1. Head vs. Cock

* * *

I appreciateda sexy news reporter with impressive cleavage, mile-long legs, well-thought out questions, and snappy comebacks as much as the next guy.

Didn't mean I wanted to fuck them.

Joe and I sat for an interview with Vera Hall in the conference room at Sizzle Golf Brands Headquarters. I forced myself to stay focused on her instead of the equally stunning view outside. Gorgeous, clear days like this where the bay sparkled like it was full of diamonds and the Golden Gate Bridge glowed in the sunshine were all too rare.

I missed the outdoors. Too much of my day was spent in front of a computer or in the lab lately. But these were exciting times for our company.

"Tell me what makes the Big Joe one of the best-selling golf clubs on the market this year?" Vera asked, crossing her legs.

The interview was a fluff piece, filler for the tech news section for San Francisco's highest rated biz show. Even so, I answered, highlighting the science behind our latest line of golf clubs.

Joe…well, was Joe, sitting one arm cocked behind the back of his chair with an arch of his brow and a smolder for the camera.

After ten years in business together, we had faith in what we each added into this partnership. I brought the science; he brought the personality, because like any successful business in the sports world, we needed a showman out front. Put him in one of our commercials, and he performed his best. Marketing? Hell yeah, he led that team like a badass, completely familiar with our targeted golf enthusiast market.

"Sizzle" Joe Reynolds, as the face of our golf products company, was one of the best and most recognized golfers of our time. He held a natural charm and affability that fans adored. But that was him.?Not me.

My role excelled behind the scenes. And I didn't really mind. I enjoyed golf, but not singularly like Joe. Plenty of other outdoor activities kept my interest, like hiking, fishing, and boating, because of our completely different upbringings: his in the spotlight since he was a preteen golf phenom, mine in the northwest, living a quiet small town life with our mom, and a different dad who taught me how to enjoy living off the land.

It wasn't until I graduated college that Joe and I got to know one another better. Now, we shared a strong brotherly bond, and I wouldn't trade the world for it.

Joe chuckled at my high-level explanation of the design for our latest club, The Big Joe. "Yeah, what he said. Look, I leave the technology up to my brother. All I know is, it's given me a huge advantage in my game. I'd probably win the Masters next year, using these clubs."

Vera's gaze sharpened, sensing a bigger story. "Are you saying you'll come out of retirement, Joe?"

"I just might."

I rolled my eyes. He was full of shit, his statement all for show. Molly would have him by the ears if he thought about returning to the pro circuit. One of the many things I admired about Joe was how he put his wife and kids first. And Molly, successful in her own right, did the as well. Theirs was a relationship unlike what Joe grew up with, and I admired him for trying to do better than his own father did with him.

"What's next for the company?" she asked.

"Well, I've taken an interest in what artificial intelligence can do for our clubs," I started, but Joe cut me off with another chuckle and a slap on my back.

"I think what my brother means is the Big Joe has been our most successful new product yet. And our team will take some time to enjoy our results."

I glanced side-eyed at him. Didn't he get copied on the same emails I received from marketing, clamoring for a follow up success? To bring our next new club out within two years meant we must get started now in research and development, and that's pushing it.

"And cut," Vera said, ending the interview. "Fantastic, thanks, guys." She stood, tugging her skirt down. "Good to see you again, especially you, Wyoming."

"Yeah, thanks." I turned away, hoping she would get the message.

"I have a meeting with marketing at two, but how about lunch first? I need to discuss something with you." Joe asked me as the camera person unhooked the wireless microphones from our shirts.

"Don't tell me you and Molly are having another kid?" The running joke between us aside, how the supposedly mystical waters at the lake in Steele Valley keeps Molly barefoot and pregnant, the two of them loved growing their family. Anyone could see that.

"Uh, no. Actually, we're talking about me getting, you know…snipped."

"Ew." I hissed in a breath, then saw an opportunity to poke him in the ribs about it. "So I take it the Big Joe is having a little problem with this?"

"Haha. Funny. How about steak at Lombardi's?"

"Let's not mention meat and a vasectomy in the same conversation."

"Let's not mention it at all. Three kids aren't enough. I'd like two more, but Molly says she's ready to claim her body back."

"Well, as much as I'd like to chat about your planned parenthood issues, I can't right now. I have a meeting with engineering soon, but let's chat later before you head back to Steele Valley. I want to show you my ideas for the next product."

"Yeah, about that… I'll stop by later," he said, slipping out of the boardroom. My forehead scrunched at his elusiveness, but I attempted to leave, too, before Vera caught up with me.

"If I recall, the last time I interviewed you, I was promised a drink." Too late. Her full, red lips tilted upward, and she batted her thick eyelashes, as if offering something beyond a beverage.

I paused, meeting her gaze with my own. Vera had always been flirtatious with me in previous interviews, and it would be so easy to take her up on her offer because she was…easy. But after a handful of years gaining a rich playboy reputation, I'd slowed down.

Sure, at first, hanging around more with my famous half-brother brought loads of women my way, but it wasn't long before I became a pretty good judge of character. Maybe it's age or the fact that my responsibilities at Sizzle Brands had grown, adding more stress to my life, but playing games with women faking who they were just to get close to me and Joe's stardom grew old fast.

Was it too much to ask to find someone who attracted me both physically and mentally? My dick no longer made the decisions when it came to women and had to be an equal partner with my brain.

