Christmas Ever After (Puffin Island 3)

Dinner had been fun, the conversation lighthearted, and there had been plenty of laughter, much of it from Sky. She had an irreverent sense of humor, a wicked streak that she didn’t hold back, and she laughed the way she did everything else, with her whole self.

There had been no tension, and yet he felt tense.

Alec cleared away the empty wine bottles and Ryan glanced at him.

“So Sky has moved in with you. Didn’t see that one coming.”

The words jarred. “She hasn’t moved in with me.”

Zach raised his eyebrows. “Are you sure? Because that was a pretty big suitcase I hauled off the plane into your car.”

Tension spread across Alec’s shoulders and down his spine. “She’s staying awhile, that’s all.”

And he was starting to regret the impulse that had driven him to invite her.

How did he control what a “while” looked like?

When he’d started dating Selina she’d moved her things into his London apartment without asking him.

One day he’d been living his life, and the next he’d been sharing it with another person. Gradually everything had been eroded. Space, freedom, happiness.

Ryan gave him a long look. “A while being until you’ve worn each other out.”

“Something like that.” How could he have thought this could ever be simple? The sex was spectacular, but what would they do when they weren’t in bed together? One of the things he loved about Puffin Island was the peace and isolation. He was used to working late into the night, getting up when it suited him and spending time outdoors. Explaining himself to no one. Apologizing to no one.

Now Sky would be under his feet, wanting to know what they were doing, expecting him to keep regular hours, needing to be entertained …

The moment they’d walked through the door she’d started suggesting things they could do together. Build a snowman, try tobogganing—

What the hell had he been thinking?

One of the advantages of being in snowy Maine was that you were frequently cut off. He wanted to be cut off. He needed to be cut off. He had a deadline. He didn’t need company.

Heat broke out on his skin.

He just had to hope she’d want to spend time with her friends.

“Why do they use so many pans when they cook?” Zach grumbled as he piled the pans in the sink. “What’s wrong with using one pot for everything? Can’t these go in the dishwasher?”

“It’s full.” Ryan picked up an apron hanging on one of the doors. “Is this yours? Brittany really has tamed you this time. Never thought I’d see you looking all domestic.”

Zach swore under his breath and threw the apron over the chair.

“It’s not mine. And unless you want your head dunked in a sink full of greasy water, you’d better back off.”

“I’ll back off if you make the coffee.” Ryan opened three different cupboards in the hunt for mugs. “When Emily was staying here in the summer I knew my way around this kitchen. You’ve moved everything.”

“Brittany had a clear out last time we were snowed in.”

“Is it driving you crazy?” Alec’s mouth was dry. “Being on top of each other all the time?”

Zach’s eyebrows rose. “You’re asking about our preferred sexual positions?”

“No!” Alec ran his hand over the back of his neck. “I’m asking whether the two of you are finding it claustrophobic living together during the winter months.”

Ryan frowned. “Did you buy a seat on the plane for your bad mood, or did it come along with the baggage?”

He felt a flash of guilt. “Sorry. Work pressure.”