Heartthrob (The Bennett Brothers 3)

“Nick and Grace got into a throw down when she took off his headphones and wanted his opinion on, and I quote, ‘ball-sucking while sixty-nining’. He turned green, looked at everyone with horror, and carried her to our guest room. The girls went on like nothing happened while I thought of having the room scoured.”

“Fuckity, fucking, fuck.”

“Now, I’m traumatized from thinking about my baby brother and his pregnant wife sixty-nining in the same bed where Mom sleeps.”

My stomach rolls at the thought.

“If things went the right way, you may not actually owe Nick,” Shaw surmises, sipping his drink and refilling mine.

“But I will say, the topless incident, I’d be in prison.”

“You have no idea.”

The patio door opens, and Nick stalks in, looking sick again. “You have less than a minute to shut this down. I’m done. I’ve spent countless hours in the locker room and showers with men. I’ve traveled around the world with guys who have their eye on pussy twenty-four seven, and I’ve never cringed. They are no match to these women.”

“What happened now?”

“They’ve moved the discussion to Tumblr porn and have now confiscated my iPad.”

Shaw and I move together, out the door in an instant to find the girls cackling uncontrollably at something on the screen. I reach to grab the device until Claire turns it to me, and I spot a baby boy doing some kind of dance.

“The opportunity to screw with you guys was too much.” She hiccups.

“We’re going home,” I announce and actually sense my brothers’ relief at my back.

“Right, your place we go.” She hauls up, giving the iPad to Grace and kissing them both on the cheek before coming to me and wrapping her arms around my shoulders. “They know almost everything now. We should be good for a few days.”

“Sounds like they know more than almost everything. Think it will hold them until Monthly Dinner Night?”

She looks over her shoulder. “You good ‘til MDN?”

Bizzy and Grace nod, smiling widely, and Shaw and Nick shoot me an appreciative glance.

“Time to go, baby.” I turn to the door, carrying most of her weight. She sways twice, plants her feet, and turns back to my family before falling into my chest.

“I’m going to say this, and then we will never speak of it again because it’s the mushy shit you guys do. But I love Mathis, I love you all, and I’m glad we don’t have to go through the awkwardness of us breaking up because it would suck to lose this.”

At this, I’m done, lifting her and carrying her away to the sound of Bizzy and Grace giggling.

I stand in the doorway of what is now our bedroom and watch Claire sleep, taking in the changes. They’re not perfect, but they’ll do until she has time to arrange the way she wants. Bizzy and the rest of the crew did well with what I asked in the short period of time.

Claire flips to her back, exhales loudly, then face plants back into the mattress with a groan. That’s my queue. I slide to her side, gently curl her into my lap, and sweep her hair from her face.

“Hey, sleeping beauty.”

“My mouth tastes like death.”

“What does death taste like?” I joke.

“My head feels like ass.”

“Baby, I think you got that mixed up.”

She squints one eye and scowls. “Why are you talking?”

“Why wouldn’t I talk?”

“Because it hurts me when your chest moves.”