But now, she absorbed the photos he had saved.
He had his arm around a woman with wisps of gray in her hair. It must be his mother. There was a picture of him and Lee. She stared at the collection of art museum shots. He had been to every impressive collection in the world. She couldn’t believe it.
Brooke fought the burning interest in her belly. Today Tyler wasn’t a hot sexy man who might have a side she’d like to get to know. No, that couldn’t happen. Today, Tyler was the man who decided her fate. That was all that mattered.
She walked to her room and found the heaviest coat, scarf, and gloves and dressed for the bitter cold.
Fourteen
Tyler
He took a look at the three leading portfolios in front of him. Tyler pushed away from his desk and walked to the bar to pour a drink. He filled the rocks glass with bourbon and leaned his heavy frame against the marble surface.
He knocked back the first swallow. If he chose Brooke’s design, she would be free. He took another sip.
It was the last thing he or Lee wanted. Two weeks with her had changed him. He didn’t know how to admit it, or face it, but it was the fucking truth.
She had a smile that could bring him to his knees. She had a smart mouth that he wanted to kiss every morning and every night. Her voice. Her laugh. She had invaded every part of him when he wasn’t looking. The thought of letting her go was ludicrous.
But he had made a deal and he wasn’t going to break his word, even if it cost him the one thing he wanted more than anything.
He heard a knock on the door and Lee stepped inside.
“Have you made a decision yet?” he asked.
Tyler shook his head. “No. I haven’t even opened them.” He nodded at the presentations on his desk. “The messenger brought them an hour ago. I told the poor bastard to warm up before he headed back on the road.”
“You know Brooke is a nervous wreck waiting on your answer. She’s back from the woods and pacing upstairs.”
Tyler frowned. His brows almost touched with the scowl.
“I know. There’s a lot riding on this.”
“Which part? The foundation? Or Brooke?”
Tyler exhaled. “Both. I don’t want to fuck up either. Our return to StarCon hinges on this. This.” He pushed his finger into the desk.
“It’s going to crush her if you don’t choose her design, man.”
“You don’t think I know that?” He shot a look at his best friend. “I want hers to be the one, just as much as I don’t.” He took a seat behind his desk. “This is the one time I wish I didn’t know a damn thing about art.”
“I could go through them if you like,” Lee offered. “I know absolutely shit about art.”
“No.” He shook his head. “This is my fucking responsibility. She’s counting on me to get it right.”
“By right, do you mean granting her freedom?”
Tyler felt his scowl deepen. He clenched his fist. “Yeah. I guess so.”
“I don’t want her to leave the cabin.”
“Neither do I.” Tyler glanced at the travel package on the corner of his desk. “We’re unveiling the foundation soon. Dreams with Wings needs me to do the right thing. And so does Brooke. But I’ve been thinking about something.”
“Yeah? What are your thoughts?” Lee shoved his hands in his pockets.
“I think it’s important that whoever our designer is, attends the event.” He smiled.
Lee grinned. “I think that’s part of the agreement with our artists, isn’t it?”
Tyler nodded. “Standard. Even if it means we take the smelly French guy with us.”
Lee laughed. “Son of a bitch. We would see her again.”
Tyler felt the burden lift. It wasn’t much, but if he did choose Brooke’s design she would have to debut it at the conference. If he didn’t, she was required to be their cabin companion for the remaining six weeks. It was a win-win.
“Get out of here and let me study these proposals. I’ll let you know the finalist.”
Lee nodded. “I’ll wait. Maybe I’ll go check on her.” He stepped in the hallway and disappeared.
Tyler opened the flap to the first design. He sat back in his chair and studied the lines. This might be one of the biggest decisions he made, but at least he knew he had one more weekend to spend with Brooke. One more weekend to convince her to become theirs. One last chance to make her realize she was where she needed to be.
Fifteen
Brooke
She paced back and forth in front of the large windows in her suite. She tried to focus on the snowcapped mountains in the distance. This was agonizing. She had delivered her design over three hours ago. How long was it going to take Tyler to make a decision? What if he already had and she wasn’t the choice? He had gone with someone else and she had six more weeks with the bachelors.
She closed her eyes, exhaling a long breath. The past two weeks had changed her. She hadn’t had any contact with Niall. She had a new kind of freedom, even though it was under the constraints Tyler and Lee set.
She felt free from the McIntosh world. No more doing Niall’s bidding. No more schemes to make money. She didn’t like to think about the ways she had helped him over the years. Something about her two weeks with Tyler and Lee had taught her the past could really be the past.
She had moved into a new home. Was given a new office. Had a new career, using her passion for art. And every night she dined with the sexiest most eligible bachelors in Denver in their secret fantasy retreat. As much as she had hated how it came to be, she had started to wake up with a smile on her face.
She went to bed feeling safe. She awoke feeling as if she had a purpose. Tyler and Lee had given that to her.
