Page 18 of Bought by His Brother's Best Friend

He shifted to face me, his expression serious. “What do you want to happen?”

I was looking for clarity, not a question with a question.

“I don’t know. This has been incredible—you’re incredible. But it’s also been this perfect bubble, away from real life. I can’t help wondering if it will feel different once we’re back in our regular routines.”

“Shane, my interest in you didn’t begin in Paris. It didn’t even begin at the charity auction. I’ve wanted to be with you for years.”

The knowledge still surprised me, even after he’d mentioned it on the plane.

His fingers traced patterns on my palm. “I’m not suggesting we need to define everything right now. We can take it slow, see how things develop naturally. But I want you to know I’m serious about exploring this—exploring us.”

Relief and happiness flooded through me. “I want that too,” I admitted. “I just didn’t want to assume.”

“Assume away,” he said with a smile, leaning in to kiss me. “I’m not going anywhere.”

We continued our exploration of the city, stopping for lunch at a tiny bistro tucked away on a side street. The food was incredible, rich and flavorful in a way that made me understand why French cuisine was so celebrated.

As late afternoon stretched into evening, we made our way back to the hotel to gather our things.

“I wish we had more time,” I said as I packed my overnight bag.

“We do,” Damien replied, coming to stand behind me. He wrapped his arms around my waist, resting his chin on my shoulder. “Just not in Paris.”

I turned in his embrace to face him. “You’re right. But Paris has been pretty magical.”

“It has.” He kissed me, thoroughly, as if trying to commit the sensation to memory. “Though I think that has more to do with the company than the location.”

We checked out of the hotel, got into the waiting car, and made our way to the private airfield where Damien’s jet waited. The sun was beginning to set, casting a golden glow over the city as we drove through the streets.

“Thank you for this,” I said, as Paris slipped away through the car window. “For the auction bid, for bringing me here, for... everything.”

Damien took my hand, interlacing our fingers. “Thanks for taking a chance on me. To all of it.”

Boarding the jet felt different this time—less intimidating, more familiar. Michael greeted us with professional warmth, and soon we were airborne, watching the lights of Paris recede beneath us.

Once we reached cruising altitude, Damien moved to sit beside me on the comfortable couch, his thigh pressed against mine.

“I’ve been thinking.”

“About?”

“Tyler. We should probably talk to him when we get back.”

I hadn’t even considered my brother’s reaction to this development between his old college friend and his agent, who also happened to be his younger brother. “I don’t think he’ll mind, not really. Do you?”

Damien shook his head. “Not at all. In fact, he tried to set us up once, about two years ago. Remember that dinner at his place where you and I were the only other guests, and he suddenly had an ‘emergency’ phone call?”

I stared at him. “That was a setup? I thought he just double-booked himself, as usual.”

“Definitely a setup. He told me afterward he was frustrated watching us dance around each other for years.”

I laughed, shaking my head at my brother’s meddling. “That’s Tyler for you. Always thinking he knows best.”

“In this case, maybe he did.” Damien’s voice was soft, his eyes warm as they met mine.

“Maybe,” I agreed, leaning in to kiss him. “Though I prefer our version of how this started.”

“Charity bachelor auction, twenty-thousand-dollar bid, spontaneous trip to Paris?” He grinned. “It makes for a good ‘how we got together’ story.”

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