Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 94072 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94072 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Kellan pauses. “We should talk about this later.”
“About what?”
“About Bryan. We should find a way to tell him. Ideally sooner.”
“Give it a minute,” I tell him. “We don’t even know where this is going. It could end as soon as we hop back on the plane, Kel.”
Worry shadows his eyes. “I don’t think Bryan will react well.”
“I mean, even if he doesn’t like it, there’s nothing he can do, right?” I ask.
Kellan switches the coffee pot on and a moment later it gurgles into action. “I don’t know. We’re not in the sixteenth century, so he can’t order her to stop seeing us.”
“True,” I agree.
“But he could feel hurt,” Kellan says. “Offended. Disrespected. Appalled, even.”
I stare at him in genuine dismay, injured by the words. The last thing I want to do is to hurt Bryan. He’s our best friend and has been since we were kids. “I was hoping we could all be one big, happy family.”
“Me too,” Kellan admits.
Oscar emerges from his room, tucking in his shirt. “Okay, I stalled him. He’s going to give us an hour to get ready.”
“Good,” I sigh deeply.
“I’ll hit the shower,” Kellan grumbles and stalks back to his room.
Oscar glances over at me, shaking his head. “What’s that about?”
“Telling Bryan about us.”
But I don’t want to dig deeper, so I raise my hands and walk away. A hot shower sounds perfect right now.
We’ve got to figure this Bryan thing out quickly, or it’s going to ruin everything.
But yet again, the final vote belongs to Makayla. She has the most at stake; as Bryan’s sister, her call matters more than anyone’s. For better or worse, the three of us are bound by our business partnership and shared success. Their sibling bond is sacred—nothing comes before it.
16
OSCAR
“We normally react better to unforeseen circumstances,” I tell Kellan as he comes back into the living room.
“I think Makayla’s got us twisted,” he concedes. “We haven’t argued like this in a while.”
Clearly, he’s had time to think.
So have I.
“I know sneaking around behind Bryan’s back is wrong,” Kellan says. “You’re not the only one who’s aware of the potential repercussions.”
The passion that ignites between Makayla and the three of us is instant and all-consuming, leaving us damn near incapable of thinking straight. Bryan walking in on us never should have mattered in the first place.
It feels like such a small thing. A bug on the windshield, really.
But my brothers and I know all too well that even a bug on the windshield can lead to disaster.
“It’s a delicate situation,” I agree. “Perhaps you understand now why I wanted to go slow.”
He chuckles dryly. “And perhaps you also understand why going slow was virtually impossible with a woman like that.”
“Fair enough.”
I take a sip of coffee, chasing whatever jolt of energy I can find. Pleasuring Makayla has knocked the air out of me, but it’s the best kind of exhaustion.
“We need to analyze the situation carefully,” Kellan says. “Let’s list the pros and cons. We’ve known Bryan and Kay practically our whole lives. It can’t be that bad if we let the cat out of the bag.”
“If Bryan isn’t on our side, then things could get really weird really fast. Remember, he’s not only our friend, but he’s our business partner. Sleeping with his sister could spark complications we haven’t even considered.” I draw a steadying breath. “I’m talking about legal fallout. There’s no telling how a wounded man might react, even if that man is as decent as Bryan.”
“What does Kay think about it?” Kellan asks, nodding toward her door.
“I’m letting her rest. I left a cup of coffee on her nightstand and came back here,” I say.
“And Alex?”
“He’s getting dressed. Bryan texted again. He wants us all downstairs for dinner.”
Kellan’s frown mirrors mine. “We had plans.”
“Maybe he’s itching to propose tonight. Did you consider that?” I raise an eyebrow at him.
“Oscar, less than half an hour ago, we were tangled with this amazing woman, balls deep while she cried out our names,” he shoots back. “None of us considered that when Bryan’s first text came through.”
I let out a dry chuckle. “Again, you make a decent point. When did you become so reasonable?”
He exhales sharply, then crashes onto the sofa. “I realized that what’s happening here runs deeper than a frolic in a Swedish chalet. We need to get our shit together. Clear heads, cold air, our brains switched on, our dicks turned off, and figure out a way forward. For us, for Kay, and for Bryan.”
For our business, too.
I was serious about the potential legal ramifications of a personal falling out with Bryan. Alex and Kellan might not think he’s capable, but I wouldn’t put anything past anybody. Not after what we endured with she-who-shall-not-be-named.
Iretreat to my room for a few minutes, craving a moment’s silence from my intrusive thoughts. If this were only about the mind-boggling sex, I doubt we’d have found common ground in these concerns about the future.