Craving The Wrong Brother (Sloane and Knox) novel Chapter 168

Chapter 168

Julie–

Oh, god.

I don’t know what came over me.

The person standing at the door, eyes wide, is a cleaning guy.

“Uh, sorry,” he mumbles, backing away quickly, clearly not wanting to deal with whatever weird situation he just walked into.

I step away from Luke, shaking my head. “See? This is what happens when you drag me into a closet to fix my life.”

“What happens?” he asks, leaning against the wall.

“People see.”

“And?”

I roll my eyes. “You’re impossible.”

“Yeah, but you like me anyway,” he says with a wink.

I don’t say anything else. I just grip Luke’s hand and start pulling him out of the closet, toward the hallway. My pulse is racing, though whether it’s from the cleaning guy busting in or the fact that Luke had been way too close just a minute ago,

I’m not sure.

“Alright, Mr. Martinez,” I say, once we’re fully outside. “Back to the real world.”

Luke raises an eyebrow. “We were just getting started.”

I shoot him a look. “I don’t know what kind of start you think we had in a supply closet, but trust me, it’s over.”

“For now.”

I ignore him and straighten my blouse, trying to regain some sense of control. “Let’s continue the tour, shall we?” My tone is professional.

Luke stretches his arms lazily and shakes his head. “Nah, no need. I don’t need a tour anymore.”

“You don’t?”

“Nope,” he says, hands in his pockets, looking far too comfortable for someone who’d just been caught red-handed. “Anything I need to know about navigating this place, I’ll learn from you during our fake relationship.”

I cross my arms. “Oh really? You think you’re so smooth.”

He steps closer, his voice dropping to a low murmur, sending a ripple through me. “I don’t think. I know.”

“Stop,” I snap, feeling heat rise to my cheeks. “I haven’t even decided about this whole fake relationship thing yet.”

Luke looks genuinely surprised. “You haven’t? What’s holding you back?”

“It’s not like I’m against the idea. I just need time to think.”

He looks at me for a moment, searching my face like he’s trying to figure me out. “Okay,” he says, gentle. “Take your time.”

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Chapter 168

For a moment, we just stand there, staring at each other. The space between us feels charged, but neither of us moves.

Finally, Luke clears his throat. “Well, I guess I should head out. Say goodbye to Ryan for me.”

I nod, my throat tight. “Sure. I will.”

harsh.”

I pour myself a shot and down it in one go, the burn in my throat a welcome distraction. When I return to the living room, glass in hand, Ryan’s the first to notice.

“Everything okay?” he asks, eyebrows raised.

I shrug, sitting down in the armchair, far from the cozy couple. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

“You’re drinking whiskey right after work,” he says.

Chapter 168

I shrug again, not looking at him. “Long day, I guess.”

Ryan’s grin widens. Something mischievous dances in his eyes. “Or is it because your boyfriend didn’t show up for lunch?”

My what? And then I remember I was supposed to introduce Luke to Ryan as my boyfriend. Well, that didn’t go as planned. Nothing in my life ever goes as they’re supposed to. My husband wants another woman, a cheesy blonde bitch who thinks monogamy is outdated.

My grip tightens on the glass. Ryan wants to play games? Fine.

I open my mouth, ready to rip into him, but before I can get the words out, Emily suddenly pipes up. “Oh my god, look at this!” she exclaims, grabbing Ryan’s attention. “Someone just sent a video.”

Ryan frowns. “What video?”

Emily holds up her phone, her face scrunched in confusion. “It’s… it’s security footage. From the office.”

My stomach drops. Oh, god. No.

Ryan leans in closer, squinting at the screen. “What am I looking at?”

Emily’s voice is small, hesitant, like she knows this is bad. “It’s Mr. Martinez. And… Julie. They’re in a supply closet.”