What happened if she did win the bet? Would Tyler throw her out of the cabin into the snow? How did this work? She would win and her freedom would become instantaneous? She shook with nerves, rubbing her arms. Was that really what she wanted? Did she want to leave them and not look back? Could she?
Brooke jumped when her door opened. It was Lee.
“Brooke, Tyler would like you to meet him in his office.”
She tried to read his expression. Did he know the decision.
“All right. Please tell him I’ll be there in a minute.”
“Want me to wait for you?” he offered.
Brooke nodded. “I do.” The butterflies attacked her stomach. She didn’t know if she could walk. This was it. The moment of truth was about to hit her.
Lee pushed the heavy double doors open for her.
Tyler leaned against the front of his desk, his arms crossed. She almost lost her breath. He shouldn’t look so edible.
She cleared her throat and took her first step into his office.
“I heard you’ve made a decision.”
He nodded. “I have.”
She didn’t know how much longer she could wait. She bit her lip. “Well?”
Tyler’s broad chest rose. “It’s you, Brooke. Only you.”
Her eyes widened. “Me? I won?”
He bowed his head in her direction. “Your design was impressive. Unique. Inspired. It was the only one I even considered.”
Her palm flattened over her heart. She tried to stop it from beating out of control. “I-I don’t know what to say.”
Tyler broke his stance and walked toward her. “Why don’t you take a seat? We have to discuss your obligations to the project at this point.”
“Obligations?” She sat on the leather sofa across from him. There was a coffee table in between them.
“You have heard Lee and I discuss the how crucial the project to our return to Denver. Launching the foundation is the pinnacle of our careers. It has to be flawless. The creator of the brand needs to be at the announcement. You are the vision, Brooke. You can’t miss being on an international stage with something so critical for the foundation.”
“We agreed if I won, I would be free.” She started to shake. There w
as a catch. She should have seen it coming.
“Yes. We did. You won. You can go. I’m a man of my word. I’m not breaking it.”
She exhaled, looking at Lee. He was wearing a sad smile.
Tyler continued, “I’m asking you to do this for the foundation. I’m asking you as the artist who created something beautiful, to see your vison shared the way it is supposed to be.”
Her chest prickled. Her blood rushed with heat. “You’re asking me to stay on?”
“I’m asking you to see this through to the very end. Represent your art.”
“You’re going back on your deal, Tyler,” she fired.
He shook his head. “No. I’m not. You can get up and walk out of here if you want. I won’t stop you. I swear.”
She looked at the set of double doors over her shoulder. “You’ll let me freeze out there.”
Lee sat next to her. “No one is going to freeze. We will have you safely delivered to wherever you’d like to go. As usual, Ty is being a dick about explaining what we’re trying to say.”
She shook her head. “I-I don’t understand.”
Tyler exhaled. “Thanks, man. Brooke, now that you’re free, I’d like you to stay because you want to see the project finished. At least return here and there over the next few weeks while we work on the details. We only have six weeks left at the cabin. And honestly, that’s not much time with a project this size.” He smiled devilishly. “I promise Lee and I can make those visits worth your while.”
She felt more heat rush through her. It spread between her legs and rushed to her nipples. Shit. What kind of effect did this man have on her? Was this even legal what he could do to her body without even touching her?
“You want me to come back?” she whispered.
He raked his teeth against his lip and she thought she might melt off the couch.
“Or just stay.”
Was it crazy she wanted to consider this? She could see it. Living here as a free woman. Hikes with Lee. Discussing art with Tyler over a glass of brandy. Building campfires in the backyard. Snuggling up together for movie night. Holy shit.
“You won’t regret it,” he urged. “Think about your career. Think about Dreams with Wings.”
She laughed. “My career or do you mean I should think about you and Lee?”
He leaned forward. “Can’t it be both? Can’t you have it all?”
The flutter soared in her belly. She nodded. She could have it all. She deserved it all.
“Spit it out, Ty.” It was the first time she had used a nickname for him. It surprised her as much as him. “What are you saying?”
“Stay with us, or at least promise you’ll come back in a few days. Because you want to work on the foundation. And you want what we can give you. Stay, Brooke. Stay because you’re free now. You can choose what you want. And you know Lee and I will give you everything.”
She didn’t have the willpower to tell him no. Not with those eyes and that sexy mouth. Not with large hands that could hold her close. Her lips practically parted, begging for him to kiss them. She knew she had officially lost her sanity.
He was pulling her in with that look. She knew it, but there was no lifeline to drag her back to reality.
“I promise you’ll never regret this, sweetheart,” Lee spoke in a deep voice next to her.
“I-I guess I could stay a little longer.” She looked between them. “But I can leave whenever I want?”
“Absolutely. You’re a free woman.” Tyler held up his phone. “A ride back to the city is only a call away. I swear to you.”
Tyler rose from the couch to escort her to the door. He pressed his hand into the small of her back. It was as if he seared her skin through her blouse.
“Congratulations,” he leaned to whisper in her ear before opening the door. “Why don’t you put on something special so we can celebrate at dinner tonight. I’ll even convince Lee not to wear flannel.”
