Razed (Barnes Brothers #2)(37)

Abby sighed. “Sometimes it’s amazing men and women can even communicate.”

They walked in silence toward the car. Once they reached it, he shot a look back at Zane. He was on the phone, calling for a cab, most likely. Zach felt a stab of guilt punch through him and he looked back at Abby. He’d have to fix the thing with him and Zane, he knew. Eying his wife, he asked, “How mad are you at me?”

She lifted a cool brow. “When are you going to apologize?”

“I’ll talk to Z tomorrow.”

“And Keelie?”

He looked away. “That, too.” And that would be the harder one. He knew how to handle it when he messed up with his brothers. He did it all the time. But how did he handle that one? A few months ago, he might have known. But now . . .

“Believe it or not, slugger, she’s still the same woman she was before it happened.”

He slid his gaze back to Abby.

She smiled and got into the car.

He joined her, starting the engine.

She reached over, her fingers ghosting over the back of his neck. He leaned into the light touch, relaxed a little as she toyed with his hair. “She’s a little smarter, maybe,” Abby said, a smile edging into her voice.

“Yeah?” He shot her a look and the glint in her eyes warned him.

“Yeah.” She tugged her hand back and fastened her seat belt. “After all, she figured out real fast that you’re soooooo not right for her.”

“Of course I’m not.” He shoved the car into reverse, about as uncomfortable as he’d be if his mother had shown up and started discussing things like . . . birthing rooms and sex education. “I’m your guy. I’ve always been yours.”

Abby caught his hand after he’d swung the car around and pulled out of the parking lot. “Well, there is that. But that’s not the exactly what I’m getting at. You’re mine . . . yeah. But aside from that . . . you’re all wrong. For her.”

Zach glanced at her.

Abby settled back in her seat with a faint smile on her face. “I think it’s time you get something through your head . . . you’re all wrong for her. But I think Zane’s completely right.”

He opened his mouth.

She shook her head. “Deal with it, baby.”





Chapter Seven




The door opened so fast, Keelie suspected he’d been watching for her.

He didn’t say anything, just stood back to let her enter, although she hesitated, shifting on her feet in the hallway. “Don’t you . . .” She cleared her throat. “Don’t you want to get your stuff?”

“Later.” He reached out, hooked his hand in the front of her jeans and tugged.

Her breath hitched at the possessiveness of the gesture.

And her heart ached at the storm in his eyes, the glint of anger.

He pushed the door shut once she was inside, but instead of them retreating into the depths of the loft, he blocked her in, arms braced over her head as he studied her face.

“Why did you take off?” he asked, the question blunt.

He was angry.

Do you blame him? You’re a basket case and you just showed that facet of your personality in all its glory.

Shoving that insidious little whisper down inside herself, she forced herself to meet his eyes, and she responded in the same tone he’d used. “It’s pretty clear I was causing a problem between you and Zach. I decided to remove the problem.”

“If you wanted to remove the problem, you should have told Zach to haul his ass out of there,” Zane bit off.

“I can’t tell your brother to get the hell out.” She crossed her arms over her chest.

“Why not?” Zane leaned in closer, so close she felt lost in the blue green of his eyes. “I’ve heard you tell him that before. You and I were out on a date. He decided to act like a spoiled brat—and for the record, Zach often is a spoiled brat—so why not call him on it?”

“He’s . . .” She stopped, closed her mouth, shifting her weight as she fought to explain. The problem was, she couldn’t really explain why she’d felt so lost, so out of place earlier. “He’s family,” she finally said. “We were just . . .”

Zane’s hands came up and his thumb pressed to her lower lip. “Don’t,” he said quietly, a thread of steel underlying the words. His voice was velvet, but the warning was there all the same. “Don’t say it. We weren’t just anything. I’ve been trying to get to this for too long, Keelie. Don’t go writing it off. Unless it just doesn’t matter to you.”

He leaned in, pressed a hot, open-mouthed kiss to her neck.

She shivered, felt the heat of it race all the way to the soles of her feet. She thought she just might melt inside her sturdy leather boots. Melt away into nothing, except Zane’s hands were holding her upright, keeping her chained to the world.

His mouth brushed hers now and then he murmured against her lips, “Does it matter?”

She blinked, dazed, as he lifted his head.

“What?” she whispered as he continued to stand there, obviously waiting for an answer.

A hot smile that turned his face into a decadent, devilish delight curved his lips. “When you look at me like that, it makes me want to forget any rules I’ve ever set for myself,” he mused, stroking his thumb across her lip once more.