Must Love Frosting (Must Love Diamonds 1)

When he opened the passenger door for Honor, she hesitated before getting in the Camaro. “Do you know him? Is he really your brother?”

“No.” The curt, single word answered both questions.

Sympathy softened her gaze. “Do you want me to drive? Are you okay?”

He took a deep breath and attempted a smile. “I’m fine.”

After one more moment of her gaze searching his, she slid into the passenger seat. His hand clenched on the door handle to keep from slamming it shut. It wasn’t her fault, damn it. He didn’t want to be a jerk to her. He strode around the back for the driver’s side, confusion, anger, and uncertainty warring inside his chest as he rubbed his neck before yanking open his door to get in.

Silence sat heavy while he gripped the steering wheel. He wanted to focus on Honor, their evening together, and how much he liked her and wanted her in his life for years to come, but all he could fucking think about was that clip on the TV. Raw fear of the unknown had struck his heart cold when he’d seen that man’s face on the screen.

Grayson Cole.

He looked like a Diamond.

Plenty of people have look-a-likes without any blood relation at all.

“Could it be true?” Honor asked softly.

“No,” he denied roughly.

No fucking way I’ve got a brother I don’t know about. None of us knew about.

That would mean his father cheated. That would mean his parents’ marriage was nothing but a farce. That would mean they’d lied to him and his brothers and sisters for the past thirty-some years.

Diamonds don’t divorce.

They didn’t cheat either. Their love was true and lasting. His mom and dad were soul mates.

“Maybe you should call your parents.”

He jerked his head toward Honor at the uncanny timing of her suggestion and saw her reaching into the glove box where they’d both left their phones during dinner.

“It’s because of the campaign,” he rationalized when she handed him his cell. His fingers clenched on it as he worked up possibilities in his head. “It’s never been this bad, but my dad’s opponents have done this kind of crap before. It’s a common tactic these days. The other side feeds the media a lie to ruin his reputation, and they run with it without checking a single damn fact.”

“Maybe.”

He cut his gaze to hers. “Why do you say it like that?”

Her eyebrows pinched together as she bit her bottom lip. “The resemblance was—”

“No,” he bit out. “Don’t say it.”

She didn’t. But then again, she didn’t have to.

The resemblance was uncanny. Especially to Loyal.

When her resigned sigh filled the silence, he fisted his free hand on his thigh as he looked over at her. “Honor, I’m sorry. I don’t mean—”

“Don’t apologize,” she cut him off with a shake of her head. “I get it. Everything is turned completely upside down right now. You need to call your parents and see what is going on.”

He sure as hell did.

“Or, let’s drive over there. They’re only a few minutes from here, right?”

“I need to take you home first.” As he said the words, he finally looked down at his phone and saw he had sixteen new texts in the past hour. Pretty much from everyone in his immediate family, Roxanna, and a few other friends.

“Fuck,” he whispered under his breath.