Page 43 of The Sun & Her Burn

But I couldn’t help myself.

Throughout my life, I had been a fixer and a caretaker. This was a consequence of both nature and nurture, given who my mother was, as well as my upbringing by my father, who had me when he was twenty-two and was the eldest of his three brothers, himself just a kid.

Now, faced with the broken connection between two men who had obviously meant so much to each other, I was incapable of leaving well enough alone. Something good could come of this situation for them that went deeper than saved reputations.

They had a second chance at loving each other, and I was going to see to it that they did, even if it meant braiding that broken thread back together piece by fucking piece.

After all, as a seamstress and a designer, I knew how to mend a tear so it would never break again.

“It was a long time ago,” I agreed, standing up so that we were all out of our seats and arranged in a tight triangle. “But we aren’t talking about history, we’re talking about our future. Together.”

“You and I,” Adam agreed, but his tone held a warning.

Which I ignored.

“The three of us,” I countered firmly. “Sebastian is one of my best friends, and he’s in town for the foreseeable future to campaign for award season and find his next project. I won’t be without him close to me, and seeing as you want me close to you, it seems as if we are a package deal.”

“Linnea,” Sebastian said lowly. “That is not necessary. I can see you without Adam being involved.”

He was looking at me, so he didn’t catch the way Adam’s mouth flatlined just for a moment.

It only solidified my resolve.

“No, you are my best friend, and you are, for all intents and purposes, my boyfriend. If we want this to work, you two will have to get along.” When they both looked ready to protest, I held up my hand. “This is a condition of my agreement. Take it or leave it. Sebastian and I are a package deal. Can you handle us both?”

A series of emotions flickered like a shuttering film reel across Adam’s face. He was usually so stoic in person that it was easy to forget that he was such a consummate actor, that each expression could speak a thousand poetic words.

I saw heartbreak and sorrow, temptation and hope so bright it burned my retinas like staring too long into the sun. Finally, he settled on something like tense resignation as he extended his hand to take mine.

It was warm and shockingly calloused, perhaps from the hours he must have spent in the gym maintaining that fine form. His firm grip shouldn’t have been erotic, yet it was. I felt heat crawl up my arm like fire ants, lighting up my nerves in a way that was almost uncomfortable.

“Sebastian, too,” I added, somewhat breathlessly.

The Italian man hesitated before stepping closer to slide his big palm over the top of our joined hands.

That heat deepened as my imagination—always a wild, untamed thing—galloped away from me. I watched as Adam and Sebastian stared at their hands—our hands—twin expressions of turmoil twisting their mouths, and I knew I had made the right decision for more than just me.

11

ADAM

“Absolutely not.”

“Adam,” Linnea said with a bright laugh. “Don’t be a snob.”

“It’s not a matter of snobbery, Linnea. It’s a matter of safety. You have to be at least ten years younger than this thing.”

She shrugged, but did not deny it. Instead, she stepped forward to open the passenger door of the car and gestured gallantly for me to get inside. “Your chariot awaits, kind sir.”

There was no way I was getting into the ancient Jeep Wrangler in a truly offensive shade of yellow that Linnea claimed was her “baby.”

“I think you’ll see that the number I proposed to give you in exchange for our three-year arrangement wasmorethan generous enough to afford to buy yourself a working vehicle.”

She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, three million dollars is overkill, don’t you think? I told you, I just need enough to make Miranda safe and comfortable.”

“A million a year seems about appropriate for putting up with my grumpy arse,” I quipped dryly just to see her smile. “SoI insist you accept itanduse some of the funds to buy something roadworthy.”

“I’ll consider it,” she said after a moment. “But for now, we have to hustle so we won’t be late. Get in.”