The CEO's Seduction (A Hamilton Family 1)

“You should,” he said, staring at the closed door, knowing he should open it, but not doing so. “I feel nothing. I don’t think I’m even capable of it.”

If he looked at her, he might do something he would regret. If he looked at her, he might not be able to deny himself the one thing that might make him happy—her.

And then he went and looked at her anyway.

Like a damn idiot.

She watched him with vulnerable eyes, wide open for him to see, hiding nothing, while he hid everything from her. “You’re wrong.”

She slipped under his arm, in front of him, closing herself in between his body and the door. He took a steadying breath, his hand gripping the knob even tighter.

He wouldn’t touch her. He wouldn’t ruin her faith in him, and he wouldn’t let himself hurt her, as he inevitably would if he gave in to his base desires. She was close, too close, and his aching cock pressed against her soft belly. “You can’t. We can’t.”

“Why not?” She cupped his face with her hands, looking deep into his eyes. Straight to his heart. And Jesus, he wanted to take her up on the unspoken offer that shone in her eyes. “Why won’t you touch me? You want to, and so do I.”

“I’ll hurt you.”

“Then hurt me,” she whispered, her voice broken.

He shook his head. “Trust me. If you pursue this…I will. I’ll break your heart.” He grabbed her hands, gave them a gentle squeeze, and removed them from his face. “So listen to your brothers, and stay away from me. I’m no good for you.”

He opened the door, gave her one last warning look, and left like he should have done as soon as he realized where he was.

As soon as he saw her.

Chapter Five

Anna yawned and pushed the brew button on the Keurig, waiting impatiently for it to finish. Last night after the surprise visit from Brett, sleep hadn’t been her friend, so she was rolling on the few hours she’d gotten before he woke her up. And no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get the haunted look on his face when he left out of her mind. She’d known he wasn’t happy…but she hadn’t realized he was unhappy.

There had to be a way to show him he wasn’t empty like he thought he was. A way to get him out from behind that safe, circular wall he lived in. His childhood may have told him time and time again he wasn’t worthy of love—but she had to find a way around that. Had to show him there was so much more to life besides work and loneliness. Somehow, someway, she would find a way to show him what he missed out on in life by closing himself off like that. She only needed to figure out how.

Brett walked into the dining room, his eyes immediately finding hers. He flushed and looked away, heading in the opposite direction. His avoidance stung, but she faced the wall so he wouldn’t see. She sipped her black coffee, inhaling the vanilla biscotti scent. He wouldn’t know how much it hurt her to know he would never care about her the same way she cared about him, but by the end of this wedding…

He’d know she cared about him enough to not care about that.

Christopher leaned against the table, facing the crowded room instead of the wall, and gave her an all-too-serious look. Way too serious for eight in the morning. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” She let out a soft breath. “Why?”

“You’re pouting.” He crossed his arms. “Don’t try to say otherwise. I’m a cop, and your big brother. You can’t fool me. I can spot my unhappy sister from a mile away.”

“I didn’t sleep well. That’s all. Once this coffee kicks in, we’ll be good to go.” And if she was pouting, that was easy enough to fix. Brett wasn’t the only one who could fake a smile. She flashed her brother a big smile. “So… Four more days until the big wedding. Are you ready?”

Christopher sought out his bride, a soft smile on his face. Oh, how love had transformed her once-bitter brother. She wouldn’t have believed it to be possible if she hadn’t seen it all with her own eyes. “Hell yeah. I knew she was the one the second I met her.”

“Such a romantic thing to say,” Anna said, her heart giving a little twist at his words. That’s what she wanted. “I never thought you’d be a romantic.”

“Love can change a man.” Chris turned back to her, his gaze locked on her. “I want to introduce you to a guy I know from my precinct.”

She sighed and set her coffee down. “Not interested.”

“I figured. You’re too busy looking at something else you’ll never have.” He frowned at his best friend. “Knock it off. You need someone more…worthy.”