Watching the door close behind them Reid let out a groan,rubbing his eyebrows he let his thoughts turn to his idiotic brother.
For the past few days, Zane’s childish jealousy had beenincreasing. At first, it started small, with occasional frowns of displeasureor bouts of silence whenever Everly’s attention was turned away from him. Thiswas something Reid should’ve expected. Zane was used to getting what he wanted,especially by women. The good-looking idiot was accustomed to being the centerof a woman’s attention without having to put any real effort into it. WithEverly, however, everything was different. Zane’s charms and good looks didnothing to sway her heart, a fact that pleased Reid far too much to admit. No,with Everly, their sweet innocent, wide-eyed captive, it took more to captureher heart. So much in fact, even Reid found himself stooping to Zane’s childishlevel at times.
Every day the bonds they created with her strengthened,while their own relationship teetered on the brink of explosion. If Zane wasn’twalking in on him and Everly doing anything from talking to kissing, Reid wasthe one walking in on them. Naturally, patience was starting to wear thin, andpossessiveness was beginning to take root. Both of their time was spentsecretly carving out time away from the other, to steal her attention, so shewas only focused on them. It was as if they were drunk off of her and theycould not get enough. They were no better than children fighting over aparent’s affection.
Reid told himself he should be the bigger man, he shouldstop this dangerous game, but dear God, her smile. She was actually smiling atthem now, what man could resist that treasured gift? What red-blooded maledidn’t want to hoard that smile for himself? Although to be honest thesituation was already getting out of hand, Reid could feel his discipline slipeach day as he reacted more and more to Zane’s childish baiting.
The call he got from Zane yesterday only ignited his ownlatent jealousy.
That morning, Reid left early, early enough where the skywas still black, and the other two occupants of the house were still sleepingdeeply. He had a meeting with some suppliers in Toronto at noon, and Reid hadno desire to spend the evening there. The nightly dinners with Everly quicklybecame the highlight of his days. Flying into the small executive airport, Reidcaught a cab and made it to the meeting location just as the other partyarrived. Securing the deal and wrapping up the details, Reid was sitting in hisidling plane by three thirty waiting for the sensors to warm up and give himthe go-ahead when he got the call.
Seeing that the call was from Zane, he answered. “What isit?”
There was no reply, but the line wasn’t dead either. Reid’sstomach clenched, and his spine tingled as he listened to the familiar cry overthe line. Sitting very still as the aircraft rumbled around him ready fortakeoff, Reid listened with a hardened expression as Everly cried out Zane’sname. Even over the phone, Reid could hear the wet noises of her sex minglingin with her escalating cries.
Disconnecting the line, Reid shoved his phone in his pocketbefore wrenching the takeoff lever back, propelling the plane forward.
The raw, undiluted anger felt foreign and potentiallycataclysmic. Reid’s hands shook with the power of his rage. Clenching his fistto steady himself, Reid counted to ten. One, he would not murder his brotherwhen he got home. Two, he would not break Zane’s jaw. Three, Reid would go homeand bury himself balls deep into that beautiful woman of his, until she couldthink of no one else but him.
Feeling the wheels leave the ground, Reid rubbed his brow infrustration, counting was not working. The problem was clear to see, they wereutterly desperate for her love. Two emotionally scarred bastards who werebordering on obsessive with her newfound joy.
Regardless, they were going to have to work through this orReid was pretty sure he was going to toss Zane into the fucking lake.
Chapter 15
The light, feminine laughter that echoed from the kitchenbristled at Zane’s nerves.
Walking from the bedroom to the office, Zane kept his faceneutral as he spied the two from his peripheral. Leaning on the counter, Reidforked chunks of pineapples one by one into Everly’s mouth. Pushing down theviolent urge that reacted within him from the scene, Zane walked into the office.
Right now, there was a war being waged, and each side waslanding deep eviscerating cuts.
For days now, the tension between him and his brother grewthick. Tit for tat, they pulled and tugged at her attention like greedy boys.It was a game that could not last much longer. The hostility between them wasgrowing out of proportion, and Zane didn’t miss Everly’s occasional worriedglances.
But the fucker was trying his patience.
Even this morning, Reid could not resist paying him back forthat phone call. Normally, Zane was the one who reserved the privilege ofwaking up their pregnant angel each morning, kissing her growing belly untilthose burnished gold eyes fluttered open. The fear that was once in her eyesweeks ago was gone, replaced by a feminine curiosity that made his balls ache.To spite him, however, Reid encroached on his morning routine for the past twodays stealing her undivided attention away from Zane.
Sitting down at his desk, Zane pulled out his phone, heneeded to make sure all of the tile for their upcoming project was still ontrack for delivery. The sultry feminine moan gave him pause. Looking up hiseyes narrowed like lasers at the open office doorway as his heart froze.Perfectly silent, Zane sat without so much as an intake of breath as he heardthe delicate cry. Carefully, Zane stood up from his chair, his throatconstricting as he walked without a sound across the room, each step fillinghim with bitter dread. Stepping into the shadow of the doorway, Zane’s eyesfollowed the increasing sounds.
Sitting on the kitchen island counter with her back towardshim, Everly sat with her dress pulled up around her waist and her thighsspread. Standing between her legs, Reid had his face buried into the crook ofher shoulder as he continuously rocked forward, eliciting louder cries from herwith each thrust.
Zane felt like all his muscles had tightened and locked intoplace. He should join them, he should be happy she was accepting them likethis, he should be anything but devastated the way he was right now. Why didseeing them like this, make him feel so alone?
Looking back up, Zane’s rage ran cold when he caught hisbrother’s eye. With no remorse, no ounce of shame, Reid increased his pacebiting into her shoulder, ignoring Zane entirely as he fucked the love ofZane’s life right in front of him.
Stumbling back from the door, Zane ground his jaw tight tosuppress the growl of fury.
The message was clear, Reid wasn’t going to back down.
Planting his fist on his desk, Zane took steadying breaths.The time for talking and working this out civilly had passed. Zane was going tokill him.
±
Cold, the bed felt cold.
Opening her eyes, Everly noticed the empty spot beside her,Zane wasn’t there. Turning to her right, she was surprised to find Reid’s sideempty as well. What was going on? Pushing herself to her elbows, Everlysquinted at the red digital numbers at the bedside clock. It was three in themorning.
Getting out of bed, she didn’t bother looking for herslippers, and padded barefoot across the room. The foyer was dark and quiet. Withher hand on the wall, Everly stood silently with a frown scanning the darknessfor signs of life. The whole house felt desolate and empty. Not sure where tolook next, she was prepared to turn back and check the bathroom when she heardthe muffled sounds.
