Page 7 of Bound To Be Mine

“Say it again and I will castrate you,” Cleo said with a pretty smile.

Anyone who knew Cleo knew you never called her Cleopatra if you valued your life—or testicles. Her parents clearly had a sense of humor. Cleo did not. And if you even dared to mention her black hair and green eyes were very Cleopatra, she’d pluck your eyeballs out.

Dash turned to me after the cousins’ reunion. His eyes raked over me and I tried to look the part of dignified businesswoman, not squirming fangirl.

“Mandy Carter,” he said in a smooth voice. “I’ve seen your work. Good to meet you.”

He didn’t bother introducing himself, because why should he? Everyone knew who he was. Everyone knew who all the Blackwells were. He did, however, offer me his hand, and he shook mine gently as I managed a polite smile.

“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Blackwell.”

His grin widened. “Dash.”

Dash was still shaking my hand when a shadow filled the doorway. The big man took a quick assessment of the room before entering, and I couldn’t control my eyeballs. They followed his every move as he marched into the room like he was ready for battle.

He wore a three-piece suit that had very clearly been customized to fit his body. Not a single strand of chocolate hair was out of place on his head. His jaw muscle worked, sharpening a tendon in his neck and demanding my attention. I stared at the cut of his jaw, wondering how someone could win the lottery of genetics and legacy family billions.

I heard Dash chuckle softly before I realized I was squeezing his hand. I quickly dropped it.

Dash went to greet his brother, who quickly moved on to welcome both of his cousins to the office. Briggs, the ominous force in the room with the bluest eyes I’d ever seen, noted how long Cleo’s hair had gotten since the last time he saw her, and then followed up by telling Callum he was just as ugly as he remembered.

Callum laughed easily, and Cleo shook her head at them before turning and gesturing to me. “Briggs, I’d like you to meet my best friend and the best business partner Callum and I have ever had. Mandy Carter.”

I mustered a charming, hopeful smile and stepped forward, extending my hand.

But Briggs just blinked slowly at Cleo. “Best friend? Cleo, you’re clever enough to know you should never go into business with friends.”

Cleo flicked him in the shoulder. “That’s the kind of thing men with no friends like to say.”

Briggs chuckled. Dash nodded.

And I just stood there like an idiot with my hand dangling in the air, waiting for Cleo’s devastatingly handsome older cousin to effing shake it and spare me from my humiliation.

But he didn’t shake it. He didn’t shake anything.

He just looked from my outstretched hand to my eyes. “Before we get started,” he said. “I have one question.”

Oh gosh. What was he going to ask me? Was he going to make sure I’d done my research on his company? Was he going to ask about what kind of agreements I’d signed to protect the Blackwell name in this business deal? Was he going to ask why I’d picked out such a killer Armani suit?

Briggs looked me right in the eyes. “Why should you be involved in this deal at all?”

I blinked. He was talking to me. What?

I opened my mouth to respond, but nothing came out. I let my hand fall to my side and searched his merciless blue gaze. Was he messing with me? Testing me? Checking to make sure I had the grit to make a deal like this?

It didn’t matter. Because in a matter of seconds, I came to the only possible conclusion.

Briggs Blackwell was an asshole.

3

BRIGGS

Iwaited for her answer. The silence stretched as one emotion after another played across her face. Offense. Surprise. Horror.

I found it to be an interesting reaction to a legitimate business question.

Dash shifted beside me. I could feel his irritation without looking at him. Cleo’s jaw had gone tight. Callum crossed his arms.