Chapter Nine

Emma

“Get that booty down. Give me ten more!” Tony barked.

I huffed out a breath, straightening the plank position I held until my stomach muscles quivered and my thighs screamed in protest.

Bethany let out a grunt beside me, and I shot her an icy glare. She’d gotten us into this mess, talking me into a buy-one-get-one-free coupon at the new gym near the library. Now we were in personal-training-session number two of ten we’d purchased, and I had no idea how I could make it through eight more of these. I was about three seconds away from running for the bathroom to toss my cookies. It was only the memory of that late-night burger and fries that kept me going.

“Three, two, one. Good job, ladies,” Tony said, satisfied.

Exhausted, I collapsed onto the mat in a trembling heap.

“See you on Thursday.” Tony sauntered away, clearly proud of himself for the level of torture he’d inflicted on us.

“That wasn’t so bad, right?” Bethany grinned, sitting up.

“You might have to carry me out of here, but other than that, yeah, it was great.” I rolled my eyes. I couldn’t wait to get home, shower, and collapse into bed with an ice pack.

When Tony had asked about our fitness goals, Bethany had spouted something inspiring about wanting to be stronger. My goals weren’t so lofty. I just wanted to look better naked, but I figured saying my goal was sex with the lights on wasn’t going to cut it.

“I need those updates you promised me,” Bethany said, toweling the sweat off her forehead.

I’d successfully dodged her questions all day about my “date” with Cooper this past weekend, feigning that I was too busy to get into it, but now she knew no one was at home waiting for me, and my time was hers.

Turning to face her on the mat, I pulled my knees to my chest. “It was actually really nice. He was a perfect gentleman, easy to talk to, and we got along well.”

“Did he kiss you?” She grinned.

A tiny rush of butterflies hit my belly. “He did. It was . . . nice.” I hadn’t been kissed softly like that, so tenderly, in what felt like forever.

“What’s next?”

“I have an event I’m supposed to attend with Gavin.”

“Look at you. Just jumping right in. I love it.”

I rolled my eyes. “Don’t be like that. You know this is—”

“All for the house,” Bethany repeated in a mocking tone. “Right, I’m just saying, getting your toes wet is good. It’s going to help you take the big leap into real-life dating.”

“I wouldn’t hold your breath.” I grabbed my own towel, but used it as a pillow to collapse back onto my yoga mat.

“Em, it’s almost been a year since—”

“Don’t say his name,” I blurted. Then, realizing how silly that was—what was he, Voldemort?—I sat up and said, “Look, I’ll date eventually, but this isn’t dating. It’s a business arrangement to fix my grandmother’s brownstone and bring it back to its former glory. Seriously, who in their right mind would agree to be a tether ball between two intimidatingly hot and oversexed brothers?”

Who, indeed?

Despite my words, I was only half convinced that my own reasons were quite as pure as I was making them out to be. What if I was just a glutton for punishment?

I flopped my arm over my eyes as Bethany let out a squeal.

“So, they’re oversexed? And intimidatingly hot, huh? I knew it.” She raised her eyebrows.

I let out an agitated sigh. “I can’t say anything around you, can I?”

“Fine, fine, I’ll let up, but tell me this. Are you nervous?”

I considered her question. When I logged in to my bank account this morning and saw the thousand-dollar deposit from FD Industries, I’d felt strange, but not strange enough to call the whole thing off.

Money like that was going to restore all the moldings in my house and maybe even get a few of the rooms a new coat of paint. And that was just from one night. If I could get through ten dates, the place could really be the home I wanted it to be—the safe, warm space I remembered.

And after Nathan? I needed someplace safe and warm.

Even more of a reason to stay the hell away from Gavin Kingsley, a little voice in my head whispered.

I shut that voice down and focused back on Bethany, moving my arm from my eyes to consider her question.

Was I nervous?

“Not exactly.”

“Anxious, then,” Bethany countered.

“Nope.”

But as I thought of Gavin’s brooding sexuality, his intense stares and cool demeanor, a rush of goose bumps broke out over my skin. He wasn’t warm, wasn’t like the sweet, smiling Cooper, and there was no hope of a fast-food date afterward. Worse? I wasn’t sure I wanted there to be. Part of me was growing addicted to the seasick feeling inside me when I thought of him. Like an ache so deep, there was only one way to make it stop.

I swallowed hard and shook my head. “Why should I be?”

