Elias unlocked the car and hopped into the driver’s seat, while Sinclair pulled the passenger door open for me. I hopped in and grabbed Sinclair’s arm before he retreated.
“When did you guys plan that?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He shrugged, a smirk gracing his beautiful lips.
Sinclair shut the door. I looked over at Elias. He didn’t give anything away.
I settled into the passenger seat, pulled out my notepad, and dialed Kyan. I began to scribble down reactions and descriptions of what had happened.
“Kyan, call the team and have them start on the report,” I ordered.
Epilogue
Shouting echoed from the living room. Sinclair and Elias were going at it—again.
The microwave beeped, and I pulled out the popcorn. Just in time. I poured half the contents into a porcelain bowl, hugged it with one arm, and shuffled to the living room, where they were putting together a big chest that was currently in pieces all over the living room floor. They even had the coffee table pushed up against the television stand, and all sorts of small bags sat on top.
“Part A has to be screwed in first.” Elias brandished the long board.
“No,” Sinclair retorted, holding the huge, creased directions, half the size of his body. “We have to put the lid together first.”
I popped a handful of popcorn into my mouth, and my chewing slowed as I hyper-focused on their muscles moving under their shirts. They were dead set on putting the chesttogether themselves when they could have easily hired someone to do it, just as they’d hired tradespeople before.
It was nesting behavior. Now that everything had calmed, they were becoming tuned into my pre-heat pheromones.
This was the effect, and it was hilarious.
I munched on some more popcorn. Elias’ hair was a mess, with no gel in sight. His hair fell into his temples. He looked as wholesome as he did when he was sleeping. If I ignored the bulges of muscles.
How I loved them shirtless. Sinclair was more defined, with his abdomen looking like it could break wood.
I inhaled hard, licking the salt off my lip, and yanked my attention away forcefully.
Kyan watched me from the pool table with a little smirk, as if he knew exactly where my brain and body had trailed to. He held one of the cue sticks as he rubbed chalk on the tip. I shuffled over, stepping over some more pieces of wood as he lowered to hit the cue ball with a well-aimed shot.
He straightened at my approach, and the brilliant smile that spread on his lips made my stomach flip.
I strode over to Kyan, rounding Sinclair and Elias, who shouted at each other again, shoving the big leaflet from one to the other. I propped my hip against the pool table, and Kyan leaned toward me, lifting the ends of my black hair. As soon as my name had been cleared, I’d dyed it back to my original shade.
“Why aren’t you in the mix?”
Kyan snorted and took a piece of popcorn. “It’s not like they’ll listen to me, and I tend to keep away from useless arguments.”
The exaggerated roll of his eyes did me in, and the warmth in my belly turned into searing heat, making a laugh bubble free. “I love you guys,” spilled free, unable to be held back any longer. I clamped my mouth into a thin line.
Elias and Sinclair continued their back-and-forth. My words were only loud enough for Kyan to hear. I slowly faced him, nervous to see his reaction.
He became so still, his chest stopped moving, and he didn’t take his gaze off mine.
“You have to start breathing,” I muttered.
“I-can’t,” he whispered, and a gust of air left his mouth.
I was never one to be shy, so I met his gaze as it became glassy.
He flung the cue stick on the table, the felt muffling the thud. He was in my face, hands on my jaw and neck, lips on mine. His tongue pillaged my mouth, licking and claiming with a possessiveness that turned my stomach into a gymnast.
“I love you. I love you, Briar,” he said against my mouth, each word a caress.
