Page 11 of Charming Deception

I smile at him, the first real smile I’ve felt in days. The way he gazes at the roses, so lovingly… “I’d love a tour sometime.” I offer him my hand. “I’m Megan.”

“Romeo.” He offers me the tips of his gloved fingers with an apologetic smile. “I’d take off the glove, but my hands are even dirtier.”

“Romeo,” I muse. “What a romantic name.”

“Ah, my mother was the romantic. My father was just in love. She got to pick the name. He had no choice.”

I smile again. See? There are good men in the world.

“Megan!”

I turn at the unmistakable sound of my brother’s voice. Cole strides toward me, his arms outstretched in welcome.

“Cole!” A sweet relief I did not expect to feel so hard hits me at the sight of my big brother.

“Get your ass over here, girl.”

I go straight for his open arms and let him crush me in a hug. He lifts me right off my feet. “Man, it’s good to see you.”

I wheeze a little, laughing as he squishes the air out of me. “Ouch. Let me take off my backpack. Wow.” He’s shirtless and all sweaty, and I already felt grimy enough.

He drops me on my feet and tousles my hair like I’m some twelve-year-old boy instead of a twenty-seven-year-old woman. “You look pretty.”

“Seriously, could you never do that again?” I rake a hand through my hair, which isn’t winning any hairstyling competitions at the moment anyway, but come on. My brother is such a jock, he’s like a hyperactive golden retriever, always expecting you to play with him. “Go fetch a ball or something.”

He just laughs.

When I glance toward the bushes, Romeo has slipped away, vanishing into the lush foliage and flowers.

“What is this place?” I ask my brother. “You could’ve warned me you’d bought a palace.”

Cole snorts. “How much money do you think I have?”

“Enough… to buy this?”

“I wish. This is my best friend’s place.”

Best friend?

My curiosity is piqued, and not in a good way.

Cole’s “best friends” are always people he’s just met. They come and go from his life as fast as the women do. And usually, in my opinion, they’re nothing but fanboys. Guys who glom on to my brother because of his fame, just like the women do.

As a professional hockey player and a very handsome one at that, Cole has celebrity status, and every wannabe VIP, influencer, and socialite who crosses his path seems to want to plant a foot on his back on their climb to the top.

And unfortunately, he has a habit of letting them.

“My new place is undergoing a full reno,” he explains. “So I’m staying here until it’s ready to move in. It’s not far from here. I’ll take you over to see it sometime.”

“Okay. I’d like that.” I know he bought a new house. I’m relieved, in a way, to hear that this isn’t it. If he can afford this, there’s definitely something he’s not telling me. I know what his contracts are worth.

Even the millions Cole makes playing hockey wouldn’t cover this place.

“Come on, let’s get you settled. And I’ll introduce you to Jamie. I think he’s in the shower.”

“Um. Okay…”

Cole chuckles at my general confusion and awe. He bounds up the sweeping stairs with my suitcase, and I follow him into the house. As my eyes adjust, I set down my purse and backpack with a sigh of relief. My shoulders are aching.

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