Neighbors with Benefits (Anderson Brothers, #2)(60)

“I’ll be damned,” Chance said.

Will grinned. “Claire told me this would happen. She said you’d fall hard and totally lose your shit. People with control issues often do.”

“I don’t have issues with my control. I have excellent control.” Unfortunately, the credibility of that point flew out the window along with his balance. As he teetered, then flopped back down in the chair, he realized his four drinks had been better than doubles. “And I haven’t lost my shit. I’ve lost the girl.”

After his brothers exchanged amused looks, Will said, “I don’t know if you’ve gained a sense of humor or not, but you’re pretty f*cking funny.”

He didn’t feel funny. Nothing was funny. His chest had felt hollow since that horrible day of the wedding, and nothing, not even work, could relieve the ache. “I have to get her back.” He couldn’t just sit around and wait for something to happen anymore. He needed to make it happen. Clancy jumped in his lap and he hugged the dog close. “How do I get her back, Clancy?” He knew how silly this looked: a grown man wearing only underwear, hugging a dog wearing a bow in its hair—and he didn’t care.

Chance came over and put his hand on Michael’s shoulder. “Do what you do best. Think it through and create a plan. Do that chess game thing in your head you’re so good at and anticipate every move before you make your play.”

After straightening out the pictures on the mantle, Will returned to the sofa. “Tell us what you need, and we’ll help. I think you’re way out of your element here, and if you do what Chance says, and return to your logical way of reasoning things through, you’ll come up with a solution.”

Still hugging the dog to his chest, he tried to come up with a starting point, but couldn’t focus.

“I’m glad we’re not doing some freaky sex addiction intervention here,” Chance said. “I really wasn’t up to that.”

“Me neither,” Will agreed, rolling up the papers and tucking them under his arm. “We’ll leave you in peace, Michael.” He gave his brother an affectionate punch in the shoulder. “We’re here for you, man. Let us know if you need anything.”

He loosened his grip on Clancy and met his brothers’ eyes. “I know I act like an * big brother most of the time, but I really do love you guys.”

“He’s definitely drunk,” Chance said, and they all laughed.

Will paused before opening the door. “Hey, Mikey. Be sure you put some clothes on if you decide to wander out. The tabloids would have a heyday with you traipsing around in your underwear.”

To Michael’s chagrin, Chance picked up one of the sweaters from the table. “Dude! Better being caught in your underwear than in this! What the f*ck?” He held it by the shoulders and Will busted out laughing from the open door.

“There is no explanation, drunk or sober, I can give for that. It defies explanation.”

“He has found a sense of humor,” Will said.

“Nah. It’s just the booze talking,” Chance said before the door shut. “He’ll get his serious back when sober.”

Michael stared at the closed door for a long time. They’d advised him to use his logic and formulate a plan. Go with his strong points. Well, that’s what had had gotten him in a shit ton of trouble in the first place.

Clancy readjusted in his lap and he stroked along his soft fur. “You don’t use logic,” he said. “You use your heart. You just want love.” So did Mia. And to his astonishment, so did he. He wanted love. Mia’s love specifically.

What would it take to get her back? What would reach her heart? He had to find a way to prove she was more important to him than his job or any other facet of his life—including his public persona.

And it hit him. Hard. His heart had provided the answer, but now he’d take his brothers’ advice and make a plan—a hell of a plan. Something that would not require his control to succeed. Something that defied explanation.

He threw his head back and laughed. “Oh, Clancy. I hope to hell this works. If not, I am completely and totally f*cked.”

And with that, he went to bed with Clancy curled up at his feet and got the first good night’s sleep he’d had in two weeks.





Chapter Twenty


Mia heard the Queen B’s before they even entered the rec room, laughing about another article they’d found. She sighed and shook her head, then pulled out the paints. After almost a month, she’d assumed things would die down, but that saying “sex sells” must have had a great deal of truth to it. She deserved this, though. Michael had tried to warn her, but she didn’t really listen. She didn’t hear past the orders and her own wrong assumptions.

She’d been dodging cameras ever since.

Fortunately, everyone who knew her, including the B’s and the owners of Heart’s Home, found it entertaining and didn’t buy into the title of “Duped Trollop” that one particularly seedy overseas tabloid assigned her. She chuckled at the silly name. Trollop indeed. And at this point, she wasn’t even sure about the “duped” part.

“Hoooee! Look at this one, Mia.” Betty said, waving a scrap of newsprint from the paper. “Another Notch in the Anderson Bedpost.”