I tilted my face upward for a kiss, but Harrison pulled me up from my chair and pressed me against his chest, then kissed the fuck out of me in front of everyone. I closed my eyes as heat spread from between my legs up to my chest and higher till it reached my cheeks. I wouldn’t be surprised if I was the envy of every woman in the room.

“Hello, gorgeous.” His voice was warm and sexy, a lethal combination.

Harrison sat down and waved the waitress over. Not that he needed to, because she was hovering just a few yards away, her mouth open as she gawked at us. He ordered a salad wrap and green vegetable juice, as if he were completely at home and the furthest thing from an omnivore.

“Wearing a uniform today, big brother? You haven’t worn one of those since you were promoted. You said you hated wearing it—”

A sheepish grin spread over Harrison’s face. “Wearing a uniform is optional. I just wanted to see if mine still fit me.”

Jade laughed, holding her belly as her body shook. “Is that right? I think it’s so that you can see women swooning over you.”

Harrison chuckled. “Is it working?” He looked directly at me, waiting for my answer.

“Hmmm. I think most of these women wouldn’t mind if you arrested them.”

Covering my hand with his, Harrison smiled. “I’m not asking about the other women. I want to know if it’s working for you.”

Suddenly it was hot in the room, so I took a sip of my smoothie to buy time. Thankfully, the waitress saved me from embarrassing myself by bringing our food to the table. I couldn’t help noticing how she practically had her breasts in Harrison’s face, and Jade and I made big eyes at one another. I stifled a giggle.

“You should wear your uniform more often. The girls like it,” I said, avoiding his question. If I had to be honest with him, the best part of him wearing a uniform would be that I’d get to take it off, but I wasn’t going to tell him that.

We made small talk as we ate. It was enlightening to see the relationship between Jade and Harrison when Ryder wasn’t around to piss the cop off. It was clear to me that he loved his sister very much and had always been her protector from the stories they shared. I’d never realized just how close they had been as children.

While we waited for our coffee and dessert, Jade pushed to her feet. “The pressure on my bladder is terrible today. I need to go pee again.” Harrison pulled her chair back, and we both watched as she disappeared into the ladies bathroom.

“I hope this pregnancy goes smoothly.” Harrison’s face was serious, and he wore a small frown between his brows. Just like that, his mood had flipped. “I couldn’t bear if something happened to her again. This time I’m going to be a better brother.”

Silence fell between us before he turned to me and grabbed hold of my hand, catching me off guard with the sadness clear on his face and in his eyes. “Will you help me, Eva?”

His plea was simple yet so genuine that my heart squeezed as it ached for him. How could I refuse such a heartfelt request?

“You have to help yourself first.”

He looked at me with a perplexed expression. “How?”

Twisting a lock of hair between my fingers, I thought for a long moment before I answered. This wasn’t easy, and I wasn’t really sure exactly how I could help. I pulled my hand form under his and laced my fingers together on my lap.

“I always wished for siblings. It’s tough being an only child with two parents who worked as hard as mine did. It hit me especially hard when my mother died.” I paused, thinking about my losses. My heart still ached whenever I let my mind wander to my past. “You and Jade are lucky to have one another, and I was lucky to gain a new brother, even though it didn’t happen during my childhood, when having a brother would have been amazing.”

“I know I don’t always show it, but family is the most important thing to me. But when my darkness overwhelms me, I become a little crazy. I don’t know if I’ll ever forgive myself for what happened to Jade’s baby.”

I let out a long, slow breath before I spoke. “It was Ryder’s baby, too. I will help you, but only if you can be mature enough to accept that they are a couple, and that you hating Ryder kills your sister.” My mouth went dry, but now that I’d started I couldn’t stop talking. “That stress alone is bad for her. If you can handle me telling you the truth and then do something about it, I can help you. Otherwise I’m afraid you may just repeat the pattern. Maybe not in the exact same way, but as long as there is tension, it poses a risk to Jade and her pregnancy.”

Harrison brushed his hand through his hair. “What you say makes perfect sense. I never thought of it like that. Fuck, I’m a mess.”

I smiled at him. “I wouldn’t go that far . . . there is hope for you. Just being aware of the problem and looking for a solution is a great start.”

“You’re a smart woman, Eva Ryder.”

“Most of the time. Sometimes I can do dumb things too, just like everyone else.”

“It takes a brave person to admit that.”

I chuckled and took a long sip of my smoothie. “How did this conversation become about me? I thought we were talking about you.”

“Ahhh, I’d much rather talk about you. You are far more interesting.”

Jade returned to the table, rubbing her hand over her stomach as she sat down. “That feels better. Now I have room for the next course.”

Chapter 5 — Harrison

Eva was the smartest and sexiest woman I’d ever met. She wasn’t afraid to speak her mind, and she didn’t sugarcoat her opinions, either. The fact that she could pinpoint my problem so accurately didn’t really surprise me, although her words hit me hard.

How I was going to make peace with Ryder being a part of my future and family was a problem tougher than I was willing to admit. It wasn’t a switch I could just turn on at will. Granted I didn’t hate him as vehemently as when I just met him, but it was unlikely I’d ever become friends with the biker. We were just too fucking different.

“I turn my back and you become all serious again.” Jade was sharp. As usual, she could read me pretty well. There wasn’t much I could hide from her.

“We were just discussing something important.”

“What? Is it about me? I noticed how you both went quiet when I returned to the table. That’s usually a dead giveaway that people were talking about you.”

Eva quickly spoke up. “Oh no, it’s nothing like that. Harrison just asked my opinion on something and I—”

God, this woman was more than amazing. She was trying to bail me out, and I loved her for it, but it was time to tell Jade the truth. I cleared my throat before I started. “Sis, I worry about you. I don’t know where to begin to apologize for what happened before.” I choked on the words, so I took both her hands in mine while I composed myself. Rubbing circles on her icy-cold hands, I was aware of her shallow breathing as she sat frozen.

It was at that moment the waitress brought our coffees and desserts to the table. Dropping Jade’s hand, I sat back and waited for the girl to set it all down in front of us. She must have sensed that something was going on because she didn’t flirt with me like she had done before. I thanked her and gave her a small smile. The tension at our table was thick, and I couldn’t wait for her to leave so I could talk to Jade.

Why I’d chosen this moment to apologize I wasn’t sure. I only knew I couldn’t let another minute pass without at least trying to fix things between us. Although Jade had always been polite since she’d lost her baby, she was definitely more reserved when she was in my company and certainly a little cautious. It dawned on me that when Ryder was around, she made a point of hiding from me and placing him between us.