than ever.
‘Why?’ he said, sounding amused. ‘You want me cavorting with strippers?’
‘No, no, of course not,’ she said, almost stammering. ‘It’s just that…well…on a bachelor night you can do anything and it doesn’t count. Anyway,’ she added lamely, ‘that’s what I’ve heard.’
‘Sweetheart, I do love you,’ he said, laughing.
‘You too, Max,’ she said, on automatic pilot.
‘You’re the sweetest girl I ever met.’
NO! I’M NOT. I CHEATED ON YOU WITH ANOTHER MAN AND THERE’S NO WAY I CAN TAKE IT BACK.
‘Thank you.’ She gulped.
‘I’m right outside my father’s house,’ Max said. ‘I’ll call you later.’
She clicked off her phone. If he ever found out what she had done…
Oh, God, it didn’t bear thinking about.
Chapter Thirteen
J ett wasn’t alone for long–within minutes Max had arrived. Jett stood up, and they exchanged a somewhat stilted greeting.
‘You’re looking well,’ Max said. ‘Better than the last time I saw you.’
Oh, yeah , Jett thought, he has to get a dig in, doesn’t he? ‘Last time you saw me I was sick,’ he pointed out.
‘No,’ Max contradicted. ‘If I remember correctly, you were drunk on your ass.’
‘Alcoholism is a sickness,’ Jett explained, wondering why his brother had to get on his case the moment he saw him. ‘I’ve been clean for three years.’
‘Is that right?’ Max said as if he didn’t believe him.
‘Yeah, that’s right,’ Jett retaliated, ready to defend himself.
Before they became involved in a pissy little fight, Chris burst in. Chris. Mr L.A. with his deep tan and George Clooney smile. Wearing a lightweight Armani suit he looked fit and well. ‘Guys!’ he said. ‘Long time. You both look great. Good looks run in the family, huh?’
Jett felt a lot closer to Chris than he did to Max. There was something intimidating about Max, something he didn’t care to tangle with. Chris was warmer, nicer, although his two older brothers were somewhat alike with their dark good looks. Two traditionally handsome men, while Jett was the odd one out with his dirty blond hair and piercing blue eyes. When they were kids, Chris had always called him ‘surfer kid’ and ‘little runt’. Not that they’d seen much of each other, but when they had got together, Chris had always looked out for him.
‘Hey,’ Jett said, ‘anyone know why we’re here?’
‘Beats me,’ Chris said, shrugging. ‘I’m thinking the old guy might be sick and finally remembered he has three sons.’
‘I doubt it,’ Max said grimly.
‘You doubt what?’ Chris asked. ‘That he’s sick, or that he remembers us?’
‘We’ll soon find out,’ Max said.
A maid entered the room and asked if they required any refreshments. Chris requested coffee, as did Max. Jett asked for a bottle of water.
After the maid left the room, Chris turned to his younger brother. ‘Where’re you staying? I would’ve called you last night, but I had no idea where to find you.’
‘A friend lent me his apartment.’
‘Lucky you,’ Chris said, sitting down on the couch, and stretching out his long legs. ‘When did you fly in?’
‘Yesterday.’
‘I hear things are going okay for you in Italy,’ Chris remarked, checking out messages on his BlackBerry.
Jett nodded. ‘I’m clean and sober if that’s what you mean.’
‘That’s great, but I’m talking about the modelling. Saw your photo in one of my girlfriend’s Italian fashion magazines. She was way impressed when I told her you were my kid brother.’
‘Modelling?’ Max interrupted disapprovingly. ‘You’re doing modelling?’
‘S’ right,’ Jett said. ‘Magazine stuff and some TV commercials.’
‘I thought all models were gay.’
‘Now you sound like our old man,’ Chris said, laughing. ‘You gotta haul yourself into the present, Max. Haven’t you heard of Tyson?’
‘Mike Tyson?’
Chris rolled his eyes, ‘I give up!’
