Bad Read Free Page A

thin, angry line.
    Wyatt felt obliged to fill the silence. "You know he'll want to meet you too."
    "Tough," Steele said, anger evident in his rigid neck muscles. "I don't give a flying fuck what the old man wants."
    "My sentiments exactly, but a word of advice?"
    When Steele remained silent, Wyatt continued. "Christopher will never change. He's a selfish, narcissistic bastard and even the ever-optimistic Zane realized it damn quick. But you don't want to head home filled with regret and that's what'll probably happen."
    "What do you know about regret?" Steele snarled, before tempering it with a tap on the shoulder in silent apology.
    "I know enough." Sometimes, it felt like regret had become Wyatt's middle name.
    He regretted not bonding with his family as a kid. He regretted not following his dream of being a game app designer. Most of all, he regretted shutting himself away as a teen, losing himself in a virtual world to the point he had no idea how to interact with women in the real world.
    Women like Ashlin.
    "Sorry, mate." Steele slapped him on the back. "As you can see, Christopher's a sore topic for me."
    "Don't blame you," Wyatt said. "The way he left you and Zane in Australia to start a new life over here and never got in contact again? Unbe-fucking-lievable."
    "You got that right."
    Wyatt glimpsed pain—the type of soul-deep pain that makes your bones ache—in Steele's eyes.
    "But let's not waste another second talking about him." Some of the tension drained from Steele's face. "What are you going to do about the redhead?"
    What Wyatt wanted to do with Ashlin couldn't be articulated in public.
    "Nothing."
    Steele's eyes narrowed, as if he was thinking hard. "Why don't you call her bluff?"
    "How?"
    Steele sniggered. "Sometimes beautiful women who are super confident enjoy toying with shy guys. It's a game to them. Maybe you should call her on it?"
    "I don't think Ashlin's like that—"
    "How well do you know her?"
    "I don't."
    "Then how do you know she's not playing you?"
    Wyatt didn't have a frigging clue why Ashlin had asked him out but if what Steele said was true, he'd be pissed.
    Was she toying with him because she could? Expecting him to run because he had 'social outcast' or 'computer geek' tattooed on his forehead?
    "Do women really do that kind of thing?"
    Steele chuckled. "Mate, women who look like that stunning redhead are capable of anything."
    The more he thought about Ashlin goading him for her own amusement, the angrier Wyatt got. Who the hell did she think she was?
    "Call her bluff, huh?"
    Steele nodded. "Yep. You be the aggressor. Take her up on her offer. Push the envelope. See how she reacts."
    Steele's plan sounded good. Except Wyatt wouldn't have a clue how to push Ashlin to do anything.
    "Think about it," Steele said. "I'm outta here, but maybe we can meet up for a drink tomorrow and you can tell me how you got on?"
    "Sure." Wyatt shook his brother's hand. This time, Steele didn't try to fracture every bone. "That'd be great."
    "See you then." Steele jerked a thumb over his shoulder, where Zane was cozying up with Chantal. "Say bye to the dickhead for me."
    "Shall do."
    "No worries." Steele paused. "With the redhead? Don't do anything I wouldn't do."
    Wyatt's nervous chuckle belied his nerves.
    Because what the hell would he do with Ashlin?

 
     
     
CHAPTER THREE
     
     
    "See that guy who's leaving?" Miranda elbowed Ashlin in the ribs. "The one by the door?"
    Ashlin craned her neck, catching a glimpse of dirty-blond hair and a designer suit. "Yeah, that’s Zane's brother, Steele."
    " That's Zane's brother?" Miranda's eyes widened. "Uh-oh."
    "Why? What happened?"
    Miranda gnawed on her bottom lip. "Uh…I may have called him an uptight prick."
    Ashlin winced. "Ouch."
    Miranda groaned. "How was I supposed to know the guy's practically Chantal's family?"
    "Chantal and Zane aren't married," Ashlin said, knowing it was a matter of time, her friend was that smitten with the hot Aussie.
    "But