Page 118 of The Forever Rule

As soon as I opened the door, my heart stopped. Just in that instance, all thoughts of family squabbles and fathers who tried to rip your heart out fled.

Because Blakely stood there, in a soft pink dress, one that brought memories to the surface. Oh, it was a different dress than the one I had seen her in at the gala, and yet it was such a similar color that it made my mouth go dry.

“You’re here.”

She tilted her head, worry in those bright eyes of hers. “You invited me. Was I not supposed to come?” she asked, her hands tightening on her purse.

I reached out for her, bringing her inside. When I brushed my lips against her temple, she relaxed, and yet I couldn’t help but tense in her stead.

“No, I’m glad you’re here.”

“Are you?” she asked softly. But before I could answer that, if I even had an answer, Dorian was pulling her out of my arms, and placing a very loud and smacking kiss on her cheek.

“Blakely! It’s my favorite person. You have tamed the beast.”

“Oh, you’ve probably made a grave mistake in coming,” Flynn said as he lifted his chin in hello.

“Would you like a drink?” James asked, and Blakely just blinked, as everyone seemed to be speaking at once.

“I can get her a drink,” I growled, annoyed with myself more than anything.

Blakely stood still for a moment, a deer in headlights, before a sense of calm washed over her, a small smile playing over her face. When she smiled like that, it felt like time stood still. And that was a damn problem.

“I’d love a glass of wine. Anything you have.”

“We’re having mostly poultry and fish, so go with white or sparkling,” Theo called out from the kitchen, and I shook myself out of my own thoughts, and went to go get her a sparkling wine.

Soon, the woman I couldn’t stop thinking about was surrounded by my brothers, and even the quiet Hudson asking questions.

It would’ve probably felt like an interrogation, except for the fact that everybody was laughing, and she was asking the questions right back.

The table was overflowing with food, and I sat next to Blakely, using my fork to spread my meal around on the plate so it looked as if I was eating. Oh, Theo noticed, and so did Blakely, but I wasn’t sure anyone else had. Theo would yell at me later for being so disrespectful to his meal, but Blakely? I didn’t know what the hell I was doing.

And that seemed to be the tone of the day.

“I saw your painting, Hudson, I didn’t get to tell you when we met up at the lake. But it’s gorgeous.”

Hudson set down his beer and shrugged. “It’s okay. It could use a few more finishing touches.”

“You always say that, and yet I think it looks damn good,” Flynn put in.

Blakely looked between them, frowning.

“What? Do I have something on my face?” Flynn asked.

She shook her head, her cheeks going pink. “No, it’s just the fact that I see you nearly every day at work, and I know you and Hudson are identical twins, yet you two are nothing alike.”

“Because I’m more handsome,” Flynn said. “By the way, we’re not at work, my humor doesn’t count as an issue, right?”

“I’m pretty sure that the fact that my best friend is your sister and works with you, and I’m dating Aston, we’re past that point.”

“And I’m the more handsome one,” Hudson said deadpan.

Blakely smiled. “Totally. It is the beard.”

A slight jealousy crawled through my system, and I pushed it away.

“I’m going to have to grow a bushy beard. I don’t know if I like that,” Flynn said as he ran his hand over his face.

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