Chapter Nine
Lookinginto the mirror of the nicest bathroom I’d ever stepped foot, let alone washed my balls in, I stared at my busted face and kicked myself for being a complete fucking idiot.
“Why in God’s name did you try that horrible attempt at seduction when you looked like fucking roadkill?” I asked my reflection, then shook my head and turned away, scrubbing the super-soft towel over my wet hair.
Looking around at the pristine bedroom and sitting area—there was an actual fucking sitting area complete with a small bistro table for fuck’s sake!—I thought for the hundredth time this must be some kind of mistake. How was I here, and how was this my life? For now I added, this was my life for now because no way could I keep staying here for any length of time. James was so way out of my league. I could see that now. I was the poor kid who needed a helping hand. That had to be what he saw when he looked at me.
The room had been perfect until I had come in here last night with my shabby suitcase and sad boxes. Then I’d tried to sleep carefully, but I’d still managed to make a mess of the comforter and all the gorgeous throw pillows. Running my hand over some of them, I was convinced some of them were real silk. I might have even hugged one of the silk ones to my face as I slept, but I’d never admit it. But to someone like me who loved all things fabric and texture, it had been too good to resist. And the mattress? It had been heaven. I’d slept like the dead on what had to be one of those super-expensive comfort foam things that they were always advertising on TV. Not one coil stuck into my back all night. Heaven, I tell you. And yet again I was reminded that no classy, wealthy, pulled together man would want someone like me. The differences in us were easy to ignore online. But now? Yeah, it seemed impossible.
I hadn’t worn what I normally slept in last night. The first night in a new place, no way was I going to wear my satin PJs or my slinky gown. I had settled on lounge pants and an old tee, and I had put the same outfit back on after my quick shower to wake up. I could hear people out in the rest of the house now as it was closing in on noon. It was Christmas Day, and the family must be gathering for whatever they did for the holiday. I wasn’t sure I was invited, so I decided just to stay in here and rummage around for a spare granola bar in my travel bag.
It was a little chilly in the room after the shower, so I cuddled into my fluffy pink robe and tightened the belt, just as the door to the room pushed open quickly and a head with red hair emerged around the edge searching the room quickly before settling in on me with a scowl. I was so startled that I clutched the edges of my robe together like I was worried about my virtue.
But really the tattooed hottie should have been worried. Because, damn, if I hadn’t had a thing for James already, this obvious bad boy would have been locked into my fantasy spank bank quicker than he could scowl again. I’d keep him forever and feed him all the whipped cream he wanted. Mmmm.
I shook my head out of my fantasy land and back into reality enough to gather my shit together to say something intelligent, but he beat me to it.
“I’m Remy, and you’re James’s Ethan, right?”
He said the words that were supposed to be a question, but they came out like an accusation instead. So all I could come up with was. “Ummm, yeah? I mean, I am Ethan, but I’m not James’s anything. I’m just Ethan.”
Remy snorted. “Yeah, you tell yourself that, pretty.”
As he said this, he opened the door all the way and came into the room. My eyes bugged out, and I couldn’t help my reaction.
“What in the Christmas hell are you wearing?” I yelled out and then slapped my hand over my mouth as he once again leveled that scowl at me. I squinted my eyes against his scowl. What the hell was wrong with me around these Eldridge guys that made me say stupid shit? Remy was going to kill me in this beautiful room, and my blood would ruin all the gorgeous white carpet. Yeah, white carpet.So out of my league.
I thought he’d come at me or cuss me out, but I heard him laughing so I opened my eyes and…wait, was he blushing? He was adorable, all pink cheeks and scruff, but then he pulled himself together and brought the scowl back.
“Um, yeah, it’s a family tradition,”
he said, pulling at the bright green onesie he was wearing, then jingling the bell on the end of one of the pointed toes of the elf shoe feet of the pajamas. I snorted, and he frowned at me but continued.
“The Aunts get together every year and pick out pajamas for all of us for Christmas Day. We wear PJs all day on Christmas and have brunch and dinner together, but we have to wear the outfits they pick out for us no matter what. The theme this year was Santa and his elves.” He held his hands out to his sides and did a spin in his ridiculous onesie. “Obviously I’m one of the fucking elves.”
And with that declaration, I couldn’t hold it in any longer. I burst out laughing so loud he turned and shut the door before holding his hands out in front of him to hush me up. “Geez, not so loud. They spend a ton of time picking these things out. We don’t want them to feel bad because they’re fucking hideous.”
If I hadn’t already liked him before, I really liked Remy now. He seemed so tough, but he had a heart, too. So I apologized. “I’m sorry, but that is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen. I didn’t even know they made footie pajamas for adults. And, is that a freaking hood, too?” I twirled my hand around in the air for him to turn again and was surprised when he actually did it. “Oh, my God, it is a hood! Pull it up. I want the whole picture.”
He frowned and scowled, but in the few minutes I had been around him, I already knew it was a cover. No idea how I knew, I just did. What it was hiding, I might never know, but I could tell he was as closely guarded as I was most of the time. We might look different, but I would bet we were a lot alike.
He finally huffed out a breath and flipped up the hood and damned if it didn’t just keep getting better and better. Not only did the thing have jingle bells on the toes, but it also had elf ears and a pointed cap on the hood. I slowly backed up to the bedside table, reached behind me to grab my phone, and before he knew what I was doing, I snapped a quick picture of him in the full outfit. He stormed at me, but I wasn’t fooled. He wouldn’t hurt me, so I just laughed and scampered over the unmade bed and put the mattress between us.
“You better delete that pic, Ethan.”
He was moving around the end of the bed, so I took the opportunity to snap another pic and text it to Jensen.
“Too late, I already texted it to my friend, Jens. If I ever need blackmail material, I’ll just ask him to send it to me.”
Remy growled, and charged at me, a playful glint in his eye. He was fast, but I was faster. Wearing heels gives you strong calves, and I dodged him easily, circling the bed as he leaped across it in my wake.
"Too slow Elf-boy,” I squealed at him, shocked at how high my voice could reach. It got a lot lower as a muffledOompfescaped me when I spun around and was smacked right in the face by a flying pillow, presumably launched by a chuckling redhead. Remy stopped laughing quickly when he realized he had caught me right in my very bruised face.
Suddenly, he was full of concern, leaping leaping back over the bed to check on me. "I'm so sorry Ethan, here, sit down. Are you ok?" he asked me. I couldn't help burst out in giggles at the sight of him sitting next to me, concerned I was alright, but still in his ridiculous outfit. I felt completely comfortable with him, despite only meeting a few minutes ago. He looked like a scary biker gang member with his ink and piercings, but he was obviously a kind soul, with a strong sense of family. And he was really fun.
Remy was smirking at me now, having relaxed that I was ok enough from his attack to be giggling. "I like you Ethan. You're fun. I think you're going to fit right in here. James needs someone fun in his life, especially with all the shit he's had to put up with."
That had me sobering up. James was a kind man, and I didn't like to think of him having a tough time. Remy could obviously see what I was thinking. He was quick to reassure me, "He's a great guy Ethan, but he needs help putting himself first. Fuck knows he needs to loosen up. He’ll be a tough nut to crack, but I’m going to help you. We’re gonna be very good friends." I just stared at him, slightly dazed at his confession.
