Page 53 of Most Likely to Deny Love (Yearbook #2)

JACK

T he great room hummed with conversation, firelight dancing across the exposed wooden beams and casting long shadows over the plush furniture.

I couldn’t decide if having Mia here was a blessing or a curse.

On the one hand, she seemed to have a handy knack of easing some of the ever present anxiety I felt when I came home.

On the other hand, Nan hadn’t been wrong about the vultures circling.

Maybe that wasn’t quite fair. My aunts, uncles and cousins were just interested, and who could blame them?

The engagement announcement had come completely out of the blue for everyone and now here she was, looking like she belonged here.

The issue was that the biggest vulture of all was yet to arrive. My brother always did like to make a grand entrance.

I nursed my whiskey, the smoky liquid warming my throat as I watched Mia and Nan from across the room. They’d found a quiet corner by the floor-to-ceiling windows, silhouetted against the darkening mountains and looked like they were settled in for a good long chat.

“She’s lovely, Jack,” Aunt Diane materialized beside me, her voice low enough that only I could hear. “Very genuine.”

“She is,” I replied, unable to tear my eyes away from Mia. She had changed into a simple navy dress for dinner, nothing extravagant but somehow perfect on her. The way it hugged her curves made my mouth go dry every time I looked at her.

“Your mother’s in quite a state,” Diane continued, amusement threading through her voice. “I believe her exact words were ‘not what I expected at all.’”

“I’m sure they were,” I muttered, taking another sip of whiskey.

Mia laughed at something Nan said, the sound carrying across the room like music. Her head tipped back, revealing the elegant line of her throat, and I found myself remembering how it felt to press my lips against that exact spot, to feel her pulse quicken beneath my touch.

“You look happy,” Diane observed. “It suits you.”

Before I could respond, the distinctive sound of the front door opening echoed through the house, followed by voices in the entrance hall. One loud and commanding, the other high and brittle with forced laughter.

Every muscle in my body tensed. Nan stopped mid sentence, her eyes finding mine across the room with a look of weary resignation.

Mia followed her gaze, her brow furrowing slightly when she saw my expression.

Without hesitation, she excused herself from Nan and crossed the room to my side, her hand finding mine with a reassuring squeeze.

“Darling, we’re not that late!” Miranda’s voice carried from the hallway, overly bright and theatrical. “Besides, don’t you want to make an entrance?”

The room fell into an expectant hush. My mother straightened imperceptibly, an almost genuine smile blossoming on her face as she moved toward the doorway. My father’s expression shifted from neutral to pleased anticipation as he set his drink down and followed my mother’s lead.

Then Jared strode in, golden boy grin firmly in place, with Miranda clinging to his arm like an expensive accessory. He greeted our parents, then his eyes swept the room, landing briefly on me before zeroing in on Mia.

“Well, well,” he drawled, his smile sharpening at the edges as he approached. “The prodigal brother returns. And with a fiancée! Will wonders never cease?”

The room seemed to hold its collective breath as my brother navigated the space like he owned it, his gaze locked on us. Miranda floated beside him in a cloud of expensive perfume, her diamond engagement ring catching the firelight with every calculated movement of her hand.

Jared’s eyes traveled over Mia, starting at her face and moving downward with deliberate slowness. The appreciative gleam in his expression made my jaw clench. I felt Mia tense slightly beside me, though her face remained pleasantly neutral.

Instinctively, I slid my arm around her waist, drawing her closer to my side. The protective gesture wasn’t lost on my brother, whose smile widened fractionally.

“Jared, Miranda,” I said, keeping my voice carefully even. “This is Mia, my fiancée.”

Miranda stepped forward first, extending one perfectly manicured hand. Her smile was practiced, her eyes calculating as they assessed every inch of Mia, from her sensible heels to her curves to her makeup.

“How lovely to meet you.” Her voice was syrupy sweet. “What a surprise this all is. We had no idea Jack was even seeing anyone, and then suddenly... engaged!” She gave a tinkling laugh that contained no actual humor.

“Life is full of surprises,” Mia replied, her handshake firm and confident. “It’s nice to meet you too.”

Jared moved in next, his eyes never leaving Mia’s face as he took her hand. Instead of a simple shake, he enveloped her hand in both of his, holding it for several seconds longer than necessary.

“The pleasure is all mine,” he murmured, his voice dropping to a lower, intimate note. “My brother’s been keeping you quite the secret. I can’t imagine why he’d hide someone so... enchanting.”

The compliment was heavy with implication and I felt my free hand curl into a fist at my side.

“Perhaps he just wanted me all to himself,” Mia answered smoothly, extracting her hand from his grip.

Once they moved on, gliding toward where my parents were standing, I noticed Mia discreetly wipe her palm against the side of her navy dress. The small gesture of distaste made me smile.

“So, Jared’s definitely going to make a move on me this weekend, isn’t he?” Mia asked quietly, her tone conversational, as if she were discussing dinner options.

“Yes.” I couldn’t manage more than that single word, watching as my brother worked the room.

The anger rising inside me felt like a physical thing, hot and dangerous, as I observed the practiced way he charmed Aunt Patricia, his hand settling on the small of Miranda’s back in a display of possession that I knew meant nothing to him.

“Do you trust me?” Mia asked.

I barely registered her question, my attention fixed on Jared as he threw his head back in laughter at something Uncle Robert said. My father stood nearby, practically glowing with paternal pride.

“Jack?” Mia’s voice grew more insistent, her hand squeezing mine until I turned to look at her.

“I’m sorry, what did you say?”

“I said, do you trust me?” Her gray eyes were steady, serious as they searched mine.

“Yes,” I answered without hesitation.

“Excellent. I need you to do something for me, then.” Her voice was low, for my ears only.

I frowned, my eyes drifting back to Jared, who was now watching us with undisguised interest from across the room. “Okay.”

“I’ve been dealing with men like your brother my whole professional life,” Mia continued, angling her body slightly to block our conversation from view. “I’m pretty sure I know what to do to put him back in his box. I just need you to give me the space to do it. Okay?”

I studied her face, seeing the quiet confidence there, the competence I’d admired since our first meeting.

This was the Mia who commanded boardrooms and outmaneuvered corporate sharks without breaking a sweat.

Still, the idea of Jared trying his usual games made something primitive and protective rear up inside me.

“Please, Jack.”

“You don’t know what he’s capable of.”

“I’m pretty sure I do. Does it help if I promise not to be alone with him? Believe me when I say that is not a hard promise to keep.”

The seconds stretched between us as I weighed my options, my gaze drifting back to Jared.

“Okay,” I agreed finally, though I couldn’t quite relax my jaw. “But if he crosses a line...”

“He won’t get the chance,” Mia assured me, steel flashing in her eyes.