“What are you doing?”
“Hey, baby,” James greeted her, swooping in to give her a quick kiss. “We’re just getting in a quick tournament before the fight starts.”
Mandy dropped her purse on the kitchen counter, her face reflecting confusion. “What fight?”
“The heavy-weight fight on pay-per-view,” James said. “I figured we would watch it while you were at your work party.”
Since she was a clerk in the county courthouse, Mandy often had to participate in various county fundraisers and functions. James had gotten used to it, even joining in from time to time. The look on her face now was hard for James to read.
“I thought you were going to the party with me,” Mandy said, brushing a strand of blonde hair away from her face. “That’s what you said.”
“Yeah, but it’s not really necessary for me to be there,” James replied. “I figured you would be fine on your own. Finn suggested a fight night. We used to do it every Friday back in the day. I didn’t think it would be a big deal.”
“I see.” Mandy’s tone was cold and clipped. James couldn’t figure out why she was so upset.
“You could stay here with us if you want to,” he offered. Grady and Finn probably wouldn’t be happy with that suggestion, but he didn’t know what else to do.
“I have to go to the party,” Mandy said. “I promised Judge MacIntosh I would be there.”
“Well, then go,” James said. “It’s not like you’ll be gone all night.”
Mandy frowned. “You said you were going with me.”
“Come on, it’s not a big deal,” James said. “Just go to the party. By the time you get back, it will be just the two of us. I don’t see what the problem is.”
Mandy snorted. “Yeah. Fine. Whatever.”
She stalked toward the bedroom they shared, slamming the door so hard the painting on the adjacent wall rattled. James glanced up at his brothers, who appeared just as baffled as he was.
“Did I miss something?” James asked.
“Maybe she’s hormonal,” Finn said.
James shrugged. “Whatever it is, she’ll be fine by the time she comes home. Let’s play.”
The bedroom door opened again thirty minutes later, Mandy striding out in a form-fitting black sheath that had a slit so high up her thigh James figured she was one wrong move away from flashing her underwear for everyone to see.
Her blonde hair was piled up on the back of her head, a few loose tendrils curling down around her face. She looked … amazing.
Grady whistled, low and long, and Finn grinned. “You look great!”
Mandy forced a tight smile onto her face. “Thank you.”
“You look beautiful, baby,” James said, shuffling over to her side. “If you don’t mind me asking, though, why is the slit so high?”
Mandy pushed her tongue into her cheek. “Well, when I picked out the dress a month ago, I had you in mind as my date.”
“Well, you picked a good one,” James said. “I can’t wait to take it off of you later.”
Mandy rolled her eyes, shaking her head as she purposely stepped around him and headed toward the door. “I have to get going. I’m going to be late.”
Something was wrong. James could feel it. She was angry. No, she was royally pissed off. It wasn’t like her to get so bent out of shape over such a little thing. “Well, come here and let me give you a kiss.”
Mandy ignored him, stopping at the kitchen counter to shove a few items from her purse into the small clutch she was holding before striding toward the door.
James tried again. “When will you be home?”
Mandy stilled. “I think I’m going to spend the night at my apartment tonight. I’ll call you tomorrow or something.”
James knit his eyebrows together, confused. “You’re not coming back here?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t feel like it,” Mandy said. “I don’t want to interrupt your bonding night with your brothers and, quite frankly, I’m really mad at you. I think spending the night together will be a mistake.”
James’ heart twisted in his chest. “We haven’t spent a night apart in almost ten months,” he said. “Now, because I don’t want to go to a stupid office party with you, you’re going to go to your old apartment to pout?”
Mandy barked out a hollow laugh. “And that right there is why I don’t want to be around you tonight. Have fun with your brothers. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
Mandy opened the door and flounced through it, shutting it loudly in her wake. Once she was gone, James met Grady’s eyes over the pool table. “What just happened here?”