6. Ginni

"You really aren'tmad at me?" I ask for the fiftieth time, peeping over at Sterling as he navigates through the streets of Midnight Falls, headed toward his family's mansion.

Like Silver Spoon Falls, Midnight Falls is charming. But the residents really lean into the Halloween thing. Everywhere I look, Halloween decorations flutter in the breeze. They should look out of place, considering it's the wrong season, but they lend the town a certain charm.

"Nope." He grins, his thumb tracing lazy patterns on my thigh. "Write whatever fucking story you want, Fate. I'll even make my pain in the ass brothers answer your questions if it makes you happy."

I smile at his indulgent tone, my mind reeling a little bit. I don't know how I hit the billionaire lottery, but I feel a little like I did. I was so sure he was going to hate me. It's nice to be wrong. Really nice.

His hand creeps higher, slipping under my skirt.

"Sterling," I groan, my core clenching as his fingers brush against the seam of my panties. "I can't meet your brothers wearing wet panties!"

He freezes, his face contorting into a scowl. "You're right," he mutters, reluctantly sliding his hand back. "I might have to kill them."

I laugh quietly, linking our fingers together on my thigh. "Tell me about your brothers really fast."

"Sinclair is the sheriff. He's got too much shit to do to be a big pain in the ass. Sullivan, on the other hand, has never been anything but a pain in my ass." He squeezes my thigh. "You'll also meet Adam, my assistant. I've been meaning to fire him for a decade, but he keeps talking me out of it. Now, I owe the fucker a raise and a tropical vacation."

"For what?"

He lifts my hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to my knuckles. "Setting me up with you, Fate."

My stomach flutters, my entire heart singing a freaking Disney song. "So, what you're saying is he's your Fairy Godmother."

Sterling flashes me an amused grin, his eyes dancing with humor. "Only if mine drinks beer and talks a lot of shit, Fate."

I giggle at the image that pops into my head, and then he takes a left, and his ancestral home comes into view. My mouth goes dry. Maybe Elyse was right about him being Mr. Halloween. His house looks like a Gothic castle.

The sprawling mansion looms over us, the spires reaching toward the sky. Dark stone walls surround the property, with heavy iron gates standing guard. Tall, narrow windows dot the house, some with stained glass. There are even freaking gargoyles perched on the roof.

Sterling pulls through the gates, driving right up to the front steps.

"Your home is beautiful, Sterling," I whisper.

"It's been in the family for generations." He glances over at me as he kills the engine. "My great-great grandfather built it when he started the company. He wanted to make a statement."

"He succeeded. It's gorgeous."

Sterling grins and then hops out and circles around the truck to help me out. We talk toward the doors hand in hand.

Halfway up the steps, a younger version of Sterling throws the front doors open, strolling out onto the massive porch. He has to be Sullivan—he looks just like Sterling, only his eyes are green and there's a wildness about him, as if he's completely capable of raising a little hell if the mood strikes.

He leans against a column, smirking at his brother. "Oh, so now that the work day is over, you decide to show up again, huh?"

"Sullivan, if you can't run the company by yourself for one damn day at this point in your life, there's absolutely no hope for you. You might as well retire to Florida with Mom and Dad," Sterling grumbles. "I had shit to do."

Sullivan chuckles, his gaze shifting from his brother to me. His grin widens. "Is this her?"

"Yes. You can stop smiling at her now."

"Hi," I whisper, my stomach in knots. I'm meeting his freaking family after one day. This is surreal.

"Hi, sweetheart." Sullivan's expression softens. "It's nice to meet the woman who proved my idiot brother actually has a heart."

"It's nice to meet the brother who proves he's actually human," I retort, teasing him back. If he's going to give Sterling crap, I'm going to dish it right back. "I was beginning to think he was perfect."

Sullivan's eyes light up as he throws his head back and laughs loudly. "I like her."

"Me too," Sterling says softly, slipping his arm around my waist. "Now, move so I can bring her inside."

Sullivan grins again and then steps aside, allowing Sterling to pull me into the house. I barely have time to gape at the gorgeous foyer before the other brother, Sinclair, comes rushing out of the living room with a portable radio in his hands, his Sheriff badge pinned to his chest. He's as big as Sterling with the same dark eyes, though his scowl is fierce.

"Gotta go," he growls. "The damn McKinney boys are up to their bullshit again." He pauses long enough to glance at me. "Sorry, I can't stay to chat, sweetheart. Glad you've got this big idiot under control. We'll chat later."

"It was nice to meet you," I say softly. Being the sheriff must be exhausting.

"Be careful," Sterling murmurs, bumping his fist.

