Page 107 of The Triple Threat

Carter rolled his eyes. “We knew that if you knew about us, you’d interfere. The whole damn lot of you would interfere,” he said. “Mom and Darcy more than anyone, and there’s no way you’d be able to keep it from them.”

“So,” Bronte added. “We decided to put you off the scent.” She paused and glanced down at the floor. “I’m sorry for tricking you. I really am, Ellie. You’re my best friend, but we didn’t want anything to spoil it. No offence, Hunter, I love your dad and all, but he’s just way too old.”

“No offence taken,” I replied with a smile.

“If you’d asked me not to say anything, I wouldn’t have,” Ellie said, her voice cracking.

“We couldn’t take that chance, sis. We’ve known each other all our lives, so we just wanted to check this was real and not just something we’d fallen into before we told everyone.”

“And?” I asked.

Bronte gazed at Carter and I had my answer.

“So, at the party when you put your knee to his balls, you didn’t mean it?” Ellie asked.

“Oh God yeah, I meant it.” Bronte nudged Carter with her elbow. “You’re my best friend and he was a dick.”

Ellie and I both laughed as Carter cupped his junk, evidently reliving the moment that Bronte’s knee collided with his dick and balls.

“What about my pop’s shirt you stole from the laundry hamper?”

Bronte grinned. “Mom wanted to know what size he was as she wanted to buy him a shirt for his birthday gift. It was fun messing with you though.”

“Yeah, that’s kinda what gave us the idea,” Carter offered, not even looking guilty.

“And all the times she’s reamed you out over the last few months?” Ellie asked

Bronte giggled. “All for show. I always made it up to him.”

“Oh, and that little prank of yours, to text us from each other’s phones,” Carter said with a sigh. “Totally pointless. We guessed it was just you trying to get me back for something or other.”

“Yeah,” Bronte added with a secretive smile. “Our texts to each other are so much dirtier, so we knew straight away. I knew it was you getting him back for Belinda’s party.”

Ellie cleared her throat and shuffled her feet.

“I guess we don’t need to mention the plan,” I whispered close to her ear, allowing my lips to brush against them.

She shivered in my arms and I knew it was time for us to talk and for Carter and Bronte to go and… well leave us alone.

“Okay,” I said moving from behind Ellie and taking her hand. “I need to speak to Ellie, so…” I nodded toward the entrance of the grand ballroom.

Carter looked at the door and then back to me. “Oh, right, yeah. Come on, sweetheart, I think it’s time we came out of the closet to the family. Oh, but just a minute, I need to tell Ellie something.”

He took Ellie’s hand and pulled her away from me, talking quietly to her. Whatever it was made her giggle and if I wasn’t so worried about what he was saying, I’d have thought she was cuter than a kitten with a bow on.

Once he’d finished, Carter grabbed a hold of Bronte and led her back to the party, leaving Ellie and I alone. We waited in silence as they left and once the door closed behind them, I dragged Ellie over to one of the huge leather couches that was tucked in a quiet corner of the lobby.

“What was he saying to you?” I asked as I guided her to sit down.

“Oh, nothing,” she replied with a quirk of her eyebrow. “Just something about Bronte’s Christmas present.”

I didn’t believe her but had more important things I wanted to discuss than whatever shit Carter had been saying. I lowered myself next to her. “Okay. You and me, need to sort this out once and for all. You with me?”

Biting her lip, Ellie nodded. “Yes, I know.”

“First off, don’t ever dance with that douche Dylan ever again. And you most certainly never let him put his lips on you ever.”

Ellie opened her mouth to speak, but I silenced her with a kiss. Quick and hard.