Page 20 of Bought by His Brother's Best Friend

He shrugged, then signaled a passing server for coffee. Only after ordering did he seem to notice our seating arrangement—how close Shane and I were sitting, the easy intimacy between us. His eyebrows rose slightly.

“So,” he said, a hint of amusement in his voice. “What’s new with you two?”

Shane and I exchanged glances. So much for our carefully planned revelation.

“That obvious, huh?” Shane asked with a small laugh.

Tyler’s grin widened. “Well, you’re practically sitting in each other’s laps, so yeah.” He leaned back in his chair. “Plus, you both have that post-vacation glow.”

“It’s not a glow,” Shane protested.

“It’s absolutely a glow,” Tyler countered. “I’ve seen that look before—usually after someone’s spent a weekend getting spectacularly laid.”

“Tyler!” Shane’s cheeks flushed.

I laughed, enjoying their dynamic and Shane’s embarrassment. “And here we thought we’d be breaking news to you.”

Tyler accepted his coffee from the server, waiting until she’d moved away before continuing. “So, Paris?” he asked. “That auction worked out better than I expected. And to think, I was worried when I got stuck in Detroit.”

Shane’s brow furrowed. “Wait. You knew about Paris?”

“Damien texted me from the jet,” Tyler said with a shrug. “Asked if I minded him whisking my brother off to France. I said go for it.”

“I wasn’t sure how you’d feel about this development.”

Tyler’s expression turned more serious. “You two are my favorite people in the world. Why would I have a problem with you making each other happy?”

The simple sincerity in his statement touched me. Tyler had always possessed an emotional directness that I admired—a willingness to say what he felt without embarrassment or hedging.

“Thanks,” Shane said. “That means a lot.”

“Besides,” Tyler continued, his tone lightening, “it only took you guys what, ten years to figure this out? I was thinking I’d have to try setting you up all over again.”

“I can’t believe you knew this whole time,” Shane said.

“Dude, you talked about Damien for weeks after you first met him at that playoff party. And you—” he turned to me, “—you asked about Shane every single time we hung out. I’m not a detective, but I can put two and two together.”

I chuckled, remembering how carefully I thought I’d hidden my interest all these years. “Was I that obvious?”

“To everyone except him,” Tyler said, nodding towards his brother.

The server returned to take our food orders—avocado toast for Shane, eggs benedict for me, and a protein-heavy omelet for Tyler.

“So,” I said once she’d left, “you’re genuinely okay with this? Your friend dating your brother?”

“More than okay. I’m thrilled.” Tyler stirred his coffee. “Look, Shane deserves someone who sees how amazing he is beyond just being my agent or ‘Tyler Bennett’s brother.’ And you, Damien—you need someone who wants you for yourself, not your bank account.”

Shane’s knee pressed against mine under the table, a silent acknowledgment of Tyler’s insight.

Our food arrived, momentarily pausing the conversation. As we began eating, I noticed a subtle shift in Tyler’s demeanor—a slight nervousness that wasn’t typically part of his confident presence.

“Actually,” he said after a few bites, setting down his fork, “I’m glad you guys figured things out, because, uh, I’ve sort of had a development of my own.”

Shane looked up from his avocado toast. “What kind of development?”

Tyler fidgeted with his napkin. “It’s about being stranded in Detroit.”

“The reason I was the grand finale at the bachelor auction?” Shane said dryly. “Yeah, it rings a bell.”

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