Renee had been cleaning up vomit for what seemed like days even though she knew it had actually only been four times in the last hour.

"You don't need to keep doing this," her mother muttered as she lay on her bed, head hanging over the side, breath coming in rapid pants.

"Don't be ridiculous," Renee said quietly as she patted her mother's forehead with a cold washcloth. "It'll pass in a few hours and then you'll be fine, but you need the help right now."

"Just get me to the bathroom and then I can't make such a mess. I'll be able to handle it all myself."

"You're too weak for that right now. You might hit your head on one of the hard surfaces in there. Just hush and take a sip of water so you don't get dehydrated."

Three hours and two buckets later the worst seemed over and Renee slipped out of her mother's room leaving her to sleep. She went to the living room and collapsed on the sofa, knees to her chest, her face buried and her whole body curled into a ball.

The tears threatened, burning the backs of her eyes. Don't cry, don't cry, she chanted in her head.

"Nay," her brother's voice broke through her self-imposed shell. "What's goin' on?" He yawned and she looked up to see him rubbing his eyes, obviously having recently woken up.

"What do you think is going on?" she bit out. "Mom had a chemo treatment yesterday. I know these things only interfere with your naps and parties but do you think you could maybe help me out every once in a while?"

David threw himself down in an armchair, looking at the worn upholstery on the arm instead of at her. "I don't really know what there is I could do," he mumbled. "I mean she pukes for four hours, then sleeps for four days. Not exactly group activities."

Renee sighed. "Never mind, David. Forget I mentioned it. What are you doing tonight? Did you study for that math test yet? Mom said you got a D on the last one. You've always been really good in math."

He shook his overly-long hair. "Yeah, well, I hate trig, so I guess I'm not so good at math anymore."

Renee struggled to keep the frustration out of her voice. "Have you been studying though? I mean, whether you like it or not I know you can do it."

David rolled his eyes before dropping his head back on the chair. "I'm not going to do anything where I need freaking trig, Nay. Who cares if I get a bad grade?"

"Colleges care," she answered firmly. "Colleges care a lot, and the way you're going you won't get accepted to one.

He picked at his fingernail, still refusing to meet her eyes. "Yeah, well, maybe I'm not going to college anyway.”

Renee's heart stopped for a split second, and her hands shook as she closed her eyes tightly. She was losing the battle, and the war wasn't far behind. Her little brother, her beautiful, talented, charming baby brother was going to ruin his life, and she was failing him if she couldn't stop it from happening.

She opened her eyes and saw him looking at her, something like fear flashing across his face before his expression shuttered again.

"I know it's hard," she whispered. "I know you're scared. I'm scared too, but you can't let it ruin your life. The best thing you can do for Mom is to get good grades, help out around the house, spend some time with her. Just tell her about your day, you know? Maybe read her a paper you wrote or play her a song. She's fighting hard to stay with us, but we have to help out."

"I gotta' jam," he said, standing abruptly. "Guys are having practice. Not sure when I'll be home."

Renee just shook her head. That place in her chest that felt emptier every day ached in response.

"Please be careful," she said as he strode toward the door. The only answer she got was the front door slamming before the roar of the Subaru's engine, and the squealing of tires as he ran from the only home he'd ever known.

---

Renee didn’t have many friends left now that she wasn’t in college anymore. But her best friend, Elise, had stuck by her through it all. Renee had met Elise the first day of freshman year at Capital College, and Elise had been bossing her around ever since.

Now, as they stood inside the door to a Georgetown bar, she was regretting the pattern she’d established years ago of following Elise’s instructions. “It’s so crowded,” she complained as Elise grabbed her hand and started pulling her further into the morass of twenty-somethings who were drinking beer, playing pool and hollering at the NFL game on the big screen TVs.

“Exactly.” Elise grinned. “And at least half of that crowd is of the male persuasion. Just what we need after a long, hard week.”

“What I need is a warm bed and my Kindle,” Renee muttered.

“No, what you need is a warm man and some smooth tequila.”

Renee shimmied out of her coat and hung it off the back of the chair Elise had procured from a nearby table. The chair matched the table in front of it that was littered with empty glasses and dirty napkins. Elise picked up one between her thumb and index finger and inspected it, eyes squinting. “Is that quelle surprise?” she asked.

