You're The One (Very Irresistible Bachelors 1)

I knew just how true that was. Once you jumped on the corporate hamster wheel, you were either all in or all out. Josie was a successful lawyer, but the hours she had to put in were even crazier than mine. One of these days, I was going to surprise Josie by flying in her family for a holiday. I just had to be smart about it. My best friend wasn’t a fan of extravagant gifts.

“We should have planned to go straight to Amelia’s after the event,” Josie murmured. “But I want to change out of this dress.”

Damn it. I did not want that visual in my brain. She was wearing a tight white dress and high heels that had already been

messing with my thoughts the entire morning.

“I know. I need to get out of this suit too,” I replied. There was no such thing as a casual brunch with a client.

We were lucky and made it into the city with some time to spare. I dropped off Josie first. She almost jumped out of the car, only pausing to look over her shoulder. “Don’t forget about my dessert.”

I grinned. “Wouldn’t dare show my face without it.”

***

Josie

My phone finally beeped with an incoming message when I had only two subway stations left. I’d changed as fast as possible into a cotton dress with spaghetti straps. I stretched my toes in my flip-flops. This outfit was perfect to face the July heat.

Mom: We just got the sweets. They’re DELICIOUS!

My entire family had a sweet tooth. I could vividly imagine my mom’s expression when she’d received the package. I clasped the phone tighter, smiling at the other passengers in the subway. The energy was very different than my daily ride to work, when everyone was in a hurry, either clasping coffee cups or already typing furiously on their laptops.

Now, everyone was relaxed, in a celebratory mood. I even spotted a few passengers holding tiny flags. New York transformed on the Fourth of July. Some of the passengers spoke about heading to Central Park for a picnic. Others were going to take the fireworks cruise. Spending the Fourth at Amelia’s place was tradition. She was family to me, as were Hunter’s cousins.

As for Hunter himself, the best description was “it’s complicated.” I’d had a crush on him when I’d first met him, but who wouldn’t? Hunter had looked like a man even at seventeen. But I’d extinguished that crush long ago... at least, I thought I had. Most of the time. With light brown hair, intense blue eyes, and a body that made me drool, the man exuded so much masculinity that sometimes even being in the same room with him was difficult. But thirty-year-old women didn’t have crushes. They dated and had relationships, and if they were lucky, they found someone who swept them off their feet. Someone to marry and have kids with. I wanted that. I hadn’t been lucky yet, but I was persistent in the dating department.

Amelia lived in a low-rise apartment building in Brooklyn with her husband, Mick. When I arrived, all Hunter’s cousins were already there: Tess, Skye, Ryker, and Cole.

“Hey, Josie. Where’s Hunter? Thought you went together to the Hamptons,” Tess said.

“He’s on his way. We had to change first. He’s bringing dessert too.”

Tess lit up. “Oh, now we’re talking.”

Skye rubbed her stomach, grinning. Ryker and Cole each hugged me. I’d met all of them at a birthday party years ago. I came from a large family myself—I had two brothers and one sister—but the Winchester siblings were something else.

I’d nicknamed Ryker “the flirt” instantly. I’d mistakenly dubbed Cole “the gentleman” before amending that to “the charmer.” Tess was “the hurricane”—she often set the tone, mobilizing everyone. Truthfully, I’d just met so many people that remembering names was more difficult than assigning nicknames. Skye had been the only shy one in the family, though that changed over the years. I loved the entire family to pieces.

No sooner did I greet everyone than Hunter arrived with flowers, the promised apple pie, and panna cotta—my favorite.

I noticed his frown before he headed to the kitchen to Amelia. He’d been in a great mood when he’d dropped me off. What had changed since then?

Time to find out.

Chapter Two

Hunter

I first stopped in the kitchen, where a wisp of a woman with gray hair pulled back in a severe bun was checking on the roast beef. Amelia smiled at me when I handed her a bouquet of flowers and dessert.

“Thank you.” Just as I bent to kiss her cheek, Amelia’s radar kicked in, and she asked, “What’s wrong with you, my boy? You seem preoccupied.”

She was right. I’d checked my mail for the first time in a week before leaving my apartment this afternoon and had discovered a very troubling letter. But I didn’t intend to ruin her or anyone else’s mood today.

“The usual pressure at work,” I said vaguely, hoping that assuaged her interest for now.

“You’d better forget about it today. I’ll have none of that at my table, Hunter Caldwell.”