“I’ll bring refreshments down once we hit cruising altitude, and I have some muffins and snacks ready for when you get hungry. I’m going to move back and give security a rundown of emergency procedures since you all know what to do. Hope, if you could fill Cole in, that would be great.”
The engines start to rev up, and we move down the runway, gaining speed with every yard.
After she’s done explaining the safety procedures, Hope leans closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. “Hey, just while everyone is distracted, I want to give you a heads-up. The Summers are a welcoming family and fantastic to work with, but if you fuck Jacinta over, expect to never work in this business again. So, before you do anything else, make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons. If you just wanted to say you nailed the heiress, well, congrats, you’ve done that. Walk away. But if you’re genuinely interested, tread lightly, because Jacinta has more issues than you will ever know. Get her to open up to you and learn everything about her if you want to stand a real chance.”
“Are you giving me your blessing?” I ask sarcastically, and she shrugs. We feel the plane launch itself into the air, and my stomach lurches slightly before settling back down.
“I think Jacinta needs you. Shane, Alex, and Jace are besotted. They will give her whatever she wants and treat her like she’s made of spun glass. I believe you will challenge her at every turn, and you’re obviously sexually compatible,” she replies matter-of-factly, and I can feel a tinge of a blush heat my cheeks.
Fuck, of course they talked about that.
“I’m not saying you have to marry the girl, and it’s complicated because she won’t give up the other three to be with you, so you need to be open-minded enough to willingly accept a multi-partner relationship. I figure if the Summers guys can do it, maybe you can too. But be aware this only goes one way. Don’t think just because she has multiple partners, you can. That’s something the two of you need to talk about, but I can’t see Jacinta being the sharing type. That girl loves too fiercely.”
I shake my head at the crazy redhead as my ears do funny things thanks to the altitude. “Even if I was interested in something like that, and despite what the other guys insist, Jacinta hasn’t shown any interest in me in that way.”
Hope chuckles. “Dude, you are fucking blind. You just have to walk into the room, and the sexual tension between the two of you ratchets up.”
“Fine, but it’s not just me I have to think about. I have Spencer and Hayden to consider as well.”
She raises an eyebrow. “So Hayden vetoes all your dates?”
“No, of course not.”
“Well, this is none of her business either. You’re not endangering your child, and he doesn’t even need to know anything unless your relationship starts to go anywhere. And if it does, Jacinta loves kids. I have it on good authority that her guys do too. All it will mean is he has some extra people in the house as he grows up. What’s the saying… It takes a village to raise a child. Well, you’d be giving him that.”
I’m quiet while I try to equalize my ears. “I’m just not sure about anything.”
“You’re spending the weekend with us. Take some time to think about it, but be sure. If not, step back. I can run interference between the two of you while this crazy plan plays out. After that, you won’t have to deal with her regularly since she’s decided to stick to designing—maybe only when it’s time for a new line or launch.” Hope clicks off her seatbelt and stands up.
“I don’t know about you, but I need coffee. I’m going to give Jilly a hand. She’s got a lot of people to serve, and she’s down a flight attendant because we’re a little bit gun shy on that at the moment.”
She squeezes past me and disappears toward the front of the plane, leaving me with a lot of things to think about.
ChapterTwenty-Two
Jacinta
Aknock on the door has me groaning and throwing the blankets over my head once more. Can’t a girl catch a break?
But when the door opens, it’s my sister, the nice one, not the annoying pain in the ass that Hope has become. “Jazzy, are you awake?”
“I am now,” I mumble back, and within moments, I feel her sit down on the bed beside me. She gently pulls the covers out of my hands and peels them back so I can see her. She’s wearing a gentle smile, but I can see the worry in her eyes.
“Hi, I just wanted to check on you. Here, I brought coffee.” She passes me the mug of caffeinated goodness. I carefully sit up, not flashing Harlow my tits unlike Cole this morning, and take it. Blowing over the top, I take a large sip and shudder as the coffee and caramel taste bursts on my tastebuds.
“You are a fucking goddess, and my brothers aren’t good enough for you,” I tell her, taking another large sip, and she chuckles, settling herself in the space next to me. She leaves me alone for a moment, but I know she’s just waiting for me to get a little more with it. At least she’s giving me that. I would have dived right in.
“How much longer do we have to go?” I ask her, stalling a little longer.
“About an hour. I thought you’d want to get it all out of the way so we can enjoy the rest of the trip.”
“How upset is everyone?” I quietly ask, and she turns her body and pats her hand on my arm.
“Nobody is, babe. What you do with your life is your business. If anything, they’re furious at that fucking Camilla.” She pauses for a moment. “I think they’re more confused than anything. We thought you were starting something with Jace, Alex, and Shane.”
“So I can only have three men while you get six?” I snap, and she snatches her hand back, the hurt on her face instantly making me feel guilty. I reach for her hand again, giving it a squeeze. “Oh, fuck, I’m sorry. I’m so hungover my head is throbbing. Did Cole and Hope not explain the situation?”
She shakes her head, biting her lip before she answers, “No, they said you needed to explain to everyone. But don’t fucking think that I haven’t noticed a change in you.” My hand involuntarily tightens around hers. “You’ve gone out more in the last week since I’ve known you. In fact, the only events you attended before that were the movie premiere—” I grimace at the reminder— “and the Neighpalm Gala. What the fuck is going on?”
