He wanted to throw her down on the floor and have her. The mix of sturdy and wide-eyed, shy but with an edge Hux had mentioned… He felt his desire for her like a punch in the gut. But also, it behooved him to charm her. Make her believe he had something to offer. Clearly she liked Hux but who didn’t? Now he just had to convince her to like him well enough too.
“Hi. Tamsyn. I’ve heard a lot about you, but Hux failed to mention how much of a charmer you are.”
“He’s not usually,” Hux chimed in.
If Lowell hadn’t been trying to impress Tamsyn, he would’ve scowled at his twin and the amused smirk on his face. What the hell? Did his brother want him to win this woman over or not? Because he didn’t think he was going to do it with his usual aloof, grumpy asshole routine. Some women liked that—loved it, actually—but he didn’t think Tamsyn would be one of them.
He ignored them both.
“Is this your first time here? I think you’ve mostly met Hux at the club.”
“That’s right. Do you live here too?”
“Not technically,” he allowed, trying to remember the last time he’d been at his apartment for longer than to pick up some clothes and check the mail. “I have an apartment in the city center but mostly I’m here. He’s got enough space.”
“You made me buy this house,” Hux grumbled.
That was true. Lowell had practically foisted this enormous Greek revival home on his brother.
“A bachelor buying a big old house like that? Tells voters you want a wife, a family. You’re just waiting for the right woman to come along. A family man who just doesn’t have his family yet.”
And as per usual, Hux had listened to him.
Hux hadnotlistened when Lowell urged him to get married, however. His honest to a fault and romantic brother had felt it wouldn’t be fair.
“It would only be unfair if she didn’t know what she was getting into,”Lowell had told him.“And you wouldn’t be lying about it. People have political marriages all the time.”
But Hux had refused, citing their brother Cabot and his wife Nuala. How they didn’t actually seem to like each other very much. While that might work for them, Hux wanted to marry for love. Not very practical but the public did adore a good love story so Lowell hadn’t pressed. Looking at Tamsyn and his brother now, he was glad he hadn’t.
*
Huxley
“Can I get you something to drink?” he asked, not wanting to go into why he’d bought this enormous damn house.
Tamsyn smiled, one side of her mouth tugging up.
“I didn’t come here for libations.”
God that sounded filthy, especially with the way her tongue peeked out from between her teeth on the “l.”
“And it’s probably best I keep my wits about me. As best I can with the two of you around anyway. You boys are liable to scramble my brain like a goddamn Denver omelet.”
His brow kicked up and he took her chin between his fingers. “Is that any kind of language for a young lady to be using? And did you just call us boys? I don’t think that’s right. Lowell and I are every inch men.”
Shifting so he was behind her, Lo set his hands on Tamsyn’s hips, and she looked at him over her shoulder.
“Okay?” his twin asked softly, and she nodded and bit her lip.
So pretty and now a little off balance. Sure he could get her that way himself, but that took effort. She was melting just because Lo was here. No, he thought, that wasn’t right. Becauseboth of themwere here.
“Hux is right,” Lo said, stepping in closer, dipping his head to nip Tamsyn’s ear. “Can you feel it? Can you feel every inch?”
Not one to be outdone, especially not by Lo, Huxley took a step forward until he was pressed to their guest from chest to thigh.
“Can you, little girl? Feel what we’ve got for you?”
She looked up at him with parted lips, those lovely irises of hers shrunk to slim bands around her blown wide pupils.