AllFreeNovel
Share Us
This time it’s Dani who answers. “The thing you can’t help doing anyway…just love him.”
My heart squeezes. Dammit. I’m definitely already doing that.
But I let myself really think about Crew’s words.
Owen has a bigger life, at least one with more people who are leaning on him and looking to him for guidance and advice than Cam, Alexsei, and I do. That makes it easier for us to fall into a new relationship without thinking as hard about how it impacts everything else going on around us.
I do believe that Owen isn’t ashamed of me, or the guys. I know he cares about us. But any new relationship has to fit into his already established life. Brady, the team, Chelsea and her family–none of that is going to change, so he has to be sure he can bring someone new into that life. Or, in this case, three more people.
And Owen, being Owen, is going to want to be sure he can do it successfully, and truly be what we need him to be while not changing what he is to everyone else.
Ugh. I couldn’t just fall in love with a bossy, full-of-himself billionaire who is super independent and just somehow understands me, and a sweet, loving, accepts-me-just-as-I-am hockey player could I?
No, I had to also fall for a responsible, puts-everyone-else-first guy who would walk away before he’d make our relationship anything less than perfect.
“Thanks,” I tell my brother. “That was all pretty insightful.”
He grins and looks at Dani. “Thank you. It makes Dani want me even more when I’m mature and a good brother and stuff.”
Dani blushes, but she nods. “Sometimes.”
“Only sometimes?” he asks, brows up.
“Well, I really like your playful side, too,” she says.
I can’t see her full expression but my brother looks like he’d like to get playful suddenly.
I groan. “God, can you please not flaunt your sexy happiness in front of me for like one more hour? Just until I eat a bunch of Michael’s food?”
The house smells amazing.
“Hughes! Hurry up and feed my sister so she’ll leave!” Crew calls.
“It’s ready!” Michael calls back. “I’m just setting the table.”
I shake my head. “Snacks at the table? When you have this amazing couch?”
“Nathan says he hates this couch, but he bitches if we eat on it,” Crew says with a grin as he pushes up from the deep cushions and then tugs Dani to her feet.
“Too bad Nathan didn’t overhear you being all mature and wise with the advice,” I say, also getting to my feet.
“Oh, don’t worry,” Crew says, holding up his phone. “I recorded it. I’ll play it back for him if he doesn’t believe me.”
I laugh and follow them into their gorgeous, newly remodeled kitchen, and tamp down the stab of jealousy I feel.
But I can’t help the thought—I would love to see Cam, Alexsei, and Owen in a friendship like these guys have.
Dani looks down at her phone as Michael and Crew settle her between them at the table.
“Nathan wants me to bring some food up to him,” she says.
“No fucking way,” Michael says, passing me the plate of bacon-wrapped dates.
Did I mention he’s my favorite?
“No?” Dani asks with a giggle that says she’s not surprised by his answer.
“You take food up to the bedroom with Nathan?” Michael asks. “We won’t see you for the rest of the night. If he’s hungry—for anything—” The gorgeous doctor gives her a sexy grin. “He can come down here.”
