Page 73 of Bound To Be Mine

Briggs pulled out his fancy pen and handed it to me. We exchanged another look. It was one of the many inside jokes we had. “Page twelve, bottom. Then initial pages three, seven, and nine.”

I worked my way through the document, signing and initialing where indicated. When I was done, I slid it back across the table.

“Congratulations,” Sebastian said. “You’re officially a Blackwell partner.”

“Does that mean I get a company credit card?” I teased.

“Nice try, but they don’t even let me use it most days,” Dash said, but he was grinning.

I caught Briggs watching me from across the table more than once, and each time our eyes met, I felt that same flutter in my chest.

“So,” Cleo said, spearing a piece of pasta with her fork. “Let’s talk about the campaign. What’s the plan?”

“That’s where you two come in,” Sebastian said, gesturing between Briggs and me. “The engagement online has been incredible. People are obsessed with your story. We want to capitalize on that.”

“How?” I asked.

“Photos, social media posts, maybe some video content. Show people the real you as a couple. Give them a behind-the-scenes look at your life together, while showing off the wedding stuff we’ll be selling.”

I glanced at Briggs. He looked about as enthusiastic as I felt.

“We don’t have a life together,” I said. They all knew that, but I felt like I needed to remind them. It was difficult to photograph what didn’t exist.

“You know, if Bernadette and I had gotten married first, we would have been perfect for this campaign,” Sebastian said.

Bernadette nearly choked on her wine. “Absolutely not.”

“What? We’re a great couple,” he said easily.

“We are a great couple,” she agreed. “But I have zero interest in being in the spotlight. That’s not my thing.”

“Come on, you’re photogenic.”

“Sebastian.” She gave him a look. “Remember what happened the last time someone posted a photo of me online?”

“You’re right,” Sebastian said immediately, his expression softening. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”

“I much prefer working behind the scenes,” Bernadette said. “And honestly, I’m grateful you two jumped the line.” She smiled at Briggs and me. “You saved me from having to be the face of anything.”

“Happy to take one for the team,” I said dryly.

“But it does make sense,” Cleo said. “You two are already married. You’re already getting attention online. Might as well use the momentum.”

Dash nodded. “Plus, it would look weird if the newlyweds were living on opposite sides of the country. People would start asking questions.”

I froze, my fork halfway to my mouth. “What are you suggesting?”

“That Briggs should stay in LA for a while,” Dash said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “A few weeks at least. Long enough to do the photo shoots, get some content created, make it look like you two are actually living together as a married couple.”

I looked at Briggs. His expression was unreadable.

“That makes sense to me,” Callum said. “From a logical standpoint. You need to be together for this to work.”

I smiled because what else was I going to say? I turned my attention to my meal, listening to the conversations around me. I was used to Cleo and Callum. I felt a little out of my element with the other three Blackwells. They were so much. It was hard not to stare at them. They were all very handsome.

After the meal, they were all mulling over dessert. I quietly excused myself for a minute.

I stepped outside, letting the cool evening air wash over me. The restaurant had a small patio area that overlooked the street. String lights cast everything in a warm glow. I leaned against the railing, taking a deep breath.