I believe him. It’s not just his assuredness that comforts me, but the fact that Toby, along with his brothers, always matchtheir actions with their words, and it makes them insanely attractive on top of everything else.
“We owe you an apology,” Cole says after a long and heavy silence.
“Oh?”
“For the whole Christmas lunch thing. Well, I owe you the biggest apology,” he says. “My brothers were just falling in line with me. I’m sorry, Willow, for not telling you about Sheila. I just didn’t want to lose you.”
“It’s okay,” I tell him. “I may have overreacted, as well.”
“No, you didn’t,” he says. “You were right. There shouldn’t be any secrets between us. There will never be any secrets between us ever again, that, I promise.”
I give him a soft smile. “I believe you.”
“And speaking of secrets, I need to get something off my chest,” Toby says. Every eye focuses on him in muted anticipation. “When I was eight years old, I stayed home sick one day. Asher and Cole were at school. Mom made me some soup and put me to bed.” He pauses for Asher’s chuckle. “Hey, it counts as a secret. Even you don’t know what I’m about to say.”
“By all means, go on, brother,” Asher replies.
Toby frowns slightly, scratching his salt-and-pepper beard. “I snuck out of my room that afternoon and went into Dad’s home office. I knew where he kept his cigars. S, I got one out and tried to smoke it.”
“Holy crap,” Cole gasps, his eyes widening with the realization. “Thehouse fire.”
“What?” I ask, my gaze bouncing between them.
“That was you?” Asher doubles over in heavy laughter, and I absolutely love the sound of it. I have never seen them so at ease, so relaxed, and so vibrant.
Toby nods once. “I got sick from the first few puffs, and I tossed that thing in the trash can. I didn’t even think to double-check if it was out. Then I went to the bathroom to puke my guts out, and next thing I know, Mom’s screaming around the whole mansion that there’s a fire.”
“By the time we got home, the fire trucks were pulling out of the driveway,” Cole remembers. “Dad was fuming. They traced the source to his home office, and Mom chewed him out for smoking in there. He swore he only smoked on the patio, but that he did, in fact, keep the cigars in his office.”
“How much of the house did you actually burn down?” I ask Toby.
“Three rooms and the foyer,” he says, prompting another wave of laughter from his brothers. “But there you have it: One more secret out in the open.”
“On that note...” Asher interjects.
Cole rolls his eyes. “Buckle up, Willow, we’re not done yet, apparently.”
We laugh as Asher reveals another childhood secret from his past, surprising even Toby—which is rare, considering they’re twins and know everything about each other down to the tiniest detail.
“Mrs. Aycox? Really?” Toby gasps, one hand on his chest in dramatic shock.
“And now you know,” Asher replies with a cool grin.
Cole turns to me. “Anything you want to share with the class since we’re doing this?”
All eyes switch to my face with laser-point precision. I feel the heat climbing up my throat. My baby is still a tiny little thing, but I’m pretty sure it stirred just now, feeling unconsciously targeted. I should tell them, I should. We just picked this up again, though. We’re having fun. We’re focused on the present. I don’t want to ruin tonight. It’s the best time I’ve had since Christmas Eve.
“I do have a secret to share,” I say, then slowly get up from my seat.
“Oh?” Cole replies, looking a bit worried.
Smiling softly, I unzip my dress and let the layer of black velvet fall to the floor, revealing a full slip wrapped in black and gold-threaded lace. The straps are made of fine satin, and its deep cleavage turns the Morgan brothers’ gaze into something dark and hungry, and downright devastating.
“While I love this gift you sent me, along with an office full of flowers, I’m afraid you got the size wrong. I didn’t say anything because I felt bad for looking a gift horse in the mouth,” I say, then slowly turn around. “See? The back lace doesn’t go tighter than that.”
“Well, that is a shame,” Asher replies. His voice low and dripping with desire.
Cole is the first to get up and approach me. I don’t move. I just listen to his steps as he moves closer, his presence wrapping me in a pleasant sensation long before I feel his fingers running down my back.
