Page 37 of My Ex’s Billionaire Brothers (Forbidden Hearts #5)

GAGE

Night settles gently on Castle Beach, the stars above winking into view one by one.

The Markoff cottage is still humming with the last throes of the holiday festivities, but the crowd has thinned, leaving only the hardiest celebrants finishing up their coffee and desserts.

A cool breeze drifts across the yard, carrying the tang of salt air.

The moon reflects off the dark ocean, the waves rolling in and out at a steady lull.

Hunter and Theo are inside, sorting through empty plates and cups. I hear them offering to take care of the remaining cleanup so Anya’s mother can finally rest. Neither Anya nor I have to coax them into volunteering—they just do it.

Anya stands near the side of the house, hugging her arms around her midsection. Even from several feet away, I can tell she’s chilly. I approach her quietly, my boots crunching on a few stray gravel pieces in the path. She turns at the sound, offering me a small, warm smile that tightens my chest.

I have only one thing on my mind. “You want to go for a walk on the beach?”

She rubs her arms and nods. “That sounds perfect.”

Together, we walk down the narrow path leading to the beach. The sand is cool beneath our feet, and the moonlight casts silver ripples across the surface of the ocean. She pulls her light jacket tight around her body, shivering when a stronger gust of wind sweeps in.

“Here,” I say quietly, fishing something from my pocket. It’s a scarf, tucked away and rolled neatly. She looks at me in confusion as I unravel it, revealing the soft knit in a pale blue color. Before she can question me, I wrap it gently around her neck and tuck the ends beneath her jacket collar.

Anya’s eyes light up. “Where did you get this?”

I hoped to skip this part of things, but we’ve been together for days. It only makes sense that she’d ask. “I, uh…I made it.”

Her lips part in surprise. “You knitted it?”

“Yeah,” I say, rubbing the back of my neck. “I’ve been working on it at night, after you and the others go to bed.”

“Gage, it’s beautiful. I love it. It’s so toasty!”

A relieved warmth spreads through me. “I wanted you to have something to remember this trip by. At first, I just thought…you’ve had a rough time, with Calvin being such a—you know.

I wanted to give you something nice, to show you that people still care.

” I swallow, my voice growing softer. “I guess I didn’t realize how things would turn out back then. How we would turn out.”

“You didn’t even really know me when you started it, and you were still going to make me a scarf?”

I shrug sheepishly. “It’s no big deal?—”

“It is.” She touches the scarf, then wraps her arms around my waist, pressing close enough for me to feel the gentle rise and fall of her breathing. “This really means a lot.”

“I’m glad you like it.”

She laughs softly. “Like it? Gage, I love it.”

I can’t find words that feel strong enough for the moment, so I lean in and kiss her.

The tension in my shoulders melts the second our lips touch.

Her mouth is warm, and I can taste the faint sweetness of pie lingering there.

She presses against me, her small hands gripping the front of my shirt.

Each time we kiss, it feels like something new opens up inside me, something I’ve been keeping locked away for too long.

We linger like that, the surf whispering against the shore a few yards away, and the moon casting shadows behind us.

Even though the wind picks up, I hardly feel it.

I’m too caught up in her warmth. She parts her lips in a quiet sigh, and my pulse leaps in response.

It takes a significant effort for me to pull back, though I can’t bring myself to let her go entirely.

“Anya,” I murmur, clearing my throat, “we should probably head back.”

She looks up at me with a slight pout, though I can see amusement beneath it. “Why?”

“Because if we keep kissing out here, I’m going to forget we’re in the middle of a public beach in your hometown.

I’m not going to give a fuck about anyone but you, and I’m going to take you in the sand right here, right now.

And I really don’t want to give your extended family even more to gossip about. ”

She gasps, her hand over her mouth for a moment. “Well, I’ve never had sex on the beach?—”

I laugh sharply. “I have. You don’t want to know all the places sand can end up. Trust me.”

“Alright, big guy. Let’s get back before I jump you right here and scandalize the entire Markoff clan.”

My heart slams in my chest at her teasing words. I realize in that moment how different things feel now. We aren’t sneaking around or second-guessing ourselves. We’re just…together, with the world’s approval or not.

So we walk back in comfortable silence, her hand tucked snugly in mine, and the scarf I knitted still wrapped around her neck. She smiles every time it catches her attention, and it does something to me. Her little smiles are sexy and adorable at the same time. I want all of them.

