Page 52 of Falling for Them

My life was currently making up for all the years of the mundane. For years, I’d been living on autopilot and could easily predict what each day would bring, even in the chaos that was being an elementary school teacher. But stepping foot back in New York City had set off a chain of events that I hadn’t seen coming.

Ethan and I had gone from besties to something more so quickly and seamlessly; it felt like we’d been together for years. It had only been a week since we’d decided to become more than friends, and now we were sleeping in the same bed and making decisions together… as a couple.

One of those decisions sat next to me at the conference table as my brother sat across from us. Every time Ryker looked at me or Leo, I wondered if he could tell we’d slept together twice and were going on a date after work.

I still couldn’t believe Leo had asked not just me out on a date, but Ethan as well. The prospect of the three of us togetherfilled me with a yearning I’d never experienced before… as well as guilt.

There I was, in love with my best friend and entertaining the idea of bringing another man into the situation.

“Libby, you said you had some concerns about the fundraiser?” Ryker kind of looked like a golden retriever when he tilted his head in question, and I bit back the comment. He was my brother, but right then, we were in business mode.

Or at least he and Leo were.

I looked at the projected image of Leo’s yacht with a mockup of where tables would be positioned. “I don’t think it reflects the right message to have a lavish dinner on a yacht where a seat costs ten thousand dollars.”

I knew it would raise a ton of money, but the whole thing made me feel uneasy for some reason.

“That’s the whole point… to raise money. Selling candy bars or wrapping paper door to door isn’t going to cut it for a project of this caliber.” Leo turned slightly toward me, his thigh connecting with mine under the table. “Our goal is to maximize donations utilizing the least number of resources. This is the way we do that.”

I shoved against his knee in annoyance. “We should involve the kids and their families.”

Ryker cleared his throat, his head tilting even more. “How do you suggest we do that?”

“They should be there, and I don’t mean to be servers or whatever. Each school can select two or three of their most deserving students with their parents. We can provide them with transportation to and from the event as well as the funds for clothing.” Thinking of the excitement on those kids’ faces spurred me on. “I can find businesses willing to contribute. Maybe suit or dress rentals. I bet I can find a limousine service willing to donate their time as well.”

Both men were quiet, and I didn’t know if it was to consider my idea or figure out a way to shoot me down without crushing me.

Ryker finally spoke. “That’s a great idea, but a lot to take on. We’re already working with a tight timeline, and adding all these extra elements could complicate things.”

My heart sank. I should have known better than to suggest something so ambitious six weeks before the event. Just as I was about to agree with Ryker, Leo reached over and squeezed my thigh.

“Actually, I think it’s a great idea. If we do it on a smaller scale, maybe one per school this time around, it could work. Having members of the community there and the donors hearing their stories... that’s powerful stuff.”

I turned to look at him, surprised. His eyes met mine, and I saw a softness there that made my stomach do a little flip.

“Really?” I couldn’t keep the shock out of my voice.

Leo nodded, his thumb making a soothing circle against my leg. Too bad there was fabric in the way. “Absolutely.”

Ryker leaned back in his chair, considering. “How do we make this work logistically? There’s not a lot of time and more attendees adds more tables and food needed.”

“We divide and conquer.” Leo tapped his pen a few times on the table. “Libby, you’ll be in charge of contacting the schools and coordinating the student selection process. I’ll reach out to my business contacts about transportation and clothing donations. Ryker, you can speak to the event coordinator about the changes so they can adjust the seating and notify the chef. It might be good if they add a few choices for kids to the offerings.”

Ryker still looked a bit uncertain, but he seemed to be coming around to the idea. “All right. Let’s give it a shot.”

Leo stood up, gathering his things. “I’ve got some calls to make if we’re done here.”

He gave me a subtle wink as he headed for the door, and I felt my cheeks warm slightly. Our date later suddenly felt very real and very soon. It was ridiculous that I was a little nervous considering he’d been inside me twice now.

As Leo opened the conference room door, Ryker cleared his throat. “Actually, Libby, do you mind sticking around for a minute? I wanted to chat with you about something.”

“Uh… sure?”

Leo glanced between us, his expression unreadable. “I’ll catch up with you later, Libby. Ryker, always a pleasure.”

If my brother was unsuspecting before, Leo’s random bout of formality changed that. Ryker glanced behind him with a look of confusion as Leo stepped out and shut the door.

I looked at Ryker, my stomach flipping again. What did he want to talk about? And why did he look so concerned?

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