“I did, an hour ago,” Cole says. “And from what I’m hearing, you didn’t tell Willow about it.”
“My personal life is?—”
“Is my business. It’s our business, Terrence. Your mother might’ve married our father, but that doesn’t make you a Morgan. You have to earn the title,” Cole snaps. “And this stunt you just pulled is embarrassing for you and you alone.”
Asher steps in. “You know what, Terrence? You already know I never liked you, but I’ll admit, I do appreciate you for not ruining Willow’s life by marrying her.”
“She was always too good for you,” Toby adds with a wry smile.
Suddenly, I’m flanked by all three Morgan brothers. As I take a deep breath, mixed scents of tobacco, sea salt, and Moroccan rose oil fill my lungs. The Morgan genes run deep, and it only goes to prove how fundamentally different they are from Terrence.
“We’ll be more than happy to show Willow what it’s like to be with a real Morgan,” Cole says.
“What?” I ask, a little dumbfounded as I look up at him.
His gaze locks onto mine, and for a moment, my heart just… stops. I’ve never seen him so determined, so imposing, so intense. Cole Morgan and his brothers always take up space, they always draw focus, and they always stand out. But tonight, I feel like I’m the most precious creature in their presence.
I feel like they just saved me.
“Well, given that Terrence wasn’t man enough to appropriately end your engagement, how about you let us be your dates tonight?” Asher asks.
Unlike Cole and Toby, Asher’s eyes are a midnight blue, and the more I look into that night sky, the harder it is to walk away. The silver specks in his wavy hair and his carefully trimmed beard give him a particular kind of distinction that makes my fingertips tingle.
I’d heard about their polyamorous lifestyle but convinced myself they were just rumors.
“Why settle for this guy when you can get the real Morgan experience in triplicate?” Toby chuckles and tucks a lock of hair behind my ear.
His touch alone is enough to ignite tiny fires down my spine as I respond with a shy, soft smile.
“It’s not the worst idea I’ve heard tonight.”
I can’t believe I just said that.
And neither can Sheila, judging by the coarse gasp that just escaped her skinny, slightly wrinkling throat. “What are you doing, Willow?”
“I dare say it’s none of your business, Sheila,” I casuallyreply.
This is madness. Getting dumped by William Morgan’s stepson, only to let myself get carried away by his three biological sons feels like something out of a scandalous Reddit thread. But I’m doing it. I’m so angry, so humiliated… it’s the only exit that makes sense.
Because I’ll be damned if I’ll let Terrence or his mother make me feel like I’m not good enough.
“That is a wise choice,” Cole tells me. “Why don’t we stop by the bar first?”
“Jamie’s got champagne for me,” I reply.
“He’s your business partner, right?” Asher asks, then curiously looks around. “Ah, he’s over by the buffet, discovering the Beluga caviar tarts. He seems happy.”
“Come on, let’s ditch these losers,” Toby says and nods away from Terrence, Katrina, and Sheila.
I can’t help but laugh as I join them.
I might regret it later, but for now, my heart’s fluttering, my stomach’s as tight as a marble, and my ego is bruised enough to warrant a little bit of the Morgan brothers’ comfort.
“You’d better not be stupid enough to think you can weasel your way into the Morgan family again,” Sheila calls out.
I glance over my shoulder. Terrence doesn’t seem too happy with this conclusion. Katrina looks awkward, as if she really did get stuck with the wrong guy. Sheila’s eyes throw daggers at my face.
Toby laughs. “Projecting a little too much there, Sheila.”
