Heartthrob (The Bennett Brothers 3)

“And you bought it anyway?”

“Mathis, I knew the instant we pulled into the circular driveway I was buying it. She couldn’t hide her reaction.”

“Have you told her?”

Shaw chuckles, passing a fresh round of beers to us. I catch the amusement in his eyes. “Wait until you hear this,” he says.

“Is she leaving you again?” I ask him seriously.

“No, asshole. She’s not leaving me again, ever. She may have threatened everything in her power, but she came around.”

“This is where it gets good.” Shaw sits back, crossing an ankle over his knee and watching Nick. “Tell him how you pussified yourself.”

“Fuck you, Shaw.”

“From the sound of things, that may be the closest you get to fucking for a while.”

Nick scowls, his good nature turning to irritation. “She came around,” he repeats.

“Do I want to know how you pulled that off?”

“I explained my rationale, and she had no choice but to agree. The four days her family was here were eye-opening. Her parents are awesome, and Roy stayed with Logan, but the whole time, I kept thinking about the way she and Logan grew up. She lived on a fucking orchard. Trees, land, big house, lots of rooms. I want that for her and our children. I can’t transplant a peach orchard to Miami, so I did what I could. Bought her a mansion on two acres.”

“None of that sounds pussified,” I surmise.

“Wait for it,” Shaw tells me.

Nick snaps his mouth, not enjoying this nearly as much as Shaw.

“Well, one of you idiots fill me in.”

“Roy’s sending down a horticulturist with soil samples. This dumbass is going to try to grow peach trees in south Florida.” Shaw can no longer contain his laughter and roars.

I try to hold in my own, but the absurdity becomes too much and I join him.

“You two are assholes. Why I chose to celebrate with you means I’ve lost my mind.”

“Why are we here? Where’s Grace?”

“She and Logan had a client install tonight she couldn’t miss. He’s bringing her home later.”

“Not to get too involved in your personal business, but how the hell did you buy a house in one day? Doesn’t this take time?”

His irritation vanishes, and he jerks his chin to Shaw. “Pays to have a lawyer as my agent as well. Shaw handled most of it.”

“It also helps when you make an offer and back it up with six million dollars cash,” Shaw informs me.

I nod in understanding. “We’re here celebrating, Grace and Claire are at work, so where the hell is Bizzy?”

“She’s at home with Brinley. We couldn’t find a sitter.”

Something in the way he says it is off, and I can’t miss the exchange between him and Nick. The hair on the back of my neck tingles and suspicion sets in. There is no way in hell they couldn’t find a babysitter.

“Couldn’t find a sitter?”

“Something like that,” he replies.

I chug the rest of my beer, sitting back and eyeing them both. I remain silent, waiting for one of them to speak. Nick cracks first.