Suddenly Last Summer (O'Neil Brothers 3)

“Any news on Walter?” Brenna bent into a deep stretch. Supremely fit from her job running the Outdoor Center and sports program, she was the one who had suggested their daily morning run and they’d been doing it since the snow had melted. Today she was wearing a scoop-neck tank top in bright fuchsia-pink with a pair of minuscule black shorts.

Élise blinked. “Has Tyler ever seen you in those?”

“No idea. Why would I even care?”

Élise shared a brief glance with Kayla who shrugged and then went back to her phone.

Brenna’s feelings for Tyler were something they’d both learned not to mention.

“You need to put that phone down and warm your muscles up, Kayla.” Brenna carried on stretching. “One of these days you’re going to have an injury.”

“I just left Jackson in bed. I’m toasty warm, thank you very much.” But she halfheartedly jogged on the spot while she finished dealing with her emails. “And Walter had a good night, according to Sean. He called Jackson from the hospital just before I left. Do we have to run today? Can’t we just test the new coffee machine in the Boathouse? Élise makes great coffee.”

“No.” Brenna put her hands behind her head and squeezed her shoulder blades together. “Without me you’d turn into a couch potato.”

“I would love to be a couch potato.” Kayla smothered a yawn. “I didn’t get enough sleep last night.”

“Thanks for pointing out you’re the only one of the three of us with a sex life.”

“It isn’t my sex life that’s making me tired. It was Sean, crashing around at three in the morning to go to the hospital. He spent the night at our place. Why can’t men ever tread softly? I thought a moose was walking through the living room.”

“He’s six-two. All that prime male muscle weighs some.” Brenna winked at Kayla. “Not that I’d know, of course. I’ve never had his weight on me.”

“Jackson told him we have a house rule about guests not walking around naked.” Kayla looked up from her phone long enough to smile. “I told him that wasn’t my house rule.”

“Wouldn’t be mine, either. Or Élise’s, I’ll guess.” Brenna adjusted her running shoes and glanced slyly at Élise. “Now that Sean’s home, your sex life might liven up.”

Élise was lost in a pit of gloom over having to cancel the party. “Why would my sex life liven up?”

“You and Sean were pretty close last summer.”

Élise was beginning to wish she hadn’t told them what had happened. “It was one night. And if either of you mention it to Jackson I will kill you.”

“Why only one night?”

“Because I felt like having sex and so did Sean.” And she would never, ever risk more than one night. “Haven’t you ever just had sex because a guy is seriously hot and makes you laugh?”

“No. I’ve never been any good at the one-night thing.” Brenna pulled her dark hair into a ponytail. “Just about everyone I meet has known me since kindergarten. If I have a one-night stand with someone chances are I’ll bump into them in the store the next day. I’d die.”

“Why would that cause you to die?” Élise was curious. “Why would it matter if you bumped into them?”

“It would be majorly embarrassing.”

“If it was something you both agreed to, why would it be embarrassing? You just say bonjour and smile or if the sex was really bad I suppose you might just smile a little less. Be a little cooler so that they don’t think you want to do it again.”

Brenna gave her a look of exasperation. “Are all French people like you?”

“Je ne sais pas. Kayla asked me the same question yesterday. I don’t know all French people, only a few. But I don’t understand why sex between consenting adults is something to feel embarrassed about. It is certainly not a reason to die.”

“So you don’t feel embarrassed when you see Sean? It isn’t at all uncomfortable? You don’t look at him and think shit I wish I hadn’t done that?”

“No, I look at him and think Élise, this guy is super hot and you have impeccable taste in men. It was great sex and why would I ever regret great sex?”

“So why not do it again?”

“My rule is one night.”

“I had a rule of never having a relationship with someone at work.” Kayla sent another email. “Look at me now.”