Marie Harte: Raising the Bar

“Sydney’s great.” She made his brother happy, and for that, Dylan loved her. It didn’t hurt that she also happened to be as beautiful on the inside as she was on the outside. Yet another great future sister-in-law to add to the family. “I don’t know about your house. She tells me to keep my big nose out of her business.” He’d overheard her tell Derrick to butt out several times. No lie there.

Natalie chuckled, and now that the stress of the meeting had faded, Dylan could see the woman had nice eyes. She was a little too businesslike for his taste, but he appreciated her quick mind and wide smile.

“I like your girlfriend. Tell her I’ll call her soon.”

“I will.” He turned, only to bump into Harper, and his entire body locked up.

“I’ll walk you out,” Harper said smoothly, his voice deeper than Dylan’s. Husky, sexy. And totally off limits for heterosexual Derrick.

Dylan took a step back and quirked a grin. “Sure thing, man. See you, Natalie.” Shit. He had to get away from this place and back to his office to change. He checked his watch. He had less than an hour before he had to meet his mother. It wouldn’t be good form to be late to lunch, dressed in Derrick’s attempt at business casual. Besides, he needed to don some metaphorical armor—his business dress and sports coat—because he had a bad feeling he knew what she wanted to tell him.

They left the office, and Dylan waved to Marly, who winked back at him.

He exited the building and had nearly reached his brother’s green SUV when Harper put a hand on his arm.

“Yeah?” Dylan asked gruffly as he turned and nearly bumped into Harper again. The man stood too close, caging Dylan between the vehicle and his body.

Harper smiled, and a sly expression passed over his face as he gave Dylan a less-than-subtle once-over. “You must be Dylan. Uncanny. You guys are identical.”

“Dude, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Dylan snorted and ignored the sweat beading on his brow despite the cold. Hell, he had a few patients who worked in the mayor’s office. If word of today got out, his reputation would take a serious hit. Grown men didn’t swap places with their sex-obsessed twins. “Gotta go. I’ll see you—”

“Tell you what. Why don’t we go back inside and ask Natalie what she thinks? Maybe you could tell her all about the faculties project we didn’t get to in the meeting.” Harper folded his arms across his chest and waited. He didn’t look amused.

“Oh, uh, that project.” Dylan shrugged. “I agree with you. We’re on the same page, man. Don’t sweat it.”

Harper raised a brow. “That’s odd, because the faculties project doesn’t exist. I just made that up.”

“I knew that. I was messing with you.” Dylan needed to leave. Now. “You going to move or what, Harper?”

“What’s my last name?”

“Dumbass?”

Harper chuckled and stepped closer. They stood practically on top of each other, and Dylan swallowed hard. “Yeah, and there’s that,” Harper murmured with what sounded like satisfaction.

“What?”

Harper licked his lips. “ That. In all the time I’ve known Derrick, he’s never looked at my mouth like he wants to fuck it.”

Dylan flushed. He tried to back away and found himself ass-up against the SUV. “I’m not sure what you mean. I, ah—”

“Come on. I know you’re not Derrick.”

Dylan groaned, because damn if he could stop thinking about fucking Harper’s mouth. So not professional, and worlds away from his brother’s personality. “It was that obvious I wasn’t Derrick?”

“Not to anyone who doesn’t really know him. I pay attention to the details. Your brother is a lot more fidgety than you. Too much nervous energy. And he’s never worn a watch. Ever. The guy is not obsessed with time.”

“Hell.” Dylan hadn’t thought anyone would notice. He went nowhere without his watch. Unlike his twin, he’d been born punctual. Two minutes before Derrick, in fact. “You’re not going to mention this to Natalie, are you?”

“Not if you explain it to me.” Harper didn’t move.

“You’re in my personal space.”

“I know.” That smoldering look Dylan couldn’t ignore.

He coughed and hoped Harper wouldn’t notice the erection he didn’t think the jeans masked.

So of course Harper backed up a pace and glanced at his crotch before meeting Dylan’s gaze with a smirk. “So what’s it going to be? I go in and tell Natalie you and Derrick are swapping places? It took Derrick a long time to get in her good graces. If she thinks she’s been played, she won’t like that. She’ll probably pull the deal. Or you can explain it right now.”

“I can’t.”

Harper turned to go, and Dylan grabbed his arm. “Wait! Okay? I lost a bet. I’d explain further, but I literally can’t tell you now, because I have a business appointment I can’t miss in another…” he looked at his watch, “…forty minutes that’s all the way across town. Unlike Derrick, I’m always on time. And I can’t miss this. I promise to tell you all about it later.”

Harper pursed his lips. “Hmm. Later, huh? Over dinner?”

“Sure. Yes. Dinner.” Whatever he wanted. Dylan had to go.

“Give me your number.” Harper pulled out his cell phone.

Dylan rattled off his phone number and Harper punched in the numbers.

“I’ll text you directions to the place,” Harper murmured. “It’s on the Hill, a nice place I think you’ll like…Doctor Warren.”

“Hell. You know who I am.” Great. Dylan could envision his clients, who came to him to help them solve their problems, learning that he’d swapped places with his brother to fool the city planner. What a wonderful note to put on his résumé. Immature? Check. Idiotic? Double check.

“I always look into the people Natalie hires. We’re all about avoiding scandal.”

Dylan suddenly recalled the last mayor’s abrupt exit from office, when several unapproved drains on the city’s budget had come under fire. Rumors of escort services and questionable use of government funds came to mind.

Harper added, “You Warrens are pretty popular in social circles and especially with this administration since you’ve done so much work for the city. Your brothers have a reputation. Gage is almost as bad as the, and I quote, ‘sexy Warren twins’.”

Dylan sighed. “Text me the directions and I’ll be there. Six okay?”

“Fine. See you then, Doc.” Harper left whistling, and Dylan decided that, bet or no bet, he planned on punching his brother as soon as the moron returned from his weekend away.

Conscious of losing valuable time, Dylan hurried into his brother’s SUV, now wondering why they’d bothered to swap their vehicles in the first place. He pulled out of the lot and drove in a hurry to his office. There, he changed into true business casual—khaki slacks, a button-down shirt, dress shoes, and his favorite cologne. He grabbed a sports coat from the coat rack, donned it, and hastened back into the SUV, now confident in his professional armor.

Twenty minutes later, after scrounging for a parking spot, he entered The Green Man, his mother’s favorite restaurant, and allowed the host to escort him to her table, expecting to find her alone.

“Dylan.” James Kincaid, his mother’s partner and the reason for Dylan’s constant headache, smiled up at him.

“You’re right on time.” His mother smiled as well and accepted his kiss on her cheek.

“James. Mom.” He should have known better than to think she’d make the meeting easy on him. Then again, perhaps with James present, she wouldn’t pester Dylan about his lack of a social life. “Although, this is a working lunch. Should I say Doctors Kincaid and Warren?”