When we get back to the cottage, the yard is dark.

Only the porch light and a small lamp in the living room window remain on.

A row of empty folding chairs lies stacked against the fence, and the smell of extinguished barbecue coals lingers in the cool air.

Inside is quiet too, the TV off and the furniture pushed back to its usual layout.

I note how tidy everything is—my brothers have done one hell of a job whipping the place into shape.

Sure enough, we find Theo and Hunter in the kitchen, rinsing the last few utensils and wiping down counters. They both glance up as we enter. Hunter’s grin is immediate. “There you two are. Have fun?”

“Yeah,” Anya says, still looking a little flushed. “Just a little walk on the beach. The wind picked up, though.”

Theo nods in that efficient way of his, then turns the faucet off. “We handled most of the cleanup. Your mom insisted on leaving the rest, but we convinced her to let us finish.”

Anya gives a small laugh. “I’m surprised she actually let you. She usually insists on doing everything herself.”

“She was tired. Plus, your dad wanted to head out for the night. Something about a hot tub?”

Anya blinks. “Oh, right! I totally forgot. They always go with my aunt to the hotel in town after the big party. She’s got a standing reservation with a suite that overlooks the coast, and they drink wine in the hot tub.

It’s like their annual tradition to not come back until late morning.

” She sighs. “I guess I got so wrapped up in everything else, it slipped my mind.”

Theo dries his hands on a dish towel, eyebrows lifting. “Does that mean we have the house to ourselves?”

She nods, leaning into my side. “Unless some random cousin forgot their keys or phone, yeah. My folks won’t be back until tomorrow.”

Hunter shares a look with Theo and me, his grin widening. “Well, that’s convenient. Especially considering we got stuck doing a ton of yard work and dish duty.”

“Poor baby,” Anya teases him with a playful nudge. Then she turns to Theo. “Thank you, both of you, for taking care of all this.”

Theo shrugs lightly, putting the towel aside. “I like to keep busy.”

Anya’s gaze sweeps around the kitchen. Everything sparkles with that newly cleaned shine—the counters, the floors, the stove. My chest swells with pride at how my brothers step up. We’ve come here for Anya, and I want to prove that we can bring more than just trouble to her doorstep.

The excitement in Anya’s eyes is mirrored in the subtle smirks from Theo and Hunter. Usually, I’d be the first to break the moment by grumbling about how it’s late and I’m tired—but not tonight.

“Are you hungry?” I ask Anya abruptly, half expecting her to say yes. “We saved some dessert if you want more.”

She shakes her head, though she still wears a grateful smile. “I’m stuffed. And honestly, I could use some rest. It’s been a long day—scratch that, a long week.”

“Upstairs, then?” I offer, tilting my head in the direction of the old staircase. “So you can relax?”

She bites her lip, sharing a meaningful glance with all of us. “Yeah. Let’s do that.”

Hunter hops off his stool, grabbing his phone. “Lead the way.”

Theo brushes past us, turning off the kitchen light as we follow him to the stairs. We reach the top of the steps and head for her bedroom. I can’t walk in there without thinking about last night and what it meant to me.

Together. All of us. It feels like the start of something new, and I’ve been around the block enough to know there are fewer new things ahead of me than behind me. But I want every new thing I can have with Anya.

She steps inside first, flipping on the lamp by her bed, and then she turns to face us, hugging that new scarf around her neck, a small smile quirking her lips. “This was such a strange, wonderful day. I still can’t believe it’s over.”

“Doesn’t have to be over just yet,” Hunter teases.

Theo, never one for explicit jokes, offers a half smile. “It’s late, but I’m not in a rush to sleep if you’re not.”

Her gaze flicks to me, and I nod, stepping forward. “Whatever you want.”

Anya lifts her chin, eyes shining. “I want to just be with you guys for a while. No expectations, no big plans. Just…us.”

With that, she starts peeling off her clothes as we watch.

Theo and Hunter make themselves comfortable, each claiming a spot on her bed’s edge, dwarfing it, while I linger by the dresser, my hands in my pockets.

Standing in that creaky old bedroom, enveloped by the hush of the night and the scent of the ocean, I know one thing for sure.

I’ll protect Anya with everything I have, no matter where life takes us next.

I’ll happily keep knitting her scarves if that’s what it takes to see her smile at me like that again. There’s no good reason I should feel the way I do about her. A few years of a crush should not have let me slip into thinking about the L-word when it comes to Anya.