Billionaire Husband Test (Billionaire Online Dating Service) by Elle James

popcorn to Colton, snatched up her brush and turned to leave.
    Ace patted the seat beside him. “Sit. I’ll brush while we watch the game.”
    Her gaze went from the space on the couch next to Cooper and then the game.
    At that moment, the A&M quarterback spun a thirty-yard pass.
    Emma’s eyes widened and her face grew intense.
    When the receiver caught the ball, he ran for another twenty yards before being tackled on the twenty-yard line.
    “Come on, you can’t leave now.” Ace held out his hand.
    Emma slapped the brush into her brother’s palm, dropped to the floor in front of him and lifted her long hair off her neck.
    Cooper missed the touchdown for watching Ace as he brushed his sister’s hair.
    After only six strokes, Ace handed Cooper the brush. “Gotta make a pit stop. Wanna take over?” He leaped from his seat and made a beeline for the center hallway.
    Emma glared at her retreating brother, then faced Cooper with her hand extended. “I can do it myself.”
    He held the brush out of her reach and slid down to the end of the sofa, positioning his knees on either side of her shoulders. “I don’t mind.”
    “But I might,” she whispered.
    Cooper leaned close and spoke into her ear. “Consider it part of your plan.” Then he lifted a strand of already drying hair and worked the brush through the tangles, easing out the snarls without tugging on the roots
    “Ummm.” The starch washed out of Emma’s shoulders the more Cooper brushed.
    Ace dropped onto the couch a few moments later. “I can take over again.”
    “Uh uh,” Emma said. “Cooper’s much better at it. At least, he isn’t yanking all the hair out of my head.”
    Ace patted Cooper’s back. “A man of many talents. I take it you have sisters?”
    Cooper’s chest tightened as he lifted another strand of hair and worked the brush through it. “Nope. But I’ve brushed enough horse’s tails to know how to work out a knot.”
    Dillon guffawed. “Hear that, Em? He’s comparing you to a horse.”
    Emma glared back at Cooper.
    Colton laughed out loud. “Not making points, are ya, buddy?”
    “A bit rusty at romance, cowboy?” Emma queried.
    “Just the facts, ma’am.” Cooper planted his hand on her head and turned it back to the game. “The Aggies just scored.”
    “Something you won’t do at this rate, huh, Coop?” Brand winked at Emma.
    Emma tossed a pillow at her brother, her face bright pink. “Shut up, all of you. I’m trying to watch the game.”
    Even after he’d worked out all the tangles, Cooper couldn’t bring himself to stop brushing Emma’s hair. The game went on and Emma shouted a couple times when the quarterback threw an interception or the kicker missed a field goal. On those occasions, she leaned right or left, her shoulders bumping against the insides of Cooper thighs.
    The contact made his body react in ways it shouldn’t while he was in the same room as Emma’s four strapping hulks of brothers.
    At one point, Emma handed Cooper his beer and he downed the last half in one gulp, hoping to take the edge off his growing lust. Nothing seemed to help. Emma was not only beautiful, but she liked sports and rode horses like a natural. The perfect woman as far as Cooper was concerned.
    Her only drawback was that she was still in love. With a dead man. A war hero, at that. How could Cooper compete with a memory?
     

Chapter Five
    By the time Cooper left, they’d all had supper together, feasting on the steaks her brothers grilled and baked potatoes Emma shoved into the microwave. If anyone else had viewed the scene, they looked like one big happy family.
    Emma knew different. That night, she crawled into bed and lay on her side, staring at the picture on her nightstand.
    “Marcus, why did you have to die? If you were still here, this whole date thing wouldn’t be an issue. By now, we’d be married and have a baby or two on the way.” At the thought of her belly growing with child, her chest ached with a