Page 20 of Enticing Her Love

“You of all people know I don’t give up just because people give me shit, and I never give up on people I care about.”

He held her gaze, as if his words had a deeper meaning. But they couldn’t, could they? Do I want them to? She realized with a start that she did and tore her gaze away, focusing on the fire instead of him. “How is Victory now?”

“She’s doing well, but I don’t know if she’ll ever let herself fully move on. She took over their entertainment management company, Blank Space Entertainment, and has basically buried herself in work ever since.”

“I can understand that, but don’t give up hope. Look at Jock and Archer. They finally faced their demons. They’re getting along and living life to the fullest again. The reason Jock came back to the island and finally confronted Archer was because he fell in love with an amazing woman, who is now his wife, and her little girl, who he adopted. Daphne and Hadley—she’s four and so freaking cute—changed everything, and Archer’s getting married in a few weeks. I never thought any of that would happen.”

“According to my mother, love is the most powerful impetus of all.”

“I’ve never been in love, but I’ve watched my brothers and sisters take the plunge, and I have to say. I think your mom is right.”

“She usually is.”

He held her gaze so long, her nerves ignited, and she grasped for something to say. “Is there still a rift between you two, or are you closer now?”

“No. We’re good. I’m close to all of my siblings, but Vic’s probably closest to Seth. They have similar personalities.”

“So he’d be okay out here with a Snugpak and butt wipes, too?”

“He would, but he doesn’t need them. He likes to get his hands dirty, and he’s very athletic. I meant he and Vic have that older sibling mentality. They color within the lines and like things mapped out. It works for them. They’re both very successful. I told you about Vic, and Seth is a business mogul. He founded BRI Enterprises, a major retail conglomerate, and he co-owns a number of restaurants, but he’s also a big-ass dork.”

She heard the tease in his voice and bumped his shoulder with hers. “That’s mean.”

“No, it’s not. He is a dork. Black-framed glasses and all. He wears plaid shirts with patterned sweaters that don’t match, and he’s all about analytics and bottom lines.”

“None of that makes him a dork. It sounds like he’s comfortable in his own skin and smart.”

“If he were here right now, he’d tell you he’s a dork. Just ask Leni. Doesn’t she do Seth’s PR work?”

She was surprised he knew that and realized with a nugget of discomfort that he probably complained to Seth about her the same way she complained to Leni about him. Ugh. Why did that bother her? She shouldn’t care if he complained about her, but she did.

In an effort to combat those feelings, her snark came out. “Yes, and she has only good things to say about him. In fact, since he’s single, I might have to look him up when we get out of here.”

FLYNN TRIED TO ignore the unexpected stab of jealousy he felt, but the more Sutton let her guard down, the more he liked her, and the more he wanted to strip it away.

She poked at the dying embers in the fire pit with a stick. “And your other two brothers? Could they hack it out here?”

“Why? Do you want to look them up, too?” He said it teasingly, but the thought of her hooking up with one of his brothers grated on his nerves.

“I don’t know yet. Tell me about them, and I’ll decide.”

Great. Now he was stuck talking about his brothers to the one woman he wanted to get closer to. He briefly contemplated making them sound not so great, but he wasn’t that much of a jerk. “I’m sure with the right preparations and training they could handle it if they had to, but Clay is a quarterback for the Giants. He’d never chance injuring his throwing arm in a place like this, and Noah’s a marine biologist. He lives in Colorado, and he’s partnered with some of our cousins in an indoor/outdoor discovery center for kids called the Real DEAL, which stands for Discover, Experience, Appreciate, and Learn. He’d definitely be into a trip like this. When we were kids, he’d follow me around. If I went exploring, he was right there with me. If I was sitting under the stars reading with a flashlight at night, chances were, he’d plop down next to me, and I was reading to him.”

“Hold on there, Braden. Are you saying you have a sweet side?”

He scoffed. “Hardly.”

“Reading to your little brother is a sweet thing to do. It’s okay to admit that you have a sweeter side. Or at least you did toward him.”

“I’d do anything for any of my brothers or Vic, whether I like whatever it is or not.” He wasn’t about to admit to being sweet. If anything, he was a little bit of a dick when he was caught in a corner, as he’d proven with how he’d treated Sutton.

“Whatever. I still think it was sweet. Hey, you know what? We should think about connecting Noah with Andi. She’s working on her PhD in marine biology. I’d hate to lose her as a research assistant, but she’s too smart to be pigeonholed, and maybe he has something for her in her field.”

“I’ve already mentioned her to him.”

Her eyes widened. “You have? Does Andi know that?”

“No, but why do you look so surprised?”