Page 47 of Hot Commodity (Banks/Kincaid Family 1)

Muttering under his breath, Boston turned on his radio and listened to the alternative music for a second, enjoying it while he could, because he was well aware Cam would change it to one of those loud, thumping hip-hop stations as soon as he slid into the car.

The two of them were polar opposites, even though their mothers were sisters.

When Boston's parents had gone on business trips, he'd usually found himself staying with Aunt Allison and Uncle Chuck, playing side by side with his cousin Cam. And though the two of them had grown up together, he couldn't say he'd cared much for the smart-mouthed Cameron in his youth. But these days, they were closer than most brothers. In fact, Boston was more connected to Cameron Banks than he was to his own kid brother, Monty.

He'd gone to work for Cameron the day he'd graduated from law school and passed his final bar exam. And Boston hadn't regretted the move once. His cousin might've made some risky ventures in the past, but they'd all ended in a nice, tidy profit. Boston had sweated sleeplessly through many a night, but he'd stuck by Cam's side. He'd follow his friend to the grave if that's what he had to do.

It still irritated him, however, that the man could never be on time. That was one of the reasons Boston had grown into the habit of driving Cameron to work. It was his way of keeping the mastermind behind their operation punctual. So Boston began coming over to drag him out of bed, push him into a shower, shove a cup of coffee into his hand, and lug him to work.

Boston trusted his cousin's instincts over his own in the decisionmaking end of their business. Bos was just the legal back-up. If he'd had to make the choices, they'd have gone belly up years ago. He was too safe and straight-laced to make any kind of radical judgment call. Cameron, on the other hand, was almost dangerous when he threw out his opinion.

Sometimes, Boston was convinced his friend was actually trying to go bankrupt. And if he hadn't been around to rein him in, they might've done just that too. That's why, together, they made an awesome team. Apart, they would've fizzled out years ago.

Wondering if Cam was still asleep or just lagging today, Boston slid his new car into park and pushed open the door. He pocketed his push-button ignition key and started for the entrance. Letting himself in, he strolled up the stairs, still frowning, and went directly to Cam's bedroom. When he spotted the lump under the covers, he sighed.

"Hey," he called, unsympathetically. "Get your lazy ass out of bed. We've got work to do today."

When the lump only stirred as if jerking awake at the sound of his voice, Boston grabbed hold of the end of the covers and ripped them all the way off. The sheet was still in his hands when he discovered Cameron wasn't the body in the bed.

At the sight of the naked female, Boston froze. Okay, so it'd been a few months since he'd seen a nude woman, but for a moment there, all he could do was gawk like he'd never experience the phenomenon before.

She, whoever she was, immediately curled into a ball, chilled by the absence of her warm covers. And finally, reality kicked in.

Boston's eyes shot open wide. "Holy shit!" he yelped and threw the sheets back on top of her. In his haste, he covered her entire body, head to toe. "Oh, my God, sorry. I am so sorry, ma'am."

An irritated, muffled and very feminine sound came from under the blankets as she fought to uncover her head from the tangled mess on top of her. Boston watched a tanned leg kick out from the side and his eyebrow arched. Nice. Very nice.

Then it struck him: he was staring.

Whirling away, he turned his back to her, only to find Cameron leaning against the opened doorway of the bathroom, brushing his teeth. He was completely dressed, save for his bare feet and the fact he needed to comb his hair and tie his tie. He grinned, a twinkle of mischief sparking his eyes.

Face heating with color, Boston glowered, already braced for the teasingly snide comment he knew Cam was sure to make.

But Cameron merely said, "I see you've met Olivia."

"Sort of," Boston answered on a mumble, refusing to look her way again. From the corner of his eye, however, he saw Cameron's bedmate finally shove the covers off her face. She sat up, clutching the sheet protectively to her chest. He barely refrained from licking his lips and copping one more peek.

"Livy," Cameron said, still wearing that cocky grin Boston just wanted to pummel. "This is Boston Kincaid, the very Boston you've been hearing about. He's my cousin, best friend, and overall partner in crime. He handles all the legal matters at work."

~ * ~

Still half out of it from being rudely aw

akened for the second time that morning, Olivia glanced at the black-haired fellow. He was taller than Cameron and tanner, with wide shoulders and a lean body. Boston Kincaid was just the kind of guy she would've gone for back in Pasadena. He had a sleek, sophisticated look about him with styled hair and not a wrinkle in sight.

Next to Cameron, however, he appeared a little too polished, a little too clean, and extremely boring. Cam's hair was still sticking up at all angles, his tie hanging loosely around his neck and his bare feet gave him that sexily rumpled, undone look. The toothbrush hanging from his mouth didn't seem to add to a refined facade either. Yet, it appealed to her. Olivia just wanted to lift up her sheet and invite him back under the covers.

Which made no sense. That's not what she wanted. Not at all. Somehow, she had to learn to evade this man so she wouldn't sleep with him again.

Glancing at her husband's GQ cousin, Olivia murmured a polite

All subtlety in the family must've fallen to the Kincaid side because "Hello."

his cheekbones were stained with embarrassment, and he declined to look at her. He merely lifted a hand in greeting. "Hey," he returned. Then he cleared his throat uncomfortably and lifted his eyes to Cameron. "I'll be, uh, downstairs."

Cameron grinned at his friend, his eyes glittering with unspoken laughter. Olivia was tempted to throw a pillow at him for not helping in any way to ease the situation. As Boston fled, she pushed her hair out of her face and scowled at her husband. "It's not funny."

Cameron laughed aloud and swaggered toward her with his toothbrush still in his mouth. "I think it's great," he said as he crawled onto the bed and up toward where she rested her bare back against the headboard. "Now that Boston knows just exactly what I've got, he's going to be all pea green with jealousy and want to be me."

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