Damage Control by Elisa Adams Page B

sucks. My family expects me to do everything. I’d love to know where they think I’m going to find the time to deal with Lena and her indecisions and hissy fits.”
    She expected Brian to commiserate, but he only smiled. “I have a solution, you know. I don’t know why you didn’t think of this. What about hiring Amber?”
    Andrea frowned at the mention of his sister-in-law. She hadn’t thought to hire a wedding planner since she hadn’t realized how detailed and time consuming the process really was. “Jake’s wife?”
    â€œYeah. I’m sure she’d be glad to help Lena out, and it would be one less thing for you to stress about.”
    Andrea shook her head. “It’s a nice thought, but Lena is turning into a first class witch about this wedding and I don’t want your family to hate me because I sicced my sister on your brother’s wife.”
    â€œYou’d be surprised. Amber can be tough as a drill sergeant when she needs to be, and she has a knack for calming people. At least meet with her and see what she has to say.”
    He picked up her desk phone and dialed a number. A few minutes later, he set the receiver back on the cradle. “Amber says she’d be glad to take over. You guys can meet with her on Saturday morning.”
    â€œOkay. I think we will.” And she would be forever grateful to Brian for getting this particular monkey off her back. She stood up and hugged him tight. “You’re really too good to be true. Did you know that?”
    â€œYeah. I’ve just been waiting for you to realize it. Took you long enough.”
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    Brian reached for Andrea’s hand, almost expecting her to pull away. He let out a breath heavy with relief when she didn’t. She hadn’t wanted to go out to eat, but the thought of eating in yet again had started to give him a headache, so in the end they’d compromised with a quick meal at the Chinese place down the block from her apartment. Now, while she finished her tea and he downed the last sip of his beer, he wished they’d been able to make decent conversation.
    The whole meal had been stilted, like a blind date where the two participants had nothing in common. He and Andrea used to share so many things. Now they didn’t have anything left except what happened in the bedroom. Though it baffled him, he’d been growing tired of the sex. No, not the sex exactly, but the lack of any real substance to their relationship.
    â€œSo tell me,” she started as she set the empty teacup down on the table. “Why did you get the other two tattoos?”
    â€œYou’re still stuck on that?” He raised his eyebrows. He was surprised she’d even remembered. Most of the time he tended to forget they were there. “Why do you want to know? Do you like them?”
    She’d seemed to when he’d shown them to her last week, but they’d been in bed. She liked just about anything then. His best buddy was turning into a regular sex goddess. Not that he was complaining, since he was reaping all the benefits of her sexual awakening.
    â€œI think they’re sexy.” She smiled in the way that made his cock stand at attention. With the mood she was in, he was definitely getting some tonight. Oddly enough, he had mixed feelings about that. Part of him would rather stay dressed and fall asleep in her arms. “But if your girlfriend prodded you into getting the other two, I really don’t think I want to hear it.”
    Jealousy. That was a good sign. She hadn’t shown a sliver of it yet, and he was beginning to wonder if she’d meant it when she’d said she didn’t want to get emotionally involved. Didn’t she realize it was too late for that? Being friends made them emotionally connected. He’d thought sex would show her they were meant to be together. Apparently, he’d been wrong. Now he wondered if it