I smile as Archer steps out of his car and looks up at my mansion in surprise. “Sometimes I forget that you’re a Windsor, you know?”
“I’m glad to hear it,” I say as I lead him into my home. Over the last couple of months, Archer and I became friends — something neither of us expected. He’d extended an olive branch and asked for my help choosing a new car, and I offered him one of Windsor Motors’ new models. Both of us were just trying our best for the woman we love, but in doing so, we got to know each other and found that we had a lot more in common than we thought.
“Are you sure it’s okay if I join?” he asks nervously.
I smirk at him, surprised to find him so anxious tonight. I suppose I succeeded a little too well in making him forget who I am, other than his sister’s boyfriend. “Of course. Poker night is an informal kind of thing. It’s just my brothers and me, and it’s only fair to include my brother-in-law.”
Archer shakes his head. “You do realize you’re not actually married to Celeste, right?”
I shrug. “Not yet.”
His expression falls, and the sympathy in his gaze nearly wrecks me. It never hurts any less to know that no one around us believes we’ll make it, not truly, not without sacrifices that might destroy us.
My brothers and Xavier look up when we walk in, and I frown when Ares sighs and reaches for his wallet to pull out a fifty. Lex grins as he takes it wordlessly and leans back in his seat, looking pleased with himself. What the fuck were they betting on?
“This is Archer Harrison,” I tell them. “Celeste’s brother.”
Luca narrows his eyes. “You’re the co-owner of Serenity Solutions, aren’t you?”
Archer nods, his shoulders stiff. I’ve never seen him nervous before. “Luca Windsor,” he replies. “CEO of The Windsor Bank and Windsor Finance, right? It’s an honor to meet you.”
The two men shake hands, and I smile as they instantly begin to chat about the similarities in their businesses.
“Nice,” Lex says. “You actually brought someone interesting, instead of the trash Dion always drags in with him.”
I glance at Xavier’s unamused expression and bite back a smile as I sit down at the dining table. “You do realize I’m at least as rich as any of you guys, right?” he mutters. “Honestly, the abuse I put up with just to see my best friend when he’s in town.” He throws Dion a pointed look. “You owe me for this.”
Dion chuckles and shakes his head. “Fuck no. I know better than to owe a Kingston a favor. I don’t owe you shit. If anything, you owe me for literally being your only friend.”
Xavier raises his brow. “You say that like you have any other friends yourself. Your siblings don’t count, they have to like you.”
I just about keep from rolling my eyes as everyone at the table chats utter garbage. The only quiet one is Ares, who shuffles the cards. “Grandma told me you asked to meet with her next week,” he says, his voice soft. “She called me trying to figure out what you needed, because your tone had apparently worried her.”
“She must know about you two,” Dion says. “Celeste is at the Windsor Estate several times a week, and even if she doesn’t go anywhere near Grandma’s house, Grams would’ve been notified of her frequent visits by now, right?”
I shake my head and throw Archer a reassuring look. The mere mention of Celeste has his guard up. “I asked Silas to keep it quiet,” I mention, referring to our Head of Security.
Dion looks skeptical. “Silas can’t be fully trusted. He works for Grandma, not us, and he always has an agenda of his own. Besides, it’s been nearly two years. She knows, she’s just ignoring your relationship in hopes it goes away.”
“It won’t.”
Luca turns to look at me, his expression conveying his concern. “Is that what this is, then?”
“Yeah,” I murmur, a hint of excitement in my voice.
Lex shakes his head and pours me a glass of whiskey. “You’re going to have to go down on your hands and knees.”
“For what?” Archer asks, his tone sharp.
Luca smiles despite the clear concern in his gaze. “For a chance to marry your sister. Long before he’ll ever ask your father for her hand, he’ll have to convince our grandmother.”
Archer tenses. “I thought you two said you’d take it slow? I don’t know about your grandmother, but for sure, the time isn’t right for my grandfather. The man disowned me because I refused to run his company exactly the way he wanted me to, because I wouldn’t commit to it the way he expected, wouldn’t make the sacrifices he demanded. What do you think he’ll do to Celeste if she tells him you’re not only dating, but she wants to marry you?”
I look down at the table. He wasn’t telling me anything I hadn’t considered a thousand times already.
“I like you, Zane,” Archer continued, “but being disowned is tough — it’s a rift between people who love each other. It’s missed birthdays, grudges, and blame thrown back and forth. It’s not something I want for my sister. Why don’t you wait a little longer? From what I understand, Grandpa has just about started to treat you civilly, and I believe your grandmother is in the same place. What happened to your plans to slowly warm them to the idea of you?”
“We have taken it slow,” I tell him, my tone understanding. “Celeste and I spoke about this, and we’re both tired of waiting and having this hang over our heads. We’ve been tiptoeing around our grandparents for their benefit, but enough is enough. I want it all with her, Arch. She wouldn’t admit it, but the uncertainty is tough on her, and it’s tough on me too. I’m tired of treating the woman I love like some kind of dirty secret, when enough time has passed for us both to know this isn’t just a fling. I’m more sure than ever that she is it for me. There’s no point in waiting any longer, because that isn’t going to change. Whether it’s today or in three years, I’ll always choose her. If there are consequences tied to that, I might as well face them now.”
My brothers share a look, only to nod and straighten their shoulders. “We’ll all come with you,” Ares says.
“We love her, too,” Luca adds.
Lex smirks at me. “She’s pretty much already a sister to me, so we might as well help you formalize it.”
Dion reaches over and places his hand on my shoulder. “Not all of us will get the kind of happiness you two share, Zane. We’ll do what we can to safeguard yours.”
I inhale shakily as I take in my brothers’ unwavering support. I can’t find the right words to convey my gratitude, but I’ll repay them for this when the time is right.
