Page 43 of Her Ex-Husband's Brother

“He’s big into dragons.”

That makes her smile turn huge. “Oh my gosh. So it’shimholding the sword that’s too big for him over the downed dragon?”

She’s talking about in the sketchbook. The sketchbook that she paid frighteningly close attention to.

“Yeah.”

“I bet you’re an amazing dad.” Now she’s beaming at me.

Gorgeous woman full-teeth grinning at me and calling me an amazing dad hits different than when Dr. Delaney says it.

Like maybe Iamactually getting somewhere with how hard I’ve been working to change my life.

She’s Jake’s wife, says the voice, but it’s quieter now, working harder to be heard over everything else.

“So,” Lennon says. “When do we begin?”

I should say:I’ll think about it.Or:let me look at my schedule.

I should say any of the things that put appropriate distance between right now and more time with my brother’s soon-to-be ex-wife.

Instead I ask, “Got anywhere else to be right now?”

Her smile goes on high-beams again.

I am so fucked.

“No,” she says.

“Then let’s go.”

ELEVEN

LENNON

Look,this photoshoot after hours in the tattoo shop working with August on his branding is strictly professional.

Something that’s in both of our interests.

Professionally.

Did I mention how professional I’m being?

Super profesh as I tell August to take off his outer hoodie so he’s standing in nothing but his white ribbed tank. Which just happens to expose all those muscles I viscerally remember hefting my body around so easily two nights ago when we were just perfect strangers intent on a very hot one-night stand.

Back when I didn’t know he was my brother-in-law.

Soon-to-be ex-brother-in-law.

I’ve really got to figure out this divorce shit.

In the meantime, though?

I’m standing in a darkened tattoo shop with a very tall, very handsome—and did I mention very muscular?—August, standing like a tattooed god against some of his framed artwork and a tattoo chair.

I’ve artfully lit him, and now I’m dancing around him, using my phone’s excellent zoom to get a close-up of his face.

I catch just enough of his neck tattoo to make him look dangerously sexy and get several pics. Then I move and snap continuously to catch the different planes of his jaw where it catches the light.