She looked up at him, nodding slowly. She didn’t know whether to stay or to run. To say thank you, or screw you. She was filled with hope and regret. Confusion was pouring in from all sides.
The door closed behind her and Brooke was in the foyer to Tyler’s office. She was free.
Sixteen
Lee
Brooke was hunched over a drawing board in the corner of her office when he walked in the room. Tyler told him he needed to dig through his closet and impress their woman. He was headed to his room to find something when he saw her.
“Hi.” It looked as if she wanted to smile.
“Hi,” he answered. “Congratulations on winning the project.”
“I still can’t believe it.” She looked up from her drawing. “I won.”
He nodded. “You sure did. I’m glad you want to stay a few more days.”
He saw the blush on her cheeks.
“It seems like the right thing to do to keep the integrity of the project.”
He grinned. “Of course.”
She leaned over the desk again.
He wanted to walk behind her and pull the jeans off her hips. He wanted to sink his fingertips into her flesh while he explored every part of her from behind. His mouth went dry. What was this girl doing to him?
He walked beside her, curious to see what she had drawn. She quickly scurried in front of him, bumping against his side. Her ass rubbing into this thigh as she covered her artwork.
Her heard the gasp from her lips when his hands rested on her waist to steady her. It was a spontaneous reaction, but he didn’t want her to fall. His fingers lingered, pressing gently into her hipbones. Brooke leaned into him for a second. Long enough he could feel the heat of her body pressed against his chest before she abruptly wiggled free.
He grinned, but she was turned away from him. Everything in him told him to pull her back toward him. She would take a little more. Give a little more. But she stepped toward her computer, putting something solid between them.
“Don’t you want to take a break?” he asked. “Get ready for a nice dinner together?”
She sighed. “My work is important to me.”
“Listen. For the past two weeks you’ve done nothing but work. If you would just take a second to get to know us, I think you’d like what we have to offer.”
“Maybe you two haven’t taken the time to get to know me. I’m not impressed by the money. I don’t need money to be happy.” He saw the sudden look of vulnerability in her expression.
“I’m not talking about money.” He walked around to her side of the desk.
She stiffened when his hand covered hers. He could hear her breath quicken. He leaned against her, pressing her body.
“I’m talking about everything else in life, Brooke. Pleasure. Happiness. Tyler and I know how to give you that.” He moved away, giving her space as the cool air rushed between them. “We aren’t offering money.”
“I said no sex,” she whispered.
“That’s not sex.” He took a step back. “There are levels of intimacy we could show you. I don’t even think sex is how you describe it.” He winked.
Her cheeks turned a bright crimson red.
Suddenly, he thought he knew what her weakness was. It wasn’t that she wasn’t attracted to them. It wasn’t that she wasn’t interested. It wasn’t that she was ready to move out.
She didn’t want to be vulnerable to them. She didn’t want to let down her walls. She was like Tyler that way. She wanted to stand on her own.
“I’m staying longer because it’s the right thing to do for the foundation. And I can leave when I want.”
“I understand. We couldn’t be happier about your decision.” He inhaled. “You’re a free woman now. Don’t let what happened in the past keeping you from being happy now.”
“It’s not that simple, Lee.”
“But it could be. It could be as simple as the three of us sharing something amazing.”
“I don’t get it.” She shook her head.
“We want
to give you something. I swear Tyler’s a good guy. Gambles too much. Looks for thrills maybe where he shouldn’t, but Brooke he would keep you safe and protect you until he died. Just like I would.”
“You’re just saying that.”
Lee shook his head. “No. I’d never lie to you. Not about my best friend.”
“I don’t know what to say. I don’t know what you want.”
He smiled. “Why don’t we take the next few days to figure it out? Let us be there for you.”
He saw her eyes sparkle. “I-I don’t know. This is so complicated.”
“I have to find something for dinner. I’ll let you get back to work. See you in an hour.”
He strolled to the door.
All he wanted was to take her in his arms and kiss her. Carry her to Tyler where they could love her together. Show her how they could worship her beautiful body. Take her to places in paradise she’d never dreamed of. But the only way to get to Brooke, was to let her make the decision for herself.
Seventeen
Brooke
When she got walked into her suite there were two bouquets of flowers on her bed. There was a note tucked inside the first one.
You’re beautiful when you work. Congratulations—knew you could do it.
Xo,
Lee
She folded it and put it back in the envelope. She noticed under the second set of flowers was another card. She picked it up and read it.
Your art is sexier than your body. Congrats, sweetheart.
-D
Holy shit.
They were dropping all barriers. They were letting her know exactly what they felt. She was a free woman. She didn’t have to spend another night under their roof. And they were treating her like a queen.
She sat on the bed with the two bouquets of flowers. One red. One white. She didn’t know which color represented which man. In her two weeks living with them, she had noticed they complimented each other. Lee seemed more serious and sensitive, while Tyler was fun-loving and challenging.
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