Page 35 of Falling For My Best Friend's Brother

I offered said arm and Nina took it, linking her slender one through mine. I didn’t move, however, until she looked at me.

“Whatever you’re angry at me for, I’m sorry,” I said. “Tonight means a lot to me, and I would really appreciate it if you didn’t walk in there with that stone-cold face and let everyone know that you’re pissed off about something.”

It was equal parts weird and awful how apprehensive I felt as I held my breath and waited for her to speak. Something strange was happening with me and I wasn’t entirely sure I liked it, but I knew Nina was the cause.

After a few moments, Nina sighed audibly, breaking eye contact. “Fine, but just for tonight. Afterwards, I’ll still think you’re an asshole.”

I grinned widely, feeling much lighter. “I’ll hold you to that.”

Her smile was shy and full of warmth. “Let’s go.”

I led the way, walking us through the front doors.

Eloquence greeted us as the security guards directed us to the room where the event was being held. Polished marblefloors stretched beneath my heels, each step echoing faintly in the high-ceilinged space, but I was too tense to appreciate the grandiose details of the luxurious lobby. The future of my company depends on tonight. Two other guards were standing outside the double doors to admit the attendees.

Just before the doors were opened for us, I leaned down to whisper into Nina’s ears. “Don’t be alarmed, but there are going to be some very important people here today. Just try to blend in.”

Chapter thirteen

Knox

The joke’s on me,I thought wryly as I stood across the room and watched Nina laugh with the CEO of Cornerstone Corp, Dean Bishop. Like they were the best of friends.

Which would have been more digestible than their actual relationship.

Apparently, he was one of her father’s best friends… and her godfather. Yup. The man whose company I’d been lobbying to partner with for the past few weeks was the godfather of Nina Burton, the woman I’d been sleeping with.

Fate must be laughing really hard at me right now.

Like I knew she would, Nina drew all the attention in the room to herself. Not by being loud or ostentatious. No, she didn’t even need to be. There was something about her that made you fallunder her spell. Her eyes would light up when she listened, a genuine spark that made whomever she was with feel like the only person in the room. And that laugh—damn, it was warm and genuine, the kind that pulled people closer.

It hit me then, how naturally confident she was. She didn’t shrink, didn’t try to blend in like I’d advised or make herself smaller. She just… belonged. It was something I hadn’t noticed before, or maybe I just hadn’t allowed myself to notice. I judged her harshly, knowing nothing about her.

But now, seeing her like this, radiant and completely in her element, I felt a pang of something close to pride—and something else, too, something that made me want to pull her back to my side. Because I wasn’t the only one drawn to her, and I wasn’t used to feeling like I had to share.

All the men in the room had their gazes on her, and it pissed me off. Married, single, engaged—every single one of them. Assholes.

“Wow, man. When you said you were bringing a different date, I didn’t think she’d be such a fucking smoke show. I mean, whoisthat?”

I straightened my back as Sean approached me, holding two champagne flutes. He offered me one, and I took it with thanks, my gaze darting back to Nina. God, I was dying to get her out of that dress. Did it have a zip or was it just one of those dresses you throw over your head?

“That is Nina Burton, my sister’s best friend,” I said.

“Are you dating? She looks pretty young. I was under the impression you liked them older.”

I clicked my tongue off the roof of my mouth. “We’re not dating, and you can go ahead and spread that around.”

The crowd around her and Dean was steadily increasing. She tipped her head back and laughed, and everyone around her turned their eyes to her beautiful, slender neckline. I bristled. What was so funny, anyway?

Sean whistled, coming to stand next to me. I wasn’t even sure he’d heard what I just said. “Damn, she’s fine. Why didn’t you tell me she knows Dean Bishop? The man has been smiling from ear to ear since he saw her, and he’s been married for over thirty years.”

“Don’t get any ideas. She’s his goddaughter.”

I didn’t need to look at Sean to register his shock. “No fucking way.”

“I just found out myself.”

“Do you know what this means?”

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