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Mark settled in to the seat across fro his briefcase on the table in front of hi around The plane taxied smoothly down the runway and was soon airborne Noof his sto to his feet as the plane cli with you and the luscious Emma?"

Brant scowled before he could stop himself "I don’t think that’s any of your business, and I’d appreciate it if you would stop hitting on her"

Mark grinned, completely unperturbed by his unfriendly tone "Ah, coriht now"

Mark swirled the liquid in the botto pensive "It always is when a woman’s involved Just a word of friendly advice: If you like the girl, then claiht not be as nice as I am"

"Nice? Give me a break, Mark; you and I both know that’s not a word that describes you where women are concerned"

Mark raised a brow "And yet there is never a shortage of willing participants Do you knohy?"

Brant waved a hand "Do tell"

"It’s because all of the nice guys like you stay safely on the fence, ensuring that there’s never a shortage for bastards like h to take the gloves off "If you can’t be with the one you loveget spanked by the one you’re with? Is that saying about accurate?"

"You have no idea," Mark drawled

"Oh, I think I do You know, send" Brant kneas taking things too far, but the stress of the last twenty-four hours, coupled with the threat of losing Emma to Mark, wasover and Mark was an easy target

"So how does soh as a child? Spanked too htenan explosion fro angry, Mark seeuy loved nothing better than a good debate Markhis legs on it, crossing his feet at the ankles "It sounds like you’ve given a lot of thought to mylifestyle As to how it started, pick your cliché, buddy I’ve got randdaddy issues just for good h I just love women"

Brant couldn’t contain his smirk "You mean, you love to tie up women and whip theirl a good ti smirk before he spoke "That depends on the woman I’ll just say, I’ve never had a woman who didn’t want to come back for seconds; I just rarely serve them It’s not all black and white, my friend I would think that with a brother like Declan and a sister like Ava, you’d know that better than anyone It appears that your family keeps just as many secrets as mine"

"Fuck you," Brantthat it was too late to warn the otherhis sister was more than he could bear to think of Ava was justa man who had loved and looked out for her for years Damn it, he should have never started this conversation

Mark chuckled "This all started with a simple question It’s notI won’t pursue E the question, you told h, if you care about her Trust et tired of someone who runs from the truth"

Brant looked at Mark in confusion, but the otheranswers to some unknown questions there Maybe he was completely off base with his assumption that Mark’s family caused him to be the way he was Maybe it was much more basic, more simple Could he have loved and lost someone? It happened every day and , though It would be so easy to lose Emma, especially with the uncertainty that Alexia had unleashed in his life Just the thought of it was enough to h his systeether until he had a clue as to what to do

"I totally love you, Ella--you know that, right?"

Oh God, was she slurring already? Emma wondered This was only her second--or was it third--drink? Beth had given them an update on Suzy earlier The first round had been to ease some of the sadness they all felt for someone as dear to each of thereeht now and she still fixed us this big-ass pitcher of ently at theirls really needed it You both looked like you were either fixing to cry or have a breakdown You are lass up in the air "I’ll drink to that If Brant had never done me with his sexy-ass body, I wouldn’t be in this condition I would be happily hating hi"

"Personality he has?" Beth added before falling over in laughter

"Itpersonality" When both Eaped at her, Ella’s face flamed "Well, he does," she lass, then added, "Nick’s no slouch in that area either When I finally got the release to have sex again after having Henry, I couldn’t walk right for a week Henry’s staying the night with the grandparents tonight, too, so when I go holed "I really should hate you right now I don’t even have a vibrator to go home to The Miami airport kept my pink rabbit for evidence I should have picked those pills off it and taken the da slobbered all over it, that would have been kind of gross"

"Did you want todo it nant?" Ella asked Beth