“Very wise,” he agrees, flipping through his pages. “And pretty.”

Ah. Ain’t it always about a girl.

“If you two are done jawing, I’d like to get back to business,” Boone says, and Clay smirks at us.

“I was just asking Gage about his new lady friend,” I say smoothly.

“He should be askin’ you about yours,” Clay retorts, and then all hell breaks loose with the four of us. Between the shouting and paper-wad tossing, business is completely derailed. Some of the suits look terrified, especially when I put Gage in a headlock. Me, I’m kinda happy. This is the first time the Price brothers have had a knock-down-drag-out brawl over stupid shit in months.

It’s almost like we’re gettin’ back to normal.

* * *

* * *

The meeting isn’t a particularly productive one, and other than teasing my brothers, I don’t have much to share. I’m too preoccupied with Lexi, and all of my creative efforts have been focused on wooing her. Gage is watchin’ me curiously as we leave, though, and when I head out into the parking lot, he grabs me by the arm and pulls me aside.

“What’s eatin’ you?” he asks.

“Funny, I could have asked you the same for the last few weeks,” I deflect, but I know what was eating at him. He was depressed over Seth’s death. I ain’t a fan of the fact that I’m suddenly the fucked-up one.

“I know you, Knox. You may think I don’t pay attention to what you do, but I do. I notice when you’re off your game, and you’re definitely off it right now.”

“That so?” I reach over and pick at a piece of imaginary lint on his fancy suit. He’s the only one of us that dresses the part, his beard groomed and hair meticulously styled, his clothes designer. Today I’m wearing my favorite trucker cap, work boots, jeans, and a T-shirt, just like I do every day. It doesn’t scream billionaire, but I’ve never wanted to call attention to that.

“She’s makin’ you miserable, ain’t she? Darth Yoga.”

I’m irritated he’d dare to ask me that. “More advice from you? You’ll forgive me if I ain’t all that interested.” It ain’t that Lexi isn’t thirsty for me. The heat between us seems to be never-ending. It’s that she doesn’t want to share her life with me.

“Not advice,” Gage says slowly. “Well, actually, I guess it is some advice. Like I said, I know you. You’re better at watchin’ people and seeing how they react than taking the initiative yourself. You’re not good at sharin’, and that’s what chicks like. They want a guy that tells them exactly how they feel so they can figure out where they stand. You hide too much of yourself. Won’t kill ya to open up to her is all I’m sayin’.”

I narrow my eyes at Gage. “Last time you told me to make her thirsty. Now you’re telling me to pour my heart out. Which is it?”

He laughs and shakes his head at me. “Time for making her thirsty has done come and gone already, brother. You two are practically living together. Don’t think I don’t see her sneaking out of your trailer and how often your car is gone at night. That’s fine. I’m just sayin’ that you need to change tactics. You’ve got her. Now if you want to keep her, you need to share a bit about yourself. I know that’s hard for you, but it’s gonna be what you need to do.”

I scowl. He doesn’t know shit about me and Lexi . . . but he does know a lot about how to get women to crawl after him without a bit of effort on his part. Lexi knows how I feel about her, though. I’ve made it obvious I’m there for her whenever she needs me, haven’t I? But then I think about all the things I haven’t said to her.

I haven’t told her I love her.

I haven’t told her that she’s been mine since the moment I laid eyes on her.

Gage is right. I am holdin’ back, because Lexi has been throwing all kinds of hints that she’s not a fan of commitment. She won’t know how I feel unless I tell her, though. I grunt acknowledgment of his words. “She might hate me spewin’ feelings at her. She’s not a normal girl.”

“‘Normal’ is definitely not a word I’d use to describe her,” Gage admits with a grin, and then slaps my shoulder. “But I ain’t never met a girl that didn’t like knowing how things stood. Might as well tell her all the stuff that’s eating at your gut so she can decide what she wants. Put all your cards out on the table instead of hiding ’em up your sleeve like you always do.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“You think hard on it, and then you tell her how crazy she makes you.” He grins and rubs a hand down his beard, then straightens his tie. “Now if you don’t mind, I’ve got a woman to woo myself.”

Tell Lexi how crazy she makes me. Show her just how much she drives me wild.

Yeah, I can do that.

