“Hey, kiddo,” he says, and I’m not going to lie, I really like that affectionate term.

“What are you doing here?” I ask cautiously.

“You’ve been ignoring me,” he says, then tips his head down to Georgia. “And we’re both worried about you.”

Oh shit. They’re here to pick at my scabs that formed after last week, and I don’t know if I’m ready to give Brian that level of access to me personally. Because if he scrapes that shit away and tries to get to the root of my feelings, he’s going to know I’m not feeling warm and fuzzy toward Gray. And I don’t want him to have to choose between us, because he’ll choose Gray. Without a doubt.

So I roll my eyes at both of them and give a tinkling laugh. “You’ve got nothing to worry about. I’m totally fine, and I’ve got a ton of work to do.”

“Well, luckily, as your boss, I can order you into my office so we can have a chat,” Georgia says firmly. “And then you can get back to work.”

“Georgia, seriously,” I huff out. “There is nothing to talk about.”

She puts her hands on her hips, glares at me, and says very slowly. “My office. Now.”

Shit, shit, shit.

While I consider Georgia to be my friend, probably my closest in the world, she is talking to me now like a boss, and I cannot ignore it. With a sigh, I pull the towel over my shoulder, toss it onto the counter, and turn toward her office, knowing that she and Brian are close on my heels.

When we are inside and the door closes behind us, I turn to face both of them and say, “There is nothing going on.”

“Gray said something to you at the arena that’s upset you,” Brian says matter-of-factly, his eyes pinned on mine. “And I want to know what it was.”

I swallow hard, trying to push past the lump in my throat.

To lie or not to lie?

To start this relationship off right, or to start it with hard feelings and untruths?

Without letting my gaze waiver from his, I tell him, “Gray advised me that I shouldn’t see Roman.”

“And what exactly did she say?” Brian asks neutrally.

“She said he had a bad reputation. She was concerned for me,” I tell him.

“And do you believe she meant that? Outside of the ‘bad reputation’ part, which speaks for itself.”

“Yes,” I say without hesitation. “I think she was genuine.”

“But that’s not all?” he guesses.

“I was advised of my obligations to the Brannon name, and that if things got messy with Roman, it would reflect on the family.”

“I see,” he says slowly, and takes a step toward me. With head tilted, he asks, “And what did you do?”

My chin tilts up. “I told Roman I couldn’t see him anymore.”

“Hmmmm,” he says, flicking his eyes over to Georgia, and I notice they share a look. I’m not sure what it’s about, but there’s no doubt they’ve had a conversation about this in some detail. When he looks back to me, he calmly clasps his hands behind his back and asks me, “And why in the world would you ever do that?”

“Huh?” I say dumbly.

Just…huh?

“Why would you stop seeing a man just because Gray advised you to do so? I mean, I haven’t known you all that long, but it’s been long enough to know you’re a free thinker and have a good head on your shoulders. So I repeat…Why would you ever stop seeing someone you’re clearly interested in just because Gray said so?”

“What?” is all I can say.

Brian shakes his head with a measure of disappointment in his eyes. He raises a hand and taps the tip of his forefinger against my forehead. “Think for yourself.”

Then he drops his finger and taps it over the left side of my chest. “And follow your heart.”

“What?” I ask again, my brow furrowing in confusion.

And then the great Brian Brannon rolls his eyes at me. The CEO and owner of the Cold Fury, worth millions upon millions of dollars, who commands respect throughout the entire sports world, pulls a twelve-year-old’s eye roll on me.

“Lexi,” he says. “Stop being obtuse. You understand me just fine.”

And yeah, I do, but I’m just having a hard time believing it. “But…Gray was concerned…and then there’s a reputation to uphold…and—”

“Gray doesn’t know everything,” Brian interjects. “So stop trying so hard to have something with her that you’ll give up a part of yourself to get there.”

And now my eyes narrow at him in suspicion. “You do know that Roman has made quite a bad name for himself, right?”

“Sadly, I’ve read all the tabloid reports and I’ve obviously been privy to his suspensions,” Brian says dryly, and I completely ignore Georgia’s snort.

“So, as my father,” I ask dubiously, “you don’t have a problem with me seeing him?”

“I have a problem with you not being happy,” he counters. “And if Mr. Bad Boy Roman Sýkora makes you happy, go for it. I just ask that you refrain from posting half-naked selfies with him online.”

Georgia snorts again, and this time I can’t help it…my lips tip upward.

Then they curve into a full smile as I realize all of a sudden that Brian has just paved the way for me to see Roman. Well, assuming that Roman still has any interest in me, since it’s entirely possible that he could be completely repulsed by me after my brush-off.

“And you don’t think Gray will be mad at me?” I ask, my smile faltering slightly as this thought occurs to me.

Brian shrugs his shoulders. “So what if she is? Sisters fight, you know.”

“But not newfound sisters who have over two decades of lost time to make up for,” I say tartly.

My dad laughs, throwing his head back, and when his eyes return to me they’re sparkling with amusement. “Now that I’ll give you, but honestly, Lexi, I’m sure Gray was just giving advice, and if you choose not to follow it, she’s going to be fine. She might still be concerned, but trust me when I say she wants you to be happy too.”

“Do you really think so?” I ask gruffly, my throat once again clogging with emotion.

“I know so,” Brian says firmly, then his hands come to my shoulders. “Gray may be a high-powered woman who can be slightly intimidating on the best of days, but at her core, she has a heart as big as the ocean. Just trust me on this, okay?”