Page 28 of The CEO I Hate

A small smile tugged at my face. Eye candy? In this place? I glanced around, wondering what he was talking?—

My heart skipped in my chest.Oh no!

The Lockhart brothers.

That’s who Jerome was talking about. There they were, sitting at a table halfway across the room, looking infuriatingly gorgeous. I’d rarely crossed paths with Finn or Connor when we were growing up, but we’d seen each other enough at events for Jake or Liam over the years for me to know them by sight—and vice versa.

Finn’s easy charm was on full display as he grinned at the waitstaff. Connor was more subdued, his attention on his drink, but there was the hint of a smile on his face like he’d just laughed at a joke.

“It’s like three Greek gods came down from Olympus,” Jerome said. “To grace us mere mortals with a hot dose of?—”

“Perfection,” Tanya finished.

“Exactly,” Jerome continued. “When that amount of gorgeousness is concentrated in one place, it’s our duty to come and pay homage.”

I glanced away awkwardly, but even happily engaged Kait ogled them. My eyes immediately went back to the exit. Could I fake a stomachache? Ditch before anyone noticed me?

I still hadn’t told the group I knew the Lockhart family. But there was apparently no avoiding it now because Finn whipped his head around and cried, “Mia Collins? Is that you?”

“Hoooooly shit!” Jerome hissed, his eyes going wide. “There’s something very important you forgot to mention, Mia.”

I winced. Guess the cat was out of the bag. I raised my hand in greeting as Finn jumped to his feet. Connor followed. Thankfully, Liam stayed put, staring at the ceiling like he wanted to be anywhere else.You and me both, pal!

Finn reached us first, his expression a mix of surprise and delight. “I thought that was you.”

“Hey, Finn,” I said, my voice edged with awkwardness. “Connor.”

“Hey, Mia,” Connor said. “It’s been a while.”

“Yeah,” I agreed. A couple years, maybe? The last time we’d spoken had been when he called to thank me for sending a gift after I heard he was having a baby. “How’s…” Damn, what was the kid’s name? “…your daughter?” I finished lamely.

“Grace is great,” he said with a smile. “Loves books. We definitely got a lot of use out of what you sent.” My present had been a selection of some of my favorite children’s books.

I wasthemost in-demand babysitter of our neighborhood growing up, and the key to my success had been a bag I brought with me of games and books to keep even the fussiest of kids entertained. I had strong opinions on what made for a good children’s book, and I’d been more than happy to share my wisdom. It was nice to hear it had been appreciated.

Jerome’s gaze flicked back and forth like he was watching a tennis match.

Finn tilted his head, eyes sparkling with curiosity. “So, how’s it going with you?”

“Oh, you know. On that lunchtime grind. Working hard for your brother.”

“Yeah, we heard about that. You have our condolences. Must be torture,” Finn quipped.

“Only on days that end inY,” I joked. Finn grinned.

“How’s Jake doing?” Connor asked.

“He’s…okay,” I said diplomatically. “You know, just sort of taking things one day at a time.” A waitress appeared at their table with a platter of tacos, and I let out a sigh of relief.

“Well, tell him we’re thinking about him,” Connor said. “It was good to see you.”

“Yeah, you too.”

Jerome latched onto my arm the second they walked away, steering me toward a table blessedly far from the brothers. Tanya and Kait hurried after us. “Umm, excuse me. You didnottell us you were intimately familiar with the Lockharts. Girl, you’ve been holding out!”

“There’s nothing intimate about it,” I hurried to say, feeling my cheeks heat.

Kait raised an eyebrow. “You’re gonna have to do better than that, Mia. They practically treated you like you were their little sister.”

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