She stretched her arms over her head. “Right . . . but if real feelings start to develop, I doubt this arrangement will continue to work. Someone will be left odd man out, and if these guys are even half as alpha—or how did you put it—oversexed and intimidating—”

I shoved her in the side, but she pressed on, laughing.

“—as I think they are, that won’t work. No one likes to be runner-up.”

That wouldn’t happen. So what if Cooper had given me a little peck on the mouth? That hardly meant they were competing for me.

Bethany went on, heedless of my silence. “What’s this event you’re attending with Gavin, anyway?”

“I really don’t know much. It’s a charity thing. Honestly, I’m not sure what to wear. This is all so out of my element.”

“What did you wear to the first one?”

We rose to our feet, heading to the locker room to retrieve our car keys and cell phones.

“Cooper sent me a gown.”

“Nice. No gown from Gavin?” she asked, one brow arched.

“No.” Gavin didn’t strike me as a send-a-gown type of guy, and somehow it didn’t seem okay to wear the same gown Cooper had given me on a date with Gavin. I’d probably head to the department store and see if I could find anything suitable on the clearance rack.

“From what you told me, it seems that Cooper is the sweet, thoughtful one. So, why do I get the feeling that you’re more drawn to the alpha-hole?”

“The alpha-hole?” I asked, fishing a dollar bill out of my wallet so I could pay for a water on the way out.

“Alpha asshole.” Bethany shot me a knowing wink. “But don’t dodge the question. Which of them do you like better?”

Avoiding her eyes, I handed a dollar to the front-desk attendant and accepted a water bottle in return, but my brain was elsewhere. A wave of icy nerves prickled my skin. Once we were outside, I shielded my eyes from the sun and met Bethany’s gaze.

“They’re all so different, to be honest,” I said, hedging as best I could. How was I supposed to reply to a question I didn’t even know the answer to?

“All,” she asked, her eyes widening. “How many are there?”

I laughed. “Three. And all three Kingsley brothers are drop-dead gorgeous. I met their older brother, Quinn, at the event too.”

“Can I have the spare?” she asked, chuckling. “Unless, of course, you’re going to date him too.”

“Stop it!” I said, my cheeks glowing with heat. “I’m totally not. And it’s going to be fine. I told you, we’re going on dates, but none of us are dating.”

“Hmm.” Bethany nodded, contemplating. There was something in her hesitation that nagged at me.

“What?” I asked.

“I’ll just be interested to see where this all goes, that’s all. I want you to be careful. After Nathan and all—”

I cut in with a nod. “I will be.”

And with that ominous warning ringing in my head, we said our good-byes and I headed for the bus stop. All the way home, Bethany’s urging to be careful played through my brain.

Cooper had been sweet and thoughtful, sending me a beautiful gown to wear accompanied with a handwritten note. So, why was my mind squarely focused on Gavin? There was something about his steely demeanor that called to me. It was like being given a locked box and being told not to open it. You’d quickly become obsessed with getting inside it.

Which of them did I like better?

There was no doubt my date with Cooper had been everything a date should be. He was easy—charming and fun. But more than all of that? He was thoughtful. I liked that. Liked it more than I was willing to admit.

But that didn’t change the fact that I’d been lusting after Gavin for almost a year. And it had been a year spent wondering if he was smart, strong, and confident—only to discover he was so much more.

He was dominant and gruff and mysterious. Everything Cooper wasn’t. If it weren’t for their stunning good looks, I might never have known they were brothers.

Not that any of it mattered. I didn’t have to like either of them, and I certainly wasn’t getting involved with either.

In fact, I was going to stop thinking about them both.

Starting now.

Chapter Ten

Gavin

“Fucking Cooper,” I muttered under my breath.

Dragging the towel off my hips, I swiped away the steam covering my bathroom mirror. The reflection staring back at me was laced with frustration.

I blew out a pissed-off breath and fought to erase my scowl. Sonja was always saying it was going to age me early. She joked that I’d need Botox if I kept that up. I assured her I didn’t give a shit about that, yet her nagging had apparently gotten through. I relaxed my features and took another deep breath.

I wanted to pretend the reason I was pissed was because I’d let Cooper talk me into this. But I knew it was a little more complicated than that. Fuck. Okay, a lot more complicated.

After stepping into a pair of black Armani boxer briefs, I shrugged into a crisp white dress shirt and left it unbuttoned as I strode into the formal dining room and straight toward the liquor cabinet. This room was rarely ever used, I think I’d only eaten at the table once, but the large oak cabinet opposite the dining table held all my favorite bottles of liquor.

Selecting a cut-crystal glass, I let out another sigh and rolled my shoulders.

I’d tried to shake the feeling, to convince myself that it was all in my head, but something about tonight felt too much like the way things had started three years ago. With Ashley. I hadn’t been truly involved with an escort since we’d been together. Not that I allowed myself to think of her often.

Something about Emma stirred up those same feelings inside me, and this situation was eerily similar. Of course, I would never have let Cooper touch Ashley. She was mine. Which was exactly why Emma couldn’t be. I couldn’t go down that road again.

So then, why did you blow up his phone the other night trying to find out about their date?

Fucking idiot. It wasn’t like I could ask him if they’d fucked. It was none of my business, but part of me hoped that when I heard his voice or he responded that I’d be able to tell. There would be some mocking note there, or a swagger.

The point was moot, though, because the prick never called me back that night, and didn’t say a word about her all week. Which was fine.

Again, none of my concern.

And remembering Ashley now only drove that point home.

As I poured myself a measure of bourbon, my brain cataloged the similarities between her and Emma. Sky-blue eyes that were so bright, they were striking. Long, shiny dark hair. A feisty but decidedly submissive nature—it was that last part that got my blood roaring south.

The way things ended with Ashley were messy, and I couldn’t go through that again. Yes, there were many things I loved about her, her fondness for rough sex not the least among them. Her fondness for prescription drugs, though? That had been a deal breaker.

She’d been a ballerina who’d aged out of the system, as gorgeous and graceful as anyone might expect with cheekbones that could cut glass. She and her fellow dancers had never been shy about partying and smoking, but when all her friends went back on tour and she was left alone? That was when the trouble began.

It was my fault from the start. I knew better. The girls were for fun and fun alone. But deep down, in my own way, I knew I had loved her, even if I’d never told her. In the end, I couldn’t save her, and even now, years later, that wound still burned white hot whenever my thoughts turned to her.

Taking a long swallow of bourbon, I appreciated the bitter sting on my tongue, needed it to ground myself.

Emma wasn’t Ashley.

And even if I did want to cross that line with Emma? To possess her and make her mine?

I’d promised my brother I wouldn’t.

Picking up my phone, I dialed my driver. “I’ll be ready in ten. See you out front.”

“Yes, Mr. Kingsley,” he said before disconnecting the call.

Drink in hand, I headed to the master closet to continue getting ready. Selecting a black tuxedo and a ruby-colored tie, I finished dressing for the event, then tossed back the remainder of my drink in a single gulp. After adding platinum cuff links and my watch, I flipped off the lights and headed out to meet Ben, my driver.