I know Farrah is right. I know that being together would be complicated, and messy, and probably a bad idea. I know all those things in my head, but it doesn’t change the fact that it hurts.

I want her. I want her mind and body. I want her beside me when I go to sleep and when I wake up in the morning. I don’t know how it happened, but I need her.

Ever since that first day when I pulled a splinter out of her palm, I’ve felt an undeniable connection to her.

It’s not just sibling rivalry. It’s not just me wanting what my brother has.

It’s different.

It’s her.

I want her because she is who she is. Because she says the things she does, and because she laughs the way she laughs.

But still, I know she’s right.

I know that we shouldn’t be together. That I shouldn’t pursue her. That I should just forget about her.

I find myself cursing Elijah. Once again, my little brother has gotten everything and appreciated nothing. I glance down at my new Super Bowl ring and sigh.

At least he didn’t get that.

Why aren’t I celebrating? Why don’t I feel happy about this? It should be the best time of my life right now.

Monday morning, I have a meeting with my new investment firm. My Matthews Football School project is very close to getting off the ground, I just need to secure one more investor for financing. I straighten my tie and take a deep breath. This meeting is very important. It feels like the start of something big—the start of the next chapter of my life.

I step through the big revolving doors and am hit with a wave of warmth. Boston is still freezing in February, so I immediately start stripping off layers. By the time I make it to the elevators and up to the twenty-second floor, beads of sweat are running down the side of my face. My jacket is slung over my arm, along with my hat and scarf. I head towards receptionist and introduce myself.

“Jesse Matthews,” I say. “Here to see Victor Bennett.”

“Mr. Matthews,” she smiles. “Right this way.” She shows me to a gleaming conference room with a wall of windows overlooking the Charles River. I take a seat and the receptionist smiles at me.

“Can I get you any tea? Coffee? Water?”

“Coffee would be great, thanks.”

“No problem. Mr. Bennett should be right with you.”

She reappears a minute later with a mug of coffee, which I accept gratefully. As soon as she disappears out the door, Victor appears.

“Jesse!” He exclaims, arms out wide. “Long time no see!”

“I’ve been busy winning Super Bowls,” I grin. He laughs, pumping my arm up and down in a strong handshake.

“So you have. And all of Massachusetts is proud of you,” he grins. “Now, Farrah should be right in. She’s new to the team, but she’s one of our best and brightest. She has years of experience in the construction industry, which I think will be perfect to assess your application.”

I clear my throat. “Farrah?”

“You haven’t met her yet,” he says.

My heart starts thumping. I take another sip of coffee just as she steps through the door. In my shock, I swallow the hot liquid down the wrong pipe and start spluttering and coughing all over myself. My white shirt soon has brown coffee stains all over it, and both Victor and Farrah are at my side.

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” I say waving them away. “Thank you.”

Farrah’s eyebrows draw together and she opens her mouth to say something, but Victor speaks first.

“I’ll get Vanessa to grab us some water. One moment.”

He slips out the door and I hear him calling towards the receptionist. Farrah looks at me and takes a deep breath.

“They gave me your file this morning,” she says. “I didn’t know it was you. It just said J.M., it didn’t have a name on it. I would have said no if I’d have known it was you. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you choke.”

I laugh. “It’s my own fault.” I glance around. “Does Victor know?”

“I’m not sure.”

“So this is where you started working?”

She nods.

“Very prestigious.”

“It’s a step in the right direction. Angel Investments does good work, and your application is very strong.”

I open my mouth to speak. I don’t even know what I’m going to say, but I just want to keep talking to her. I never get the chance to embarrass myself because Victor reappears with a glass of water.

“Here you go. There. Good. Feeling better?”

“Yes, thank you.”

“Farrah, I hope you don’t have that effect on all our clients, otherwise we might have to change our insurance provider,” he laughs. Farrah gives him a tight-lipped smile, glancing from me back to him.

She clears her throat.

“Well, Jes—Mr. Matthews,”

“Jesse,” I interrupt. She is not going to be calling me Mr. Matthews.

A smile twitches over her lips. “Right. Jesse. I’ve had a look at your file today, and I have a few questions. I see you have a site already secured. Would it be possible to arrange a site visit with you and your contractor?”

I nod. “Absolutely.”

“Great. I also have some questions about some of these quotes. The fit-out quotes seem quite high, especially the plumbing. I think we could trim your costs by at least ten percent with a few tweaks.”

My eyebrows rise. “Wow, okay. I’m listening.”

That’s a lie. I’m not really listening. As she starts going through the details of my file, I’m just watching her lips move. My eyes are drifting down to her blouse, and the way the buttons are straining at her breasts. I’m watching her tuck a strand of rich brown hair behind her ear.

“How does that sound so far?” She says, glancing at me.

“Great,” I croak. I clear my throat. “Sounds good.”

“Good. I’ll get to work on the full proposal then. We’ll have to set the site meeting either this week or next, so just let me know when you’re available. Here’s my card,” she slides her card across the table and my eyebrow arches.

She gives me a look that says, don’t you dare mention that you already have my phone number.

Victor checks his phone and jumps up. “You’ll have to excuse me. Farrah, you’re alright to finish up here on your own?”

“Of course,” she says, smiling. He jogs out the door and down the hall, and Farrah takes a deep breath.

“Jesse,” she says slowly. “If you don’t want to continue with Angel Investments, or if you want someone else to handle your file, I completely understand.”

“You seem more than competent.”

“Don’t you think it’s a conflict of interests? How are we supposed to be professional when… you know… and my history with your brother?”

“Does Victor not know about that?”

“I assumed he did. I don’t think he’s a huge football fan, but my engagement wasn’t exactly a secret. Maybe he doesn’t know you and Elijah are related.”

“He always seems like a football fan to me. He talks about it like he’s a fan,” I say, drawing my eyebrows together. Farrah just laughs.

“Yeah. He’s good at making people feel important.”

I love the way she grins. Her eyes flash and she shakes her head. A strand of hair comes loose from the bun at the nape of her neck, falling against her creamy, soft cheek. My hand twitches and I stop myself from tucking the hair back behind her ear.

I take a deep breath. “Look, Farrah, if you’re uncomfortable with this, I understand. I can make up some excuse with Victor and get someone else on the file. But you’ve had, what, a couple hours with my application and you’ve already come up with all this? I don’t want anyone else.”

When the words come out, it sounds like I’m saying something more. I don’t want anyone else. Maybe it only sounds like that to my ears. Maybe it was a completely normal sentence, but being so close to her is making my head spin.

Farrah just takes a deep breath and nods.

“Okay. But this is a professional relationship. Nothing more.”

“Nothing more.”

“You can expense your new shirt to the firm,” she grins. “It was my fault, after all.”

I look down at the spattering of coffee stains on my shirt and grin. “It was your fault. I can’t help what you do to me.”

That sexy little smile crosses Farrah’s lips, and my heart squeezes. Every single part of me hopes that it will be much, much more than a professional relationship. She stands up and shakes my hand, and then I watch her walk out of the conference room. And damn, she looks just as good going as she did coming in.