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“You want to merge your company with Phoenix Enterprises.”
I’ve been an obtuse, difficult asshole, but I’m still his brother. “Isn’t that what you’ve been asking me to do all this time? If you’ve changed your mind, you should tell me right now.”
“God, Gabriel, I never thought you’d do it.” My oldest brother sounds, for all the world, like he’s about to cry. “I’d almost given up on you.”
My chest goes tight. He would never have given up on me, not really. He’s admitting how afraid he was. Fuck. NowI’mabout to cry. “I’m right here. Don’t give up. I’m here.”
Mason’s quiet for a minute. When he speaks again, his voice is a little unsteady. “No, Gabe, I didn’t change my mind. I still want the merger. Do you want to get started on the paperwork right now? I’ll call my lawyer and get him out of bed.”
I’m glad he can’t see the ridiculous grin on my face. “Don’t wake him up for this. But, yes, I want to do it fast. I want to do it now. I’m ready. I want—” It feels like leaping from a great height. “If you’ll have me, I want to be in the family again.”
“Fuck.” I’ve never heard him sound so relieved. “I’m so glad.”
“There’s one small problem.”
“Your salary? The ownership percentage? The best fucking parking spot? You name it, and it’s yours.”
I’m already shaking my head. Upstairs, Elise sleeps, innocent and peaceful. “It’s worse than that. I think Bettencourt is going to be a problem.”
24
ELISE
The alarmon my phone blares, startling me awake.
I was deeply,deeplyasleep. Last night was chaos. Then it was peace. Emotion on top of emotion. I’m not ready to face the real world yet, there’s a reminder waiting on my phone. There’s a wedding cake on my schedule today. The couple booked with me a year ago.
They were adamant, actually, that they wanted me to make their cake. When it comes to weddings, each couple has their own high-priority items. The cake was at the top of this couple’s list. I have a distinct memory of the bride saying it was more important to her than the dress she’d wear.
So, you know. It’s a big deal.
The one problem is that I have new responsibilities now. Well—I don’t want to call Gabriel and Nate a problem. They’re more of a life event unto themselves. None of us has had a real chance to recover from last night, or even settle in. How am I supposed to leave?
Gabriel sits up in bed next to me and brushes the hair back from my forehead. “What’s wrong?”
Holy God, he’s gorgeous. Sleepy and sexy and shirtless, with only a white sheet at his waist. It shows off miles of muscle. A broad chest. Strong shoulders.
A sparkling glint in his eyes says he knows exactly how hot he is. He also knows that I’m checking him out.
The frustration is real. “I have this wedding cake I need to make. I don’t know, I think—I think I’m going to cancel. Find someone else who can make it.”
Easier said than done. The sought-after bakeries in the city are all booked up. There’s a reason they had to reserve their date a year in advance.
Shit. What am I going to do?
Gabriel links his fingers through mine. “Tell me what the problem is.”
I feel so safe, so taken care of, so protected that I can hardly breathe. I can tell him anything in the world. I could tell him there’s a dragon outside and he would go out there naked and slay it.
There’s no dragon, but there is an unbaked wedding cake. Gabriel Hill has many, many skills, but baking is not really one of them.
“I have a cake on my schedule for a couple who booked me a year ago. But I don’t want to leave you today. I don’t want to leave Nate, either.”
He purses his lips, thoughtful. “Do you want to cancel the order?”
“No. I was excited to make this cake. This couple is one of the special ones, and I made a commitment to them.”
“How are they special?” He’s curious, not judgmental.
