Know When to Hold Him by Lindsay Emory Read Free Book Online Page B

the employees or the owners.
    …
    If Liam had known Anita well enough, he could have gone to her for intel. But he didn’t, so he went to the person he knew best.
    JT.
    “Great party, man,” Liam started as their long strides matched the other’s.
    JT rolled his eyes and huffed.
    “What?” Liam asked, feigning innocence.
    “I should be used to it.” JT shook his head. “Back in law school, you’d always do the same thing, just show up late, wearing the same clothes, flip-flops and baseball cap from the day before.”
    Liam glanced down at his boots and jeans, confused about the sudden discussion about his fashion choices. “What was wrong with my clothes?”
    “Dude, you could look like you’d spent the month under a bridge in the Klondike, and it didn’t matter; you’d still get the girl.”
    The girl. Ah . “Spencer? Is that what this is about?”
    The men stopped, and JT made sure no one was around. The rest of the group was either riding back to the house in the ATV or was about a hundred yards back.
    “’Cause you said she was like a sister, and now you’re acting like there’s something more there.”
    JT suddenly appeared interested in the way the toe of his boots hit the dirt. “She’s like a sister—I guess. But she’s not. I mean, I’d do anything for her, and if she ever acted interested…” JT shook his head. “But she’s not. And now you’re involved.”
    JT was clearly not happy with that fact.
    How was he supposed to handle this? Honestly, he decided.
    “That’s why I wanted to talk to you. I asked her out.”
    JT made a disgusted noise.
    “Dude.” Liam fixed JT with a hard stare. “That’s uncalled for.”
    “You want to know about her?” JT asked. “She’s beautiful. But you know that. She’s intelligent as hell. While you and I were at UT, she was at Harvard on scholarship. She has a family that makes most people run away to the jungles of Africa, but she still shows up to all their shit because that’s who she is. She’s loyal and a workaholic. She’s a machine. And you two will never ever work.”
    That pissed Liam off. “Are you saying she’s too good for me?”
    JT threw up his hands. “Yes. No. If it hadn’t been for you, I would never have made it through law school. But I know you. You’re… you .” JT searched for a good way to say this. “You’re a guy . You like women. A lot of women.”
    “Being a heterosexual is probably a plus when it comes to dating, you know, a woman.”
    “Yeah, it’s fine,” JT said. “Until you get bored with this woman, like you always do, and then you two hate each other and I’m caught in the middle.”
    Liam frowned at JT’s assessment. “I don’t get bored with women, it just doesn’t work out.”
    “Because they bore you. I’ve seen it a hundred times. I lived with you, remember? I saw your eyes glaze over when they called for the four hundredth time. I heard you sigh when they asked you to go to dinner. You’re a guy with a short attention span. And that’s cool. But this is…my…” JT stopped himself.
    What was he going to say? My… what? My Spencer?
    For some reason, Liam’s reaction to JT’s claim on Spencer wasn’t a good one. He steadied, protective.
    “My friend,” JT announced. “This is my friend. And you’re like a brother. And I don’t want to see either of you hating each other.”
    Liam jammed his hands into his pockets as he and JT were joined by the slackers bringing up the rear. No need to continue the conversation, anyway. JT’s feelings were clear. And so were Liam’s.
    The second night of the weekend went pretty much as the first. Pretty people. Strong drinks. Spicy food. If this is what weekends were like in Texas, Liam could get used to it. A straightforward, good time, that was only slightly complicated by her . No, Liam thought. Spencer didn’t complicate anything. She enhanced. Enlivened. Interested.
    His interest only grew when she stayed for the poker game. “I