Page 13 of Theirs for the Holidays

“Sure,” he says, shrugging again.

“You guys were always such a unit. You used to be so close. What happened to that?”

He stiffens a little, and I can tell I’ve said the wrong thing. Or at least asked a question that he doesn’t want to answer. That just makes me even more curious to know what the hell happened between the three of them that makes this so hard for them to talk about.

Sawyer’s eyes meet mine, and our gazes hold for a moment. He opens his mouth like he’s going to say something, but then the bathroom door opens and Rhett knocks on the doorframe to the kitchen.

“Bathroom’s free,” he says.

“I’d better get in there,” Sawyer says, slipping away.

All I can do is stare after him as he goes, leaving my question unanswered.

Rhett glances at me as he steps away from the kitchen doorway, his expression unreadable. It’s hard to tell if he heard what Sawyer and I were talking about, and if he did, it’s impossible to tell what he thinks about it.

I suppress a sigh and force a smile. “Goodnight, Rhett,” I say. “See you in the morning.”

It’s a relief to go into my bedroom and close the door. I lean against it for a minute, one hand pressed over my fast beating heart. It’s only been about an hour, and things already feel out of control.

What the hell have I gotten myself into?

6

VIOLET

I wakeup in the morning feeling a little like I got hit by a truck. There’s a fog in my head that doesn’t lift when I open my eyes, and I groan, pulling my pillow over my face.

I’ve always been the kind of person who finds it literally impossible to function until I’ve had my first cup of coffee in the morning, but it feels especially bad today. I’m not sure why, since I don’t remember being awake in the middle of the night or having any bad dreams, but it’s a struggle to pull myself out of the quicksand of sleepiness.

My jaw cracks in a yawn, and I rub at my eyes. Luckily, I’ve developed a routine that I can do even half asleep.

I stumble out of bed and open the door, moving down the hall like a zombie to the kitchen to make coffee. Smothering a yawn, I pad into the kitchen and pull the coffee grounds out of the cabinet, filling the machine while I hum under my breath.

I fumble to get the machine going, muttering as I jab at the button. “Come on, you little bastard. Give me the bean juice.”

Finally it lights up, and the sounds and smells of coffee brewing are soothing to my exhausted nerves.

And then a deep voice says my name from the doorway, and I nearly have a heart attack.

I jump, suddenly fully awake as my heart rate skyrockets. I whirl around with wide eyes to see Lennox standing there in the doorway watching me.

In a rush, everything from the night before comes back.

I went to dinner at my parents’ house and somehow came home with three men—my ex’s older brothers—who are now all living in my house for the time being. And I totally forgot that fact when I woke up, so I wandered into the kitchen wearing just a t-shirt and panties the way I do every morning because coffee always comes before getting dressed.

Lennox is just watching me, and I squeak a little, trying to cover myself up. I flush deeply, suddenly super self-conscious about being so on display. My t-shirt isn’t oversized at all, so it’s riding up, showing the curve of my stomach, and with no pants on, Lennox can probably see every dimple in my thighs.

I never care that much when it’s just me here, but with someone who looks like Lennox standing there, all I can feel is awkward and unattractive.

This is probably not what he wants to see first thing in the morning.

“I’msosorry,” I rush to say as soon as I get my voice back. “I’m useless this early in the morning before I have coffee, and I totally forgot you guys were here.” I wish I could sink into the floor, but that technology doesn’t exist yet. “Could you um… turn around?” I ask, because it’s the next best thing.

Lennox lifts his brows. “You do remember I’ve seen you in less, right?” he says, but he does turn around, putting his back to me.

My stomach swoops at his words, and I’m hit with memories of exactly how much of me he’s seen. My heart beats even faster, and I didn’t think that was possible.

God, I need to calm down.