I took a sip of my tea before I answered, “It would be awkward. But if it makes you feel any better, I don’t think Seth realizes it. I’ve been trying to figure out a way to refuse him all morning, but I just can’t, Jade. It’s too important to keep that property intact for me to just throw the opportunity to do that away. And honestly, your brother would be giving away millions for just a couple of months of my time.”
She tilted her head. “You like him,” she accused.
I rolled my eyes. “I think like is a little too strong a word. He’s tolerable when he isn’t being a jerk.”
Admittedly, he had been pretty pleasant when we’d met several days ago in the Coffee Shack. Until he’d dropped that damn bomb on me about masquerading as his girlfriend.
“Seth is actually a pretty nice guy, and I’m not just saying that because he’s my brother,” Jade said. “Maybe he has been a lot more guarded since he went to work in the corporate world, but he’s done some things for my whole family that none of us could ever repay. He would always go without, just to give Owen, Brooke, and me something as simple as an ice cream or some kind of treat. And I don’t think there was a single day that he resented it. All he ever wanted was to see us smile. He started working in construction when he was sixteen just to help Noah. And then Aiden started to work as a fisherman as soon as he was old enough to work. None of my brothers ever wanted us to feel deprived. They gave us all a childhood when they’d actually not had one themselves.”
I had no idea why her words made me blink back tears.
Or maybe I did know, but I didn’t want to reconcile the “business” Seth with the man who had always put his family first.
“You have an amazing family,” I said reverently.
She asked softly, “Don’t you? You said you love your brothers.”
I’d never shared all that much about my family with Jade. “I do. Except when they’re trying to steer me away from men that they think aren’t good enough for me.”
Jade snorted. “I think that’s just a protective-older-brother thing. My three older ones grilled Eli so hard that I’m surprised that he hung around.”
I smirked. I’d seen the way Jade and Eli looked at each other. I certainly wasn’t shocked that her husband had taken the inquisition in stride. If Jade asked Eli to go jump off the nearest bridge, he’d do it without asking any questions. And vice versa. The two of them were so in love that it was almost nauseating. But it was sweet, too. I guess maybe I just couldn’t relate because my personal experience with men was far from stellar. “He loves you,” I said simply.
Jade’s face softened. “I love him, too. It’s a little strange to have a guy who loves me as much as Eli does. I’ve never had a guy who just accepted me exactly as I am. Science geek and all. Honestly, there has never really been a guy like him in my life before. He was worth waiting for, though.”
I smiled at the dumbfounded look on her face. It was like Jade was still trying to figure out how she’d ended up with Eli. Even though it was obvious to everyone else. Granted, they were both so different on the surface, but the two of them just . . . fit.
“So enough about me and Eli,” she said sternly. “What are you going to do about Seth? And why in the world did he pick you as a possible fake girlfriend? Oh, wait! Maybe I know. You’re totally unimpressed with him, right?”
“I kind of rescued him twice,” I explained. “Women were pestering him at the Coffee Shack, and I sort of gave them the impression that Seth and I were together to make them go away.”
Jade’s face suddenly went dark. “That makes me so angry,” she said vehemently. “I’ve seen it. Not a single one of those females would have had him for a serious relationship before he had money.”
“Why? I know he’s your brother, but he is hot.” Smoking hot, but I wasn’t going to tell Seth’s little sister that his muscular, totally ripped body, dark hair, and enigmatic ashen eyes were enough to make a woman want to toss her panties aside in mere seconds.
“I didn’t say they wouldn’t screw him,” she said, disgust dripping from her voice. “But he was always broke. A manual laborer who got sweaty for a living and had younger siblings to support.”
“But that’s actually admirable,” I argued.
“Most women wouldn’t see it that way, Riley. He wasn’t a good boyfriend or marriage prospect.”
For an instant, the way he’d been treated pissed me off, too. “Some women would give anything to have a guy who was that loyal, that responsible, and that dedicated to his family,” I answered.
“Not many,” she said unhappily. “And my brothers know that from experience. Which is why Seth is probably so eager for a diversion. What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know,” I told her honestly. “He wants me to start out by being his escort for your benefit in San Diego. I have to decide, since it’s coming up this weekend. Really, he’s not asking for all that much to obtain that property. I kind of suspect he would have given in to you eventually, Jade. He knows it’s important to you. But I’m not sure I want to take the risk that he’d just turn it over to you. The last thing I really want is to cause family issues for you and Eli.”
Jade bit at her lip. “But I don’t want you to do anything that you don’t want to do.”
I smirked. “I have to admit that I don’t mind chasing women away from your brother, because I suspect they’re just after a rich guy. But I’d rather not have to go back into that crowd in San Diego. I’m happy here.”
“Then don’t,” Jade encouraged. “We’ll figure something else out. I don’t belong in that world, either. I only do it to raise funds. And Eli is so comfortable with it that it makes it easy to bear.”
“So much of it is so damn trivial,” I complained. “It’s all one big game to see who can outdo who. But I can handle it, I guess. I’ve had plenty of experience adopting the facade.”
Jade shot me a dubious look. “Are you sure?”
I nodded firmly. I’d made up my mind during my conversation with Jade. “Positive. And it won’t be so bad since you and Eli are going to be there this weekend.”
“Do we need to go clothes shopping?” Jade asked teasingly.
“Seriously, we might,” I replied. “I pretty much traded in my formal gowns for power suits and jeans.”
“Seth cleans up well,” Jade answered with a grin. “All of my brothers look good in a tux.”
“He looks pretty good in a custom suit, too,” I blurted out without censoring my words.
“I knew it,” Jade said excitedly. “You’re attracted to him.”
I lifted a brow. “Like a praying mantis is attracted to a mate,” I grumbled. “But don’t forget that the female rips the head off the male once they’ve gotten it on.”
Jade busted out laughing. “He’s not so bad,” she said once she’d recovered. “If you get to know the real Seth, you might actually like him. Like every single one of my brothers, he’s a pain in the ass at times, but they all have some redeeming qualities.”