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Alex looked at me, startled, and I couldn’t tell if it was because of the way I’d just barfed the words out or because of my word choice in general.
I was startled, too. Why had I said something so generic? So vague? So mild compared to reality? I told myself that it was the shock talking and thatvaguewas what I was comfortable with at that moment.
Liam knew I had been in exactly one serious relationship before him. He knew that I hadn’t dated anyone after said relationship until I started dating him. But he didn’t need to know—or, at least, now wasn’t the time to mention—that the former love of my life was now betrothed to his sister.
“What a small world!” Leah cooed.
“You can say that again,” Liam said, putting his arm around me. It was a good thing, too, because, at that rate, he’d have to hold me upright when I lost my shit.
Every set of eyeballs was on me. It was as if every single member of Liam’s family were shining big spotlights from their eyes, waiting for me to perform.
Say something, dammit.
“It’s nice to see you again, Alex.” Before my brain could stop my body, I leaned toward him and gave him a hug.
His hand landed on the small of my back as he returned the embrace, and,oh god,this was not helping me keep my shit. The warmth of his touch sent electricity firing through my body.
He smelled like leather and cedarwood and soap—warm, woodsy, and enough to take me back in time.
I had to snap the fuck out of it. I straightened up and pulled back, tucking into Liam’s side, wishing I could hide there.
“You know,” Liam said to Leah, “it seems like we’ve hit the jackpot. Brooke hasn’t told me much about what she was like in college and I’m sure you want—”
“More intel on my gorgeous husband-to-be?” Leah chimed in, finishing his sentence. “Absolutely.”
The siblings exchanged smiles and laughed, and I forced the same reaction. Along with my forced smile, I shot a look at Alex. The kind of look that I hoped said,before you say anything about me, we need to talk.
He smiled, too—I suspected his expression was equally put-on—but I couldn’t see recognition in his eyes. Zero hints that he’d received my unspoken message.
Had years of absence been enough to erase his ability to read my face? To understand exactly what I was thinking without words? Maybe he understood but was playing it cool. Maybe he didn’t want to silently communicate back to me with his fiancée and future family around, in case anyone got the wrong idea.
Or, maybe eight years was enough to erase our connection entirely.
For him, at least.
CHAPTER2
Alex
NOW
I consideredmyself a pretty put-together man. After college, I moved to New York and began working as a chartered accountant. A year later, I broke out on my own, started my own firm, and now eight years later, I had contracts with some of the largest corporations in the United States, including Grey Industries.
I had built a successful business by setting goals, using a little charm, and, most importantly, staying focused. But two minutes in Brooke’s presence had my palms sweating and my heart racing.
What in the holy hell was she doing here? Leah had mentioned a few months ago that her brother had started seeing someone, but hadn’t mentioned her name. I would ask Brooke if she had known Leah’s boyfriend—I mean, fiancé—was me, but judging by the expression on Brooke’s face, she was as shocked as I was by this little reunion.
The smell of salmon roasting in the oven filled the air the moment we stepped back into the kitchen—the aroma rounded out with roasted vegetables, lemon, and dill.
As Robert tended to our drinks, the rest of us gathered around the large rectangular island in the center of the room—me and Leah on one side, Liam and Brooke across from us, and Lillian in between. The island was spotless, so I suspected the Greys had had this meal catered and were heating it up to serve. My guess was the Greys didn’t cook much at all.
“It smells amazing in here,” Leah said, wrapping her arm around mine.
“It sure does,” I said with a smile. I pulled Leah into me, though my gaze shot to Brooke. I couldn’t help myself. It was too weird. Too surreal. And I was very aware of the affection I was showing my fiancée in front of the woman I once thought I would marry.
She met my gaze with the same anxiety in her eyes that I’d seen outside, but was quickly distracted by Liam.
He raised his and Brooke’s interlocked hands and kissed her palm. He hadn’t let go of her hand since he let go of mine.
