“Fine,” I huffed in faux irritation. “Your gorgeous wife said you needed to talk to me.”

“Oh yeah.” He rubbed his free hand over the back of his neck, looking vulnerable for the first time since I’d met him. “Well, it’s more of me begging for a favor. But it pays really well, and I promise you’ll have fun.”

My brows lifted. “Okay, you have my full curiosity at this point. Tell me already.”

Elias draped a heavy arm over my shoulders. “He wants to use your scary ability to speak every language known to man to help out his aunt when she goes to New York next month.”

Lyric nodded. “Yeah, Aunt Emmie needs a translator while she’s in New York next month. I talk about you all the time with her and my family, so she knows how good you are, and since she needs someone who speaks several different languages that she can trust—” He broke off with a shrug. “It will only be from the day after Christmas until New Year’s Eve. One of her clients doesn’t speak much English and he’s performing at some New Year’s Eve show, so that will be the last event you have to be at.”

I stood there, silently taking in all the details, leaning into Elias like I always did when he hugged up on me. He was a naturally affectionate person, and it was comforting. I didn’t realize how much I’d needed that until my muscles started to relax a little. The whole scene with my brother had gotten to me more than I realized, in more ways than one, but I pushed down the pain throbbing in my chest and focused on the guys in front of me.

“I know you usually go to Paris with that Anya chick, but I would really appreciate it if you could help out Aunt Em,” Lyric continued. “And I swear, she will pay you for all your time. Plus, I figured since it was happening in New York City, you wouldn’t be too unhappy about it because you could stay with your cousins and see Ryan while you’re there.”

Right then, what he thought was the selling point was actually the one thing that had me hesitating. After what my brother had just said to me, I wasn’t sure I could even be near Ryan. Not with my emotions so close to the surface. But I put on a smile and found myself nodding. “Okay. Let her know that I’m happy to help her out. Have her call or email me.”

“Great,” he said with relief, his eyes lightening with the shift of his emotions. The effect was kind of mesmerizing, and I couldn’t help wondering how Mila got anything done because I would want to sit and watch his eyes change from one shade of brown to another all day long if I were her.

“Tell her I’d like to stay at whatever hotel she’s going to be at. This is work, so I’m going to treat it as such. No goofing off with my cousins.” I wasn’t even sure I was going to tell them about my visit. Part of me thought I was being petty, but another part knew I was only trying to protect myself. I should have taken the hint Ryan had tried to give me over the summer.