Page 60 of Earned Husband

“No, it’s cruel,” I said, but they kept running ahead with the plans as if I wasn’t even there anymore.

“We should ask him embarrassing questions,” Tarek said, smiling like he’d won a freaking teddy bear at a fair. “Oh, and make him dance.”

Rami nodded enthusiastically, grinning from ear to ear. “I like it. We’ll see if we can get him to loosen up around us.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose. “My opinion doesn’t matter at all in this conversation, does it?”

“Of course, it does,” Rami said, winking at me. “It’s just that we’ve already considered it and voted you out of the fun-time planning team.”

I groaned. “Nightclubs are not fun.”

“See?” Tarek shot me a genuinely pained look. “That’s why you can’t be part of the planning team. You have no idea what fun even is.”

I stood up from behind the dressing table and faced off with them. “I know that my idea of it doesn’t include sweaty bodies, deafening music, and the smell of desperation.”

“Wow,” Jasmine said, rolling her eyes. “Thanks for that. I happen to love nightclubs and I’m not desperate.”

“Thenyoucan go,” I said. “I, however, am not.”

“Fine, then we’ll just take your fiancé without you,” Rami said with victory sparking in his onyx eyes. “Is that really what you want, for us to take the poor guy out without you being there to protect him?”

“Colin can handle himself,” I said flatly, but my brother knew he had me beat. “He doesn’t need me to protect him, but I don’t even know where he’s been all day and he must be exhausted.”

“Dad took him around to see the GlobalStar offices and some of our manufacturing facilities,” Rami said, finally taking just a shred of pity on me. “He survived, Deja. He’s fine, and it’s not like he flew over here cattle class. I’m sure he is tired after the day, but he would’ve gotten some sleep on the jet and I’m not suggesting we torture the guy. We’ll just take him out for a few drinks.”

I exhaled a slow, relieved breath. “Where is he now? Are they even back yet?”

“Yep, he’s downstairs.”

“With Dad?” I asked.

“No,” he said. “It’s worse. He’s with the aunties.”

I winced. “Shit. I thought they’d all left.”

“Most have,” Tarek said cheerfully. “The others are still here, though. I’m pretty sure they’re moving in.”

As if the universe had wanted to drive home his point, a chorus of laughter floated up through the house and I groaned. “He’s never getting out, is he?”

“Nope,” he replied, still sounding way too happy about it. “Unless we save him, he’ll be force-fed until midnight.”

“They’ve probably already asked him about grandchildren,” Rami said. “Mom was talking to him in the kitchen earlier and I’m pretty sure I heard her ask about fertility issues in his family.”

My eyes slammed shut. “She did not.”

“Oh, she did,” he said, motioning toward the door when I looked at him. “I’ll go rescue him, but only if you agree to go out with us tonight.”

“That’s blackmail.”

“It’s business.”

I looked from him to Jasmine, but she wasn’t about to help me, already nodding so enthusiastically that her earrings were swinging. Tarek seemed so delighted by the prospect of interrogating my fiancé in public that I didn’t even try to change his mind.

There was only thing for it. While I wasn’t particularly fond of nightclubs, Colin had spent the better part of the day with my father. If a night out bought him a few uninterrupted hours away from that nonsense, it seemed like a small price to pay.

“Fine,” I said eventually. “I’ll go.”

Jasmine squealed, clapping her hands together like she hadn’t been vehemently opposed to our brothers coming outwith her just minutes ago, but Rami grinned and starting backing out of my room. “Alright. You guys get ready. I’ll go get lover boy.”