“How did you know what kind of woman I was?” I ask, genuinely curious. They seem to know a lot more about me than I do about them.
Cole gives me a cool smile. “Remember, your social media profiles are public.”
“But that just skims the surface; it’s barely a façade,” I reply.
“Not with you. You’re genuine. I could tell from what you post on a daily basis: things that interest you, inspire you: design, theater, great music, and various social and political issues that most women in their twenties know or care little to nothing about. It doesn’t take a forensic psychologist to recognize your depth, Willow. Give yourself a little more credit.”
For a moment, I’m stunned, imagining Cole late at night, scrolling through my social media, discovering me, studying me, showing interest in what gets my mind ticking.
It turns me on.
“Refill?” I ask Asher, and he gladly obliges before he orders a second bottle.
The champagne flows freely, the floral spirit working its way through my system and gradually loosening every knot in my body, including the ones in my tongue.
“Yeah, so Terrence was just not what I expected at first. I kept thinking, hoping it would get better. There were so many things I overlooked because his attention flattered me for some reason, until I realized that marrying him would’ve held me back.”
“But he beat you to the punch by calling it off,” Cole sighs. “And he chose to do it publicly to humiliate you.”
“You stepped in, though. I did not see that coming.”
“We had no other choice. Not with you, Willow. You’re too special to let someone like Terrence mistreat you in any way,” he says.
I can’t help but blush as I finish the last of my Italian-style bruschetta bites. “Well, I’ll admit, I didn’t mind getting asked out by three of New York’s finest,” I tell them. “Even now, I consider myself fortunate to be in your company. I’m pretty sure I bagged the handsomest guys in this theater.”
“And we’re just getting started,” Toby says, stretching his legs underneath the table until his rock-hard calves brush against mine. I can feel them through the fabric of his slacks, and the sensation causes a hum deep within my core as our gazes lock.
I feel his brothers’ eyes on us, too. I can almost hear it. The whispered promise of what’s to come.
“You said your parents died when you were little,” Cole says, lowering his voice as the lights go off and the waitress clears our table, leaving only the drinks and the dessert menus to check during intermission. “I’m sorry you had to grow up without them. It couldn’t have been easy.”
“At least I didn’t get lost in the foster system,” I replywith a shrug. “My aunt Mary took me in, raised me like her daughter. She never wanted kids, being so focused on her career?—”
“Mary Woodrow, right, the marketing mogul?” Toby raises an appreciative eyebrow. “I took one of her seminars at Hudson University a few years back, just to brush up on the basics for my up-and-coming bike shop. The woman knows her stuff.”
“Oh, she spearheaded several major campaigns for some huge clients, Meta and Amazon among them,” I say with a broad smile. “But she still made time for me and she made sure I was well taken care of while she was away, too. It got lonely sometimes, I’ll admit, but Mary loved me unconditionally. She still does.”
“There’s plenty to love in a woman like you. And given the way you’ve handled yourself in a very competitive business environment, I’m pretty sure she’s proud of you and then some,” Asher states.
“She is,” I say. “We talk once in a while and I bring her up to speed. She books dinner for us at the Ritz whenever she’s in town. I haven’t told her about the loss of clients since the charity gala, though.”
Asher shakes his head slowly. “All we can do is apologize on Sheila’s behalf. She can be a nightmare sometime, a gratuitous, fucking nightmare.”
“You have nothing to apologize for,” I say, my brow furrowing slightly. “Here’s to hoping she’ll get over it sooner rather than later, especially now that I’m organizing Terrence and Katrina’s wedding.” I chuckle. “It’s not what I had on my bingo card for this Christmas, I’ll say that much.”
Cole narrows his eyes, staring at his glass for a moment. “I do wonder what her endgame is. With hiring you, that is. There is an endgame, for sure.”
“Dominance, perhaps? Her way to prove she has the power to make or break me,” I surmise with a casual shrug. “I’ll rise to the challenge, but I hope Terrence or Katrina won’t be the stuff of nightmares for the next few weeks.”
“You don’t need to worry about that,” Toby says with unshakable confidence. “Our little stepbrother knows not to piss us off.”
“Let me guess. You three keep him in line.”
“We do a lot more when needed,” Toby admits.
When Rita takes the stage, we’re two bottles of champagne in and infinitely more relaxed than when we started. I’ve learned enough about Cole, Asher, and Toby to respect them even more—not just for swooping in the way they did, but for treating me so well and making me feel like I’m the only girl in the world.
Rita soon captures our attention with her sensual choreography and dazzling accessories. Diamonds and rubies glisten across the corset, her hips swaying to the smooth music, her long legs taut with every stretch, as her stilettos cast a reflection over the luscious, black floor.
