“What else do you want?”
“You. All of you.”
“You have all of me, Zander. From the moment we laughed over that picture of Wolverine.”
“And you me, couch girl.”
* * *
“What’s left?” Zach storms into the kitchen as Zander and I are just finishing our breakfast.
“How are you always hungry?” My eyes graze over Zach. He doesn’t even have an ounce of fat on him, but he’s in a perpetual state of food hunting.
He replies to my question with a grunt, scanning the kitchen to find anything to put in his mouth.
“We have some strawberry shake left.” I point toward the blender when he starts looking inside every jar and pot, including the empty ceramic flower vase.
Without missing a beat, Zach opens my kitchen cabinet and pours the leftover shake into a glass that he’d just grabbed.
Thankfully, Clem is away for a week on an internship. I’m not sure how she’d feel about Zander and his brothers getting all domestic in our kitchen.
“Why ar-re we here?” Zane asks from where he’s standing at the kitchen’s entrance.
“Let everyone get here first,” Zander replies, refilling his coffee mug.
Yesterday evening, he told me that we’d have a few guests over, including Ashcroft’s family. I was surprised that Zander never mentioned Ashcroft’s wife and daughter before. But I was more shocked by the fact that they’re estranged.
Ash is a wonderful man. Why would someone leave him? And there’s no way he would let his family slip away; he’s so like Zander. Family means a lot to him.
My gaze wanders to Zander as he sips his coffee, leaning against the kitchen counter, and my breath hitches at the sight of him. Dressed in blue jeans and a white shirt with his sleeves rolled up to mid-forearm, he looks breathtaking.
When my gaze finally settles on his face, I notice his focus is on me.
Is he afraid I’m going to have another panic attack?
“I’m fine.” I answer his unspoken question.
After a beat, he smiles and strides toward me. “I’m very pleased to hear that, couch girl.”
My heart skips a beat when he bends down to place a kiss on my lips. If there was a silver lining to my panic attack, it was that it brought Zander and me closer. I didn’t know this man could love me any more, but he surprised me yet again.
My hands go around his neck to hold him closer when he tries to pull away. I can feel his smile on my lips, and he kisses me again. This time, with more fervor, pushing his tongue into my mouth, and I follow his lead.
A throat clearing reminds me that we’re not alone.
Crab!
“This is the reason we’re not staying overnight in your new house, at least not until the honeymoon phase is over.” Zach pretends to be irritated, or I think he pretends, because before leaving the kitchen, he winks at me.
* * *
The four of us have moved into the living room when Beast arrives. He man-hugs the boys before moving to me.
“Rose, my dear, how are you?”
Instead of giving me a side hug like he did to the boys, Ash opens his arms for me to walk up to him, and I do.
“I’m well. How are you?” I ask after taking a step back.