Chapter 26
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
ISABELLE
Iwoke up wrapped in Alex’s embrace. His body was huge, warm and heavy. It grounded me.
Instead of feeling crushed or claustrophobic, I felt safe.
The sun was glowing around the curtains, the time to leave was already here but it was taking a while to bring myself to move him.
Ultimately, the need to be back at the cottage was too great to ignore.
“Alex,” I whispered.
He didn’t move.
“Alex.” I shook him and he groaned.
“A few more minutes,” he mumbled into my chest.
“Nope, up. Now.” I bucked my body and his weight shifted off me.
Rising to stand I threw back the covers and flung open the heavy curtains. The glowing morning sunlight streamed in and Alex rolled over murmuring unhappily.
“Good, you’re up.” I dragged the covers away from his mostly naked body and paused to take him in. Thick rippling muscles covered every inch of him, tanned skin and dark hair dusted along his legs. The way his hands held the pillow over his head made his shoulders flex, biceps too.
“Move!” I called out. As much to jolt him as me.
Snatching my handful of clothes and stalking from the room and through the house, I stuffed my feet into my boots, grabbing bowls for breakfast and making the hastiest of coffees.
Both were thrust into his hands the second he entered the room. Within minutes I was snatching the now empty dishes from him and running them under the taps, drying them and stacking them back in the single cupboard of cooking and plate-ware.
I’d already packed the rest away, it had only been two nights and we’d all but run out of actual food, but anything else that was lying around which didn’t seem at home in the sparse kitchen was shoved – unceremoniously – into the cool bag, which I slung over my shoulder as I marched through the house.
It really was a beautiful property. The restoration work Alex was undertaking evident in the new panels and stripped floors.
I’d noticed the new wiring and hidden sockets peppered around the few rooms we had used, even though I had nothing to charge.
Every single detail was considered and neatly executed.
And the furniture? Although I’d only peeked under the drop cloths, the furniture varied from antique to modern, all of it carefully maintained and protected. No wonder he’d been so keen to have the property sealed fully, he must be desperate to move in.
I led him outside and groaned at the mess greeting us.
I turned to find Alex emerging with a chainsaw and a grim expression. He looked at the mess and he shrugged.
“It’ll be a little while, but hopefully not too long.” He didn’t sound optimistic and a fog settled heavily over my hope to be back quickly this morning.
Alex would have known how long it really took. Because it took hours. So many hours had passed before we cleared the fallen trees and dragged them out of the way.
In fact, by the time we’d cleared the path for the snowmobiles, made it out on the snowmobiles and the groundskeeper’s cottage was coming into sight, it was pushing midday.
Black-clad figures rose from the bench beside the lake as we crested the hill, waiting as we pulled into the yard, or maybe it was the garden, the snow was too thick to tell.
Pushing up from the seat I made my way towards them, both of them closing the distance faster than I could. Then I was wrapped into two pairs of arms.
Seb cradled my back, dragging the hood away from my face he leaned over me.
“We missed you, Killer. What took so long?” His question was urgent.
“The storm kept us there.” I smiled, in part to convince him that it was fine but the rest was just pure happiness. I missed him.
Demanding fingers cupped my jaw and turned me to look into the dazzling, glasses-free eyes of Ben.
“Hi. Sugar.” He punctuated each word with a kiss. “I’m mad that you left.”
His admission was like a dagger to the chest.
“I didn’t want to,” I protested.
“Oh, I know,” he soothed. “I’m just saying. I’m not mad at you.” He chuckled and the tension bled from me.
“Good, you had me worried for a second.”
He yanked Seb and me forwards and offered a proper kiss, tongue searching for mine. I kissed him back ravenously.
“Seb, would you like to take Izzy inside? Preferably upstairs,” Ben spoke over my shoulder.
“Benji, maybe now isn’t the right time to hash this one out,” Seb reasoned.
“It’s fine, Seb.” Alex joined us. “I deserve it.”
“Doesn’t mean it’s healthy for him.” Seb turned us both in place to clearly see the brothers.
“You took her from me,” Ben stated. “You don’t get to decide that, Alex. It was wrong.”
Alex had the good sense to look ashamed. “I thought I was doing the right thing.”
Ben dug his glasses out of a pocket and slid them over his face, messing his hair and straightening before he replied. When he did, his tone was all warning. “You don’t get to decide that for me, Alex. I’ll never forgive you for the time you stole from me.”
Alex gulped, pain dancing across his features. “Fuck, Ben. I’d prefer if you just hit me.”
Ben’s hand snapped out, the sound of flesh hitting flesh making me recoil into Seb’s hold.
“Now I’ve done both.” Ben shook his hand off.
Alex rubbed the blooming mark on his cheek shaking his head.
“You will never keep her from me, do you understand?” Ben growled.
I twisted to get free of Seb’s grip but he tightened his hold, his face coming close to my ear. “Stay still, Killer. This isn’t our fight, and it’s been some time coming.”
“I don’t doubt Alex deserved that, but Seb, he was just trying to protect him,” I whispered from my cage in his arms.
