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Her bright eyes had always been able to take him off guard. Eloise’s eyes were incredibly similar, but he’d forced himself to ignore that little fact. His jaw ached from how hard he clenched it. If Brielle found out about Marc, she’d do something drastic—even more so than he had. Shane had to keep her in the dark.
Slowly, he rose to his feet. “I have never gotten along with my cousins.”
“Yeah. I figured,” she snapped. “Wanna tell me why?”
“We just have… different views on certain things.”
Brielle lifted one brow. “And why would it matter if he’s interested in my sister?”
This was what he’d been expecting. Brielle was bound to come to certain conclusions. Inside, he cringed. She wasn’t going to like this. “I’m interested in… her.”
She stared at him for what felt like a full minute. Predator watching her prey.
He squirmed beneath her gaze.
Brielle shook her head sharply. “Liar.”
Shane stiffened. “What? I can’t be interested in your sister?”
Her bark of laughter almost wounded him. “First of all, you will never be allowed to date my sisters. This life that you offered—none of them would want it anyway. Second, no. You’re not interested. Have you forgotten how close we got? I know you well enough to see who you’re interested in—and you have zero chemistry with Eloise.” She tilted her head. “That being said, I can’t shake the feeling that as bad as you are for my sister, Marc is worse.”
So he was right. Brielle could sense more than she was letting on.
Her gaze softened. “I’d be willing to call a truce—I’d even be willing to help you win her over.”
He lifted a brow. “I find it hard to believe you’d allow her to fall for me only for me to break her heart.”
Brielle waved a dismissive hand. “Don’t get such a big head. You just have to be more enticing than Marc. She doesn’t have to fall in love with you.”
Shane considered her words. That plan sounded a lot better than his—especially since he would have an ally on the inside without having to give her all the information. He held out his hand. “Deal.”
She eyed his hand, then shook her head. “This doesn’t mean anything. I’m helping my sister. We’re still over.” Pain flickered behind those large eyes of hers, and his heart went out to her. They just didn’t work. They’d gotten in too many arguments. In the end, neither one of them could find happiness. He wanted to settle down, and she simply couldn’t.
Brielle flipped her hair over her shoulder, then set her stern gaze on him. “If you hurt her…”
He held up both hands. “I get it.”
“Okay. Pull out a piece of paper and start taking notes.”
10
Eloise
Eloise stood outside of Shane’s office. Why couldn’t she bring herself to knock? After what had happened today and last night, she didn’t know how this conversation would go. All afternoon, she couldn’t get what he’d said out of her head. His words ran through her mind on repeat.
I find you… attractive.
Putting aside that his statement had to have been the least alluring way to tell her he was interested, she couldn’t shake the way his voice had sounded. There was an air of desperation to it.
Admittedly she’d never found desperation to be an attractive quality. She’d usually ignored the guys who showed even a hint of it.
So why was she hesitating right now? She fully planned on coming to his office to tell him to leave her be. They could have a professional relationship. That was all. That’s how it had to be.
And if he refused?
That thought had also crossed her mind.
How could she come to work at the kitchen—a job she found she loved more than she’d anticipated—and be forced to see Shane knowing he wasn’t going to let up? It seemed impossible.
