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“Fuck, man. I can’t wrap my head around the idea of you two married. Mom, Dad, we’re not doing this.” Liam gives me a quick hug and pats my back. “Nick’s my brother, but he’ll not be my brother-in-law.”

Turning to Sierra, he pinches the bridge of his nose. “Ser, for the love of God, no more sex talking. It physically hurts. And wear something that covers your whole body. For my sake.”

For everyone’s sake, I might add.

I look at her and try to control my laugh, but she sees me smirking—and it provokes her, like always.

“We’re here to discuss my outfits or the wedding you four want?”

She points at our parents, and I look at them for the first time since I arrived. They’re sitting at the table, arms crossed, laughing.

“I like this show better,” Mom says. “I think you two make a wonderful couple, and I love your clothes, Ser.”

“Thank you. I love my clothes too. And I think this dress is perfect for a night out.” Sierra blows a kiss to my mom and moves over beside me. „As for the other subject—NO. That’s all I’ll say about your little idea. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have somewhere to be.”

She says this while she grabs her purse and heads for the door.

“Man, she said something about a club and a guy getting lucky at the end of the night,” I whisper quickly to Liam, who’s leaning against the wall next to me.

“Ser, come back. You’re not going anywhere tonight.” Matthew gets up from his seat and points at us. “Please, all of you, take a seat. It’s time to reveal some secrets.”

I’m so relieved Sierra isn’t going out, I actually start to think something must be wrong with me.

SEVEN

Sierra

God, I want to leave.

I can’t spend another minute in Nick’s presence. I need to get rid of this shirt and his scent—the way it clings to my skin is driving me insane. I want to go home, take a long shower, and lay in my bed, alone and very much single.

I’m so frustrated and furious with myself, because I honestly hoped that what I felt for Nick all those years ago had just been a passing, stupid crush—something harmless and fleeting.

But it wasn’t. Not if my body’s reaction to him is any indication. I’m all hot and bothered and completely on edge, craving his attention, his touch, his eyes on me.

My heart skips a beat every time he looks at me, and don’t even get me started on the stupid butterflies in my stomach that flutter like they’re on caffeine.

With my heart in my throat, I round the table and sink into the seat next to Kai. He studies me for a moment, reads me instantly—as always—and pulls me gently to him.

With my head on Kai’s chest, I look up and—surprise—Nick is sitting across from me. His eyes drop to his phone, jaw clenched tight like he’s trying to stop himself from exploding.

I glance at my father, silently begging for help, even if I’m not sure he understands what kind of help I really need right now.

“Kids, you know why we’ve gathered here today,” he begins, his voice softer than usual. “And since all of you are present now, I want to tell you a story.”

There’s a raw emotion written all over his face, and I try to reassure him with a smile that feels more fake than real, hoping it passes as something close to genuine.

“A few weeks ago, I received a phone call from one of our competitors. He wanted to know if I’d be interested in a merger with his company, considering they managed to expand in the past few years. Amused, I asked him why he thought I’d consider his proposition, especially knowing full well that our company doesn’t need any external support to continue growing.”

“No, but they definitely need to use us and our resources. Dad, a merger with us would be very beneficial for them. This isn’t any news,” Liam jumps in, his tone light, stating the obvious.

“Yes, Liam’s right. But I still don’t see how this leads to Sierra being forced to marry Nick just because a competitor proposed a merger,” Kai adds, shooting me a reassuring glance, like he’s trying to calm me down.

But Dad ignores them and looks at me with compassion and regret, making my heart drop in my stomach.

“He sent me a document,” he says quietly. “And asked me to analyze it. It was a contract, signed by my parents and his, which states that one of my children—of his choosing—is to be married to one of his at the age of twenty-six.”

My hands begin to shake. My brain’s already connecting the dots, and I hate where this is going.