“He wants all of us to go out.”

“All of us?” I look at him from where I’m bent over in front of the dryer.

“Me, you, Miles, and whoever Miles is currently dating.”

“Miles is dating someone?”

“Miles is always dating someone.”

“Hum,” I murmur, and he grins.

“Are you up for going out?”

“Sure, where does he want to go?”

“The Rooftop, have you been there?”

“No, I’ve never even heard of it.”

“It’s more lounge than bar. We can go for a couple hours then sneak out after everyone has had a couple of drinks and forgotten about us,” he says.

I laugh. “That works.”

“Are you still catching up on stuff here?”

“Yeah, I need to put stuff in the dryer then I need to run down to check the mail and clean up a little. I should be another hour or so. When I’m done, I’ll just pack my stuff and ride with you to your place, if that works.”

“It would, but you should bring your car. Tomorrow morning I need to fly to Florida early.”

“I thought you were leaving Monday,” I whisper, feeling all sorts of disappointed.

His face goes soft. “Sorry, baby, I gotta meet with some people tomorrow afternoon, then I close on the building first thing Monday.”

“Okay.” What choice do I have?

“Do you want to go with me?”

“To Florida?”

“That’s where I’m going.”

I wish I could, but I know I can’t, not with everything going on and everything I need to do. “I have to work. And I want to plan a small service for Carly to give her a proper goodbye. My mom is coming home tonight, so I’m hoping I can get her and my family to help me do that.”

“I guess I’ll have to try and survive without you for forty-eight hours then.”

“You did it for years,” I remind him, and he shakes his head as he steps up to me and wraps his hand around my hip.

“I didn’t have you before, now I do.” His lips touch my forehead causing my lashes to fall closed. “Finish up, baby, so we can get home.”

“Okay.” I watch him walk out of the laundry room knowing I’m not just tangled in his web, he’s trapped me there, and I have no shot at getting free.

And really, I don’t want to.

Chapter 16

Clay

AFTER SLIPPING MY belt through the loops on my slacks I tuck in my shirt, finish doing the buckle, then grab my suit jacket off the end of the bed. I walk to the bathroom door and knock as I push it in.

“Mouse!” I shout over a song she has playing through her phone speaker, then curse my fucking brother for wanting us to go out tonight when I find Willow half bent over the counter wearing one of my t-shirts.

“Yeah?”

I pull my eyes off her ass and meet her gaze. Fuck, she’s beautiful.