"Are you okay?" Karter asks me eventually, and I nod, plastering on a huge smile. Maybe he sees through it because, as I place my silverware onto my plate, he throws his arm around me. "Maybe it's just me, but I could really do with a nap."
A nap. Is that code for what I think it is? I could do with a nap too. So much napping!
"I could go for that."
Around the table, the brothers all stand in synch, their plates in hand. The table is cleared in record time, and everything is loaded into the dishwasher with meticulous precision. It's as though we are all on a mission to get upstairs as quickly as possible. In the bedroom, Karter is the first to strip off his top. As his brothers follow, I'm not really sure what to do. Should I undress or let them do the honors when we are in bed? I decide the latter would be sexier, and at least I can pretend that napping is all that I was expecting if they all decide to fall asleep rather than ravish me.
I hope that isn't what happens.
As I crawl up the middle of the bed, heading for the pillow that has become mine, four men leap in beside me. I'm bounced up as the mattress springs groan with their weight.
I lie on my back with my hands beneath my head, staring up at the ceiling. The two sets of twins take their places on either side of me, resting on their sides, attention all on me.
"So, napping," I say as though I'm musing over the merits of daytime sleep.
"Napping rocks," Harris smiles.
"Napping is the best thing ever," Karter says.
"We haven't got a whole lot of time for napping," Holden says, glancing at his watch. "Don't forget, we have a shift to get to."
"We know, Holden," Kane says, rolling his eyes. "We're just playing."
"And giving Connie time to get in the mood," Karter says.
"Oh, I'm in the mood," I smile. "I'm always in the mood when I'm around you guys. I think you might be letting off some seriously strong sex pheromones."
"It's Holden's new cologne," Harris says, and Karter and Kane splutter with laughter.
"Before we do this, though, I want to check that you're okay," Karter says. "That thing with Summer wasn't great, and you've been talking about your dad a lot recently. I know things are difficult there."
"I'm okay," I say in a rush. "Well, I guess I'm not okay that Holden has a psycho ex. It's definitely not something I would pick from the menu of life. And my dad is an ongoing problem." I glance at them, wondering if now is the time to be honest. "I haven't told him I've moved down here. It just didn't seem like something I could say over the phone, and I couldn't pluck up the courage to go and see him before Holden came to move my things."
"Is that really what was stopping you?" Kane asks. "Or do you not want to tell him at all?"
"Have you told your dad?" I ask.
There is a bar of silence. "We know what our dad will say because we've heard his opinions on Max, Miller, and Mason's setup. We had to fight with him to get him to go to the wedding. In the end, his business's connection to Conrad's was probably what got him there."
I sit up, sliding on my bottom until my back is against the headboard. The boys also sit, as the conversation turns from jokey to serious. "So are we going to just keep this a secret? Are we ashamed of what we have together?"
"NO!" Holden says. "We are not ashamed. It isn't about that for us."
"So what is it?"
"We don't want you to be under any pressure. We want to give you time to settle into your life here with us before we all have to face family drama together. We know how we feel. We know that this is worth fighting for, but we want you to be sure of that too."
"And you don't think I am?"
Holden shrugs. "Not yet, and that's okay. We've had time to talk about what we want since Natalie's relationship went public. You're having to take on a lot more. You went into this thing with one intention, to have a vacation fling, and you've ended up moving and giving up your job for us. We get that it's a lot for you."
"You think I'm not sure about this?" I wave my finger around to indicate all of us.
"We think it's okay if you need more time to get to where we are."
"And where's that?" I ask.
"We're sure this is what we want, not just for a fling or a short-term relationship that fizzles out after a while. This is it for us," Kane says firmly. "If one day, you feel the same, then we're done."