“Actually, I was invited to this event, remember?”
“Yeah, and you told me you weren’t coming.”
“I changed my mind.” Fallon studied my face for a moment longer than necessary, his teasing expression slipping into something more serious. “Can’t a guy check on his sister? I wanted to make sure everything was all right.”
I sighed. “Of course, you can check on me, but I really am good.”
He nodded. “Okay.”
Footsteps echoed in the hall, and Jase and Dylan appeared in the doorway. They were both in tuxes, and my brain short-circuited for a second.
Wow.
Jase’s jacket fit him as if it had been tailored specifically to show off his muscular shoulders and arms, and Dylan’s bow tie gave him a classically handsome vibe. Both of them looked like characters straight out of a Bond movie.
And I couldn’t stop staring.
“I think she might be drooling.” Rhett chuckled.
“I am not.” I touched the corner of my lips to be sure.
Fallon laughed. “Your eyes were nearly popping out of your head.”
“I’m allowed,” I said. “They’re both ridiculously attractive.”
Jase grinned. “Thanks, Princess.”
Fallon’s attention shifted to them, and he stuck out his hand to Dylan. “If either of you hurt her, it won’t matter that your brother is my best friend. I’ll ruin both of you.”
“Fallon …” I warned, but everyone ignored me.
Dylan didn’t flinch. Instead, he met Fallon’s gaze. “We’re not here to mess around.”
Jase nodded and shook Fallon’s hand and Rhett’s as well. “And we won’t do anything that could harm her.”
Fallon crossed his arms. “I’ve known you two since you were a couple of partying idiots who thought tequila was a food group. Now you’re dating my baby sister.”
“I’m standing right here,” I reminded him.
He shot me a look. “And? I need to make sure these two know I’m serious.”
Jase’s voice was calm as he spoke. “We get that you’re protective, but this isn’t something that just happened. We care about your sister very much.”
“And I’m not some fragile thing you need to protect from my own choices,” I added. “I chose this. I choose them.”
This was my life, my relationship, my decision.
Fallon looked between the three of us, then finally exhaled. “Okay.”
“Now, if you’re done being an ass, I’m ready to go.” I hooked my arms with my guys and guided them out of my room.
The gala was alreadyin full swing by the time we arrived at the hotel near the Capitol.
Camera flashes went off the second we slid out of the SUV. The three of us walked in with Fallon and Rhett so we could play it off as a group of friends hanging out rather than me being on a date with someone.
Inside the ballroom, things went as they always did: handshakes, air kisses, surface-level conversations that often turned into requests for help getting a meeting with the president. I said hello to people I’d known for years and to people I’d never met who somehow knew way too much about me.
Once the greetings wrapped up, we headed over to the silent auction items laid out along the wall, which included pieces of art, travel packages, and plenty of expensive jewelry.