Bethany’s brows pulled together. “Because they’re like . . . sharing you?”

A hot shiver raced over my skin that had absolutely nothing to do with my workout. “Like I said, I’m a hired companion. I’m not dating them both.”

She nodded, still looking unsure. “And they’re both okay with this?”

Bethany knew the entire arrangement. My first instinct had been to guard their proposal like a secret, but I knew I needed advice and someone to turn to in case things got messy. Bethany was that person for me. It’s not like I could tell my mother about Forbidden Desires and the men who ran it.

I chewed on my lip. “Yeah. It’s not sexual or romantic. I’m just like a walking billboard. That’s all. I have to smile and be pretty, and then they fork over the cash to fix my place. Simple.”

She stretched her arms over her head. “Right . . . but if real feelings start to develop, I doubt this arrangement will continue to work. Someone will be left odd man out, and if these guys are even half as alpha—or how did you put it—oversexed and intimidating—”

I shoved her in the side, but she pressed on, laughing.

“—as I think they are, that won’t work. No one likes to be runner-up.”

That wouldn’t happen. So what if Cooper had given me a little peck on the mouth? That hardly meant they were competing for me.

Bethany went on, heedless of my silence. “What’s this event you’re attending with Gavin, anyway?”

“I really don’t know much. It’s a charity thing. Honestly, I’m not sure what to wear. This is all so out of my element.”

“What did you wear to the first one?”

We rose to our feet, heading to the locker room to retrieve our car keys and cell phones.

“Cooper sent me a gown.”

“Nice. No gown from Gavin?” she asked, one brow arched.

“No.” Gavin didn’t strike me as a send-a-gown type of guy, and somehow it didn’t seem okay to wear the same gown Cooper had given me on a date with Gavin. I’d probably head to the department store and see if I could find anything suitable on the clearance rack.

“From what you told me, it seems that Cooper is the sweet, thoughtful one. So, why do I get the feeling that you’re more drawn to the alpha-hole?”

“The alpha-hole?” I asked, fishing a dollar bill out of my wallet so I could pay for a water on the way out.

“Alpha asshole.” Bethany shot me a knowing wink. “But don’t dodge the question. Which of them do you like better?”

Avoiding her eyes, I handed a dollar to the front-desk attendant and accepted a water bottle in return, but my brain was elsewhere. A wave of icy nerves prickled my skin. Once we were outside, I shielded my eyes from the sun and met Bethany’s gaze.

“They’re all so different, to be honest,” I said, hedging as best I could. How was I supposed to reply to a question I didn’t even know the answer to?

“All,” she asked, her eyes widening. “How many are there?”

I laughed. “Three. And all three Kingsley brothers are drop-dead gorgeous. I met their older brother, Quinn, at the event too.”

“Can I have the spare?” she asked, chuckling. “Unless, of course, you’re going to date him too.”

“Stop it!” I said, my cheeks glowing with heat. “I’m totally not. And it’s going to be fine. I told you, we’re going on dates, but none of us are dating.”

“Hmm.” Bethany nodded, contemplating. There was something in her hesitation that nagged at me.

“What?” I asked.

“I’ll just be interested to see where this all goes, that’s all. I want you to be careful. After Nathan and all—”

I cut in with a nod. “I will be.”

And with that ominous warning ringing in my head, we said our good-byes and I headed for the bus stop. All the way home, Bethany’s urging to be careful played through my brain.

Cooper had been sweet and thoughtful, sending me a beautiful gown to wear accompanied with a handwritten note. So, why was my mind squarely focused on Gavin? There was something about his steely demeanor that called to me. It was like being given a locked box and being told not to open it. You’d quickly become obsessed with getting inside it.

Which of them did I like better?

There was no doubt my date with Cooper had been everything a date should be. He was easy—charming and fun. But more than all of that? He was thoughtful. I liked that. Liked it more than I was willing to admit.

But that didn’t change the fact that I’d been lusting after Gavin for almost a year. And it had been a year spent wondering if he was smart, strong, and confident—only to discover he was so much more.

He was dominant and gruff and mysterious. Everything Cooper wasn’t. If it weren’t for their stunning good looks, I might never have known they were brothers.

Not that any of it mattered. I didn’t have to like either of them, and I certainly wasn’t getting involved with either.

In fact, I was going to stop thinking about them both.

Starting now.