“Is what a surprise?” Renee responded, taking a look around the room when she felt as if someone were watching her.

“No. The MAC lipstick. Is the shade on this napkin quelle surprise? I mean, who the hell wears that shade unless they’re working the loop? I don’t see any hookers in here, do you?” Elise gave an exaggerated examination of the room and dropped the napkin on the floor.

“Will you stop?” Renee huffed, sitting down and pushing the dirty tableware away. “You’re a makeup snob.”

Elise shrugged as she took the other chair. “True. But really, quelle surprise? Oooh! Helloo there.”

“What now?”

“Don’t turn around, but there is a super hottie giving us the eye. His buddy’s a little sloppy, but cute in that puppy dog way. I’ll take one for the team and entertain him so you can have hottie. You deserve the good catch as little as you get out.”

Renee resisted the urge to look behind her as Elise’s eyes sparkled and she threw a little wave at the men she was eye fucking.

“Will you stop?” Renee hissed. “You know I’m not here to pick up guys.”

“Hush. Here they come.” Elise practically bounced up and down in her seat, her grin spreading across her animated features.

“Well, my night keeps getting better and better,” a seductive voice said above her. Renee looked up into the velvety eyes of her fantasies come to life and cringed at her misfortune. It had taken everything in her to turn him down the last two times she’d spoken to him. And now here he stood, perfect white teeth flashing, tousled hair hanging over his smooth brow and velvety eyes, broad chest encased in the most exquisitely fitted t-shirt she’d ever seen. God must hate her to put Marcus Ambrose here of all places tonight.

“Huh,” Renee grunted tightly, gritting her teeth in frustration.

“I’m so sorry, my friend is all kinds of rude before she’s gotten a drink,” Elise said, tossing a look of reproach at Renee. “I’m Elise and this is Renee.”

Marcus shook Elise’s hand, never taking his eyes off of Renee. “I’m Marcus, and this is Alex.” He stabbed a thumb in the direction of his friend with the floppy hair and sleepy eyes.

Alex greeted both women and shook their hands. At the same time, Marcus managed to procure two more chairs as if by magic. He sat closest to Renee, and she saw Elise’s eyebrow rise, a smirk making its way across her face. Renee scowled at her.

“What do you boys do?” Elise asked, a devious smile crossing her face.

“We’re with WNN,” Alex answered. “He’s the talent, I’m the photographer.”

“It’s good to see you.” Marcus eyed Renee like a prime cut of steak, his voice commentator-smooth and deviously enticing.

“Wait, do you two know each other?” Elise questioned.

“He’s my boss’s brother,” Renee said, struggling not to keep a scowl on her face.

“You work for Derek Ambrose?” Alex asked, eyes wide.

“Yes, I’m his PA.”

“Whoa. You probably know the best gossip of anyone in DC.”

Marcus leaned closer and ran a finger along Renee’s arm, starting a cascade of heat that travelled up to her neck and face where she felt a blush rise in her cheeks. “I’ll bet she knows all sorts of secrets,” he rumbled. “Why don’t you tell us some?”

Renee’s face heated up more and she cleared her throat, struggling to form words.

“We haven’t had a single thing to drink yet,” Elise abruptly announced. “How about you help me fight the crowd at the bar, cowboy.” She batted her eyelashes at Alex. He gave her a goofy grin and stood, holding out his hand.

“Gladly, ma’am,” he answered in the world’s worst Texas accent as Elise latched onto his hand and pressed her chest against his arm.

Marcus chuckled quietly as they disappeared into the crowd.

“Alone at last,” he sighed.

Renee’s heart skipped a beat at the thoughts those words provoked. She gave him a weak smile.

“Hardly alone. There must be two hundred people in here. I’m sure they’re violating fire code.”

He ran that finger along her arm again, and she shivered.

“Are you cold?” he whispered against her ear. He was so close, there was no earthly way she could be cold. More like sweating bullets.

She cleared her throat nervously, staring at the tabletop instead of him. “You know we can’t do this.”

“Can’t do what?” He ran his nose alongside her neck inhaling deeply like she was oxygen and he was breathing her. Everything south of her belly button went into hyper awareness.

