Truly Madly Deeply Boxed Set(99)

Anything he might have said would only reinforce the fact that each time she let her guard down around Mike, she lost a little more self-control.

She and Mike were an explosion waiting to happen and Carly knew one thing for certain. Explosions, once they occurred, were impossible to control.


* * *

This afternoon Mike had visited heaven. Now he prepared himself for hell. Sure, Pete had asked him to watch out for Carly and help with last-minute wedding details. But he hadn’t asked Mike to take his fiancée out for the day, nor had he asked him to kiss her... or enjoy the experience quite so much. Pete also hadn’t asked Mike to push her into questioning her upcoming marriage.

Mike muttered a curse. He approached Pete’s apartment with as much excitement as a man facing a firing squad. Turning the key in the lock, he silently prayed for the strength to do the right thing for everyone involved. Damned if he knew what that was.

He stepped into the dimly lit apartment. “Hey, Pete, you back yet?” Silence greeted him, granting him a temporary reprieve. He tossed the keys on a shelf near the door and walked inside unprepared for what he saw.

Pete and a young woman sat on the floor of the living room poring over files and legal briefs. They didn’t glance up, obviously too engrossed in work to have heard him come in. Nothing unusual or untoward about that, Mike thought.

Unless you knew Peter. The last time Mike had seen Pete casually dressed, they’d been teenagers... and he’d asked Mike for pointers on how to dress to impress the opposite sex. Looking at his brother now, Mike suppressed a groan.

Dressed in one of Mike’s Polo shirts, a pair of khaki chinos and Docksiders, his brother looked like he’d stepped out of a Ralph Lauren ad. The woman gave the appearance of a little pixie, but based on Carly’s description, he’d guess barracuda would be more accurate.

Mike walked into the room and was about to say hello when Pete burst out laughing, prompting the attractive associate to place a manicured hand on his shoulder and laugh with him. Her bare feet nudged Peter’s calf. Then, as if a silent understanding had been reached, they returned to their respective files and work.

Innocent, and yet... Mike shook his head. He ought to throttle his brother, but even as the thought took hold, he felt the vise that had gripped his heart for the last few weeks lessen and ease, until breathing became effortless.

“Hi.” Mike cleared his throat. “Sorry to interrupt.”

His brother glanced up from his seat on the floor. “No big deal. We were just finishing up some work.” Pete stood, then reached out a hand to help the woman up from the floor.

Was it Mike’s imagination or did her fingers linger seconds too long before releasing Peter’s hand?

“Regina Grey, this is my brother, Mike.” Pete smiled. “Mike, Regina.”

Mike shook the dainty hand she held out toward him. “Nice to meet you.”

“Same here.” Regina began collecting items off the floor. “I just want to go over some things at home and we can meet first thing Monday morning and discuss strategy,” she said.

“I’ll be there.”

No haggling, no bargaining, no compromise. Interesting, Mike thought.

When Peter returned from escorting the pretty Miss Grey to her cab, Mike turned on his brother. “What the hell’s with you?” Mike asked.

Pete bent to retrieve the documents Regina had left behind. “What? The air-conditioning broke in the office and we came back here to work.”

Mike waved a dismissive hand in the air. “I don’t mean that.” But he didn’t know how to approach the subject with his brother. He raked a hand through his hair. “What is it with you two?”

“Who?” Pete asked, his brows crinkling in confusion.

“You and Carly, that’s who.” After shoving his hands in the front pockets of his shorts, Mike began pacing the room. “You laugh with this Regina?” he asked finally.

“She’s quick.”

“And bright. And pretty...”

“So is Carly,” Pete chimed in. Too late, Mike thought.

“And an attorney,” Mike continued as if he hadn’t heard his brother speak. “And you have a hell of a lot more in common with her than you do with your fiancée, if you don’t mind my saying so.”

“You’ve always spoken your mind before,” Pete said. “But this is my life, Mike. We didn’t have parents to meddle in our lives as kids. I sure as hell don’t need you to do it now.”

“You’re going through with this marriage, then?”

“The end result was never in question.” Pete groaned and sat down on the leather sofa. “What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her.”