“What’s your name?”
“Did you bring any presents?”
“Are you going to cook?”
“Enough!” Blade roared at them. They paused then swarmed him too. Blade play fought with his little brothers.
I didn’t really consider myself a kid person, but there was something endearing about watching Blade, a man who I had only known as the unflappable corporate leader, being playful and fun with the children. It warmed my cold, scheming heart.
The people whose hearts did not look warmed were Blade’s older brothers. They stood in the wide doorway to the large formal dining room, watching us.
“Is there some reason,” his brother Greg inquired, gray eyes narrowed, “that you brought your assistant home this weekend?”
This was it. Were they going to buy what we were selling?
“There has already been an epidemic in Harrogate of my half brothers sleeping with their assistants,” Greg continued. “Please do not inform me that you have chosen to join their ranks.”
“Not me!” Archer called. “Hazel and I have a completely kosher relationship.”
Blade’s brothers watched as I followed him to the dining room.
“This is Avery. Avery, I believe you’ve met many of my brothers at one point or another. Avery is the woman I’m going to marry.”
The house went dead silent. Even his little brothers, who had been chattering to him about their week and about what sounded like a goat, stopped talking and looked between us.
“You proposed to your assistant?” Greg hissed.
“Not yet, but I plan on it. So don’t be shocked when it happens,” Blade said, jaw set stubbornly.
Garrett turned on me. “Did you blackmail him? What do you want, money?”
“Did he send you nude photos? Just let her release them,” Archer insisted to Blade.
This was not going well.
“She is not blackmailing me,” Blade barked. “I am in love.”
Dang, we were doing this now, huh.
“Yes, darling,” I stroked his arm.Cringe.“I love you very much.” The last time I had proclaimed love to a fake boyfriend, he had turned into Nathan the stalker.
“You don’t love her,” Hunter scoffed. “You barely even know her.”
“Weston, did you know about this?” Garrett demanded.
Blade’s cofounder looked hurt and confused. I looked to Blade. Would he crack?
He didn’t.
“It was very sudden,” he said smoothly. “We spent a number of late nights together at the office. We were going to keep it a secret, but then Greg mentioned needing to put on a show of family values for the Harris & Schultz contract. This seems more prudent than letting Weston scrape up some woman from a club.”
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me,” Weston said. “We tell each other everything.”
Even I felt terrible at the devastated expression on Weston’s face.
“I’m telling you now. You don’t tell me about all your conquests,” Blade countered.
Weston blew out a sigh. “Yes, but you’re going to propose to her.”
