He gave her a scathing look. “My scars are not attractive, Gretchen.”
“On anyone else they wouldn’t be,” she agreed, getting to her feet and wrapping her arms around his neck. She leaned in and traced her tongue along the jagged line that distorted the shape of his mouth. “But on you, they arouse me.”
His hand slid to her ass and he gripped it tightly, then groaned low enough that only she could hear. “I can’t miss this meeting, Gretchen. But you’re making me want to leave early. If you want to have this party, it’s fine with me.”
“Are you sure?”
He leaned in and kissed her mouth, sucking on her lower lip in a way that made her quiver. Good God, where had he learned that? “As long as you’re in my bed tonight when I come home, you can have as many parties as you want.”
“I’ll be there,” she told him breathlessly, and collapsed in her chair when he gave her a scorching look and headed out the door.
Gretchen stared after him long after he’d disappeared, then glanced at the clock. How many hours until bedtime? Too many.
***
Reese threw his cards down on the table in disgust. “I’m out.”
Hunter’s mouth curved into one of his rare smiles, and he raked the chips on the table toward him. “You should have stayed.”
Reese shook his head. “I can’t read you tonight. You’re being . . . weird.”
“Weird?” Griffin’s cultured voice cut through the smoky haze in the Brotherhood’s meeting room. He put down his cigar and peered at Hunter. “Weird like how?”
“I don’t know,” Reese said bluntly. He tossed back his drink and then shook his head. “I can’t put my finger on it. It’s different.”
“He’s happy,” Cade said.
All eyes turned to the blond man. Cade shrugged, grinning. “I’ve seen him smile twice tonight. He doesn’t scowl when someone suggests something, and he’s actually participated in every conversation and not all of it about business. He’s happy.”
At his side, Logan turned and stared at his friend.
Hunter ignored him, picking the cards up off the table and shuffling. He handed the deck over to Jonathan. “Your deal.” He kept his voice gruff, even though he was pretty sure his face was burning with embarrassment. Was he that obvious?
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 Brontë?”
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. Brontë 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 Brontë 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 Brontë stayed with for a time. Brontë likes her quite a bit.” His tone implied that anyone that Brontë 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.”