Cherished (McKenzie Brothers, #5)

“I’ve been listening if Ramon hasn’t,” Eric adds.

I glance at him, startled by the hostility in his tone. That’s it. I’ve had enough. My jaw tenses in anger. “What the fuck is your problem? If I’ve done something that’s pissed you off, I’m used to you calling me on it instead of acting like a dick.”

He stands and glares at me.

I match his stance.

“Oh, hell no. Not in Michael’s office,” Sebastian jumps between us. “If you two want to beat the shit out of the other, I suggest you go down to Yuri’s gym.”

Eric grins and it’s full of predatory rage. It’s clear he’d love to take a round with me at Yuri’s. He’s definitely pissed at me over something. Wracking my brain, I seriously have no idea about what...then it hits me. Sylvia. The look on his face when he walked in and caught me kissing Sylvia on the cheek flashes in my mind.

Is he jealous?

“That won’t be necessary.” The grin slips into a frown. “Call me if you need me,” he tells Sebastian before opening the office door.

“Hey, we need to talk,” I shout after him and make to follow.

The man standing in the office talking to Sylvia stops me mid-step, and all thoughts of Eric fly straight out of my head. “Noah?”

On hearing his name, he turns and his face lights up with that secret smile of his.

The thump on my back brings me abruptly into the here and now.

God, I never thought I’d get the opportunity to introduce Noah, my lover, ex-lover to one of my brothers. But it looks like that’s about to happen with Sylvia and Eric looking on.

Fuck!

“So you’re my brother-in-law,” Sebastian beats me to the introduction.

“Sebastian, it’s good to meet you. My sister talked my ear off this morning, and I think she mentioned you in nearly every other sentence.”

Sebastian frowns. “She’s missed you like crazy.”

Pain reaches Noah’s eyes and all I want to do is soothe it away.

“I missed her as well. More than I’ll ever be able to tell her.”

Noah seems to have spoken the words Sebastian was waiting to hear. The tension that I hadn’t noticed snaps apart and Sebastian relaxes as he says, “Welcome to the family...This,” he points toward Eric, “is our cousin, Eric.”

Eric nods in acknowledgement before glancing at me. He’s well aware of who Noah is as he set the meeting up. It’s clear that he’s also figured out who Noah is to me. I’m grateful he’s keeping his mouth shut, for now, anyway. Sylvia needs to hear it from me.

“And this is Sylvia,” Sebastian continues, “the only reason my office isn’t littered with papers.”

Noah’s eyes widen when introduced to Sylvia, but he recovers quickly and winks at her, causing a blush to line her cheeks.

Now that the introductions have been made, we fall into an uncomfortable silence.

Eric’s loud curse breaks it. “I’m out of here.”

He leaves, but doesn’t bother closing the office doors.

Sebastian looks between the three of us, now that Eric has left, and smirks. “I’ll leave you to it.”

“Bastard,” I mumble so only he can hear me.

I’m left with his laughter ringing in my ears as he closes his office door.

“What are you doing here?” I finally ask.

“On the way back to the city, I decided to see if you wanted to get some lunch...for old time’s sake.”

Sylvia’s head bobs between the two of us. I have no idea if she knows anything, or if she’s trying to work it out.

“I could eat.” I choose the easiest option.

Anything to get him out of the office.

“Shall we?” I indicate the elevator waiting across the hall from the open, double doors of Sylvia’s office.

“Sylvia, it was nice meeting you. Perhaps I’ll see you again.”

“Bye, Noah.”

“I’ll call you later,” I assure her.

“Okay, I’ll be waiting. Have a good lunch, Ramon.”

Following Noah to the elevator, my eyes land on his ass, and the way the denim molds to his buttocks. Every step he takes, my dick twitches in the tight confines of my pants, and they’re getting tighter with each passing second.

Noah doesn’t turn to me as he presses the button for the elevator, but his arousal is obvious through the slightly mirrored door.

Stepping close to him, I let my erection throb against his ass, and whisper into his ear, “This elevator goes directly to the underground parking garage.”

He shudders at my words.

The doors open. We move inside, and the bulge in my pants aches for his touch.

Noah keeps his back to the door, letting me see the arousal he can’t hide, the fire in his eyes, and the hard ridge of his cock pressing against the front of his jeans.

I lean against the back wall, and as the doors shut, I catch Sylvia watching us but I don’t care.

Enclosed in the small space with Noah isn’t helping my libido, and as the elevator slowly starts to descend, my breath increases as I finally make eye contact with Noah.

Fuck this!