“Jesus, Becca! Let the man breathe,” a deep voice laughs from the doorway.

I look over at the man I assume is Kane’s father. He’s just as tall, if not a little taller than Kane. And this would be where Kane got every other one of his striking features. Strong jaw, chiseled cheeks, thick brows, and that one dimple. They have the same powerful build. Impossibly thick muscles—the kind that shows they work hard to stay fit without turning into hulks—trim hips, and long legs.

“Isn’t he handsome.” Kane’s mother laughs, and I look over from his father to see that he was no longer embracing her. She was now standing right in front of me with her beaming smile in place and this time directed at me.

I look from her to her son, now walking toward his father, and then back, nodding my head as my own beaming smile forms.

She throws her head back and laughs loud and long, pulling me to her in a hug that almost hurts. “Oh, I’ve been looking forward to meeting you, honey. I can’t tell you how much I have been. I just knew you would be perfect.”

Her words hit me, harder than her hug, and I feel myself getting slightly emotional. “It’s great to finally meet you, Mrs. Masters.”

“None of that, dear. Call me Becca … or Mom. Whatever works for you. No place for formalities with family.”

Family.

God, she has no idea how much that means to me. I look up and meet Kane’s eyes. He gives me a look full of love, and I give him a big toothy smile, relieved to see his mood has lifted when he returns it.

“Let’s get inside and get you settled in. Kane told me you would be staying in the guesthouse, so I made sure the fridge was well stocked. Kole made sure that the sheets were changed, fresh, and dust-mite free since no one ever stays there.”

Kane laughs at his mother’s words as we walk through the doorway and into his home. “You made Kole do housework?”

“Well, who else was going to do it, young man? He knows better than to question his mother.”

“More like I’m afraid of her when she’s got a wooden spoon in her hand. That shit hurts.”

“Kole Henry Masters! You watch that mouth of yours.” Turning to me, she continues, “These boys seem to think that cussing makes them some big bad man, but I tried to teach them that it only makes them look too stupid to find a word worth expressing their feelings.”

“Being that Willow doesn’t curse, I believe you’ll have an ally in that fight to clean us up, Mom.” Kane laughs and I reach out playfully to slap his shoulder.

His brother walks toward the group, and he and Kane do that manly hand slap, body bump thing, and then he turns all of his attention to me.

“Well, well, if it isn’t the woman who stole my baby brother’s heart. Kole.” He smiles while addressing me and holds his hand out. My eyes go wide, and I look from his offered hand to his face a few times, feeling my mouth drop with each repeated journey of my eyes.

“Willow?” Kane chuckles, and I feel my face heat.

“Sorry.” I take his hand and give him a shake. “Willow, nice to meet you. I’m a huge fan.”

“Seriously?” He looks over at Kane, and he winks. “Did she tell you she was a huge fan of yours too?”

I don’t need to look at Kane to know he’s shaking his head and probably struggling not to burst out laughing.

“Can’t say she did. Guess you must be better at acting than I am,” he surmises, hilarity mixing with the sultry roughness of his voice.

“I did too,” I defend and look over at Kane. “I think?”

“No, baby, you didn’t. That’s okay. You just want me for my good looks.” He winks.

“Oh, you’re impossible.” I giggle and Kane reaches out to pull me to his body and away from his charming brother. “It’s nice to meet you, Kole. Sorry about that. Well, maybe just a little sorry.”

“Would you two stop picking on her,” his mother interrupts with a laugh of her own. “My boys, talented and too good looking for their own good. They would probably make a nun lose her mind too. Too much hot male vibes and all.”

“Mom, I’m not sure you should admit that about your own kids.” Kole laughs.

Her eyes narrow playfully, and Kole holds his hands up in surrender. “Just because I’m your mother doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate how good looking my guys are.”

We’re all laughing as Kane’s arm goes around my shoulders, and we follow his family as they lead the way deeper into his house. The front entryway didn’t allow the view that I have now. Windows cover the whole back of his home. I’m sure when the sun is blazing, it gives you the most spectacular view of the Pacific.

A staircase to the right of the living room leads to a second floor. To the left of the open-floor plan is a large kitchen and dining area. The whole house is white walls, lots of glass, and deep gray and black accents. Instead of looking like a sterile bachelor pad, Kane’s home holds warms despite its design to do the opposite. Family photos, old worn leather couch and loveseat, and quilts. I shouldn’t have expected it to be different. Just like the man himself, his home makes you feel like you’re welcome and invites you in a way that wraps around you like a physical touch.

I look up at Kane with a smile, but he’s not looking at me. His focus is over my head and toward the kitchen.

Looking back in that direction, I see what I missed before.

The narrow, judgmental, and very angry eyes of Kyle Masters.

INTRODUCTIONS TO KYLE WERE AS far opposite as it could get from the open friendliness I had gotten from Kole. The three Masters brothers look so alike that they might as well have been triplets. All had the same wavy, thick hair, dark in certain lights to give it a black appearance. With Kane and Kole, it was left to its own devices, usually a mess from many passes of their hands. It gave them a carefree look to their overall strong appearance of sharp angles and rough handsomeness. But Kyle’s was styled with so much product that he not only tamed those waves, he also made his own appearance lose any trace of the relaxed and happy-go-lucky ease his younger brothers had.

All three had the bluest of blue eyes, something I now know they get from their father. But unlike the two younger Masters boys, Kyle’s were hard, calculating, and so full of hate that you almost felt burned when his attention was on you.

There was no doubt in my mind that Kyle Masters was a troubled man.

He had spoken once in the two hours since we had arrived. And all it did was make the mood even darker. I had thought it was a simple question when Kane asked him why he was there, but when he ominously replied with a confusing ‘you know why,’ things just started to speed downhill quickly. Becca had gone overboard to try to defuse the intensity between her sons, but it only made things more awkward when Kyle refused to take the high road and respond to his mother if it had to do with Kane.

But, to my shock, the heated madness Kyle was showing his brother was nothing compared to the disgust he openly had with my presence. Something I couldn’t for the life of me understand. I had never met this man. As far as I knew, he really shouldn’t know anything about me since he and his brother weren’t exactly on friendly terms. But regardless, he wasn’t trying to hide his feelings, and it only made things more awkward.

Kane seemed to be seconds from snapping. His parents were attempting to keep things from turning into a war between the boys. Kole seemed just as uneasy as I did, but he did a better job of hiding it. Instead of silence, he attempted to placate the heavy mood with jokes, but they all fell flat.

“Kyle, dear, where is Jessica tonight?” his mother asks in an effort to pull her oldest son’s sneer away from me.