“Touch.” She tried to pull away, but it was a half-hearted effort and only resulted in him leaning further into her space, weaving one of his hands through her hair and pulling just hard enough to make her scalp tingle deliciously. She nearly moaned from the sensation.

“Like this?” he asked, his voice hoarse with want. He ran his actual lips up the side of her neck this time.

“Ohhh…”

“I got you a shot of—Woops! Should we come back later? After he’s given you the orgasm?” Elise stood over them, smirk fully in place, while Alex tried to smother a laugh.

Renee jerked away from Marcus, sliding her chair a few inches and making a horrible screeching noise at the same time. Marcus leaned back in his seat, without a hint of embarrassment, keeping one arm along the back of Renee’s chair and playing with the ends of her hair.

“I prefer to do that in private,” he told Elise, smug smile in place. “Foreplay, however, is fair game for any setting.” Renee tried to look bored by the whole conversation, but her heart was fluttering and her core clenched at the mention of the word orgasm.

Alex gave up the fight and laughed out loud. Elise sat, placing a shot in front of each person. “Well, don’t let us interrupt. And maybe a little Mexican social lubricant will help your cause. Grab a lime and drink up everyone.”

Alex and Elise each threw down a shot of tequila then sucked on wedges of lime. Marcus, however, lifted Renee’s wrist, picked up the salt shaker from the table and said, “If you’re going to do something, do it right.” Then he licked her wrist, his warm silky tongue sending shockwaves of desire all through her body. He shook salt where he’d licked, his eyes on her the entire time. Then he followed by licking the salt off, picking up the shot and downing it, before grabbing a lime wedge and sucking. A big grin spread across his face as he finished.

All Renee could do was stare, her thoughts an incoherent jumble. She swallowed, struggling to keep her breath even. “Your turn,” he whispered, holding his wrist up in front of her.

She looked down and saw a simple word tattooed in script across the underside of his arm—Fraternitas.

“Brotherhood?” she asked so quietly that only he could hear.

“Yes, but more than that. In Latin it refers to the relationship and the feeling. Brotherly love.” He looked at the word, and smiled. “Derek’s been the biggest influence in my life.” He cleared his throat. “It’s not something I can really describe—the way I feel about him, our relationship. Fraternitas sums it up.”

She stared at him, then down at the word again, feeling emotion well up inside of her, because she knew, she knew how much you could love your brother—even when they didn’t always love you back. David was the shining star in her world, and even now, when he was angry and lost and in pain, she loved him with a ferociousness that sometimes stopped her breath.

“Go on,” Marcus told her. “Take your medicine.” He winked and put his wrist closer.

As if she was under a spell she leaned forward and licked his proffered wrist. She felt as much as saw a tremor spread through Marcus when her tongue touched his skin. He shook some salt on it and held it out yet again. She licked once more, tasting the salt, but also the tang of his skin, the warmth of his blood pumping just beneath the surface of that word. A low rumble came from his chest and when her gaze moved up to his face, his eyes were on fire. She lifted her head and he handed her the shot glass. She took it, finally breaking away from his potent stare. The liquor burned going down, and helped wake her from the haze she’d been under since Marcus first touched her. She slammed the shot glass down on the table, hoping the shock of the noise would startle her traitorous body into compliance with her clearing head.

“Well,” Elise chirped from across the table. Renee looked up to see Alex and Elise both staring at her like she was an alien. “That was NSFW if I do say so myself. Alex, be a doll and grab us a pitcher of beer and four cups so we can play I never and cool down.”

---

Two shots, three beers and four drinking games later Renee’s resistance to Marcus was waning, and his touches were increasing. In fact, it was safe to say that he’d had his hand on her leg under the table for the better part of the last hour. He hadn’t moved it as high as he wanted, but he’d found the hem of her skirt and moved underneath, rubbing little circles on the inside of her thigh with his thumb. Her skin was creamy and warm, and there was one spot that was so soft it was like touching the down they stuffed in pillows. Renee hadn’t stopped him yet, so he casually moved his hand higher, leaning in to press against her at the same time.

“I’m having trouble catching my breath,” she told him in his ear, her breath hot on his neck.

