Page 46 of Turning Up the Heat

“I completely understand where you’re coming from. Carolina screwed you over. I can’t excuse what she did, but I don’t feel the need to apologize for that woman. But here’s the thing. You don’t have to like me. I don’t particularly like you, either. But I like Gemma. In fact, I love her.”

Reid said nothing to him but turned his attention to Gemma. “We can’t tell you what to do. Gemma, you’re a grown woman, capable of making your own decisions.”

“Thanks for your permission,” she said with ice in her voice.

“This isn’t about permission. You don’t need it,” Reid told her. “How long has it been going on?”

“Since Jamaica,” Gemma told them.

“Since Jamaica?” Quin echoed.

“You heard me.”

Tom laid his hand over hers. She didn’t need him there. She was more than capable of handling her brothers.

“How could you keep something like this secret? I just wish you would have told us sooner,” Reid said. “Instead of blindsiding us with this.”

“In what situation would telling you have been easy? I know that any way I did it you would have freaked out.” She paused. “Okay, maybe it was a little dramatic, doing it before the party. But I wanted you to meet him. The right way. Without any of the business involved.”

“That’s another matter altogether,” Reid said, turning to Tom. “What’s your game here with Gemma? I know your company is on its way down. Are you here to mess with your competitor? Maybe steal more of our recipes—”

Tom had had enough. “You wait a goddamn minute,” he said, probably a little too loud for Sunday brunch, earning them looks from surrounding diners. He lowered his voice. As far as he was concerned, Reid could say what he wanted about him, but when it came to his relationship with Gemma, he wouldn’t hear it. “There’s no fucking game, and I’m disgusted that you think there might be. I love Gemma,” he repeated. “And we’re going to be together whether you like it or not.”

“Fine. If you say so. I don’t like it, but I guess it isn’t up to me.”

“No, it’s not,” Tom said. He could feel Gemma’s hand on his thigh. He felt comfort from the small gesture. The simple fact was that the more time he spent with her, the closer they became. He had fallen in love with Gemma, and there was nothing her brothers could do to stop it.

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