A laugh leaves my lips even as my pulse flies, having her in this defensive position, knowing if anyone else did, I’d fucking kill them.
“Good girl,” I say, dropping the blade to the wooden floor with a clatter while the fire flickers in the hearth. Then I nudge my nose to hers and hear Faust sigh loudly.
“If you don’t get off her,” he says quietly, “I’m going to put a blade through your skull.”
“Okay, Daddy,” I say over my shoulder.
Our eyes meet for long heartbeats, heat flaring in his gaze. But he just lifts his glass of apple juice—yeah, really—to his lips and drinks, never breaking eye contact. My dick twitches at his stare, and it’s already hard from the girl beneath me.
Fuck.
But I get myself together because it’s present time. I hear Cynthia, Karter, Edmond, and Tye on the staircase, zooming down it like a herd of fucking wild elephants. They all changed into their matching pajamas.
Nevebought them. Some for all of us.
Hers have Cindy Lou Hoo in cartoon form on them, mine are all black with the Grinch on the breast pocket and the thigh, and Faust is in a dignified deep green and red plaid set. Shewouldget him that, wouldn’t she?
I turn my head to hers, kiss her lips slow, grabbing the knife as I do. By the time I’ve helped her up to the couch, situated between me and Faust, the blade is on the black coffee table and Cynthia only glances at it, then rolls her eyes.
Her and Tye sit opposite us on the plush black loveseat, and Karter and Edmond each take a recliner.
Edmond’s boyfriend is in Minnesota and Karter’s parents took a lover’s trip to Costa Rica. I know Faust Darlingloveshaving all these people in his house for the holiday, the way his jaw seems permanently clenched and he’s quieter than usual—which is saying a lot. But earlier today he FaceTimed his mother and his childhood nanny, and he hooked his arm around Neve’s neck to pull her into the video, too.
His mom squealed, and when he grabbed my wrist to introduce me as well, she didn’t miss a beat. I don’t know if she realizes we’re all three together yet, and maybe we’ll have to cross that bridge when we come to it, but hunkering down at the castle with Nolan Devine still skulking in the shadows seemed like a better idea than separating or driving across the province.
There’s a couple of texts in my phone I’ve not read yet, but I have no plans to video chat with my parents.
Thinking of it causes me to haul Neve’s legs into my lap and clamp down on her hip with one hand.
It’s the only thing that soothes the sting of the past, and she’s already lying against Faust’s chest. Everyone brought presents down here earlier, and the pile of hers and ours are at our feet.
She wrapped hers in matte black paper, red bows, and signed our names on each present in silver Sharpie. Unlike us, she’s good at wrapping.
Faust used plaid paper—pretentious fuck—and it looks like a two-year-old taped it together. I’m smarter than he is, so mine is in a black gift bag.
“Are we going to go one at a time, or is this a free for all?” Tye asks, glancing around the room. He’s got Cynthia tucked up under his massive arm, and he’s holding her gift in one hand, just out of her reach while she tries to swipe at it.
He barely has to try.
They’re cute. If they weren’t, he wouldn’t be here. The only two people I give a fuck about are right beside me, but since Neve loves Cynthia, I have to like her, too. Anyone else, though, including hot football player boyfriends? Yeah, I don’t have to care. Luckily, Tye is chill.
I glance at Edmond as he sips from his hot chocolate and Karter examines the ends of her green hair. I like them all right, too.
“Free for all,” I murmur, and it’s only because I want Neve to open my presentnow.
But of course she opens Faust’s first, and I bite my tongue to keep from saying something rude about them.
Finally, as the sounds of splitting wrapping paper fill the air, she has mine in her hand.
“This is a ring.” She frowns in the dark, the flames casting ribbons of light and shadow both across her face. She stares at the obsidian and diamond ring like it might bite her.
“Considering you’re wearing silver and gold chains around your throat now like a collar, I don’t know what the problem is.” I can’t hide the irritation in my words.
She looks up then, like she heard it. Her hazel eyes connect with mine, the ring between her fingers, catching on the flames. “Baby.”
My chest aches when she says that word. I glance down at my hand white-knuckling my thigh, and the mass of a scar sears itself into my brain.
I remember the warm feel of the blood.