“Why is that?” he asked, although he felt pretty certain he knew the answer. He was suffering from the same affliction.

She swallowed and made the tiniest moaning sound. In the loud pub he was the only one who could hear her, and it traveled like an arrow straight to his dick. Things in that area were already tight and hard. He briefly wondered if he’d be able to stand up when the time came.

“I think it’s that thing you’re doing.” Her eyes fluttered closed in ecstasy.

“What thing?” He moved his hand under the table higher, grinning. “This?”

“You’re bad for me,” she sighed before leaning against him more and pressing her lips against his jaw. “So, so bad.”

“And you’re drunk,” he answered, charmed, but disappointed.

“Hey!” Elise glared at them as she returned from the other room where she and Alex had been playing pool. “You two are going to have to get a room or something. You’re starting to embarrass me and that’s not easy to do.”

Alex laughed and slung his lanky frame down into one of the waiting chairs. “I’ve got to agree, man. One of you two is going to have to take control and move the party to a more horizontal location.”

Marcus grimaced. “Normally I’d agree, but I think our girl is a little too drunk to enjoy anything horizontal other than sleep.”

“That’s not true,” Renee said, sitting up straighter. God she was cute. Even with her eyes at half-mast and her hair mussed on one side. “I’m fine. But you’re warm. And comfortable.” She leaned back into Marcus and put her head on his shoulder. A warm glow traveled through him like a wave at the way she felt nestled there against him.

Elise rolled her eyes. “I’m not ready to leave yet, but I think she should go home. How’d you guys get here?”

“I drove,” Alex answered. “Pretty boy here didn’t want to get his beemer out of the garage.”

Alex grinned. Marcus flipped him off. He knew it was selfish, but the car was expensive, and the last thing he wanted was to have to ask Derek for money to get the damn thing repaired after some asshole knocked it around in a parking place on the street. The more you drove in DC the more likely it was that your car would get trashed. It was a fact.

“Good,” Elise said to Alex. “He can take Renee back to my place and you and I can follow in a bit.” She took out her keychain and handed it to Marcus. “Blue VW Jetta two blocks north. And don’t you dare take advantage of my girl. I will find you—”

Marcus chuckled. “I know, and you’ll kill me. You can relax. I like my women able to form whole sentences.” He nudged Renee who sat up and blinked. “You ready Sleeping Beauty?”

“You’re taking me to Elise’s?”

“Yeah. Is that okay?”

She looked at her friend who nodded.

“I’ll be there in a bit. But Alex beat me the last two games of pool and you know I can’t stand to lose. I’m entitled to a rematch and I’m not leaving until I get it.”

Marcus laced his fingers through Renee’s and smiled down at her. God she was beautiful. “Ready champ?”

She smiled back, her eyes glassy, and he led her out of the bar.

---

“It’s either this one or the next floor,” Renee said for the third time. She couldn’t remember which floor Elise’s apartment was on and Marcus had tried the key in three different doors, striking out each time.

“Sweetheart, I don’t think you have any idea which one is hers and this building is twenty-five stories high. I really don’t want to have to try the apartment to the left of the elevator on every single floor.”

Renee sighed. “I’m sorry. She only moved here a month ago and both times I’ve visited I was with her so I never paid any attention to which floor we were on.”

“It’s okay, but you look wiped out. Maybe we should go to my place so you can get some sleep?”

She stared up at him nibbling at her plump bottom lip in thought. He wanted to run his tongue along that pillow of flesh, but instead he put his thumb to it and stroked. “I’ll behave, I promise. Mostly at least.”

“You don’t know the meaning of good behavior,” she whispered.

His blood heated at the breathlessness of her voice.

What was it about this girl? She was beautiful, yes, but he’d known hundreds of beautiful women. She was smart, and that was less common. But it was something beyond those obvious qualities. It was the way she cared about her brother, the loyalty she showed to his brother, the no-bullshit way she approached everything. She had character, in the very best sense of the word, and he realized in that moment that he didn’t only want her, he admired her, and he couldn’t think of another woman in his life beyond his mother that he’d ever felt that way about.

“You really want me to be well-behaved?” He turned them and pressed her up against the door of the apartment they’d just tried to unlock.

She arched into him and shook her head back and forth. “I should, but...”

