Twisted Love (Modern Romance #3) - Piper Lawson Page 0,17

his way,” Xavier intones from his seat.

We have eight chairs around the boardroom table. Through implicit agreement, no one takes the head because we’re equals.

Tris and I take the far side. I don’t worry about the appearance of us brothers having each others’ backs because it doesn’t play out that way in this room. Here, anything is fair game.

Tris leans over, lowering his voice. “She friend-zoned you years ago.”

Irritation rises. “She didn’t friend-zone me. We agreed to be friends. Mutually."

“So you always knew she was hot, but it never occurred to you to act on it?”

I think about her at the Met. She gets her share of admiring looks from strangers, but they don’t see what I see—that she’s not just another attractive woman in New York. She’s a thousand times more rare and special than that.

“What we have is more than physical. It doesn’t—didn’t,” I correct, “translate.”

But for a moment, standing on those steps, I gave myself permission to see her not as my best friend, but as a woman. I let my gaze linger on the curve of her breasts, the way her dress tugged enticingly over her hips, the fullness of her mouth, the dark lashes fringing eyes I love in every variation of amused and calling me on my bullshit.

"Even if I’d wanted to date her back then, it would’ve been fucked up.”

“Why?”

This is not something I’d planned to talk about with Tris, but arguing isn’t worth the effort. “I slept with her sister.”

Tris’s eyes round. “The one who’s living with her now?”

“No. Her twin who left during college and never came back.”

Normally I’d be self-impressed for accomplishing something that takes my brother aback, but under the circumstances, the emotions I’m feeling are decidedly different.

“Fuck. You didn’t love her.” It’s a question, not a statement.

I shake my head. “Sleeping with Vi was a mistake. I was young and stupid.”

And I’ve regretted it ever since.

Sometimes, it’s hard to believe I met Daisy second.

Vi was the crazy one, the life of the party. You couldn’t stand in a room for five minutes and not notice her. They were both beautiful, with dark hair and eyes and full mouths, but it took me far too long to learn the second twin was more fascinating than the first.

Vi wanted your praise, while Daisy wanted your opinion.

Vi wanted you to watch her. Daisy wanted to watch you.

Before I learned their personalities were different, I could tell them apart by their clothes. Vi wore the shortest skirts I’d ever seen, heels designed to make long legs look even longer, and enough makeup the bouncers rarely asked for ID.

Daisy’s look was simpler. All she’d wear on her face was something dark around her eyes and the lip balm she took everywhere. She dressed more conservatively in tank tops, sweaters, and skinny jeans. I don’t think she realized how little they did to hide her curves.

Vi would hold court on the dance floor, trying to draw every male gaze in the room and largely succeeding. Daisy would hang out by the bar, preferably on a stool where she could survey the room.

I don’t regret many things. Not figuring out sooner that Daisy was the one who’d ultimately fit me is one of them.

“Well,” Tris goes on, “if you’ve finally wised up and decided to lock that down, you’re smarter than I thought. I expect to see this new relationship in action on Wednesday.”

I force myself to focus on Tris’s words. “Wednesday?”

“We’re going out for my birthday. We have a booth already reserved.”

Nothing good ever started in a nightclub. “I can’t make it. But I’ll send my regards in alcoholic form.”

“You’re my brother.” The edge in his voice has me wondering why he even cares.

“Fine. She can’t make it.”

He laughs silently. “Listen. I’m not saying I don’t believe you. But something strange is going on. If you are really dating Daisy, you won’t let an excuse to show her off go by.”

The smug prick could be right.

Holt strides in, nodding to me and clapping Xavier on the back.

“Now that you’re both here, I wanted to congratulate you on your nominations,” Xavier begins.

I frown. “Nominations?”

Holt grins at me. “You didn’t think you were the only one from the firm up for this award?”

Yeah, I fucking did.

“I can only give my reference to one of you,” Xavier goes on. “Fortunately, I don't have to write it for three more weeks. So don't fuck up in the meantime."

It's not a joke, and the fact that Holt’s being considered