I watched for three seconds. Maybe five. Then I left. I backed away before either of them saw me. I haven’t looked at that dryer the same way since.
The second cufflink slides into place, and I grab my jacket to head downstairs, where voices drift up from the living room.
Evan and Callum are already there with Tania. Evan is adjusting the clasp on her necklace, fingers brushing the back of her neck. She tips her head forward to give him better access. Callum’s hand rests on her lower back possessively.
They don’t react when I enter.
After the night they both fucked her, they stopped hiding that this is no longer a fake relationship for them. I can’t make them stop. I tried. And I can’t tell Ben about it. They’ve really put me in a terrible position.
I check my watch. “The car is here.”
The drive to the venue takes fifteen minutes through traffic that’s heavier than usual for a weeknight. Tania sits in the back between my brothers, and I take the front seat because, unlike my brothers, I still have respect for Ben’s wishes.
Through the rearview mirror, I catch Evan leaning close to say something that makes her laugh, and I force myself to look away.
The photographers are already waiting when we pull up.
Flashbulbs explode the second the driver opens the door. Tania steps out first, and I follow, offering my arm. She takes it without hesitation.
Callum and Evan trail behind us, close enough that the cameras catch all four of us in the same frame.
Questions get shouted from the press line.
“How’s married life?”
“Is it true you’re all?—”
I ignore them and guide Tania up the steps. Her hand tightens on my arm.
“Mr. Locke! A smile for the camera!”
I stop, turn, and pull Tania against my side.
She fits perfectly. Small. Warm. The dress is backless, and my palm lands on bare skin. I keep my face neutral, but my hand tightens on her waist.
“Show us a kiss! Just one!”
I’m about to decline, but Tania tilts her face up.
She studies me with those blue eyes.
And I realize: refusing her in front of fifty cameras would raise more questions than just doing it.
I bend down. I intend for the kiss to be brief. Chaste. Camera-friendly.
But her mouth is soft and warm. She makes this tiny sound—half-sigh, half-surprise—and my hand slides higher on her back, fingers spreading.
The kiss deepens. I forget where we are.
Her lips part, and her free hand comes up, resting against my chest.
I don’t know how much time has passed when I pull back.
The cameras go wild. My pulse is going wild. I can still taste her. And I’m hard, which is a problem, because of all the cameras.
Fuck.
I stand behind Tania, guiding her ahead of me to hide my arousal as best I can.
