Page 74 of Hot Commodity (Banks/Kincaid Family 1)

Needing to knock the wind out his buddy's sail, Boston forced a grin across the table at Olivia. "Actually, could you leave us alone for another hour so I can put a proper good-morning glow on her face?"

Olivia's eyes grew round for a moment. Then she threw back her head and laughed.

Cameron scowled. Turning on his heels, he stormed from the kitchen, growling over his shoulder. "Whatever. I'll be waiting in the car."

Boston watched him go before he risked a glance toward Olivia. "Sorry," he offered humbly.

She shrugged as if to tell him she wasn't upset. She was more curious when she asked, "Why did you do that?"

This time his grin was genuine. "To piss him off."

"I think it worked."

Boston was still disappointed by his cousin's lack of reaction. Cameron wasn't typically the jealous type, but Boston suspected Olivia was an entirely different case for him. Except his response had let Boston down. Cam wasn't supposed to stomp off like a scorned child. He was supposed to grab Olivia, throw her over his shoulder, and drag her off to his lair.

"He'll get over it," Boston said and reached across the table to take her hand. He looked into her eyes and wanted to tell her to be strong and stick through this. But instead he offered a small smile and kissed her knuckles before letting her go and following his cousin out the door.

~ * ~

Cameron tapped his foot and drummed his fingers on the armrest.

Boston's little bait had really caught him. Olivia was his, damn it. Kincaid better keep his damn paws off.

He and his cousin had teased about passing women off to each other. But they'd never actually done so. They'd always had different tastes. Thinking Boston might want Olivia, though, distressed him. Now was not the time for them to start sharing.

Boston didn't have baggage. He was good looking, and he would take care of Livy better than anyone. He'd be a hell of a lot better for her than Cameron was. The two of them would be good together. But the thought of his wife turning to his best friend after their annulment made him feel ill.

In fact, he didn't much like the idea of losing her at all. But he could only hurt Olivia if she stayed. Sienna had broken something inside him. He wasn't suitable to be any woman's husband any longer. It didn't matter that he wanted Olivia to stay, didn't matter that he'd secretly held off the annulment on purpose just to get a little more time with her. He was damaged goods. He'd always be haunted by the first woman he'd killed, the one he'd somehow driven to suicide.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Boston asked, opening the car door and sliding into the driver's seat.

Cameron ignored him and continued to tap his fingers against the dash. Boston scowled at the action for a moment, and Cam expected him to make some dorky kind of comment like telling him to stop smudging fingerprints all over his car. But he didn't. Instead, he cocked an inquisitive look Cameron's way.

"Nervous about something?" he asked mildly. "Or did you just put too much vodka in your orange juice this morning?"

"How—" Cameron was about to ask how he knew about the screwdriver when he realized his cousin was probably just testing him. Not calling the man's bluff, he frowned and drummed his fingers again until he realized he was only making himself look worse. Stilling his hand, he glanced out the window. "Go ahead and start the annulment papers today."

It was time. He'd already taken too much from Livy. But even as the words left his mouth, a dry, painful knot lodged in his chest.

Boston didn't answer. He put the car into gear and pulled from the driveway.

Cameron glanced over. "I said—"

"I heard what you said," Boston snapped. He was quiet a moment before adding, "I'm not doing it."

Cameron blinked. "What?"

"I didn't stutter. I'm not writing one damn document to help you get rid of her."

"But...but you're my lawyer," Cam sputtered. Boston had never denied him anything where his job was concerned. "You have to do what I say."

Boston lifted his eyebrows. "The hell if I do. I represent EarnNet, the business. An annulment has nothing to do with business. I'm not doing it."

"Why the hell not? You've always helped me out with personal legal work before."

"Maybe I don't think you really want an annulment," Boston answered. He glanced Cameron's way with a knowing look. "You've been married

to her for nearly two months, and you've done everything short of murder to put off filing. I know you, Cam. You like having her in your house. In your bed."

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