Page 68 of Theirs for the Holidays

“Yeah,” he says, his voice barely above a whisper.

I kiss him too, keeping a hold of his hand as our lips meet. He leans into it, and I feel something unclench, some tension drain out of him as he melts into me.

That leaves Rhett.

He’s watching, and before our moment in the bathroom, I would have thought the guarded look in his eyes was from not wanting to be touched. Now I can tell it’s because he’s wondering if he’s going to be left out.

I cross to him deliberately, stopping with a few scant inches of distance between us. “It’s okay to like alone time,” I say. “But you can’t disappear inside yourself. There are people who want you around, people who enjoy your company just as you are. You can retreat for a while, but you have to poke your head out every so often. You have to be present with the people who want you near them.”

He nods seriously, and I lean up to kiss him. Rhett meets me halfway, our lips brushing tentatively at first, then gaining confidence. It only lingers for several seconds, but when I draw back, something in the air has shifted.

There’s still tension, but it’s different from before. Less antagonistic and more… curious. Like it’s heavy with anticipation—and possibility.

23

VIOLET

Something is definitely shiftingin the kitchen, and my heart races with the knowledge of it. None of us say a word, but I can tell we all feel it. We’re all wrapped up in this tension, in this feeling that right now, anything could happen.

Part of me feels like I’m walking on a cliff’s edge. I could stop this right now, get us back on track to doing the baking lesson or even call an end to it and say that emotions are high and we should all go to bed. Or… I could jump. Into whatever this is. It would be risking a huge fall, and maybe a painful landing, but maybe… maybe it could lead to something good. A promising resolution to this feeling growing between the four of us.

Something in my head is telling me to take the chance. To not let this moment pass by. Who knows what tomorrow will be like? Maybe the guys will be back to hating each other and they might be mad at me for meddling. Maybe this moment will never happen exactly like this again.

So for once, I don’t second guess myself. I lean up, following the feeling, and kiss Rhett again.

This time, it’s more than just the brush of lips from a moment ago. This time, it’s a kiss with intention that neither of us can pretend isn’t there. I let more of my attraction to himbleed into it. All those feelings I’ve been holding back, watching him chop wood and handle the fireplace, wanting to touch him. Everything that’s built up since our experience in the shower together. I put it all into the kiss, pressing into it, making a soft noise of pleasure when he kisses me back.

His calloused hands come up and grip at my hips, dragging me even closer to his body. He smells so good, and he feels warm and solid, so it’s not hard to let myself melt against him.

His teeth nip at my bottom lip lightly, like he’s not sure if that’s okay, but the noise I make in response probably answers that question for him.

When we break apart to breathe, the air in the kitchen is even more electric.

Sawyer and Lennox are watching us with eyes that burn, both of them looking intense with the anticipation of what might come next.

I move automatically, going back to Lennox. He takes me into his arms as soon as I get there, meeting me in the middle for the kiss.

It’s deeper, hungrier than before, and I’m so aware of the other two watching. Lennox puts so much feeling, so much heat into the kiss, and when he bites down on my lower lip, there’s no hesitation in it at all.

I whimper at the slight pain, arching against him. Behind me, I hear Sawyer groan in response.

Lennox pulls back, his eyes searching my face, and whatever he sees there makes a smile pull at the corners of his mouth.

That just leaves Sawyer, standing off to the side. His words from the bakery are fresh in my head, as well as the feeling of closeness I’ve been thinking about since it happened. It’s almost a relief to stumble over to him, letting him catch me and jerk me tight against his body.

“Saving the best for last?” he murmurs against my mouth and then kisses me before I have a chance to respond.

Just like before, I can feel the other two watching, but I want them to see. It makes my skin buzz with heat, my body responding to the feeling of their gazes and the way Sawyer kisses me.

It’s deep, hungry, like he’s finally giving in to what he wanted to do at the bakery and intends to enjoy every bit of it now that he’s allowing himself to do so. Or now that I made the first move.

Either way, it leaves my head spinning, and I have to gasp for breath when he pulls back.

There’s a slightly smug expression on his face, and a mixture of arousal and mischief dancing in his eyes. “You want me and my brothers to get along, Heartbreaker?” he asks.

I nod, licking my lips. I can taste him there, mingled with his brothers, and it makes my heart skip a beat. “Yeah,” I manage to pant. “That would be nice.”

He smirks, leaning down to murmur in my ear. “Do you want us to show you how well we can get along when we have a common goal in mind?”