Page 9 of Borrowing My Bestie's Brothers

“Millie wants us to fake date Jamie for a week while her mum’s in town,” I replied.

He blinked, opened his mouth, closed it, then blinked again before shaking his head.

“What about her ‘dating ban?’” He moved his fingers in the air to approximate the shape of apostrophes.

“Apparently that only was supposed to last past high school.”

“Ohh…” He smirked at me. “Well, you must be pleased. Millie finally giving you the green light to chase after the woman of your dreams.”

“I am.” I didn’t stare my brother down, allowing myself to be utterly vulnerable very often, but I did that now, willing him to see it. “I feel like I’ve been waiting for so fucking long for this, Hunt.” His smile faded, but that didn’t explain why his eyes went suddenly hard. “And I need you to stay the fuck out of it. Remember when Lily Kennedy thought she was dating both of us?”

“But she was just dating me.” Hunter nodded. “Yeah, I remember. So what? You just want me to turn up when you can’t replicate yourself, be your little stand in when you need me?”

I’m not sure why he sounded so bloody bitter about that. It wasn’t like I hadn’t done the same for him plenty of times before.

“I need this, Hunt.”

His frown only got deeper but he nodded, just like I knew he would.

“OK, so we let the fam know it’s the two of us dating Jamie.”

“Three of us,” I corrected. “Millie’s going to talk to Brock?—”

“Talk to Brock about what?”

We both turned to find our big brother standing there looking like a spitting image of Dad. Same grumpy expression, same intense stare.

“Millie’s roping Brock into this too?” Hunter laughed. “Oh, this is gonna be a shitshow.”

Brock ignored him, focussing entirely on me.

“What’s going to be a shitshow?”

“Millie wants us all to fake date Jamie for a week.”

Chapter 5

Jamie

“Couldn’t you have asked the guys after dinner, preferably when I was gone?” I asked as we walked outside to the entertaining area. As always, Heather had set up a gorgeous table with the guys’ help.

The guys.

My cheeks felt like they were burning bright red as I watched Hunter and Hayden put out the last of the cutlery. Oh my god, I couldn’t do this. I just couldn’t. When they looked up as we approached, my feet slowed. If my mother turned up right now and looked them over with avaricious eyes, thinking that one of them would make a perfect husband, I would’ve confessed everything in seconds. Anything to get me out of this.

“And where would the fun be in that?” Millie murmured back. “So, brothers dear, what did we decide?”

Nope, I couldn’t stand here and listen to their answer. I backed away, ready to make a run for the front door, when my back collided with something hard. Big hands slapped down on my arms and stopped me from falling backwards. I looked up not to see Millie’s dad, but Brock staring down at me. Same intense gaze as always, but somehow ten times worse right now, because did he know? Had Millie asked him too? My freaking boss, I remembered, but not quickly enough. It’d have been a real good thing to consider before Millie put her mad plan into place.

“Shit, sorry—” I started to say.

“You’re alright.” He set me back on my feet, giving my arms a squeeze before letting go. Why did the skin tingle everywhere he touched? “And Millie, the answer’s yes.”

“Yes?” She pointed at one of the twins. “Yes?”

“I’m in if you are, Hay Bale.” Hunter ruffled his brother’s hair, which just earned him an elbow to the ribs.

“Yeah, I…” There was the hesitation I was waiting for. God, this was so freaking embarrassing. I needed to go right now. I saw the uncertainty on Hayden’s face but not for long. This was a completely ridiculous idea. I was dumb, dumb, dumb to think Hayden would even want to pretend to date me. “I need your phone number, Jamie.”

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