“Be that as it may, Killer. Ben has been needing to establish some boundaries for a while. And Alex really needed someone to set him straight when it comes to you. It was him or me.”
The fight left me, discomfort warring inside me, I didn’t like this.
“We’ve both tried reasoning with him. His manipulating you to travel to the manor when Ben wasn’t able to argue with him, that was the final straw.
” His words ghosted over the shell of my ear and the shudder warmed my cool body.
The man’s nearness was a constant problem for my focus. “I hope you made him suffer?”
When I didn’t immediately reply he chuckled evilly in my ear.
“What?” I protested despite the lack of accusation. “I did give him hell.”
“Until?” Seb muttered while the brothers argued in front of us.
“Last night?”
He nipped my earlobe in response. “Oh, filthy little Killer, will you apprise me of all the dirty details?”
I gasped, the noise slowing the sound of the argument which continued, thankfully without further violence.
“I’m not sure Ben wants the details,” I argued.
“Who said anything about Ben?” His next nip was harder but he sucked the skin between his teeth, soothing the sharp sting.
“Okay.” I spoke louder to catch everyone’s attention. “But first I need to tell you both something.”
“I told you, Killer, neither of us care about Alex joining your fan club. We do care that you didn’t make him beg. That was our only condition.” He pouted at me as he placed the steaming mug of coffee onto the table.
“That’s not it, although I’m pleased you don’t care, and I will note to punish him further, or for the next short while.” My comment had the mood sobering. “That’s what I need to tell you. My contact reached out to Alex with a new date.”
Both men swung their attention to Alex, each of their attitudes darkening. Ben glared at him.
“I’m meeting them in five days, in town.” I sipped the coffee to distract myself from the rising panic.
“Five fucking days! Alex, when did you know?” Seb demanded.
“Two days ago,” he confessed.
“You fucking prick,” Seb spat. “And you still took her?”
Alex sighed. “Yes.”
Ben shifted, his distress visible. I suspected his sadness was the only thing stopping Seb from giving him a matching bruise.
“It’s okay, Benji, I’m sure we can sort something out,” Seb soothed him.
Ben’s smile was rueful. “I doubt it, Seb, but I appreciate you wanting to make me feel better.”
Alex scoffed. “Oh, so he can try to protect you from being upset but I can’t.”
The look he received from Ben silenced him.
“We can sort something. Can’t we, Killer?” Seb looked at me full of hope.
I shrugged. “You know we can’t.” I reached over the table to hold his hand. “I wish it wasn’t like this too.”
He blinked slowly at me, eyes glazing with his upset.
“I could marry you,” he whispered.
My mouth formed an O.
“I could.” He took my hand tighter into his. “I would. We could.”
“Seb,” I breathed his name. “I would marry you in a heartbeat.”
His eyes widened, and I knew it was completely true. I adored him, both him and Ben. Even if we hadn’t voiced whatever that feeling was.
He would be an incredible husband, and that thought had gravitas given I knew exactly what a shitty husband looked like.
“But my guardian has to authorise the match, Seb,” I added, my heart breaking as I did. “He never will. Ever. He would annul it. And going home after a shotgun wedding to someone he didn’t know…” I let the suggestion hang in the air.
“Her future would be far worse than the one she’s already facing,” Alex supplied. “Now she’s running, maybe the politicians can smooth that. But a marriage. That’s not panic, that’s a choice.”
Seb and Ben glared at him as if he was responsible for those facts. Although he stole me away, those observations weren’t his doing and he didn’t deserve any more ire than he was already in receipt of.
“The fall-out would be significantly worse.” I paused, trying to be clear without upsetting anyone any more than they had to be. “Compliance measures.”
Seb paled as Ben’s hands fisted on the table.
I floundered for a way to put us back on track.
“We knew it was temporary,” I chirped, even though I felt completely desolate. “We have to enjoy our last few days, that’s all we can do. It’s all we have.”
I could see Seb visibly trying to pull himself together. He schooled his features and clapped a hand onto Ben’s shoulder, looking at me meaningfully.
“We love you, Killer.”
My eyes watered, my chest filling with warmth at their admission and my heart shattering like glass at the same time.
“Do… do you?” Ben whispered, his eyes downcast.
I pulled my hand from his and stood. Ben froze, his shoulders dropping, his body caved inwards and he shrank.
I closed the distance between us, reached for him and lifted his chin with my fingers until he faced me.
I waited for him to look at me, but he didn’t.
“Ben.” My voice was calm, but I was anything but. “Look at me,” I commanded him.
His eyes fluttered and he lifted his gaze, slowly, until he finally met mine.
I nodded, steadily. Clearly.
All his sadness puffed out of him on an agonised breath.
“It doesn’t change my future. But it’s true.” I leaned down and kissed him, gently. He nodded into my kiss and I knew he understood.
By the time our kiss was broken and I offered a similar kiss to Seb, Alex was gone.
I told myself it was understandable. After all, it had been a long few days and in the brief time we’d been back, after a long morning cutting and dragging around huge logs, he’d argued with his brother – the most important person in his world – and now we were all professing feelings for one another over his kitchen table.
That would be a lot for anyone.
So why did I feel so disappointed?