“Yeah.” I rested my hand on his and changed the subject. “Do you know that Alex and Hen are on the floor?”
“Yeah, idiots came in after you passed out last night, drunk as shit and freezing. Told them they could sleep on the floor.” His sleep-roughened voice was amused, and I couldn’t help the way my lips twitched in response.
“I hope you kept me covered up,” I whispered lightly.
“Yeah.” His hand smoothed up my torso and crossed over my chest, his forearm hiding one breast and his hand covering the other. “Like this,” he chuckled. “You sleep hot so, when they came in the door, the blankets were pushed down to our waists.”
“Great,” I mumbled, making his body shake with laughter.
“They didn’t see anything,” he whispered, kissing my ear softly, then taking the lobe between his lips. “Wish they’d wake up and get out so I could fuck you.”
“Henry! Alexander!” I yelled loudly, making Bram jerk behind me and the guys on the floor moan. “Get the fuck up and get the fuck out!”
Bram laughed as Henry pushed himself up on his hands and knees, crawling out of the bedroom and dragging his blanket with him.
“Go ahead. We’re brothers. I’ll just pretend I’m not here,” Alex said, pushing his head farther into the throw pillow he was sleeping on.
Bram laughed harder.
“Not going to happen!” I yelled again, making Alex’s hand fly to cover his ear. “Get out!”
“Assholes,” Alex hissed, climbing to his feet and stomping out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
“Problem solved,” I murmured as Bram’s hips rolled against my ass.
My stomach was still in knots over the phone call with my sister, but I wasn’t going to get any thinking done with my house full of hungover men. Instead, I closed my eyes and arched my neck as Bram’s fingers pinched my nipple, then moved farther south. Then my mind went completely blank.
Chapter 9
Abraham
You good?” I murmured to Ani, setting my hand at the base of her spine.
“Yeah, just taking it all in,” she replied with a small smile as she looked around the room.
We were standing in my parents’ dining room, watching as our family crowded in around the table. Shane and Katie’s big kids were setting out silverware and drinking glasses while the little ones got set up in their high chairs. Alex was arguing with Trevor about something, and the longer he talked, the madder Trevor got, while Henry watched in amusement. Shane was helping Katie with the kids, following her around like a puppy while all the grandparents watched, talking amongst themselves while they got to their seats.
“Nice having everyone home,” I said with a nod, rubbing my thumb back and forth over her soft tank top.
“Yeah…loud,” she said with a laugh.
“Why don’t you go get a seat? You want a beer?” I asked, giving her a little push.
“Yeah, Hef if they have it, soda if they don’t,” she replied with a wink over her shoulder as she stepped away from me.
I walked through the kitchen and out the back door to the cooler on the back porch, and that’s where my mom cornered me. I knew it was coming, but I was still startled when I turned around and she was standing behind me.
“You and Ani?” she asked, raising one eyebrow.
I’d done a lot of thinking over the past couple of days. When we’d spent that first day at my parents’ when everyone had just gotten into town, I’d been nervous as fuck that someone was going to pick up on what was going down between me and Ani. I’d been like a fucking long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.
But when Alex had actually figured it out? I was oddly relieved.
As one by one the kids had figured out what was going on, I felt more and more comfortable—which surprised the hell out of me. I hadn’t wanted anyone to know. I honestly hadn’t. The pressure of that was a little too much to deal with when we were nothing but fuck buddies.
But over the past few days, I’d liked being able to touch her when people were around. I liked going out to the bar with Ani and my siblings and cousins, being able to kiss her when I wanted and knowing that she was headed home with me when she was shitty drunk and bouncing off the walls.
But I’d known that the parents were going to pick up on the difference between us, and I wasn’t wrong. Now I was going to hear about it.
“Yeah,” I said quietly, scratching at my beard. I glanced at my mom out of the corner of my eye as she laughed softly.
“You know, people have always read you and Alex wrong,” she said with a shake of her head. “I probably did too, for about twenty minutes or so.” She laughed again, stepping under my armpit to wrap her arms around my waist as we looked over the backyard.