Page 88 of The Merger

“Did you watch the whole thing? Because the very end is when the twist is revealed.”

“Oh, my God, Carys. Yes, I watched the whole damn thing.”

I lean forward and look him in the eye. “The narrator was the same person as the hero—or villain, however you see that character. They’re all the same person.”

“No, they’re not.”

“Yes, they freaking are.”

He shakes his head. “One of us was watching more than the hero or villain, however you see that character, walking around shirtless and fighting people.”

“You make me want to scream sometimes.”

But not scream like I do with your brother.

My face flushes at the thought, and I tuck my chin hoping Tate doesn’t notice.

“I need to take this call,” Tate says, looking at his phone. “I’ll be right back.”

“Take your time.”

Once he’s gone, I sag against the booth and sigh.

The last couple of weeks have felt like a roller coaster. I didn’t realize how exhausted I was until I woke up this morning. Each curveball thrown my way has had me ducking and shifting to stay on my toes.

Getting hired by Brewer Group. Dinner at Dad’s, which always screws me up for a couple of days, followed by his upcoming birthday celebration that I’m dreading. Getting life insurance.How did I get old enough to need that?Sleeping with Gannon Brewer and now attending a personal event with him.

I feel like I need a vacation just to decompress from it all.

Preferably with a naked Gannon.

My heart flutters wildly at the thought of being with him again. And, while the sex was out of this world, it wasn’tjustthe sex that I think about when I’m lying in bed at night. Or repotting a fiddle leaf fig tree. Or driving down the road, swerving to miss potholes so the Gremlin doesn’t pop a tire.Those things are expensive.

I think just as often of his shy smile and how it transforms his face into a whole different person. I remember his arms around me in the middle of the night while we lay in bed between rounds of orgasms. The sound of his chuckle while I entertain him with stories crafted to make him smile is something I hear on repeat.

He’s a complicated one, that’s for sure, and I can’t help but wonder how many people have witnessed this side of him. And, more importantly, why I get to.

My phone rattles against the tabletop. I spring to life, plucking it up before anyone sees the name on the screen.

Gannon: I just saw a cactus with flat leaves and yellow flowers. Weird as fuck.

A smile slips across my lips.

Me: Really? Did you get a picture of it?

Gannon: No.

Me: Why not?

Gannon: Who takes pictures of flowers?

Me: Um, me.

Gannon: I didn’t know cacti had flowers.

Me: Finally! Something you didn’t know.

Gannon: