she said. “Then you’ll be in the public eye.”
“Briefly.” There came the spot of fear again. Would it scare Justine away? The possibility of being in the public eye herself? His gut turned at the thought. Perhaps he should ask, see if she’d be willing to weather media storms and possible tabloid gossip.
But he’d done enough pressing for one night. He’d save that question for another time.
“It makes sense now,” Justine said in that sultry voice.
“What does?”
Justine trailed a hand up his bicep, over his shoulder, and wrapped it around the back of his neck.
“Your ridiculous good looks,” she said. “The fact that you’re a Benton. You fit right in with them.”
“Did you say ridiculous?” he asked, still hypnotized by her touch.
She came in, pressed a kiss to his lips, warm and lingering. “Very.”
Burke welcomed the second round of affection, figuring he could get lost in it for a time. Yet even as he did, new concerns tried breaking into the forefront. The property—that thought came first. Once Justine found out about it, she’d likely feel betrayed that he’d kept it a secret.
He’d take care of that, Burke assured himself. He’d keep the property, donate it to the city, whatever Justine wanted, he’d do it.
The simple solution only allowed other concerns to surface. Justine was coming to meet his family, after all. And in doing so, she’d get a taste of what his future would look like.
In being among the Bentons, she chanced stumbling into the public spotlight. All of it could send her fleeing for the nearest exit, determined to keep her life of quiet and peace.
It was enough to grow that guard back into place. That shield of protection against his heart. Not fully, but just a bit. He brought their affections to a close, anxious to force his mind in new directions.
“Now,” he said with one last kiss. “How about we try out that swing?”
Chapter 21
Christmas lights outside the Benton’s family cabin played across Justine’s room as she sat on her bed and looked out the window. Traces of Burke’s incredible goodnight kiss clung to her lips, causing her to break into a silent grin.
My prince. She chuckled to herself.
She couldn’t help but admire the man he was. Strong, resilient. Generous and kind. As handsome as he was, the appeal of Burke Benton went far beyond his virile good looks. The same could be said about the other Bentons. The twins, Zander and Duke, were opposites in many ways, but what they had in common, along with their younger brother, James, was a genuine kindness and interest. Their sister, Betzy, was the same.
In the three days she’d spent there, Justine had gotten to know each member of the Benton family in a special way. And while it had been wonderful talking with all the newlyweds about their recent weddings and the fun ways they’d met, some of the most entertaining characters were Vivia’s twin boys, Dante and Diego. The pair had brought a unique sort of magic to each activity or event. The same went for Lilly and Link. Those two had come with their Grandpa Michael, the man Claudia had been dating for years now.
Justine hopped off her bed and hurried over to the window seat where a plush blanket rested on the bench. She pulled it over her legs and thought back on the night they’d decorated the Christmas tree. Betzy had insisted they put it up before Thanksgiving since neither Burke nor Justine would be there the day following.
Never had Justine expected the family with all their money and fame to be so… close-knit, connected, and casual. With the whole billionaire status, she’d pictured a sterile home with stiff butlers and formal dinners.
But the Bentons were down to earth. Perhaps, had she paid closer attention to the strand of recent weddings, Justine might have predicted they’d be that way.
As it was, each of Burke’s half-siblings—billionaires in their own right—had married outside of their social status and monetary scope. Betzy had married her childhood best friend, Sawyer. Their story was most like Justine and Burke’s. Not the best-friends-in-their-youth part, but in the way that Sawyer had lived many years on the East Coast. Even more, the pair had a situation that sounded a lot like Justine and Burke’s fake fiancé ruse.
As for the others, James’ wife, Claudia, was a personal chef. Zander’s wife, Kat, was an environmental chemist, and Duke’s wife, Vivia—she was the well-known writer, Verita. The women, along with Betzy, had put Justine