. Audrey’s much healthier.”

Hunter thought of Logan’s extremely curvy assistant and drew a blank at her face. All he knew was that she wore her hair in a bun and she was brisk and efficient and didn’t ask many questions.

She was nothing like Gretchen in that aspect, he thought with a hint of a smile touching his mouth again. Nosy, too inquisitive Gretchen who didn’t know the meaning “mind your own business” if it bit her on the chin. But he kind of loved that about her.

“Ah, hell,” Jonathan said in disgust. “He’s grinning again. Whatever it is, he’s got it bad.”

“Now I’m definitely coming to this party,” Reese said.

“You weren’t invited,” Hunter pointed out, glaring. The last person he wanted around Gretchen was Reese, the epitome of a ladies’ man.

“You’re in the Brotherhood, Hunter,” Cade said with a slap on the back. “You know our rules. We’re all invited. Even the obnoxious ones like Reese.”

Hunter grunted in resignation. The teasing died back down again and they continued on for hours.

When they were ready to leave, Hunter pulled Logan aside. “I need your advice.”

“Oh? On what?”

“On Gretchen. I want to do something for her. Something that shows her how much I appreciate her.”

Logan gave him a wry smile. “Don’t buy her a diner.”

“What?”

“Nothing. Just something I did for Bront? that backfired in my face. What did you have in mind?”

“Something . . . thoughtful. Not jewelry. She’s not a jewelry type.”

“Well, you dodged a bullet there,” Logan said. “Then again, jewelry makes it easy. Bront?’s not much of a jewelry type, either. Gets mad every time I try to buy her a necklace. The trick is you have to find something that you can do for her that no one else can.”

Hunter shook his head. “I don’t know what that would be. Property? It’s too much. Cars? Anyone can give her a car.” He didn’t share that he didn’t want to give her a car because he was afraid she’d spend her days driving away from the house. He liked that she was stuck there with him.