Holidays with the Walker Brothers (Alluring Indulgence #4)(39)
Author: Nicole Edwards

Brendon’s eyes widened. “That’s not what I’m doing.”

“Liar.” The one word was said on a breath, but Jessie didn’t turn away from Brendon. “You introduced me to life as I know it right now and it’s not your place to change the rules to suit your needs.” Jessie glanced back at him and Braydon met her gaze head on. When she turned back to Brendon, the ache in his chest returned. It was as though she had the ability to heal all of his pain for the brief moment when she looked at him.

“I don’t know what’s going on between the two of you, but I won’t be caught in the middle of it,” Jessie explained, all of the anger in her tone disappearing. “I like what we have, even as unconventional as it is. I’m not looking for a happily ever after, Brendon. Not with you, and not with him.”

Braydon’s chest burned as he held his breath. He did not like where this was going.

“I came over to see both of you tonight. Give me tonight, Brendon. Give me this. Don’t take away the one thing I’ve managed to find solace in.”

Braydon watched, listened. The words she was saying were foreign to him. Up to this point, they’d gotten to know her bit by bit, but Jessie had always held a part of herself back. A part that he knew was essential to the way she was acting.

“Are you telling me that you won’t be with me alone?” Brendon asked, his eyes darting across the room to meet Braydon’s briefly before returning to Jessie.

“That’s what I’m telling you.” Jessie didn’t say anymore, but the two of them stared at one another.

Braydon waited for all hell to break lose. In all the time that he and Brendon had been sharing women, it had never come down to this. Neither of them had gotten attached to any one woman. Which was the point of them not going headlong into relationships solo. They depended on one another. For whatever reason, it was an unspoken pact they’d made when they were just fourteen years old. And all these years later, they had never questioned it.

Jessie turned toward him, her back to Brendon. Braydon watched her, waiting for her to say something. He expected her to walk out on them, to move on without either of them.

“Come here,” she said, her voice smooth and even, her eyes softer than they had been minutes ago.

Without permission, his feet took him closer to her until she was practically sandwiched between her and Brendon once again.

“I want both of you,” she told him. The words sounded simple, but Braydon understood their meaning clearly. She didn’t want just him, and she didn’t want just Brendon. “I’m not looking for a relationship, I need you to understand that.”

Braydon nodded, not willing to say anything because he didn’t trust his voice. Despite her words, he saw something in her beautiful blue eyes. There was something deeper there, but he could tell she wasn’t giving in to it.

But she would give in to this.

Meeting Brendon’s eyes, Braydon waited for his twin to confirm that they weren’t going to let this fall apart. At least not yet. Brendon didn’t say a word, but Braydon could hear him loud and clear. This was a truce. Even if it was temporary.

They were going to let Jessie be the glue to keep this together for however long it might last.

♂♀♂

Brendon

If his pride wasn’t in the way, Brendon might’ve apologized to both Braydon and Jessie. Unfortunately, his jealousy got the best of him, and he’d acted like a complete ass. But now, as though given a second chance, Jessie had just fixed the situation with words.

And now she was moving on to actions.

Brendon pressed up against her back, closing his eyes as he inhaled the familiar fragrance of her perfume, mixed with the fresh clean smell of her hair. It didn’t seem to matter what sort of chaos was assaulting his brain, when he was close to Jessie, a soothing feeling came over him. She settled him. Like a safe harbor that would keep him grounded to the here and now.

Was that because she wasn’t looking for anything permanent? Maybe.

Sharing her, or any woman for that matter, with Braydon had always felt natural to Brendon. It was as though one-on-one relationships weren’t in his makeup. He didn’t want to think about the future. Didn’t want to have to figure out how he was going to take care of someone when he felt as though he could barely take care of himself.

But the bottom line was, he didn’t want to move on to a life without Braydon in it. Picturing life without his twin in it every single day scared the shit out of him. The thought sounded strange even to him, but it was as though they were born two people, but they were still one. And he had never even considered whether Braydon felt the same way or not. It just was.