Page 9 of Bought by His Brother’s Best Friend (The Bennett Brothers #1)

DAMIEN

I arrived fifteen minutes early to the brunch spot—a sun-drenched outdoor bistro tucked away from the usual weekend crowds. Spring weather had taken hold, and the patio was alive with climbing vines and potted flowers.

I’d chosen this place specifically for its privacy. The tables were well-spaced, and a latticed trellis created a natural separation from the neighboring businesses.

The hostess led me to a corner table bathed in mid-morning light.

I ordered a French press coffee for myself and a cappuccino for Shane, who would arrive any minute. We hadn’t been apart for long—just a few days since returning from Paris. We texted each other constantly, but I missed him with a surprising intensity.

The coffee arrived just as I spotted Shane walking toward the restaurant. He wore jeans and a forest green henley that highlighted his eyes—but still looked effortlessly put-together. I stood as he approached, unable to hold back my smile.

“Hi,” he said, a hint of shyness in his greeting that I found adorable.

I leaned in for a quick kiss. “Hi yourself. I ordered your cappuccino.”

“Thanks.” He slid into the chair beside mine rather than across, our knees touching beneath the table. “No sign of Tyler?”

“Not yet. Though he’s rarely on time for anything that isn’t a puck drop.”

Shane laughed, the sound warming me more than the coffee. “True. Once he showed up for his own contract signing twenty minutes late because he ‘got distracted watching game tape.’“

I took a sip of my coffee, studying him over the rim. He looked rested, happy. “How are you feeling about this?” I asked. “Telling Tyler about us?”

“Good, actually.” He wrapped his hands around his cappuccino mug. “A little nervous, but not because I think he’ll react badly. More because it makes this real in a different way.”

Our Paris trip had been almost dreamlike in its perfection. But now we were back in the real world, integrating what we’d discovered about each other into our everyday lives.

“What about you?” Shane asked. “Having second thoughts?”

I reached for his hand, threading our fingers together on the table. “I’ve wanted this—wanted you—for too long to have any doubts.”

His smile at that was breathtaking—open and genuine in a way that made my chest tighten. It amazed me how quickly things had developed between us, from years of careful distance to this immediate, powerful connection.

“There he is,” Shane said, nodding toward the entrance.

Tyler Bennett strode into the bistro with the easy confidence of someone accustomed to being recognized.

Like his brother, he was dressed in jeans and a henley, though his was emblazoned with his team’s logo. A baseball cap pulled low over his eyes completed the classic “athlete trying to be inconspicuous” look that never actually worked.

The hostess clocked him immediately, her professional smile brightening as she led him to our table. A few nearby diners glanced up, their expressions shifting from casual interest to recognition as they spotted the NHL star.

“Sorry I’m late,” Tyler said, dropping into the chair across from us. He pushed his cap back, revealing hair still damp from a shower. “Morning practice ran long.”

“I thought you said you had the morning off,” I commented, releasing Shane’s hand to shake Tyler’s.

He shrugged, then signaled a passing server for coffee. Only after ordering did he seem to notice our seating arrangement—how close Shane and I were sitting, the easy intimacy between us. His eyebrows rose slightly.

“So,” he said, a hint of amusement in his voice. “What’s new with you two?”

Shane and I exchanged glances. So much for our carefully planned revelation.

“That obvious, huh?” Shane asked with a small laugh.

Tyler’s grin widened. “Well, you’re practically sitting in each other’s laps, so yeah.” He leaned back in his chair. “Plus, you both have that post-vacation glow.”

“It’s not a glow,” Shane protested.

“It’s absolutely a glow,” Tyler countered. “I’ve seen that look before—usually after someone’s spent a weekend getting spectacularly laid.”

“Tyler!” Shane’s cheeks flushed.

I laughed, enjoying their dynamic and Shane’s embarrassment. “And here we thought we’d be breaking news to you.”

Tyler accepted his coffee from the server, waiting until she’d moved away before continuing. “So, Paris?” he asked. “That auction worked out better than I expected. And to think, I was worried when I got stuck in Detroit.”

Shane’s brow furrowed. “Wait. You knew about Paris?”

“Damien texted me from the jet,” Tyler said with a shrug. “Asked if I minded him whisking my brother off to France. I said go for it.”

“I wasn’t sure how you’d feel about this development.”

Tyler’s expression turned more serious. “You two are my favorite people in the world. Why would I have a problem with you making each other happy?”

The simple sincerity in his statement touched me. Tyler had always possessed an emotional directness that I admired—a willingness to say what he felt without embarrassment or hedging.

“Thanks,” Shane said. “That means a lot.”

“Besides,” Tyler continued, his tone lightening, “it only took you guys what, ten years to figure this out? I was thinking I’d have to try setting you up all over again.”

“I can’t believe you knew this whole time,” Shane said.

“Dude, you talked about Damien for weeks after you first met him at that playoff party. And you—” he turned to me, “—you asked about Shane every single time we hung out. I’m not a detective, but I can put two and two together.”

I chuckled, remembering how carefully I thought I’d hidden my interest all these years. “Was I that obvious?”

“To everyone except him,” Tyler said, nodding towards his brother.

The server returned to take our food orders—avocado toast for Shane, eggs benedict for me, and a protein-heavy omelet for Tyler.

“So,” I said once she’d left, “you’re genuinely okay with this? Your friend dating your brother?”

“More than okay. I’m thrilled.” Tyler stirred his coffee. “Look, Shane deserves someone who sees how amazing he is beyond just being my agent or ‘Tyler Bennett’s brother.’ And you, Damien—you need someone who wants you for yourself, not your bank account.”

