Priceless (Forbidden Men #8)(91)

He looked down, catching my eye, and his gaze was so somber, I wondered if maybe he was sad because he’d just then realized he’d given up all other women to be with me. But then his face lit with a smile, and there was so much joy and pride in his eyes, I think I died a little from the overwhelming bliss that seized me.

“Well...” Mason cleared his throat, tearing Brandt’s gaze from me. “Not that we all didn’t see this coming for years, but...Jesus, way to spring it on me out of the blue.” He shook his head and sighed. “But all right. I guess I’ll be happy for you two.”

I couldn’t help it. An elated little squeal of relief left my lungs. With a laugh, Brandt swooped down and scooped me into his arms. Then he dragged me out of the chair to spin me in a circle. If my legs could’ve managed such a coordinated move, I would’ve wrapped them around his waist and given him a full body hug, but he didn’t seem disappointed that I couldn’t. His mouth crashed against mine, and we laughed against each other’s lips...until Mason cleared his throat.

“Just don’t break her heart,” he warned. “Or I’ll break you.”

“Deal.” Brandt gently set me back in my chair just as my brother added, “And no sex in my house.”

Brandt’s smile died. He lifted his head to frown at Mason.

Mason shrugged, totally non-repentant. “She’s still my little sister. And I have impressionable two-year-olds running around.”

“Fine,” Brandt mumbled. After easing me back into my chair, he straightened only to announce, “We’re going to go rent a hotel room for the night.”

“Yeah, I don’t even think so,” Mason growled. “You can’t just dump this on me and then sweep her away for...for that.” He shuddered at the very idea. “Go home and come back some other night for a proper date.”

“We’ve already been on a date,” Brandt started, only for my brother to lift his hand, stopping him.

“Then take her on another date. And no more sneaking in through her window either.”

“Oh, come on, man. We’re not hurting anything by—”

When Mason lifted his eyebrows warningly, Brandt shut up, huffing out a disgruntled breath. “Whatever.” He turned to me to give me a reluctant goodbye, only to whisper in my ear, “Twenty minutes. Phone sex.”

I giggled, making Mason narrow his eyes. Brandt ignored him, ruffling the hair of each twin before stamping a goodbye kiss to Reese’s cheek, then he saluted Mason and said, “Warden,” as he strolled from the kitchen and out of my house.

Even though he’d been forced to leave, I couldn’t stop grinning. “Thank you for taking that...as well as you did,” I told my brother.

He sighed. “What could I really do? You are twenty-two. And he’s the only guy I know I can trust with you, so...as long as you’re happy...”

“I am.”

With a nod, his expression softened into a proud smile. “Then I’m happy for you.”





BRANDT




So being cock-blocked by big brother sucked ass, but I liked everything being out in the open now. I liked being certain that Sarah and I were together. Because the entire week before that had scared the bejesus out of me.

I’d left her place Monday morning, feeling better than I’d ever felt, happier, more secure, just...yeah. Life had been perfect...until I’d realized she was avoiding me. And then everything slid downhill from there.

But after last night...last night when I’d finally been able to confront her and set some hard limits between us, I felt better again.

I announced to my family that Sarah and I were together on Saturday morning, and I expected a lot bigger of a response than I got.

“Well, of course you are, dear,” Aspen said, patting my hand with an indulgent smile.

Noel frowned and shook his head. “I’m confused. You’re saying you two weren’t together before?”

I sighed and ground my teeth. “Well, it’s official now. And exclusive,” I felt the need to add since Mason had brought it up.

“And it’s about damn time,” Colton spoke up, meeting my gaze with some reservation. “I’m happy for you.”

Glancing away, I nodded. “Yeah.”

Honestly, it was strange to look any of them in the eye these days. Things had become weird. They treated me as if I was...breakable. I hated that they knew now, and yet these days I was more certain than ever that they loved me no matter what. I just wished we could all relax around each other again. Nothing had gotten stilted and weird between Sarah and me because of it; why did it have to with my family?

I guess that was why Sarah was so important to me.

Even though I wished I could’ve taken her on that second date Saturday evening, I had to work again.

It was karaoke night at Forbidden. Bleh.

But I got to work it with Knox and some other dude who halfway picked up after himself. I was glad I didn’t have to work with Julianna.

She’d stopped asking me about making up our date, so I was pretty sure she’d gotten the hint that it was never going to happen. But a part of me still tensed around her, worried she’d ask again and we’d have to have that talk. Those talks sucked ass, so I usually tried to play our drink-mixing game with her when we worked together to distract her from going there.