I wanted the zing Joe had said he felt when he met Molly, but with a woman who could also challenge me in a mental match of wits while taking a bath together and nerding out on the latest black hole theories.

Vera, while sexy and playful, didn't hit any chords above my belt.

"I did, yeah, but my schedule lately is crazy. Another time?" I feigned regret.

Her shoulders fell. "That's too bad. I'm actually moving to New York City next week. I finally landed a position at a major network. Goodbye, California. Hello national news desk."

"Impressive and well-deserved, I'm sure. Congratulations."

"Thanks. You have my number. If you're ever in the city, call me. You can buy me a drink in the Big Apple."

With that, she left on the heels of the cameraman, her hips swaying in her body-hugging dress, her ass as hot as the rest of her. I bit back a groan at missing my chance to tap that, thanks to my new higher standards and relationship goals.

Damn, a meaningless fling would be fun though, but as I headed back into my office and faced the pile of research data to sort through on my desk, my cock took a back seat and settled in for a nap.

Besides, I'd studied what experts said about relationships, and one common thread appeared. While love at first sight happened to a few, statistics proved it took time to find the one. Given my schedule, time was the problem.

No sense thinking about it now, not when there's a giant white board lining one wall of my office, and a fresh set of dry-erase markers waiting for me on my desk. It always excited me to start on new ideas. I'd erased and washed the board this morning, clearing the deck for my mind to spread greatness across it in multi-colored ink. "Here we go."

One long, productive engineering meeting later, Joe stopped by my office as I cross-referenced new design aspects with our latest data.

"What's this? The Joe XL?" He asked, his eyes narrowing at the board now covered in scribbles and sketches, with circles and arrows in a crazy mind map.

"It's the nickname we've tagged for our next product. The Joe XL Driver. Look at this. With a little AI built into it, our initial estimates show we could improve the golf swings of our buyers by fifteen percent. There's this tech mogul, Heath Arnault, who has been testing new artificial intelligence connecting between the users and their products and it shows a lot of promise when it comes to…" I stopped.

Joe's eyes glazed over. He was smart, but didn't get into the details like I did for each product we developed. Besides, he had more money than he could spend in a dozen lifetimes, and tended more these days to his growing family in Steele Valley, leaving the product details to me and our team at Sizzle Brands on the west coast.

"Anyway, now that we finished the launch of The Big Joe, I'm eager to start on this latest idea."

"Whoa, dude. No bueno." Joe extended an arm between me and the board, nabbing the marker out of my hand. "Step away from the glossy white wall, please. We need to talk."

"What are you doing?" He pushed me toward a chair and I sat.

"I'm giving you an order to take time off." He crossed his arms, his expression the serious one I'd seen all too often while he studied a challenging shot on green. "All work and no play will burn you out before you know it. And not only are you my MVP in our company, but you're my brother, and I care about your well-being."

"I'm fine, I have vacation time planned. I'm scheduled for a long weekend of ocean fishing in August with Mitch."

"A weekend with your college drinking buddies is not the type of vacation you need."

"You're barely in the office these days. How would you know what I need?" I bristled at his patronizing tone.

I'd been looking forward to some time with my college roommate. Both of us majored in tech fields, only Mitch went to work for the FBI field office in San Francisco, while I got an even better job working with Joe. Although we never compared paychecks, I'd amassed a small fortune since Joe made me his partner in this company.

"Besides, I'm flying out to spend the fourth of July with you, Molly, and the kids in Steele Valley. That counts, too." I pointed out.

"You're in violation of company policy. Every five years, employees get a one month sabbatical, as a chance to pursue a passion project or renew the batteries." Leave it to him for injecting this type of thing into our HR handbook. "You've been with me ten years, congrats by the way, and you've yet to take one."

I snorted. "Honestly, I don't need it. I love working. I think Joe XL?—"

"—Will happen eventually. But June 1st, I want you to report to me in Steele Valley for a summer off."

"Joe, come on. You can't be serious."

"Um, if I recall correctly, the majority owner is still moi." His thumbs jabbed his pecs. "Sure, we're partners, but not equal. So as your boss, this is an order. Two months off."

"You said the sabbatical is one month," I sputtered.

"You didn't take your first one. Two months."

"Who will watch over things here? That's ridiculous."

"We have an excellent staff and we've all been pushing hard for two years to bring The Big Joe to the world. We've conquered it. Why not take a breather before we push ourselves and the team further? Hell, if Molly would let me take the kids to Iceland, I'd fly the entire team there to get away."

That was so like him to just up and go, finding the next adventure or wave to surf. Brought up in Southern California and a celebrity since he was a teen, to him, taking off at a whim wasn't a big deal. We were so different, and technically half-brothers, not really getting along until I was almost out of college, brought up by two very different fathers.

"Just have some fun. Take on a personal project or two. Go camping. I know how much you love the outdoors."

He wore me down with that because I did miss it, but I scanned over the whiteboard, chewing my cheek. "Joe, please."

"Trust me, when you come back, you'll thank me and be raring to go this fall with this new idea of yours, the Joe XL." He knocked on the whiteboard at the name in red ink in the center of it. "I like the name, by the way."

"Seriously, this is rid?—"

"Hey, Gotta go. My pilot's waiting at the hangar, and I promised Molly I'd be home before the kids' bedtime. See you in June." With his trademark shit-eating grin he was gone, and if I knew my brother well, having grown up a spoiled celebrity, there was usually no talking him out of these things.