Chapter 6 Ember
CHAPTER SIX
Ember
Nick and Oakley had been acting strange ever since our late-morning walk in the woods. At first I thought I was imagining it, being hyperaware or something. But then Harper noticed too.
“What’re they plotting?” she murmured as we watched the boys whisper to each other across the dining table.
“I have no idea.” I wasn’t sure if the not-knowing was turning me on or giving me anxiety.
It seemed like a mixture of the two until they both suddenly turned to me and leveled those blue eyes on me at the same time.
Nick looked cocky, smug, and damn it if it wasn’t a good look on him.
Normally it precluded him blowing my mind with at least three orgasms, so maybe that’s why just the sight of it had me wet.
They’d been thick as thieves all through dinner, but it seemed like whatever they’d been discussing had been wrapped up now. All their attention was now centered on me.
“Okay! You know the rules, one present tonight at midnight. The rest tomorrow on Christmas Day.” Rachel looked sternly at the brothers, as if they were frequent rule breakers, and my mouth twitched as I held in a laugh.
Presents weren’t usually much of a thing for me.
I exchanged with Morgan, but that was about it.
Nick slid a perfectly wrapped gift across the table toward me and I raised a brow. It was in shiny silver paper with a red sparkly ribbon wrapped in a bow and despite laughing at Rachel’s stern words, I now found that I wanted to ignore the rule and rip it open. What had he got me?
Rachel and Lyn led the way out of the dining room and to one of the lounges, where everyone else picked one present from under the tree and I couldn’t help a small giggle when Oakley was chastised for trying to sneak two.
His head snapped up and he pouted at me, lower lip sticking out mockingly until I wanted to bite it.
I looked away, trying to focus on something else, and was relieved when Lyn handed me a glass of amaretto over ice.
“Cheers,” he announced, “to family.”
We toasted and the drink went down smoothly, filling my limbs with warmth a second later.
I sat down on the plush leather couch, sinking in deeply and letting the heat of the fire warm me.
Harper sat down at the piano by the window, plinking out a sweet tune, and I was engrossed in her playing until Nick and Oakley dropped into the seats on either side of me.
Nick’s hand immediately found my thigh and I hissed out a breath when his fingers stroked a circle into the side of my knee.
Oakley smiled at me, apparently content to sip his drink while we listened to Harper play and then applauded when she was done.
The chatter washed over me until I was liquid, my blinks coming closer together until my head rested on Oakley’s shoulder and his arm came around me. Nick’s hand stayed on my leg, the two of them keeping me warm and safe as I dozed.
When I woke up, I was in Nick’s arms as he carried me to bed. We were almost to his door and it wasn’t until another arm reached to open it that I realized Oakley was there with us.
“Sorry,” I mumbled around a yawn. “Must have been the alcohol.”
“We wore you out earlier,” Nick said, chuckling and Oakley rolled his eyes.
“That was the tip of the iceberg,” he said and then sighed. “I hope you won’t have trouble keeping up.”
I slapped at him weakly from my place in Nick’s arms and smiled when Oakley caught my hand and kissed it. The more I woke up though, the more reality creeped in. “What is this?” My voice was quiet but I knew they’d heard me when they both fell still.
Nick set me down on the bed and kneeled down to look at me. “It’s whatever you want it to be.” Oakley frowned, like that wasn’t what they’d agreed.
“Just sex?”
“Is that what you want?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“Well, then maybe we shouldn’t worry about it right now.”
“Okay,” I said slowly, thinking it over. “For now.” The two of them nodded and I stretched. “Oh, hey. What time is it?”
“Nearly midnight.”
I grinned. “Present time.” I made gimme hands and Nick passed the silver box over and chuckled when I tried and failed to get past the ribbon. At last, the knot gave way and I tore into the paper before gasping. “Oh my god.”
“I told you I’d get you new ones,” he said, unrepentant as I looked over the vibrator he’d bought me.
It was bright red and came with— “Yep, a remote control. We’re going to have so much fun, sweetheart.
” There was nothing but mischief on his face when he looked at me and a hot flush worked across my skin as I imagined exactly what all that fun could entail.
“Merry Christmas, sleepyhead,” a warm voice whispered in my ear and I snuggled backwards into the arms wrapped around me.
Nick chuckled and pulled me closer, kissing the top of my head as I tried to open my eyes and winced at the bright light coming in through the curtains. I’d wanted to watch the snow in bed last night and must have fallen asleep before I could close them again.
