Read Online The Heat Is On (Boston Five Book 1) by Poppy J. Anderson - Free Book Online

having walked away with a black eye—she would always remain his little sister. Sometimes he felt like cursing his parents for teaching their sons to take care of their sister.
    “Why is Hayden no longer wearing your ring?”
    He flinched inwardly, and clamped his teeth together so Kayleigh wouldn’t notice how that had shocked him. He hadn’t even been paying attention at the station, so he didn’t know whether Hayden was still wearing the ring he’d given her. He’d discovered it and bought it for her in a tiny jewelry shop after looking for the perfect one for weeks. Buying the house and paying for the remodeling material had devoured every last cent of his savings, so he’d pawned his motorcycle to buy her the pretty diamond ring. The thought that she might not be wearing it anymore made his throat burn.
    He remained outwardly calm, however, and shrugged indifferently. “She can do whatever she wants.”
    “So you wouldn’t mind if she met another man?”
    The day he got wind of that, he’d probably drink himself into a stupor, but he didn’t tell his sister that. Instead, he said tersely, “Why should I?”
    “But—”
    “Listen, Kayleigh, I was the one who broke up with Hayden, so she can do what she wants. It’s none of my business anymore.”
    She blinked incredulously, and Heath couldn’t blame her. He was usually an incredibly jealous person, so his attitude was bound to utterly confuse her. “I don’t know what’s wrong with your brain all of a sudden, but if I were you, I’d get it fixed as soon as possible.”
    “Kayleigh, shut up,” he growled.
    “No, I won’t. I always thought you’d go berserk at the thought of another man hitting on Hayden, and now you’re not even mildly concerned about it?”
    “Isn’t that the purpose of breaking up? You don’t have anything to do with each other anymore.” He grabbed his beer glass and emptied it in one large gulp.
    “God, you are such an asshole,” she replied coldly. “Hayden is part of the family! You’ve been together forever.”
    “But we aren’t anymore,” he insisted, his voice harsh and grating even to his own ears. He hoped that was enough to make her stop going on about his broken relationship. It wasn’t just the topic itself that was getting to him; it was also the sheer disgust in his sister’s eyes when she looked at him.
    “You’re going to regret this one day …”
    Heath shook his head. “You’re repeating yourself.”
    “If you go on acting like this, it won’t be long until she meets another guy. Do you really want to stand by and watch a new guy move into your dream house?”
    It took all his strength not to crush the glass in his hand. “Hayden told me today that she wants to sell the house. So it’s unlikely she’ll live there with her new man.”
    Groaning, his sister shook her head. “But it is your house. Both of yours. You can’t let her sell it.”
    “I’ve had it, Kayleigh, so you better listen to me now.” He looked her straight in the eye, hoping to look grim enough to make her drop it. “Hayden and I are going separate ways. We don’t live together anymore, and we won’t be getting back together. Never. She gets it, so it’s time you wrap your head around it, too. And while you’re at it, you can tell our brothers to drop the subject, too.”
    She snorted indignantly. “They’re your problem, not mine!” When her fist hit the bar, the barman shot her a curious glance, but then he turned back to wiping glasses. “If you don’t like them being worried about you, you can talk to each of them yourself.”
    “Worried?” he echoed derisively, leaning back on his stool. “My little brother cornered me in the grocery store and then had the nerve to ask me about my sex life!”
    Kayleigh glared at him. “Did you really sleep with other women?”
    Heath ran a hand through his hair in irritation. “That is none of your goddamn business! What gives you the right to ask me a thing