Page 40 of Protected By My Best Friend's Brother

When five o’clock came, most of the office emptied. But the Johnson presentation needed finishing, and somehow, we both found reasons to stay late. Reasons that had nothing to do with stolen glances and the freedom to close the office door without raising eyebrows.

“What are you thinking?” Lucas looks up from his laptop, his tie loosened, sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Even after a long day, he somehow makes disheveled look good. There’s something intimate about seeing him like this—the CEO facade softened at the edges, more like the Lucas from last night’s porch swing than the one who leads morning board meetings.

“Our original strategy focused on personalized analytics and relationship management. But what if we add a proprietary dashboard system? Something that integrates their historical data—which Brighton can’t access—with real-time analytics?”

Lucas straightens, catching my enthusiasm. The way he responds to my ideas—the immediate understanding, the building upon concepts without questioning their foundation—is part of what makes working with him so exhilarating. Now,that connection extends beyond balance sheets and market projections into something richer and more complex.

“We could leverage the custom algorithms we’ve already developed for their supply chain...”

“And combine them with predictive modeling based on their ten-year data trends that only we have!” I grab a marker, enthusiasm making my handwriting even messier than usual. “Brighton’s offering generic AI solutions, but we could give them something uniquely tailored to their business patterns.”

As I sketch out the concept on the whiteboard, I recall this morning’s quiet moment. I’d arrived at work an hour early, wondering if yesterday had been a dream. Lucas was in a budget meeting, but a coffee appeared on my desk with a small sticky note that read:“Still thinking about stars on the porch swing.”That tiny acknowledgment carried me through a day of pretending nothing had changed.

“Plus,” Lucas moves beside me at the whiteboard, his hand settling naturally at the small of my back, “we could accelerate the implementation by focusing on their three most crucial divisions first. Show immediate results while the full system rolls out.”

His touch is both familiar and new. We’ve always worked physically close—leaning over the same documents, sitting side by side in meetings—but now, each contact carries additional meaning. The warmth of his palm through my blouse sends a pleasant shiver up my spine.

“Yes!” I turn to face him, caught by how his eyes crinkle at the corners when he’s excited about an idea. Has he always looked at me this way? With this mixture of professional respect and personal affection? “We could create a hybrid model that—“

The office door swings open without warning, and we jump slightly apart. Sophie stands in the doorway with takeout bagsin hand. Her expression shifts from casual to stunned as she registers Lucas’s hand dropping from my waist.

“Oh. My. Goodness.” The takeout bags thud onto Lucas’s desk as her mouth falls open. “It finally happened! When? How? Why wasn’t there a company-wide announcement? Why wasn’t I immediately informed? I am your best friend and designated romantic cheerleader. I demand details! All of them!”

“We were going to,” Lucas starts.

“Tonight, actually,” I add.

“Together,” we finish in unison.

Sophie’s squeal echoes off the walls, probably registering on seismic monitors somewhere. “I KNEW IT!” She clutches her hands to her chest dramatically. “I mean, I hoped after the other night at my place, but then you were both still being so proper at work and—wait.” Her eyes narrow suspiciously. “How long has this been going on?”

“Since last night,” Lucas says softly, his hand finding mine. “Officially.”

“After the Clara thing,” I explain. “We talked. Really talked.”

“And decided to stop pretending we weren’t falling for each other,” Lucas adds, squeezing my fingers.

Sophie collapses into a chair, fanning herself theatrically. “My best friend and my brother. FINALLY. Do you know how long I’ve been waiting for this? Since that time, you both fell asleep on the couch during movie night junior year, and Lucas, you gave Emma your favorite hoodie because she was cold.”

I remember that night, though not quite the way Sophie does. It had been during my first year of college, when Lucas was already in business school. He’d come home for the weekend, and we’d all gathered for a movie marathon. I’d been dozing against the arm of the couch, not quite asleep but drowsy, when I felt something warm and soft being laid over me. Throughhalf-open eyes, I’d watched Lucas drape his hoodie over me, his expression unexpectedly tender in the television’s blue light.

“Speaking of waiting,” I say quickly before she can reveal any more embarrassing memories, “we should get back to the Johnson presentation. It’s due tomorrow morning.”

“Right.” Sophie starts unpacking the food, her knowing grin not fading one bit. “Well, while you two lovebirds save the company, I brought dinner. Though clearly, I missed the bigger story here.”

We settle in to eat, the three of us falling into easy conversation. It feels right to share this moment with Sophie. She was there for all our almost-moments, all our missed chances. Now she gets to see us finally getting it right.

“So,” Sophie says, twirling lo mein around her fork, “when are you telling Mom? Because I need at least twelve hours’ notice to prepare for the happy tears and immediate wedding planning.”

“Sophie,” Lucas warns, but there’s no heat in his voice.

“What? She’s been waiting for this since Emma first started coming over to study. I’m pretty sure she has a scrapbook somewhere with potential grandchildren’s names.”

“We’re taking things one day at a time,” I say, though the idea of Elizabeth Walker’s enthusiasm makes me smile. She’s always treated me like family, even before there was anything between Lucas and me. “Starting with figuring out how to be professional at work while...”

“While being disgustingly into each other?” Sophie supplies helpfully.

“While navigating a new relationship,” Lucas corrects, but his fingers find mine under the desk.

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