Free Torn Between Two Brothers by Cathryn Fox Page A

“I’d
totally be content to have him around only on weekends—Lord knows I
like my space—but I know you want more out of a relationship and
you shouldn’t have to settle for anything less.”
    “It’s just
that…”
    “Come on,
Lauren. It’s hump day, and you’re sitting at a bar having cocktails
with me,” she paused, gave a sassy wink, then added, “Instead of
having… cocktails , with him.”
    Lauren took a
big gulp of her drink, and when her head wobbled slightly—the
alcohol hitting her hard since she hadn’t stopped working long
enough to grab dinner—she decided it was time to call it a night.
But before she made her way to the train, she needed to walk the
three blocks to Adam’s place and take care of Nate, the mischievous
feline that Adam’s brother, Garret, had left in his care while he
was away racing. Adam planned to kennel the cat during the
weekdays, but Lauren didn’t mind seeing to his needs every few days
and suspected Garret would prefer it that way, too. As she thought
about Garret, she found it hard to believe that she’d been dating
Adam for eight months and had yet to meet his brother, especially
seeing how close the two guys were. Adam talked about his brother
so much, Lauren felt as if she already knew him.
    The door behind
them banged open and they both turned in time to see Blake Canyon
the hospital’s newest intern—a guy who had all the single girls,
and some of the not-so-single girls, tripping over their tongues.
He entered and looked around, his sexy glance brushing over Shiloh,
the heat in his eyes enough to melt her surgical equipment.
    “Speaking of
hump day,” Shi said, her eyes returning his smoldering gaze with
interest.
    Chuckling, and
deciding she’d had enough, Lauren slid her glass along the mahogany
bar top, dropped a few bills onto the counter and grabbed her coat
from the back of her stool.
    “Coming?” she
asked as she shrugged into her knee length wool jacket and wrapped
her knitted scarf around her neck.
    “Soon, I hope,”
Shi said with a grin and it didn’t take a brain surgeon to know the
subject had once again dipped south. On that cue Lauren grabbed her
purse and briefcase and made her way outdoors while Shiloh picked
up her drink and disappeared into the crowd.
    The cool wind
wrapped around Lauren’s body and she tightened her scarf around her
neck as the winter’s first snow began to dust the city’s sidewalks.
Large flakes danced under the streetlamps and glided silently to
the ground. Lauren slowed her steps and absorbed her surroundings,
taking in the beauty of the night as well as all the couples who
were out for a romantic, evening walk. As she inhaled the crisp
evening air, she felt a pang of loneliness inside her, and wished
Adam was by her side, there to hold her hand, touch her intimately
and enjoy the gorgeous night with her.
    She blinked a
fat snowflake from her lashes and hustled down the sidewalk, not
wanting to dwell on those disheartening thoughts any longer. A few
minutes later she pushed open the door to Adam’s condo, and nearly
tripped over a purring Nate as he wrapped himself around her
legs.
    “Hey boy.”
Lauren dropped her briefcase on the floor, patted the furry feline
and asked, “Hungry?”
    Nate purred
louder and when she glanced up and noticed the shredded newspaper
strewn across the hardwood floors she laughed and tapped his nose.
“I think we need to get you a friend of the opposite sex to keep
you entertained during the weekdays.” Lauren couldn’t help but
think she could use the same thing.
    At that
scandalous thought she flicked the hall light on and went straight
to the kitchen. She dropped her purse onto the counter and prepared
his food. After refilling his bowl and refreshing his water, she
wandered around the quiet apartment and cleaned up Nate’s mess. She
picked a sofa pillow up off the floor and pressed it to her nose.
The warm earthy scent of Adam impregnated the fabric and raised