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what she would ve been doing had Luke never walked in. But the mood was effectively killed, and
from everything she d heard, Luke was just as smart and talented as Michael. It would be foolish for
her to pass up the opportunity to pick his brain, especially when she had no idea how much longer she
and Michael would be together.
I m sure we can do a small dinner. She forced a smile.
Luke had that same victorious look in his eye that she was so used to seeing on Michael. Great!
I ll call Bella Vita and make sure they have our table ready.
As Luke moved to the next room to make the call, Michael moved in closer. Are you sure you
want to do this?
She shrugged. It s not ideal, but he seems nice enough. Are these clothes okay? She motioned
down to her jeans. They were in good condition, and the boots she wore with them dressed them up a
bit, but jeans were jeans.
You re perfect. Luke plays dumb sometimes, but he really isn t that stupid. He wouldn t
recommend a place that would make you uncomfortable. But if you don t want to go, say the word and
I ll kick him out.
No, no. I think he s already annoyed with how much I know. I m not trying to cause any
friction. She tilted her head back to look up at him. Besides, consider this me doing you a favor.
You ll just have to make it worth my while later.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Michael eyed Lori once again to look for any sign of discomfort or panic, but so far she d
handled his brother expertly. He wasn t sure whether he should be impressed or scared.
Luke had taken them to an upscale pizzeria and they d been seated immediately. Though it was a
nice restaurant, there was no shortage of casual attire, so he and Lori weren t underdressed.
She had been picking at the same roll for the past ten minutes as Luke monopolized the
conversation. He hadn t been talking about any one topic for too long, but Michael could tell he was
testing Lori. Studying her reactions and response time. Trying to determine what type of woman
Michael would be with.
They d always been different when it came to women. Luke was flashy and obvious and fast.
That was why he was the public face of the company. Michael had never cared for the spotlight while
Luke thrived there. And, for the purposes of this dinner, Michael was perfectly content for Luke to do
the bulk of the talking. So how was LA? he asked as the waiter stopped by to top off Lori s water.
Beautiful. Warm. You know, as much as I hate these winters, I don t think I could handle the
heat all year round.
She raised a brow. You d probably have to lose the suit.
You d be shocked at how many women try to get me out of it. He winked.
Michael bit back a groan. There really wasn t a safe topic where Luke was concerned.
She took a drink of her water. Based off of the stories I ve read, I really wouldn t.
Luke smiled, but changed the subject. So how did you two meet?
Lori met Michael s gaze and he answered for her. Well, you were there.
Forgive me if I m misreading the situation, but I didn t exactly see sparks fly. He wagged a
finger between the two of them. What happened after that?
Lori took a breath. We went to the same party. I was miserable and Michael whisked me away
to spend a day together.
Michael snorted at her sanitized version of events. That almost sounded romantic.
I didn t realize you two ran in the same circles.
We don t, said Lori. My roommate is an intern with the magazine that just did the write-up
on you. They only wanted me there because I work at DevX.
I guess they wanted to write me into the article too.
I can just imagine you at the photo shoot now. The photographer would have to resort to
drinking by the end of the day.
Lori frowned. What do you mean? I d think Michael would take great photos. Her eyes raked
over his face and chest appreciatively.
Michael forced himself to take another sip of his Scotch and breathe. Damn, he never should ve
let Luke talk him into this. He should be in bed with a very naked Lori at this very moment.
Oh, sure, he s handsome enough. I mean, he is a Devereaux. But can you imagine him having
some stranger barking orders at him for an hour straight? Look to your left! Look to your right! Look
sexy! Look sultry!
Lori choked on her drink and held a hand over her mouth as Michael gave Luke a death stare.
I ve done photo shoots before.
Yes, you have. And you have the same annoyed look in every single professional photo I ve
ever seen of you. Lori struggled to hold back fits of laughter and Luke shot Michael a smug smile.
She knows what I m talking about.
You think I always look annoyed? he asked her.
No! Not all the time. Just when you re not with me. She looked at him from under her
eyelashes and he knew she was thinking R-rated thoughts. Damn it, he was going to kill Luke for
dragging them out of that apartment.
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