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“Because you can tell by the way you walk, you’re a woman’s man with no time to talk?” Millie delivered that in an almost deadpan manner.

“So that’s how it’s gonna be,” he replied. “This whole fake dating thing was just another opportunity for you two to harass us poor, unsuspecting men.”

“Get dressed, dickhead,” Hayden said. “In the end you’ll give in, so may as well cut to the chase now.”

“Well, here’s your suit,” I said, plucking a beautiful beige safari suit from the rack and handing it to him, laughing as his face fell.

“OK, you lot play dress ups with the old film outfits there,” Mac said. “Jamie, I need you to come with me so I can get that suit marked up and then you back into your normal clothes. Big guy.” She turned to Brock. “You’re getting fitted next.”

A few minutes later I was back in my own clothes, stumbling out to find the guys in the other changing rooms. A small crack in the curtain revealed a whole lot of golden brown skin as blue polyester and beige was pulled on. Hayden turned, catching me peeking through the curtains, his smile slow, right as Mac emerged from my changing room with my suit. I pulled away with a jerk and walked out into the studio only for Brock to be summoned forth.

“So whaddya think, baby?”

Hunter came out strutting, the flared legs of his pastel-blue pants swinging as he walked across the floor before striking a pose worthy of Saturday Night Fever.

“Oh my god, this is perfect.” Millie whipped out her phone and started taking photos rapidly. “That is going in this year’s Christmas card.”

“Do not send that to Mum!” he yelped.

“Too late.” She smirked as she displayed her screen.

“You little…”

His growl was cut off as I stepped into his path, my hand reaching for his chest. Admittedly, I had to fight past what seemed like a mile of ruffles to get to it, but when I felt the heat of his body, he felt mine. Those eyes widened as he stared down at me, a wicked smile forming seconds later as the tinny sounds of the Bee Gees Stayin’ Alive played through Millie’s phone speaker.

“Any dancing happening at this engagement party?” he asked me.

“What?”

“Gotta work that into our dance routine, babe. No chicken dance or the Nutbush for us.” He grabbed my hand and then spun me out. “I’ve got a reputation to protect.”

“Ohh, this is gold!”

I flailed through a series of movements, not able to relax enough to let Hunter lead, but unable to pull free, so she snapped photo after photo, cackling the whole way until finally another hand grabbed mine and tugged me out of Hunter’s orbit and into Hayden’s.

I’d given him the safari suit as a joke, but the beige fabric was almost the same colour as his tanned skin. The blond hair, the broad shoulders, it all kinda worked on Hayden.

“God, yes…” Millie hissed, snapping more photos. “It’s giving imperialist prick taking time away from exploiting people and flora and fauna to romance the fair maiden. Jamie, kneel at his feet and look up adoringly at him.”

“God, you’re annoying,” Hunter said, ruffling her hair. “Remind me why I invited you to come?”

“Charlie’s Angels poses?” she asked hopefully. “Blue steel?”

As was often the case, we ended up doing exactly what she asked, clustering together and affecting a series of stupid poses stolen from old movies until we dissolved into cackles, but right as I went to grab another drink, Brock came out.

Damn.

Was this what he felt when I emerged from the changing rooms? Because I admired his restraint if he did. The blue fabric of his suit was darker. Not quite navy, more a muted blue-grey, but the suit itself transformed him. Out of the plaid shirt, his shoulders looked broader, his biceps testing the seams of the jacket. He was a picture of masculine perfection, with a broad chest and comparatively narrow hips. It was the ruffle of his hair, still rakish and a little too wrong, that was my catnip. It made the clean lines of the suit look that bit more crisp, his beard and hair making him look like something wild was contained under those sharp folds of fabric.

And I wanted to peel the fabric back to rediscover it.

“Look at you,” Millie snickered. “Your eyes are like saucers. You’ve totally got a moisty right now.”

“For your brother,” I replied drily, laughing when she gagged theatrically.

“Oh god, this is never going to work. I take it all back. You can’t date my brothers anymore.”

“Too late.”