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“Marry me. Please don’t back out.” He held up a hand when she moved to open her mouth in protest.
“Marry me and as soon as I have the company secured, I’ll have it annulled for you. Everything can go back to normal. You’ll have your business and I’ll have mine. One condition. No one can know. Not your family and not mine. We have to sell everyone on the idea and ask for forgiveness afterward. It won’t take much to convince Stella we’re taking this seriously.”
“This is not how I saw my wedding as a kid,” she started, holding his gaze. “And one thing on that list I didn’t mention, that I would only marry for a kind of love that would last forever. Childish probably. The real world doesn’t run on childhood fantasies of what love and marriage are all about. But that doesn’t change anything for me. When I say forever, Marshall, I mean every word of my promise.”
The longer she talked the more worn and worried he looked. She hated to add to it.
Several men filed into the office and Juniper jerked around to the sound of Marshall cursing under his breath.
“Now what? Don’t you people have homes to go to?” Marshall shoved up from his chair and worked a Dirty Harry look like none other she’d ever seen. Formidable and tough as nails. It sent a rush of excitement up her spine. Yeah, she’d stick with excitement and not focus on the butterflies that banged around in her insides, causing chaos to her emotions. Or the way her core clenched with the need to have him again.
The man walking in with the same-colored eyes as Marshall’s and Stella’s held his hands up in a calming gesture. She guessed he had practice in the area with how Marshall seemed to calm when he stepped next to her.
Marshall settled a hand on her shoulder. “Hey, sweetheart. I’m Cole, this is Sam, and,” he flicked a thumb straight ahead. “The one making his way to the window right now to look out at the city like he’s never seen it before is the broody one, Shawn. Don’t mind him—he doesn’t talk much.”
“Hell, Mom and Pop didn’t know if he could talk at all until he was like five.” The one named Sam placed a hand over his heart. “Honest to God.”
“Yeah, and his first word was lawsuit,” the man who introduced himself as Cole added as an afterthought to Sam’s ribbing, and she swore if they didn’t have different shades of brown hair she wouldn’t be able to tell the two apart. They wore the same style denim jeans and smiled the same with a half tilt to the left. Even the tiny crinkles along the fringes of their eyes creased the same.
Marshall’s pulled to the right with a dimple that caught her eye more often than not, unfortunately.
“What was that?” Shawn drew out from his place by the window, expression drawn with concern just like his brothers described.
She could only imagine the weight these men carried in order to manage such a large corporation.
Juniper smothered a laugh.
She faked a cough. “I’m sure he’s got a few choice words for you right now, I’d be careful.”
Shawn winked at her and she knew without a doubt these brothers left broken hearts in their wake.
Juniper took Cole’s outstretched hand, then Sam’s. Rough, strong and confident. She’d say they like the outdoors more than office work but by their calculating glances and sharp gazes, she’d say all the Blackwood brothers were a force to contend with.
“I’m Juniper.”
Shawn raised his steaming mug in salute.
“Juniper. Lovely name for a lovely lady.” Sam jerked a thumb between all three men. “You saved our collective asses a couple of hours ago. Thank you for that. I’d kiss you if the big man by you wouldn’t clock me in the jaw.”
Cole picked up where his brother left off. “Yes, thank you. I’m not sure what you two have going on, but I’m not one to meddle. None of us are. Just thank you.”
“That must be a Texan thing because my cousins and friends back home do nothing but meddle.”
“It’s not. They are trying to not scare you away. They are the definition of meddlesome. Believe me.”
Marshall canted his head toward Sam and Cole. “Especially those two.”
She remembered what Marshall had asked of her and for now, she only nodded to them. “My pleasure.”
She still felt jumbled inside with being the fake bride in a fake wedding. If anyone found out, anyone being her family and future clients, they would consider her a mockery.
“Marshall and I have become fast friends.” She angled a look his way. “He’s a wonderful man.” They weren’t lies, but toeing the line of lying by omission. “I’m sure there are others who think the same and would love to be by Marshall’s side for the man he is.”
“Don’t bet on it. It’s an ugly truth you come across when you’re a Blackwood,” Marshall added from beside her. What he’d meant to say was when being a billionaire, but he didn’t need to say it. It was understood.
Shawn crossed to her and instead of offering his hand, he swooped her into a hug. “Welcome to the family, little sis. Glad to have you around,” he said, kissing her on the cheek before placing her down next to Marshall again, who promptly pulled her closer with a hand on her waist.
“Come on, you rowdy hooligans, the man has work to do and a wedding to plan.” Shawn grasped his brothers around the shoulders and aimed them toward the door. “See y’all in the morning.” Shawn winked at her again and this time she winked back with a wave.