Shane’s knee pressed against mine under the table, a silent acknowledgment of Tyler’s insight.

Our food arrived, momentarily pausing the conversation. As we began eating, I noticed a subtle shift in Tyler’s demeanor—a slight nervousness that wasn’t typically part of his confident presence.

“Actually,” he said after a few bites, setting down his fork, “I’m glad you guys figured things out, because, uh, I’ve sort of had a development of my own.”

Shane looked up from his avocado toast. “What kind of development?”

Tyler fidgeted with his napkin. “It’s about being stranded in Detroit.”

“The reason I was the grand finale at the bachelor auction?” Shane said dryly. “Yeah, it rings a bell.”

“Right. Well, with all the hotels packed because of the storm, we had to double up in rooms.” Tyler’s usual confidence seemed to falter. “I ended up sharing with Kevin.”

Kevin Kogan was the team’s newest defenseman—talented, outspoken, and if I remembered correctly from the few games I’d attended with Tyler, extremely attractive.

“Kevin,” Shane repeated. “The rookie you’ve been mentoring.”

“He’s hardly a rookie at twenty-six,” Tyler said defensively. “And yeah, that Kevin.”

I caught on before Shane did. “Something happened between you two,” I said, not a question.

Tyler nodded, a small smile playing at his lips. “We stayed up talking most of the night. One thing led to another, and...” He shrugged. “Let’s just say we discovered we have chemistry off the ice, too.”

I studied my old friend, noting the way his expression softened when he said Kevin’s name. “I’m happy for you, Tyler. He seems like a good guy from what you’ve told me.”

“He is.” Tyler’s smile turned more certain. “It’s new, and we’re taking it slow because of the team dynamics and all that, but... it feels right.”

“Wow.” Shane seemed to be processing this revelation. “So while Damien whisking me away to Paris, you were having your own moment in a Detroit hotel room.”

Tyler laughed. “Looks like it was a good time all around.”

“I’m glad you told me,” Shane said. “And I’m happy for you. Kevin seems like a great guy.”

Tyler visibly relaxed. “He is. You’ll have to meet him soon—not as my teammate, but as my... whatever we are.”

“Double date?” I suggested, only half-joking.

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Tyler said with a laugh. “But yeah, eventually.”

Tyler shared more about his developing relationship with Kevin, while Shane and I recounted highlights from our Paris trip, the PG-rated ones, at least.

I watched Shane interact with his brother—the affectionate banter, the genuine support they offered each other.

The sight filled me with a deep contentment.

This was what I’d wanted for years without fully admitting it to myself.

Not just Shane in my bed, but Shane in my life, with all the connections and complications that entailed.

“What?” Shane asked, catching me staring at him.

“Nothing,” I said. “Just thinking how lucky I am.”

He rolled his eyes but couldn’t hide his smile. “You’re getting sappy in your old age, Damien.”

“Only with you,” I replied, enjoying the blush that crept up his neck.

“If you two are going to be this disgustingly cute all the time, I might reconsider my brotherly approval.”

“Too late,” I told him. “No take-backs.”

Our plates cleared, we finished our coffee.

“I should get going,” Tyler said, checking his watch. “I promised Kevin I’d help him move some furniture this afternoon.”

“Already doing boyfriend duties?” Shane teased.

“Shut up,” Tyler responded without heat, standing and pulling out his wallet.

I waved him off. “I’ve got this.”

“You sure?”

“Consider it a thank you. You’re the reason Shane and I are together.” I said.

Tyler grinned. “In that case, I approve of this relationship even more.” He stepped around the table to hug his brother. “I’m thrilled for you, Shane,” he said softly.

Then he turned to me, pulling me into a brief but strong embrace. “Take care of him,” he murmured. “And let him take care of you, too.”

We watched as Tyler made his way out of the restaurant, stopping to sign an autograph for a young fan who’d worked up the courage to approach him.

“That went well,” Shane said once his brother was out of sight and we sat down again.

“Better than well.” I reached for his hand. “Though I wasn’t expecting Tyler’s news.”

“Me neither,” Shane laughed. “But I’m glad for him. Kevin’s a good guy—intense on the ice, but thoughtful off it. They could be good together.”

I nodded, considering the parallels in our situations. “Seems like the Bennett brothers have a thing for intense, thoughtful guys.”

“Seems like it.” Shane’s thumb caressed my palm. “What do you want to do with the rest of the day?”

“We could watch that hockey game you mentioned. Or not watch it.” I raised an eyebrow suggestively. “And maybe you could bring a change of clothes. For tomorrow.”

“Are you asking me to sleep over, Damien?”

“I am.” I lifted his hand to my lips, pressing a kiss to his knuckles. “And maybe the night after that, too.”

The look he gave me was worth every second of the decade I’d spent waiting for him. “I think that can be arranged.”

As I signaled for the check, I remembered my conversation with Mrs. Covington at the charity auction—how she’d suggested I was too busy building empires to focus on romance. She’d been wrong about that.

I hadn’t been too busy. I’d just been waiting.

Waiting for the right person, the right moment, the right connection.

Looking at Shane across the table—his eyes bright with happiness, his smile easy and genuine—I knew with absolute certainty that some things were worth the wait.

And some spontaneous decisions—like bidding twenty thousand dollars at a charity auction—could change your life in the most unexpectedly perfect ways.

The End

* * *

Thank you for reading Shane and Damien’s story!

I’ve always had a soft spot for the ‘bachelor auction’ trope—there’s something irresistible about that mix of public display, unexpected connections, and the romance that blooms afterward.

This story let me indulge in all my favorite elements, plus add a spontaneous Paris getaway!