Sinclair jerks his chin in a nod before jogging out, in a hurry to go deal with the McKinney boys…whoever they are. From the sounds of it, they're a frequent problem.

The door no more closes behind him before another man appears in the doorway to the living room. He must be the assistant, Adam, because he doesn't look like Sterling or his brothers. He's handsome and very fashionable. His hair is slicked back, his thick glasses match his bowtie, and his shirt is bright blue and eye-catching.

"Never leave me with Sullivan in charge again," he says to Sterling, "or I quit."

"It wasn't that bad," Sullivan mutters, scratching the side of his face with his middle finger.

Adam rolls his eyes dramatically. "Uh, fuck yes, it was. You're exhausting and I don't get paid nearly enough to deal with you." His gaze lands on me and he beams. "Oh, you're an absolute doll."

"Um, thanks?"

Sterling sighs, a long-suffering sigh that makes me giggle. "Fate, this is the other pain in my ass, Adam. Adam, this is Ginni."

"Oh, I know." Adam grins, strolling deeper into the foyer. "You two are all over the new couple sightings."

"The what?"

"The Silver Spoon Single Serve," he says.

"The what?" Sterling stares at him blankly.

Adam opens his mouth to explain and then snaps it closed and pulls out his phone. He taps around for a minute and then passes it over to Sterling.

I peer over Sterling's arm as he reads from what looks like a gossip blog.

Intrepid Reporter Bags Billionaire!

Rumor has it that Halloween is coming in February this year. That's right, babes. A certain billionaire and SSF's newest journalist were spotted getting cozy at Palette and Vino last night before he dropped her off at work this morning. Are those wedding bells I hear? These Silver Spoon boys sure do work fast, don't they?

"What the fuck?" Sterling mutters, glancing up at Adam. "Who the fuck wrote this?"

Adam shrugs, taking his phone back. "No one knows. But the site popped up a few months ago. Whoever is behind it is never wrong. They've got a fucking lock on the dating scene in Silver Spoon Falls. They know who is together before anyone else. It's wild."

"Jesus Christ," Sterling mutters, shaking his head.

I just gape, my head spinning. I've never been gossip before. Ever. I've never done anything worthy of being gossiped about. I feel like I just stepped into the twilight zone.

Is it possible that the gossip is the same person who posed as my Fairy Godmother? Maybe. If so, I'm not sure if I should thank her or not. Did she hook me up with Sterling for my benefit or to stir up gossip?

Does it matter?

I glance up at him and quickly decide it doesn't. I ended up with him, and that's what matters. Whoever my Fairy Godmother is, she did me a favor. I'm not looking a Gift Bippity Boppity Boo in the mouth. Nope. No way.

"You okay, Fate?" Sterling wraps his arms around me, pulling me up against his hard body. His lips brush my forehead.

"Just reeling a little." I rest my forehead against his chest. "Um, I've never been the topic of gossip before. Do you think it's going to cause problems for you?"

He cups my cheeks, tipping my face up to his. "Just a bunch of old ladies whispering behind their hands and asking when we're going to have babies." He smirks, his gaze running across my face. "It's an excellent fucking question, Fate."

"Sterling!" I hiss, my cheeks heating.

Adam laughs loudly.

"Jesus Christ," Sullivan mutters. "You've been drinking the water in Silver Spoon Falls way too often, brother."

Sterling just shrugs, completely unrepentant. "I know what I want, and I'm looking at her. I fell in love with her the moment she rushed into Palettes and Vino."

My heart turns a flip in my chest. I'm looking at what I want, too. I've never seen my future so clearly. It's a little terrifying, honestly. So, I guess it's a good thing Sterling is well-versed in all things terrifying. Mr. Halloween should be more than capable of helping to navigate me through my fears. He's kind of an expert in that sort of thing.

Wait. Holy crap. Did he just say he loves me?

"Yeah, Fate, I said it," he says, smirking at me when I turn wide eyes up at him. He brushes his thumb across my bottom lip. "I don't care if it's fast or if half the goddamn planet thinks we're crazy. I knew how I felt about you before the night ended."

Oh my gosh. This is really happening. We're both crazy. But we're crazy for each other. And we're crazy together.

"Me too," I whisper. "I love you, too, Sterling."

"Come on," he says. "I have something to show you."

"It better not be your bedroom," Sullivan growls. "You don't even fucking live here!"

"It's not my bedroom, you jackass." Sterling takes my hand, pulling me deeper into the house.

"Thank God," his little brother mutters behind us.

"It's absolutely my bedroom," Sterling whispers to me.

I bury my face in his shoulder, laughing.