“Yeah my dad loves this house. My brothers and I grew up here so it’s no big deal.”

“Yep, no big deal.” Who cared about things like three story mansions made totally of brick, real brick, hundreds of windows and probably dozens of bedrooms. This place was beautiful, if a tad ostentatious.

Inside Silver House was even more gorgeous than the outside. The foyer was gargantuan, with a few marble busts and big dark oil paintings, but of what she could see so far the place was warm and inviting. Dark woods, earthy masculine colors and subtle accessories were everywhere. Brooke decided instantly that she loved Silver House.

“We should head to the study, I’m sure that’s were Dad is.” Brooke followed quietly, taking in every detail as she passed each room. Familiar artwork dotted the walls and detailed sculptures lined the long hallway they walked until she heard voices. “Sounds like one of my brothers beat us here.” Inside the study Vance sat in a chocolate leather club chair swirling amber liquid in a crystal glass while he and the youngest Silver brother, Jackson laughed together.

“Ah Chase, you’re here. And you’ve brought a guest.” Vance smiled sweetly at Brooke. “Is that Brooke?”

She returned his smile. “It’s me sir, how are you?”

Vance beamed a smile at her that belied his advanced age. Dimple winking and violet brown eyes sparkling. “I’m an old man Brooke but seeing your face is a balm to my weary soul.” She laughed at his flowery words.

“Then I’m glad I could help a not-so-old man out.” She winked back and he laughed.

“I like this one Chase. Keep her.” A gorgeous ice blonde with porcelain skin and mile high legs walked in with a cart full of goodies that made Brooke’s mouth water. “Thanks Galina. You can leave that here so we can serve ourselves. No need to be so formal this week it’s just family,” he winked a Brooke. “But I would like you to put Brooke and Chase in the green and gold rooms. She nodded her understanding and they followed her upstairs.

Chase was happy with his position at the back of the line since it afforded him an up close and personal view of Brooke’s fine backside. It was a thing of beauty the way it swayed to its own rhythm with every step she took. He was mesmerized by the hypnotic sway, so much that he failed to notice she stopped at the landing and he smacked right into her. She gasped when his large hands circled her waist to steady her and the fire in his body stirred to a raging inferno. “I’ve got you,” he whispered in her ear, smiling at the small shiver that shook her body.

“Uh, yeah okay. Thanks,” she muttered before crossing the threshold into her room. The green room.

“Dinner is in an hour, I will come and get you then,” Galina spoke in stilted English, her accent thick and enchanting.

“Thank you Galina.” Brooke smiled at the small grin that lit up the housekeeper’s stunning face.

“My room is right next door,” Chase added with a smug smirk on his face. “I’ll pick you up for dinner.” He winked and left her staring at the empty space with a stunned look and flushed face.

Chapter Two

“No way Dad. No way in hell!” Ethan, the middle Silver brother, arrived after dinner for his father’s latest attempt to control their lives. The old man was crazy if he thought he could manipulate them this way.

“I’m with Ethan, Dad. This is crazy even for you.” Jackson was in no mood for his father’s games. He would settle down when he was good and damned well ready and not a moment sooner. Hell he was just 27 and that was way too young to settle down.

Chase said nothing. He was as angry as his brothers but there was no point getting angry when Vance would have his say anyway. He knew there was more to it so he sat, drink in hand, and waited.

Vance Silver stood slowly and walked to the bar in silence. He sat his favorite crystal glass down, picking up two pieces of ice and dropping them with a loud clang into the glass. He reached for the decanter of Whiskey—Irish of course—pulled out the stopper and sniffed gently before pouring two fingers’ worth into the glass. “Now I know you boys are reluctant to settle down, especially with so many pretty young things offering their favors without commitment.” He took a sip and let them stew while he made his way back to the comfort of his favorite chair. “But I would like to retire and I can’t do that while all three of you are out tomcatting around like you’ve just discovered your peckers.”

“No offense Dad but my sex life is none of your business.” Ethan’s fury was barely controlled, his violet brown eyes narrowed into Vance’s identical pair.

“You may be right about that boy. But Silver Enterprises is my business and I’m not turning over my life’s work to men lead around by the short hairs. Prove to me you’re committed to SE and you’ll get your portion of the company. You will each have a one-third stake in the company when you do. Ignore my wishes and you get nothing.”

“That is bullshit!” Chase roared causing all eyes to turn his way. “You’re a hypocrite on top of everything else,” he snorted in disgust. “All this talk of settling down when you don’t even keep a woman past the one year mark. That’s rich, real rich.” He slammed the glass down and stalked out of the study.

“I’m not doing this dad. Ever. So you can divide up my shares between Jack and Chase.” Ethan looked defeated and angry as he left the room and that broke Vance’s heart.

He knew it was his fault that his boys were so down on love. After Chase and Jackson’s mother, Zoe died in a horrific boating accident he didn’t remarry. He couldn’t remarry, but he was still a young man with the needs of a young man. As a rich man he had his pick of the ladies and picked well and often. Chase was right, he had enjoyed sexual affairs with women but he never kept them for longer than a year. It was his choice to keep his relationships superficial with an expiration date. And now he was paying for it. But they didn’t get it and if they kept on this path they wouldn’t get it until it was too late. Vance knew he was an old man and he wanted beautiful daughters with loads of grandbabies bringing life and laughter back to Silver House. He was sick of the silence, the loneliness, the emptiness.

Ethan, he feared, he might lose forever with this recent decision. The boy was as anti-marriage as they came and most of that fell on Vance’s shoulders, he knew. He’d enjoyed a brief affair with a paralegal which resulted in Ethan’s birth. A year after Zoe’s death Ethan’s mother killed herself and he came to live at Silver House. Despite the fact that he was born a year after Chase and a year before Jackson, the boys took to one another immediately. They were close and always had each other’s backs. But those were the only relationships Ethan gave a damn about. He kept his women for no more than three dates and then he moved on.

He’d hate for his boys to lose their birthright but he would hate it more if they followed his path and ended up lonely old men dating women young enough to be their daughters. Hell.

***

Chase was still fuming as he climbed the stairs to the gold room. He knew his dad loved to play the benevolent overlord but this was taking things too fucking far. He couldn’t think about that now, he had to work on the Steele Tech acquisition if he wanted it done by the end of this quarter. After a quick trip to his room he knocked on Brooke’s door and entered after a few muffled words and his heart rate doubled at the sight before him. Brooke, sexy and efficient Brooke was standing before him like a vision from the gods of lust and sex. Wearing nothing but a small scrap of black lace and a matching bra dangling from one arm, she wore a startled and slightly dazed expression at his intrusion.

The heat in her eyes, Chase was sure, mirrored his own. He took in every detail he could absorb. Her full breasts with stiff raspberry tipped nipples, that flat stomach tight with muscle and the flare of her hips calling out for his touch. Those high cut, barely there panties left very little to the imagination, giving him a glimpse of the small heart shaped patch of hair underneath made him clench his fists rather than run a finger up and down her sweet spot. He took one long look at the miles of leg on display before mumbling his apologies and shutting the door. “Shit,” he knocked his head on the heavy wood door behind him. “Brooke meet me in the library in thirty minutes.” He ran down the stairs as fast as he could as though he could outrun the image of his assistant looking like a walking wet dream.