Page 104 of Charming Deception

I like that. “And what about your family? Your other friends? Will you tell them?”

“Friends, no. I won’t lie to them outright, but they don’t need to know the details. But family… it’s just not in me to be dishonest with them. They deserve the truth on this.” He takes another sip of coffee, and I can sense the tension there.

“I understand if you don’t want to get into detail about your love life with your siblings,” I offer.

“I usually don’t.”

“I don’t either. The dirty details aren’t really Cole’s business.”

“I agree. My family has been butting into my personal life lately, and I don’t mind clarifying the boundaries for them.”

“You’re talking about your brother pushing you to get engaged.”

“Yes. That’s part of it.”

“But you got engaged.”

“Because he was right. I don’t like the way he went about it, but he was right.”

“Right about what?”

He studies me for a long moment in that way that makes me forget I’m supposed to be breathing over here. Then he says, “Maybe he understands me in ways I’d rather he didn’t.”

“I get it. Cole knows me better than I want him to, sometimes. It’s a big-brother thing. They think they know what’s best for us.”

“Sometimes, they do.” He smiles a little, and I can’t help smiling back. “It’s infuriating.”

“It is.” I laugh softly. “So, what does your brother have on you? Was this a blackmail thing? Be honest.”

His smile fades. “No. But I’ve had some high-profile relationships that he disapproved of. Some of them attracted a lot of media attention. And it wasn’t always good attention. The way Graysen saw it, I broke the long-standing rule to protect our family’s privacy.”

“You must’ve had reasons.” I venture, “Strong feelings for those women.”

“I did have reasons. But not feelings. If I’m in the media, it’s generally because I choose to be. It’s all part of the marketing machine. My brother doesn’t understand that, or how necessary it is.”

I consider that. “But he wants your engagement in the media. Instead of the other media attention?”

“Yes.”

“Will that work? I mean, is it really one or the other?”

I hold his burning gaze as he takes way too long to answer that, and a trickle of sweat runs down my back. I tell myself it’s the sun, but it’s the man sitting across from me who’s burning up the atmosphere.

Finally, he says, “Graysen seems to think so. And I have a feeling the media will love you. Us, I mean.”

Yikes. The thought of myself in the media is not something I’ve warmed to yet. I just keep reminding myself I’ll be on his arm, like that will make me feel better about it, but I’m not so sure.

What if all his gloriousness just makes me look like a cave troll in comparison?

What if people troll me, just because I’m on his arm and they think I shouldn’t be?

They probably will.

And just like getting a scathing review on one of your books, you’ll cry your face off, binge a bucket of ice cream, and move on.

“I still can’t believe I made any kind of positive impression on Graysen,” I tell him.

“Why not?”

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