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she was probably already hearing wedding bells; she looked positively love-struck. Which just hit the wrong chord with him. Oh, boy, did it ever.
“Do you really think he’ll go for it? He’s so difficult to read most of the time,” Molly said in a dubious tone.
“Molly, no man in his right mind would stand by and watch his brother put his paws on his girl.”
Blushing in excitement, Molly leaped forward and hugged him tight, kissing his stubbled cheek. “You’d really do this just for me? You’re the best, Jules. Thank you so much.”
As her slim, warm arms tightened around his narrow waist, Julian’s entire frame stiffened as if she’d just zapped him. He was naked from the waist up, and he suddenly could feel Molly everywhere he didn’t want to. Warm and smelling of sweet things.
Worst of all was that she snuggled in comfortably, turned her face into his neck and whispered, “You’re the best part of my life, you know that, Jules? I never know how to thank you properly for everything you do.”
Was she for real?
Because the ideas those words put into his head were so, so wrong, Julian could’ve shot himself.
He tried remembering his past lovers’ names, in alphabetical order, but still could not relax a single inch until Molly extracted herself.
Letting go a long, long breath, he avoided her inquisitive gaze and grumbled, “Don’t thank me yet, Molls. Let’s just see how it goes, all right?”
“It’ll go splendidly, Julian, I just know it. Before the month ends, I’ll probably be wearing an engagement ring.”
He rolled his eyes because he still could not even believe this was happening. “Well, let’s not call the wedding planner yet, all right? Just remember that for this month, you’re with me, and heads up, baby, the rest of my family isn’t going to be too happy about it.”
She frowned in puzzlement and planted her hands on her hips. “Why on earth not? Am I not good enough for you?”
“No, Molls. It’s me.” He turned to gaze sightlessly out the window as a heaviness settled painfully atop his chest. “They think I’m no good for you.”
Two
“You’re jerking me around, toad, I just know it!”
Julian leaned back in his swivel chair and suppressed a smile as he watched his brother pace across the state-of-the-art conference room on the top floor of the San Antonio Daily, a thriving business the Gage family had run since the 1930s.
“Brother,” Julian tsked, “I realize I’m younger than you, but don’t forget I am stronger and I will take you down if you keep pissing me off.”
“So you’re basically admitting that you’re sleeping with our little Molls?”
“I never said that. I said we’re dating and she’s moving in with me.” This last was something Julian hadn’t discussed with Molly before, but it had suddenly seemed like a good idea. And when Garrett’s complexion turned the color of a ripe cherry tomato, Julian knew he’d struck the jackpot.
Garrett was livid.
Julian and Molly had discussed some basic rules yesterday—like no dating anyone else, a good dose of PDA for show when around family and strangers, and how neither would ever, ever disclose to anyone that their romantic liaison had been fake. This seemed especially important to Molly, who seemed to think it of utmost importance to be convincing in their new “relationship.”
Julian was right on board with that.
Hell, he was on board with anything that meant pushing Garrett’s buttons.
Not that he had anything against the guy, except the fact that he was maybe too honorable for his own damned good, and ever since Landon, the eldest brother, had embarked on a much deserved sixty-day honeymoon, Garrett seemed to think he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. Or at least, of the family business.
There was plenty of love among the three, yeah, but Julian had been planning to exact a special brotherly revenge on Garrett for a long. Long. Time.
A revenge made all the sweeter by the fact that Molly suddenly had it in her pretty head to get Garrett’s personal attention.
Hell, Julian hadn’t had a wink of sleep last night just thinking about it.
Now he took a moment to enjoy the fact that his brother’s face was taut with displeasure, his knuckles jutting out as he gripped his coffee cup. He stopped his pacing and stood across from Julian at the conference table, where they’d just wrapped up a meeting with their top executives. “Since when are you two interested in each other?” Garrett demanded.
“Since we started sexting,” Julian returned, unflinching. Then, before Garrett could ask more, Julian lifted his cell phone and read a message. “Damn, this girl turns me on.” He pretended to text Molly back and took his sweet, sweet time about it. Though in reality he was just telling her:
He knows. Guy’s going bananas. Tell you about it @ dinner.
Garrett shot him a murderous glare. “Does Kate know about this sexting/moving-in...relationship?”
“Probably, unless she’s too busy catering for her next event. She is Molly’s sister, after all.”
Just then, Molly’s response popped up:
No wonder Kate and Garrett get along so well.
Julian quickly typed in:
I suppose Kate no longer worships the ground I tread on?
Molly replied:
Affirmative. Be careful, lover. She has a spatula and she’s not afraid to use it as a weapon.
Julian’s lips curled in amusement. Ahh, Molly. Light of his life.
“So which part was it?”
Julian gazed blankly up at Garrett, who almost had steam coming out of his ears. “Which part was what?” he asked.
“Which part of what Mother, Landon and I have been telling you for, oh...say, two decades, did you not get? The part that Molly Devaney was hands-off? The part that you could be disowned if you harmed her in any way?”
Julian nodded to placate him. “I heard you all. I heard you the first time, the tenth time, the hundredth time and I hear you now. Now hear this, bro.” He leaned forward across the conference table and scowled. “I don’t. Freaking. Care. Do you...get that?”
Garrett clenched his jaw and drew in a breath that inflated his chest. The guy was so rankled, he was probably about a step away from banging his chest like Tarzan. “I’m going to have words with Molly, as I am sure it is in her best interests to reconsider this stupidity. Just know this, Julian...if you hurt her, if you so much as harm a hair on her head...”
He didn’t know if it was the threat, or the possessive way Garrett was acting toward Molly or the simple fact that Molly fancied herself in love with the guy. Worse, he feared it might be due to the fact that Garrett wanted Molly for himself. But Julian’s cool began to fade, and it took an inhuman effort to keep the mask on his face.
Suddenly transported back to his teenage years, he too easily remembered all those damned times he and Molly tried to get close. The special bond you forged with someone, one that is rare and precious and you’d be lucky to find in your lifetime—Julian had always had that with her. But every time their friendship threatened to develop into something more romantic, his family would panic and they’d swoop down like vultures to emotionally blackmail, harass and coerce him to keep them apart. More than once, he’d even been sent abroad for months, the first time apparently because Julian had been “looking” at