The Christmas He Loved Her (Bad Boys of Crystal Lake 2)

“So, is it good?”

“What?”

Why the hell was he playing along?

“The wild, hot monkey sex, you dumbass, which reminds me…” She was grinning widely now.

“Can we dial it down a bit, Lily?”

“When are you going to tell your parents that you and Raine are sleeping together?”

A strangled noise was his first inkling that he and Lily were no longer alone. His head shot up and he glanced toward the kitchen, where he spied Raine, one foot on the step leading into the family room, the other still in the kitchen.

Her eyes were huge, her face stricken, and that’s when he noticed his parents just behind her.

Oh Christ, this wasn’t the way he had wanted this to go.

He shot a dark look toward Lily, who at least looked contrite and more than a little embarrassed. She wrung her hands and mouthed I’m sorry before nodding in the general direction of his parents and disappearing back from wherever she’d come from. That was Lily to a T: stir up shit—whether she meant to or not—and clear the hell out.

Steven carefully set his jacket across the back of a chair, while Marnie made a big deal of doing the same. Snow clung to their hair and color was high on Steven’s cheeks, which any other time Jake would have been happy to see, but now? Now it meant something else entirely. The man was uncomfortable.

He groaned inwardly and thought that he was definitely going to strangle Lily the first chance he got.

His dad cleared his throat again, and his mother looked at Jake with an expression that was unreadable, which only made matters worse. He had no clue where her head was at. Hell, as far as he knew, she was still cooking up the insane idea of him and Lily together.

Her eyes glistened, reflecting the twinkling lights on the massive Christmas tree in the corner, as an uncomfortable silence fell between them all.

Jake hazarded another look at Raine and his heart twisted. Sure, they’d agreed to talk to his parents tonight and ease them into the idea of the two of them together. They wanted to start things out slowly. But now—he swore under his breath—now, thanks to Lily, that plan had been blown to shit.

He strode to Raine’s side and glanced down at her. “Hey,” he said gently, “are you all right?”

“I think so.” Her eyes were wide and she exhaled slowly. He could tell she was nervous and more than a little scared. Hell, he felt the same. What if his parents didn’t understand? What would he do if they didn’t support him and Raine?

“Jake,” his mother said softly.

His eyes never left Raine and he held his hand out. When Raine slipped her smaller one inside, some of the tension inside eased a bit. He stared down at her hand in his and thought that he could pretty much face anything, with her at his side.

They both turned to face his parents, who’d stepped down into the family room. Steven’s hands were in his front pockets, while Marnie’s were clasped in front of her.

“Mom, I can explain…” he began, and then stopped when he realized he didn’t quite know how to start. How did he explain what was in his heart, what had always been in his heart, without making it look like he’d betrayed his brother?

“Marnie,” Raine said hesitantly, and then she too stopped, looking up at him for guidance, but he had nothing. Big fat zilch.

His mother’s eyes glistened like diamonds now, and his heart turned over when he realized they were full of tears. Every negative thought he’d had over the last few days—every reason why he thought this would never work—was suddenly amplified, and he gritted his teeth, unsure how to proceed.

“Jake,” his mom said again, her voice trembling.

She crossed the room until she was inches from him and Raine, and shit, when the dam broke and her tears overflowed, he felt like the biggest asshole on the planet. He gripped Raine’s hand so tightly, he was surprised she didn’t yelp.

Not that he’d let go even if she did, because right now he needed her more than anyone knew.

Marnie let out a long, shuddering breath and wiped away her tears, and when Jake chanced a look at Raine, he hated that she looked so sad and lost. He rubbed his thumb against her palm and faced his mother. He’d make his parents understand. He had to.

He glanced up at his father and grabbed what courage he could from the nod of encouragement and warmth in Steven’s eyes.

“Mom,” he began, but stopped when she held up her hand.

“Are you sleeping through the night?” she whispered hoarsely.