Page 102 of Rival to the Billionaire

"It is something serious, Ryder. Falling for someone always is. Especially when it's someone you've known and cared for all of your life." He blinks. "Someone like Jenny Forde."

The air leaves me in an instant, like a kick in the chest all over again.

"Jesus, man, you and Quentin must be visiting the same mental institution. Because you're both nuts. I'm not falling for Jenny Forde, Al." Walking over to where he sits, I finally hand him the glass I've poured. "I'm not falling for Jenny Forde under any circumstances. Ever."

Alton's expression remains stoic. He eyes me over the rim of the glass. "You haven't been yourself lately, and it's not like you to act that way unless…" He pauses. "Look, Derek sent me here to keep an eye out for you for a reason. And I think that reason is Jenny." The normal scowl on his face softens as he stares. "You're different around her. And you haven't exactly hidden that, either."

"Look, I'm not going to deny you're right. I have been a little…distracted. It's nothing that a good night's sleep won't fix."

"And yet you haven't had one of those in two weeks." Alton snorts.

My brother stands, straightening his suit and running his hands down the sides of his trousers.

"What?"

"I thought you might want to take a walk with me," he says with a small smile. "There's a gorgeous waterfront park here on the property. I saw it on our way in. You could use some fresh air."

I wait a few beats, finally agreeing when I see the sincerity in Alton’s eyes.

"All right. Fine." I grab my jacket from the rack by the door. "Let's go."

We exit to the sound of his suit jacket sliding onto his shoulders as he strides ahead, his voice trailing behind him. "I've been told that sometimes coyotes manage to sneak in place with foliage in Seattle. But you can easily avoid them if you keep to the inner circle of the walk. Shouldn't be any threat. Trust me."

"Trust you…trust you…" I mutter to myself as I follow Alton into the hallway. "Like the time I grew my sideburns out to Burt Reynold's length and you said it looked good?"

"Actually, I thought it looked great." Alton calls over his shoulder as we cross the hall. "I wasn't lying."

"Girls in senior class left a note on my desk every day saying that I should shave. Not to mention the dozens of emails."

We reach the elevator and Alton presses the button for the lobby. "I think you should've kept it."

"Okay, that 'trusting you' thing is getting harder and harder."

He laughs as the lift descends, taking us to the lobby where we exit and head outside. A chilly breeze blows in my face, and I raise my collar to cover my neck.

I'm tempted to complain again, but instead I hold my tongue, though the thought of going for a walk with my brother in the dead of night is not appealing, for more reasons than one.

But I'll give Alton the benefit of the doubt. Or what's left of it.

We head down a path in the dimly lit garden.

My penthouse sits right on the shore of a small man-made lake, surrounded by gardens and pines, with only a few streetlights to show us the way.

It's so quiet.

Like walking into a tomb. And I'm the corpse.

I take a deep breath and follow.

Clear and cool, the Seattle breeze carries just enough of the salt and sea to remind me that we're nearly on the coast. It's enough to make me nostalgic for the past, when I used to sneak out with Jenny and go running through that field of ours that grew wildflowers during the springs, the wind of the Puget Sound tugging at our hair.

Even now, Jenny's absence has me on edge and restless. I don't need a lecture on my problems at the moment. I need someone who actually understands what might be going on.

"Look, man," I say. "Let's just say I keep entertaining this little walk with you." I run my hand through my hair. "We both know my night's not going to end there. You know it, I know it. You don't have to preach it to me."

"I'm not preaching anything, brother."

We pause at another bend in the walkway and look out at the lake, the scent of the pines in the wind filling the air.

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