How My Brother's Best Friend Stole Christmas

“I don’t know why I let you talk me into this game,” she said as our characters walked through the woods toward the next challenge. “I swear, all we do is walk.”

“And drink ale.”

“It’s like a video game of life.”

“That’s why I like it.”

“I should have stuck with War Zone.” She glanced my way, a small smile on her lips, and I felt the discomfort shift. Like a rock between us being rolled away. “Look what happens when I listen to you. I end up being an elf walking around a fake forest with a…whatever the hell you are.”

“Mage.”

“Wizard wannabe.”

“Have I ever said thank you?”

“No. Never. Robbing me of hours of good times shooting bad guys.”

“I couldn’t shoot any more guys. Good, bad, or otherwise.” I was surprised when the words came out of me. She looked at me, then looked back at the game as our mage and elf characters stepped into a pub to find the thief who had the directions to the castle. “So I was grateful when you agreed to play this. With me.”

“Yeah,” she said with a nod. Like it was no big deal, which was exactly what I needed from her. “No problem.”

She stretched her legs out, the red socks and her freckled thighs distracting me for a second, and she got to the elf before me. “Are you home for a while?” she asked. “I mean, are you going back or…what?”

“Wes didn’t tell you?”

“You told Wes before you told me?”

“It just…we were having beers a few weeks ago.”

She stuck her tongue out at me.

“I’m out,” I said. “I’m out of the Marines.”

I was supposed to be saying that more. Out loud. I’d told Wes and I’d told my mom, but I hadn’t told Sophie yet.

“For good?” she asked, staring at me, her mouth an O of surprise. The controller was forgotten in her hands.

“Come on, we’re playing.”

“Sam?”

“Yes. For good.”

“You don’t want to talk about it?” she asked.

“Do I ever?” I joked, but it wasn’t really a joke. She was still looking at me and I knew I owed her more. More of an explanation. More conversation. But…things were so good right now and it was Christmas Day.

“Okay,” she said quietly. “You’re off the hook for the moment. Only because I’m dying to get to this castle.”

I led us out of the pub and back onto the path. Walking some more. “I’ll buy those directions off you.” I was referring to what the thief had given her.

“You don’t have any money.”

“I have the sleep tonic.”

“No way. You’re not off-loading that bullshit sleep tonic—”

On the screen I threw the sleep tonic at her elf character, who immediately collapsed onto the dirt. I stole the directions and took off running.

“You are such a dick,” she said and tossed down her controller. “You want another drink?”

I hesitated, thinking about Mom and the drive back.

“You can spend the night,” she said. “No, you know, expectations.”

Before the party I would have spent the night without thinking about it. I’d bunked down on her couch a million times. But now it seemed…weighted. Now the couch wasn’t enough. I wanted into her room with all the pillows and the fancy sheets she treated herself too.

And I was weak. But I also didn’t know how to say no to what I wanted. I’d lived in a state of denial for so long it was second nature. And suddenly, I just…couldn’t.

“Sure,” I said. “Another drink. I’ll wait for you at the castle.”

She walked away muttering and I adjusted my dick in my sweatpants, embarrassed by its sudden attention to detail. The flex of her knee, the curve of her thigh before it vanished into those sleep shorts. Yeah, my dick, lifeless for months, was suddenly noticing everything.

“So, you’re staying,” she said from the kitchen. Opening bottles, slicing limes. “In Denver?”

“Yeah.”

“What are you going to do?”

I turned, looking at her in the kitchen, and she looked up and made eye contact with me. “What?” she said, and I could not believe that Wes hadn’t told her. Though, the guy had had some other things on his mind.

“Wes gave me a job at Kane Co.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Doing what?”

I grinned. “Working for you.” She didn’t look happy and I dropped my grin. “Is that a problem?” I honestly hadn’t thought it would be a problem. I’d thought she’d…I don’t know…look forward to having me around.

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “Of course not. I’m…super happy to have you. You’ll be great.”

“But?”

“But…we can’t…do that—” She waved her hand around the kitchen island where I’d all but fucked her. “Again.”

Part of me wanted to shoot back, Why not? But I got it. She was the boss, I was the employee, and she had a hard enough time being a woman in charge of a bunch of men. I’d seen the way she handled those guys, and if some of them knew she was fucking another employee she’d never hear the end of it. I thought of Joe and how he’d made no effort to hide how much he wanted her.