Page 89 of Falling for Them

After a few shots, Carter wandered off to take more photos and Leo was pulled away by one of the donors.

Ryker touched my arm. “Hey, can we talk for a minute?”

“Sure.” I followed him to a quieter spot near the railing.

“I wanted to tell you how proud I am of you.” Ryker’s voice was soft in a way that made my throat tight with emotion. “You’ve really found your place here, and seeing you thrive... it means everything to me.”

“Ryker...” I blinked back tears, not wanting to ruin my makeup.

“Having you closer now…” He shook his head, smiling. “It’s like having my little sister back.”

I threw my arms around him, hugging him tight. “I love you, you big sap.”

“Love you too.” He squeezed me back before pulling away. “And for what it’s worth, I think you made the right choice by choosing both of them.”

I followed his gaze to where Ethan and Leo were now standing together, their heads bent close as they looked atsomething on Ethan’s phone. My heart swelled at the sight of them.

“They’re good men.” Ryker sighed as if he really hated to admit all of this to me. “Different as night and day, but they both love you. Anyone can see that.”

I was unable to take my eyes off them. Even after these past weeks, it still felt surreal having them both in my life this way.

Ryker nudged my shoulder. “Go on, be with your men. I need to make my rounds anyway.”

I gave him one more quick hug before making my way toward Ethan and Leo. As I approached, they both looked up, smiles spreading across their faces.

“What are you two up to over here?” I craned my neck to see Ethan’s phone. “Halloween costumes?”

Ethan wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me close and kissing my temple. “We were discussing who would be Mario and who would be Luigi.”

“Well, Luigi is taller… and I’d clearly make a superb Mario.”

Leo snorted. “And who would I go as? Princess Peach?”

I couldn’t help but giggle at the mental image of Leo in a pink princess dress. “I think you’d look stunning in a tiara.”

“You know what? I think I’d rock that crown better than both of you.” Ethan stood taller, puffing out his chest. “It would go with my fae prince vibes.”

“Oh, geez. Not this again.” I wished Carter had never told him that.

Ethan’s hand moved to my hip, his thumb drawing lazy circles against my dress. “What do you think, princess? Who would make the better Princess Peach?”

I pretended to consider it carefully, tapping my chin. “Well, Leo does have that whole ‘royalty’ air about him already...”

“Betrayal!” Ethan gasped dramatically, clutching his chest. “And here I thought what we had was special.”

Leo smirked, sliding closer to me. “Face it, I’ve got the natural grace and elegance required for the role.”

“You’ve got something all right,” Ethan muttered, his eyes quickly darting to Leo’s crotch then back up.

“I think we all know who the real princess is here, though.” Leo leaned in, his breath tickling my ear.

Between his proximity and Ethan’s hand on my waist, I was finding it increasingly difficult to maintain my composure in this very public setting. “Careful,” I warned, though I couldn’t keep the smile from my face. “We’re supposed to be maintaining a professional appearance tonight.”

“Professional went out the window the moment you put on that dress.” Ethan’s fingers dug into my hip.

I was about to remind them that we were surrounded by donors and community members when I spotted a familiar figure making her way toward us. “Heads up,” I whispered urgently. “Mamma Caponetti at twelve o’clock.”

The guys straightened immediately, putting a more respectable distance between us. We’d had brunch with her a week ago, and while it had been awkward at first, she was surprisingly accepting of our relationship. Leo’s father was still a work in progress, especially with Leo not wanting to take over the hotels.

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