The Sterling family was nothing if not conservative, and that was something Alexander often found frustrating as hell. He’d thought about it before—if his mother kept pushing him, he might just have to bring a guy home to shut her up. Not because he wanted to, but because he had no other choice. If there were any other way out, he’d never go that route.

He already had someone lined up for the job, but honestly, it was just a temporary cover—something flimsy that could ...