The maid returned with two cups of
‘Why?’ he said, sounding amused. ‘You want me cavorting with strippers?’
‘No, no, of course not,’ she said, almost stammering. ‘It’s just that…well…on a bachelor night you can do anything and it doesn’t count. Anyway,’ she added lamely, ‘that’s what I’ve heard.’
‘Sweetheart, I do love you,’ he said, laughing.
‘You too, Max,’ she said, on automatic pilot.
‘You’re the sweetest girl I ever met.’
NO! I’M NOT. I CHEATED ON YOU WITH ANOTHER MAN AND THERE’S NO WAY I CAN TAKE IT BACK.
‘Thank you.’ She gulped.
‘I’m right outside my father’s house,’ Max said. ‘I’ll call you later.’
She clicked off her phone. If he ever found out what she had done…
Oh, God, it didn’t bear thinking about.
Chapter Thirteen
J ett wasn’t alone for long–within minutes Max had arrived. Jett stood up, and they exchanged a somewhat stilted greeting.
‘You’re looking well,’ Max said. ‘Better than the last time I saw you.’
Oh, yeah , Jett thought, he has to get a dig in, doesn’t he? ‘Last time you saw me I was sick,’ he pointed out.
‘No,’ Max contradicted. ‘If I remember correctly, you were drunk on your ass.’
‘Alcoholism is a sickness,’ Jett explained, wondering why his brother had to get on his case the moment he saw him. ‘I’ve been clean for three years.’
‘Is that right?’ Max said as if he didn’t believe him.
‘Yeah, that’s right,’ Jett retaliated, ready to defend himself.
Before they became involved in a pissy little fight, Chris burst in. Chris. Mr L.A. with his deep tan and George Clooney smile. Wearing a lightweight Armani suit he looked fit and well. ‘Guys!’ he said. ‘Long time. You both look great. Good looks run in the family, huh?’
Jett felt a lot closer to Chris than he did to Max. There was something intimidating about Max, something he didn’t care to tangle with. Chris was warmer, nicer, although his two older brothers were somewhat alike with their dark good looks. Two traditionally handsome men, while Jett was the odd one out with his dirty blond hair and piercing blue eyes. When they were kids, Chris had always called him ‘surfer kid’ and ‘little runt’. Not that they’d seen much of each other, but when they had got together, Chris had always looked out for him.
‘Hey,’ Jett said, ‘anyone know why we’re here?’
‘Beats me,’ Chris said, shrugging. ‘I’m thinking the old guy might be sick and finally remembered he has three sons.’
‘I doubt it,’ Max said grimly.
‘You doubt what?’ Chris asked. ‘That he’s sick, or that he remembers us?’
‘We’ll soon find out,’ Max said.
A maid entered the room and asked if they required any refreshments. Chris requested coffee, as did Max. Jett asked for a bottle of water.
After the maid left the room, Chris turned to his younger brother. ‘Where’re you staying? I would’ve called you last night, but I had no idea where to find you.’
‘A friend lent me his apartment.’
‘Lucky you,’ Chris said, sitting down on the couch, and stretching out his long legs. ‘When did you fly in?’
‘Yesterday.’
‘I hear things are going okay for you in Italy,’ Chris remarked, checking out messages on his BlackBerry.
Jett nodded. ‘I’m clean and sober if that’s what you mean.’
‘That’s great, but I’m talking about the modelling. Saw your photo in one of my girlfriend’s Italian fashion magazines. She was way impressed when I told her you were my kid brother.’
‘Modelling?’ Max interrupted disapprovingly. ‘You’re doing modelling?’
‘S’ right,’ Jett said. ‘Magazine stuff and some TV commercials.’
‘I thought all models were gay.’
‘Now you sound like our old man,’ Chris said, laughing. ‘You gotta haul yourself into the present, Max. Haven’t you heard of Tyson?’
‘Mike Tyson?’
Chris rolled his eyes, ‘I give up!’
The maid returned with two cups of
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