Instead of heading back to my place after the meeting, I head over to Lexi’s guesthouse. I pull up and head to the door. Through the windows, I can hear the low, warbly, twangy music she uses for her yoga sessions. She might be filming another test episode for her app and online channel that she wants to launch. Lexi’s been excited about her online business and working nonstop, trying to perfect routines and dialogue, website content, and a number of other things that could help her make her business competitive from the start. I know she’s busy, but I don’t want to wait until tonight to see her. I need her now.

I keep thinking about what Gage said. You’ve got her. Now if you want to keep her, you need to share a bit about yourself.

I can do that, even if the thought makes me feel naked. Maybe Gage is right. Maybe I’m not as good at sharin’ as I think I am. Maybe I’m all clammed up and I haven’t let Lexi know what I think about the situation. I asked her to marry me, but . . . maybe it ain’t the same in her eyes as tellin’ her I love her.

Whatever it is, she’s gonna know today how I feel. I’m gonna hold nothing back.

I knock on the door, but there’s no answer. Her music whines through the air, and I knock again, then test the doorknob. It’s unlocked. I let myself in, and the moment I do, I can hear the shower running.

Perfect.

I kick off my boots and toss ’em aside in the living room, passing by her computer, which is busy compressing a video. I strip off my shirt before I enter the bathroom and push the door wide open. She’s there in the shower, her lithe body under the spray, her hands in her wet hair. The sight of her makes me hungry to touch her, because she’s got the greatest ass I’ve ever seen, tight and rounded and perfect above strong thighs and long, elegant legs. Goddamn. I groan at the sight of her pretty ass.

She turns around and jumps, a scream erupting from her throat. Lexi plasters her back against the tile, her eyes wide, and it takes her a moment to realize it’s me. “Oh god, Knox. You scared the shit out of me.” Her hand goes to her chest, and she sucks in a deep breath.

I scared her more than I realized. I’m surprised. “Who did you think it was gonna be?”

“I wasn’t expecting anyone. That’s the point.” She sticks her tongue out at me and then turns back to the water. “Now that you’ve scared ten years off of my life, can you let me finish my shower?”

Oh, I’ll let her finish all right. I strip off my pants, kick them aside, and then do the same with my underwear. Once I’m fully naked, I push the glass door of the shower aside and move in behind her. Lexi’s skin is warm and wet, and she glances over her shoulder at me as she soaps up one arm. “You want me to move away from the spray?”

“Nope.” I put my hands on her waist and pull her in closer, letting my now achingly hard cock brush against her backside. I press my mouth to her neck, kissing her slick skin. She smells like flowers and soap, and she shifts against me as I hold her, ticklish.

Love touching her. Love the way her body fits against mine. I think about what Gage said, how I need to vomit my feelings at her, but I can’t bring myself to do it. Not quite yet.

Gonna make her thirsty, just like Gage suggested.

“Been thinkin’ about this body all day long,” I murmur, sliding a hand to her front. Her pussy’s still shaved and bare from her “surprise” the other day, and I slide my fingers against her folds, seeking out her warmth. “It’s been far too long since I touched you.”

“What, like two hours?” Her laugh is breathless and ends on a gasp as I brush my fingers over her clit. She whimpers and places her palms against the tile, bracing herself even as she spreads her thighs wider and pushes her ass out, inviting my touch.

Fuck yeah, that’s pretty. I love how eager she is for my hands, how quick she is to get aroused. She tells me that some of it is the pregnancy making her needy, but I don’t care. I love that she’s as addicted as I am. “You gonna push that ass out a little further so I can taste your pussy?”

Her little moan tells me how much my words excite her, and she does just what I ask, thrusting her hips out and leaning forward until she’s practically bent over in the shower, her cunt open and glistening, wet and ready for my mouth. Perfect. I get down on my knees and grip her hips, pushing them apart just a bit more before I descend upon that sweet flesh, burying my mouth against her folds. I’m ravenous for her.

Lexi cries out, and I can feel her body tense as my tongue thrusts against the heat of her core. She’s already slick with need, and I push my tongue into her heat, fucking her with it like I want to fuck her with my cock. She tastes so good, and with her body like this, I can feel everything she does, every ripple of her muscle. I devour her, lapping at her cunt and thrusting with my tongue before teasing away again. I taste her everywhere, use my tongue in every way possible, until she’s rocking back against my mouth and crying out, needing more.

I don’t want her to come just yet, though. As much as I love wringing a hard orgasm from her, today I want her wild and clawing up my back, as desperate to come as I can make her. When she comes, I want us to come together. So I take her to the brink and then I pull away just before she goes over the edge.