AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Still, the image of Callie round with child was immensely appealing. Knowing life was growing inside her, sired by one of them…it fired a primal craving in him. Not the urge to continue his bloodline—his genetics weren’t anything to be particularly proud of, in his opinion—but the desire to have a piece ofhimlive on in someone else.
“I’m ready when you are, brother.”
*
Evander
It took considerably longer to get back to the hotel than it had getting out to the ranch. The goddamn snow had gotten heavier with every mile, and it was only due to Eli’s skill in bad weather driving that they weren’t nose-down in a ditch somewhere, being buried in a blizzard.
Instead, they were warm and dry, waiting for room service to bring dinner.
“She does realize that hiding in there isn’t going to save her ass, right?” Eli gestured to the bedroom door with his glass. The two fingers of scotch he’d poured an hour ago were barely touched.
“It’s been a long day. Things have changed considerably in the last twenty-four hours; she needs time to process them, even if it is under the guise of work.” Their little girl had bolted straight into the bedroom before the suite door closed, claiming she had a deadline to meet. “Sleeping will be uncomfortable for her tonight if she leaves her punishment until bedtime.”
Elias chuckled, his gaze on the door.
“You should move your stuff in here,” Evander said casually, sipping his own drink. “We might only be here for a couple more days; I’m considering paying a visit to Braun in Phoenix. Check out the club, make sure there are no issues with the rebuild. We’re in a relationship now, officially. You belong with us, not in a room next door.”
“That’s a big step.”
“Yes and no. It’s a positive step.”
“I’m all about the positive. I’ll move my stuff after dinner; it won’t take long.”
It wouldn’t, Evander knew. Whenever they traveled away from home, Elias kept his suitcase packed in case they needed to head out on short notice. The man had organizational skills that most PAs only dreamed of having.
“Do I need to make arrangements for the Phoenix trip?”
“Shoot for Wednesday. The negotiation window closes on Monday, and I can’t see any reason why the offer won’t be accepted. The paperwork is ready to sign once the details are hashed out, right?” At Elias’s nod of confirmation, Evander rubbed his thumb over his mouth. “The crews can move in as soon as the transfer goes through, which will probably take a couple of days. I think we can step away from business for a long weekend.”
“The Biltmore or the Grand Resort?”
“Neither. We have a standing reservation with both Braun and Atticus. I’ll give them a call and see if it’ll be convenient for us to stay with one of them.”
“Atticus…he’s the big brute with the hyperactive Little?”
“His wife, Alicia, yes.”
“And you want to stay in their house, with said hyperactive wife and their flock of toddlers.” It was said so flatly, it wasn’t a question. “Is it wise exposing shy, unassuming Callie to that kind of unruly chaos?”
“She’s too shy. Aside from Shona, she doesn’t have any friends, Eli. Until the club here opens, there won’t be many opportunities for her to expand her circle.”
“Hence the reason for a visit to Avalon.”
“Yeah.”
“All right, then. Leave it with me.” Taking a long sip of scotch, Elias cocked his head as someone knocked politely on the door. “Thank God for that, I’m starving. I’ll grab the food, you rouse our girl from her hiding spot.”
That was a damn good deal. He’d rather handle an apprehensive sub than hold a conversation with the server tonight—no matter how brief. After today’s events, he was a curious combination of tired, excited, and aroused.
They set their glasses down in unison, rising together and heading in opposite directions. Before he’d made it three steps toward the bedroom, his phone began to ring in his pocket. He yanked it out, checking the screen with a curse. “Shit, I need to take this.”
“Go ahead, I can multitask.”
Evander hit the call button, holding the phone to his ear. “I hope you made it back to the city okay, Isabella.”
Her laugh was husky. “I’m not completely citified, you know. A few inches of snow doesn’t intimidate me.”
