Sweet in Love by Nadia Lee Page A

designs and concepts. She didn’t want to disappoint anybody. She could be a good daughter, a good sister, a good friend and a good lover. But a good life partner for somebody like Pete? Her IQ was about average. She wasn’t really sure that she had any talent. Pete seemed to think she wasn’t so bad, so maybe she had some natural gift for decorating. Would that be enough?
    A sliver of doubt and fear lodged in her heart. What if pursuing her dream made it impossible to be a good daughter, or a good friend? There wasn’t any guarantee she would succeed as a decorator. What would she do then?
    She brushed a few strands of hair off Pete’s forehead. They’d finished what they’d started in the gym eight years ago, but she didn’t feel like anything was settled between them. This actually seemed more like a beginning.

Chapter Eight
     
    THE NEXT MORNING, Brooke woke up to the smell of fresh coffee and toast. Frowning, she pulled an over-sized T-shirt on and went to the kitchen where Pete was drinking coffee and munching on some breakfast. He looked so comfortable in his shirt and slacks—wrinkle-free to boot. How did he manage to look so crisp and ready to charge into the world at seven a.m.?
    “Here you go.” He poured her a cup then handed her some cream and sugar.
    “Where did you find this?” she asked, dumping a generous spoonful of both. She didn’t remember buying that particular brand of cream.
    “I got them at the supermarket before coming over, then forgot and left them in my car last night.”
    Guess he’d noticed her dislike of black coffee. Expecting the worst, she took a tentative sip then blinked. The brew was actually serviceable.
    “I might not be as good of a cook as some guys, but I’m not totally helpless,” he said. “Here. Have some toast.”
    She nibbled on the generously buttered whole wheat bread. “How long have you been up?”
    “A little over an hour. Hey, can I leave some of my stuff here? It’s not really practical for me to drive back to my place in the morning just to change.”
    Her mouth dried. That seemed very relationship-esque. But then what did she expect? She’d slept with the guy, hadn’t she?
    “Or if you want, you can move into my place. It’s bigger and not that far from Amandine’s.”
    “Uh, this is kind of fast.”
    “It’s natural.” He finished his coffee. “We’re adults. In any other relationship, you would’ve considered it.”
    Pete was right. She would have, if the man in question hadn’t been Pete.
    “Don’t treat me differently because of who my sister is. It’s not fair to us.”
    “It’s not just her. It’s Gavin too.”
    “Worry, worry, worry.” Pete sighed, resting his chin in a hand. “You know when Amandine and Gavin were having issues, I told her she was being selfish?”
    “You did?” Amandine had never said a word about having a conflict with Pete over her marital issues. Everything had ended well, but for a while it had looked like Amandine would divorce Gavin.
    “I thought if she got divorced, I’d probably have to leave the firm.”
    “Well, yeah. I can’t imagine how awkward it would be to work for your ex-brother-in-law.” A divorce, despite a highly detailed prenuptial agreement, would’ve been ugly. Gavin hadn’t wanted it and Amandine was carrying his baby, which both of them wanted to keep. Sadly the prenup was a bit vague on the child custody issue.
    “I didn’t want to leave because I wanted to be close to you. That was the main reason why I chose to work for Gavin. So it didn’t make me happy to hear that my plan would be foiled. But I wasn’t being fair to my sister. She has the right to choose a path that makes her happy. It wouldn’t have been her fault if I’d have to leave the firm. I’m an adult and I’d chosen to work there.”
    “Oh.” Brooke ran her finger along the rim of her coffee mug.
    “Do you think Amandine would be happy if she learned that she was the reason you and I