The Best Thing Read Online Free PDF Page B

you’ve ever had a bad week here.” Ethan handed her a file. “We treat you like the queen you are.”
    Tori snorted. “You’re all a giant pain in my butt. I have to drink heavily on the weekends just to survive this job.”
    Wyatt rolled his eyes. “Yeah, you’re so mistreated around here. I don’t know how you bear it.”
    “It’s true,” she said. “The things I must suffer for a pittance of a paycheck.”
    “Speaking of that pittance,” Wyatt said. “It’s time for your annual review. I guess one of us will have to do that.”
    “I was going to mention it.” She looked at her laptop. “Ethan did it last year.”
    “We usually rotate. I did it the year before,” Wyatt said. “So that means Brody’s up.”
    Brody had been busy going through safety guidelines for his current job and had only been paying half attention. “I’m up for what?”
    “Tori’s annual review,” Wyatt told him.
    “Oh.” He looked over at Tori, whose smile suddenly died.
    “If you don’t have time, I’m sure one of the other guys can handle it,” she said, looking hopeful.
    “I have time.” He scanned his schedule on his laptop. “Let’s do it Friday. That’ll give me a few days to go over things with Wyatt and Ethan, and if your performance sucks, it’s a good day to fire you.”
    Ethan snickered. “Great idea. Friday’s always perfect for a pink slip. We could even take you out for drinks.”
    “Oh. Margaritas. I’ll alert Calliope,” Wyatt added. “You know, just in case things don’t go well for you.”
    Tori glared at him. “You are so not funny. None of you are. In fact, you all suck.”
    Brody laughed. “Now you’re going to be nervous all week long, aren’t you?”
    “Not at all. The ones who should be nervous are the three of you. I’m half tempted to go find another job. And then what would you all do? Why should I put up with this abuse every day?”
    “Because we’re your family?” Ethan asked. “Because we’re like your annoying brothers who you can’t help but love?”
    Her gaze shot to Brody. “You are definitely not my brothers.”
    “Definitely not,” Brody said. He knew their parents had taken her under their wing and unofficially adopted her as family when she’d hired on at Kent Construction four years ago, barely twenty-two years old at the time and with no family to speak of. She’d been quiet but efficient, and as soon as she’d grown comfortable with the family she’d become brassy and opinionated and they’d all fallen crazy in love with her.
    Well, not in love, love. Just...
    Hell, he didn’t even know what he was thinking anymore where Tori was concerned. And that kiss the other night still hung on his lips, unforgettable as hell.
    He wanted more. He wanted her.
    At least she was semi-sort-of talking to him again, though it was only about work-related stuff. But still, that was a breakthrough. Now if he could just get her to talk to him about important issues, like why she’d stopped the kiss when he’d thought it was going so well. There was serious heat between them, they got along well, he teased her, she shot back with some barb. It was a great relationship. He had no idea why she wouldn’t want to take it to the next level.
    He understood that he was her boss, but she had to understand he’d never jeopardize her job. She’d always have that. Hell, they’d be lost without her.
    Maybe that was the holding point for her. He’d have to talk to her about that. Maybe after they did her review on Friday, he’d take her out for drinks, in a non-work environment and they could discuss her reservations about the two of them.
    * * *
    Tori pushed aside the thought of sitting with Brody for her review the entire week. In fact, by Friday, she’d totally forgotten about it. Being busy always helped with forgetting things she liked to forget, like that kiss they’d shared.
    Okay, maybe she hadn’t forgotten that. Maybe she thought about it every night as she