Wrong Man, Right Kiss (Gage Brothers 2)

Hell, she was probably already hearing wedding bells; she looked positively love-struck. Which just hit the wrong chord with him. Oh, boy, did it ever.

“Do you really think he’ll go for it? He’s so difficult to read most of the time,” Molly said in a dubious tone.

“Molly, no man in his right mind would stand by and watch his brother put his paws on his girl.”

Blushing in excitement, Molly leaped forward and hugged him tight, kissing his stubbled cheek. “You’d really do this just for me? You’re the best, Jules. Thank you so much.”

As her slim, warm arms tightened around his narrow waist, Julian’s entire frame stiffened as if she’d just zapped him. He was naked from the waist up, and he suddenly could feel Molly everywhere he didn’t want to. Warm and smelling of sweet things.

Worst of all was that she snuggled in comfortably, turned her face into his neck and whispered, “You’re the best part of my life, you know that, Jules? I never know how to thank you properly for everything you do.”

Was she for real?

Because the ideas those words put into his head were so, so wrong, Julian could’ve shot himself.

He tried remembering his past lovers’ names, in alphabetical order, but still could not relax a single inch until Molly extracted herself.

Letting go a long, long breath, he avoided her inquisitive gaze and grumbled, “Don’t thank me yet, Molls. Let’s just see how it goes, all right?”

“It’ll go splendidly, Julian, I just know it. Before the month ends, I’ll probably be wearing an engagement ring.”

He rolled his eyes because he still could not even believe this was happening. “Well, let’s not call the wedding planner yet, all right? Just remember that for this month, you’re with me, and heads up, baby, the rest of my family isn’t going to be too happy about it.”

She frowned in puzzlement and planted her hands on her hips. “Why on earth not? Am I not good enough for you?”

“No, Molls. It’s me.” He turned to gaze sightlessly out the window as a heaviness settled painfully atop his chest. “They think I’m no good for you.”

Two

“You’re jerking me around, toad, I just know it!”

Julian leaned back in his swivel chair and suppressed a smile as he watched his brother pace across the state-of-the-art conference room on the top floor of the San Antonio Daily, a thriving business the Gage family had run since the 1930s.

“Brother,” Julian tsk

ed, “I realize I’m younger than you, but don’t forget I am stronger and I will take you down if you keep pissing me off.”

“So you’re basically admitting that you’re sleeping with our little Molls?”

“I never said that. I said we’re dating and she’s moving in with me.” This last was something Julian hadn’t discussed with Molly before, but it had suddenly seemed like a good idea. And when Garrett’s complexion turned the color of a ripe cherry tomato, Julian knew he’d struck the jackpot.

Garrett was livid.

Julian and Molly had discussed some basic rules yesterday—like no dating anyone else, a good dose of PDA for show when around family and strangers, and how neither would ever, ever disclose to anyone that their romantic liaison had been fake. This seemed especially important to Molly, who seemed to think it of utmost importance to be convincing in their new “relationship.”

Julian was right on board with that.

Hell, he was on board with anything that meant pushing Garrett’s buttons.

Not that he had anything against the guy, except the fact that he was maybe too honorable for his own damned good, and ever since Landon, the eldest brother, had embarked on a much deserved sixty-day honeymoon, Garrett seemed to think he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. Or at least, of the family business.

There was plenty of love among the three, yeah, but Julian had been planning to exact a special brotherly revenge on Garrett for a long. Long. Time.

A revenge made all the sweeter by the fact that Molly suddenly had it in her pretty head to get Garrett’s personal attention.

Hell, Julian hadn’t had a wink of sleep last night just thinking about it.

Now he took a moment to enjoy the fact that his brother’s face was taut with displeasure, his knuckles jutting out as he gripped his coffee cup. He stopped his pacing and stood across from Julian at the conference table, where they’d just wrapped up a meeting with their top executives. “Since when are you two interested in each other?” Garrett demanded.