The duvet was thick and I pulled it up under my chin as a small sprinkle of snow started to fall. It was already a perfect white blanket outside, the world quiet and still like everything had paused for a brief moment in time.
“What’s the plan today?” I kept the words soft, not wanting to disturb the peace.
Nick kissed my temple. “We usually have a lazy morning and then early dinner in our new Christmas pajamas.”
Christmas pajamas? Was that another thing I was supposed to have packed but didn’t know about?
As if sensing my rising irritation, Nick chuckled. “They’re on the end of the bed. I brought them up for us last night. My mom gets them for everyone every year so that we all match.”
I relaxed. “That’s cute.” A knock came at the door and I rolled over to raise a brow at Nick. “Tell me your staff aren’t working on Christmas Day.”
He swung his legs out of bed and padded over to the door, opening it to show Oakley waiting with three mugs in his hands. Nick grabbed one and nodded his thanks, closing the door behind Oakley as they walked back toward the bed.
A bolt of nerves hit me and I sat up abruptly, smoothing a hand over my hair and hoping I didn’t have morning breath. “Happy Christmas,” I squeaked and Oakley smiled, eyes soft as he passed me a mug of hot chocolate with cream and marshmallows on top.
“Merry Christmas, Ember.” He sipped from his own mug and licked a dot of whipped cream from the corner of his mouth. “Mind if I join you?”
I shook my head and then scrambled to clarify. “No, I don’t mind.” I lifted the covers for him and shivered when he climbed inside, his clothes cool against the warmth of my skin. Nick settled in on my other side and quiet reigned as we watched the snow fall and drank our hot drinks.
When we were done, Oakley took my mug from me and placed it on the bedside table with his before he turned back to look at me. I fidgeted, messing with my hair until he caught my hand in his. “You’re beautiful.”
My cheeks heated but I gave him a small smile. “Thank you.”
“Em,” he said and then hesitated. “Can I kiss you?” His voice was low, husky, and I shivered in response.
A quick glance at Nick showed him nodding his head, so I nodded too.
“Thank fuck,” Oakley breathed and then leaned in oh-so slowly.
His mouth met mine in a deep kiss, tasting me like he was savouring the moment, and when he coaxed my mouth open and our tongues met, a moan slipped free from my throat.
When we broke apart, his cheeks were pink and he was smiling so sweetly that my mouth automatically curved in response.
“You two are adorable,” Nick drawled and I smacked his chest lightly without looking away from his brother. His tone turned serious a moment later when he took my hand. “How are you feeling about this? Be honest, sweetheart.”
I instinctively opened my mouth to reassure him but then stopped and actually thought about it for a second before nodding.
“Good. But…” I bit my lip, wondering if this was stupid.
“I want to get to know you better,” I said to Oakley.
“Nick and I have been together for nearly a year, but you and I… We lost a lot of time when you were avoiding us.”
Oakley ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah, sorry about that. It was just hard to be around you when the more time I spent with you, the more I wanted you.”
“I understand.” And I did, but it didn’t change that there was a familiarity between Nick and me that I didn’t have with Oakley yet. Though, we had always got on well — we’d clicked instantly and when he’d stopped coming around as often it had hurt.
“What do you want to know?” he asked, squeezing the hand not held by Nick and kissing the back of it.
“What’s your favorite color?” I blurted and tried not to cringe. Why had that been the first thing to pop into my mind? “Who’s your work nemesis? Do you have a comfort food?”
Nick kissed my hand. “Maybe take a breath so he can answer, baby.”
Oakley chuckled. “Blue,” he began, giving me a knowing look as he brushed a finger under my eye.
“Lizzy, because she’s a biter. And pancakes are my comfort food, but they have to be dripping with syrup.
” I was still stuck on someone biting him at work and he laughed, reading the confusion on my face.
“Lizzy is a pomeranian that really hates her dental check-ups.”
Of course. He was a vet — why had I thought he was in marketing? “Cute. Do you have any pets?”
He shrugged. “Not right now, I’m too busy at work. But I do want one eventually. I cat-sit sometimes for my neighbor.”
Nick kissed my neck in the spot that he knew made me weak. “Curiosity temporarily satisfied?” I let my head fall back against his chest, moaning my agreement as he kissed me again. “Good. In that case, less talking, more kissing.”
Oakley smirked, leaning in and claiming my mouth in a searing hot kiss. “Now that, I can get behind.”