Conceal (The Barker Triplets 3)

She looked over to him and his gut clenched. God, her eyes were beautiful. Her mouth. Those cheekbones. That head of hair. Physically, most guys would think they’d hit the jackpot.

But it was the stuff behind all of that—the stuff inside—that he was dying to touch. The parts of herself that she’d never shared with anyone.

“Well, since Bobbi insisted on spending the night at home, I figured there was no place at my house to get,” she made finger quotations, “real specific.” Her eyes narrowed a bit. “You wouldn’t happen to know why she was so gung-ho on a sleepover, would you?”

In fact Beau had asked her for a favor.

He shrugged, his acting superb. “No.”

Betty glanced outside. “Are we alone?”

Beau nodded and hopped out of the car. “Tucker’s gone back to Florida for a few days with Jack and my mom went with them.”

“Your mother was up here?” She was beside him now, staring up at the house.

“Yes, she flew up last week but can only handle a certain number of days without Dad, and he couldn’t make the trip.” He grinned. “They drive each other crazy when they’re together, but man, when they’re apart, it’s not pretty.”

“So, you have two brothers?”

“Three. Tucker’s a twin and Teague’s in Somalia I think, or maybe Afghanistan. He’s a photojournalist and I get mixed up where he is half the time.”

“Sounds dangerous.”

“It’s no picnic, that’s for sure. Everyone in the family wishes he’d get into something else, but Teague’s always thrived on danger. It’s a fatal flaw in some of the Simon men.”

“Flaw?”

“Some of us die young and one of my ancestors from the 1800’s, Henry Simon, is supposed to haunt the family compound in Florida.”

“Really,” she said, a half-smile on her face.

“It’s the God’s truth.”

“So, have you ever seen Henry?”

He waited a beat. “Never.”

Her eyes glistened as she stared at him and something in the air shifted. Something heavy. Real.

Something so sweet it was painful.

He nodded toward the steps and followed her up, enjoying the view of that delectable backside and not apologizing for it when she glanced back.

“I’ve got a sister too,” he continued.

“You don’t say.”

Beau unlocked the door and stood aside so that Betty could pass. “Grace. She’s a junior in college.”

The lake house featured a huge open concept room, with an entire bank of windows that looked out over the lake. Open floor to ceiling, it was vast, airy and a little bit rugged, with exposed beams and a massive reclaimed brick fireplace in the dining area. Stairs on either side of the main room led to loft bedrooms along each side of the house.

Cassidy, the maid, had left the lights on low, fresh flowers on the table, and a bottle of red wine had been left to breathe on the counter in the kitchen.

Nice.

“Would you like a glass of wine?”

She shook her head. “No.”