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side of a breakfast bar that
separated the kitchen from the living room. The countertops were
black granite and the appliances were stainless steel, the dark
walnut cabinets tall.
    In the living room, the leather and walnut
furnishings, including the end tables, coffee table, as well as a
bookshelf, looked comfortable and masculine. The bookshelf was
filled with books, Native American pottery and art, and a
houseplant. Even though a fire wasn’t in the large stone fireplace,
just its presence seemed to warm the room. Everything was clean and
dust-free, likely thanks to Penny.
    “Ms. DuBois?” A man’s voice jerked Erika out
of her thoughts.
    And straight to the green eyes of a gorgeous
man who caused her to draw in her breath. There was no doubt in her
mind that this must be Dawson’s cousin. The resemblance was so
strong they could have been brothers.
    “I’m Holden Kennedy.” He smiled and she lost
her tongue. He reached out his hand as she stood. “I apologize for
making you wait.”
    “It was no problem at all.” She managed to
get a grip on herself as she got to her feet and gave him her best
attempt at a professional smile. “Call me Erika.”
    He gripped her hand firmly and his smile made
him breathtakingly sexy, and she wanted to climb all over him. He
gave a nod and released her hand. “So glad you could make it,
Erika.”
    “So am I.” She breathed out the words, her
mind heading to places it really shouldn’t be going. Like back down
to the floor to where she’d just imagined herself with Dawson, only
this time with Holden.
    Where Dawson had been dressed in rugged
outdoor clothing, Holden wore a tailored suit and looked as
professional as any businessman she’d ever met. But he still had a
primal look in his eyes as he studied her, and it was as if he was
reining himself in.
    Holden, too, had dark hair as well as the
shadow of a beard, but wasn’t nearly as scruffy as Dawson. She
would have liked to see what was beneath that suit jacket.
    He raised his eyebrow as she assessed him,
and for a moment she was almost embarrassed at so blatantly
checking him out. But instead she kept her expression as calm as
possible.
    “About time you made it, cuz.” Dawson’s voice
drew her attention and her breath caught.
    He’d dressed in a suit much like Holden’s and
looked equally as sophisticated. The wolf prints running along the
side of his neck, disappearing into his collar, gave him an air of
mystery. Sophisticated and feral all at once.
    “We’d be better off taking a truck than a
car. We can take mine.” Dawson walked to the coat rack. “It’s
coming down out there.”
    Erika let him help her slip her coat on and a
shiver trailed her spine as his fingers brushed her bare neck. She
turned and worked on keeping her expression fixed, afraid he’d see
the desire that flared up in her just from that slight touch. He
gave her a look that told her he’d felt the same thing she had.
    She brushed it off as he reached for the door
handle. Ice-cold air invaded the warmth of the house the moment he
opened the door, the iciness hitting her full in the face. She
stiffened as Holden put his fingers at the base of her spine and
walked beside her as they went outside to Dawson’s truck. She
didn’t want to admit it, but even through the coat Holden’s touch
affected her much as Dawson’s had.
    Damn. This wasn’t good. She was attracted to
not one, but two of her clients, who happened to be cousins. She
had to get herself together and not let her hormones get the best
of her.
    ***

Chapter 4
    When they walked into the fine Italian
restaurant, the warm smells wafted past Erika and hunger pangs made
her realize she hadn’t eaten since she’d caught a bite at La
Guardia before her flight left. They checked their coats before
being escorted to their table.
    Once she was seated, Holden took the chair to
her left and Dawson took the one to her right. They chose the Carpaccio as an appetizer and a red wine from