He lowered his head and rested his forehead against hers, relishing the scent of her skin, the sound of her breath. He gripped her waist with one hand and dug the other into her golden hair. God it was luscious. She moaned and her eyes drifted shut, making him so hard he nearly went cross-eyed.

“What do you say? Well-behaved or not?” His lips coasted across hers.

“Screw good behavior.”

He slammed his mouth down on hers with every bit of pent up want he’d been feeling since he first saw her in his brother’s office. She opened to him immediately and he plunged into the velvety depths of her mouth, slick heat and the tang of tequila filling his cock with hot blood.

She gave a little yelp and wrapped her arms around his neck, squirming to get closer, press harder.

Marcus groaned, in the most exquisite agony he’d ever experienced. He explored her mouth, his hands finding her ass as he hoisted her higher, trying to press into that soft, warmth between her legs. She wrapped one leg around his hip and rocked into him. He growled, “Fuck, I want you.” He reached under her thighs and lifted her, wrapping her legs around his waist as he slammed her back against the door. There was a thump, then he was falling, Renee letting out a scream as they both tumbled into a darkened apartment.

He twisted at the last minute, landing hard on his hip, but saving Renee from the bottom of the pile up.

“Ohmigod,” she squeaked as they caught their breath in the silence of the room where the only light was from the hallway they’d tumbled in from.

“Are you okay?” he whispered.

“Yes. Are you?”

He rolled off of the arm and hip that had taken the brunt of the fall. “I think so.”

They both sat up, trying to disentangle. Renee moved to her knees and tugged on her skirt. He couldn’t help but think how unnecessary it was. She should dispense with the skirt anyway. And the top. Jesus. Focus, man.

“Someone’s either a very heavy sleeper or gone,” Marcus said as his eyes adjusted to the low light bit by bit. They were in a small entryway that opened to a living room. He could see the shadows of a sofa and two armchairs, plus the windows on the far side of the room that showed the city lights outside.

“You know, this looks so familiar,” Renee said, standing and turning in a circle. She reached out to the wall and suddenly the space was flooded with light.

“Shit,” Marcus groaned from where he still sat on the floor.

“Oh my God!” Renee cried.

“What?” Marcus jumped to his feet ready to defend her from an irate homeowner, but before he could take a step, she’d walked ten feet into the living room, turned in a circle and announced, “This is Elise’s apartment!”

---

“Here,” Marcus handed Renee a glass of water where she sat on Elise’s sofa, “you’ll thank me in the morning.”

“Are you going to be here in the morning?” Renee asked sleepily. “You probably shouldn’t be.”

Marcus shook his head, watching her big blue eyes struggle to stay open. No, he shouldn’t be there in the morning. For one thing he had to work the early shift. For another, while Renee was too tipsy to make him go home, he knew without a doubt that sober Renee would make him go home.

“No princess. I’m not going to be here in the morning. You’ve got to get some sleep so your hangover won’t be as bad. At least you’ve got the next couple of days off.”

Renee yawned and set the glass of water down on the coffee table before snuggling down into the overstuffed sofa. “Not really. Your brother has a meeting in the morning that I have to take notes for. But it’s not until nine, so I get to sleep in.”

“He makes you work on Saturdays?” Marcus asked, wondering when his brother had become such a slave-driving jerk.

“He doesn’t make me. I get paid extra. He used to hire a temp service to do all the Saturday and Sunday work, but now he pays me that money instead.”

Marcus stared at her, wondering what he was missing. “So you’re telling me you work seven days a week?”

“Not every week. Some weeks it’s only six days.” She yawned again. “Those weeks are really nice.” She slid further into the pillows, closing her eyes.

Marcus picked up her phone from the coffee table, set the alarm to seven thirty, then reached over to the armchair behind him and grabbed a folded afghan. He draped it over Renee and bent down to give her a soft kiss on the forehead, inhaling deeply the scent of lavender before he whispered, “Good night beautiful.”

Renee sighed and stirred, a small smile working its way across her face. He looked at her for another moment, a warm glow spreading through his chest, but also a dissatisfaction—working for Derek Ambrose seven days a week—something was very wrong with that picture, and he was determined to find out exactly what it was.