Holidays with the Walker Brothers (Alluring Indulgence #4)(45)
Author: Nicole Edwards

He could do this. He was the king of aloof and indifferent. There was no way Beau even had a clue what was going through Ethan’s mind right then.

When Beau’s handsome face loomed in front of him a second later, Ethan knew he was in for it. Beau was one of the few men he’d met who was actually taller than him. Not only that, he was broader, thicker. And leaning against the wall the way that he was, Beau surrounded him entirely.

“You don’t want to do this,” Ethan warned, deepening his voice and keeping it steady.

“Do what?”

“Exactly what you’re about to do.” Ethan wasn’t stupid and the proximity of Beau’s body was making him nervous. He couldn’t give in to the temptation. He couldn’t.

But God, he wanted to.

“I think you’re hoping I’ll do something,” Beau said levelly.

How the fuck could the guy stand that damn close and not feel the crackle in the air between them? Or hell, maybe he could and he was just ignoring it. Either way, Beau was acting a hell of a lot cooler about this than Ethan was.

“I’m in a relationship,” Ethan blurted, staring directly into Beau’s eyes.

“Or so you say,” Beau retorted, his cool facade slipping a notch. “I think it’s just your way of hiding.”

Ethan’s anger came to a rapid boil in an instant, his hands fisting at his sides. Lowering his voice to barely above a whisper, Ethan stared deep into Beau’s eyes. “I guess you forgot whose mouth I was fucking as you watched.”

Hating that he’d said the words as soon as they came out of his mouth, Ethan pushed off the wall. Or at least he tried to.

As soon as he moved, he found himself pressed firmly against the wall, Beau’s hands landing on the sheetrock on each side of his head, their noses inches apart, their chests not quite touching, but the heat from Beau’s body was the equivalent of touching the sun.

Ahhh, fucking hell.

“You can run all day long, Ethan,” Beau growled. “I’m not here to make things hard for you. I’m not in a hurry either.”

What the fuck kind of game was Beau playing?

Before he could say anything, Beau continued.

“So, you enjoy whatever it is you have with that asshole, and I’ll be right here when you finally decided you’re done playing games.”

Ethan swallowed, unsure why he felt the need to submit to Beau. The urge was so intense, his knees actually shook with the need that coursed through him. But this wasn’t good for him. And it damn sure wasn’t good for Beau. Ethan didn’t have anything to offer him.

Nothing. At. All.

“Let it go, Beau,” Ethan whispered.

“Sorry, can’t do that,” Beau answered easily, his mouth moving in closer until Ethan could feel the warmth of his breath against his own lips. God, he wanted to lean forward just a little, plunge his tongue into Beau’s mouth and show him exactly what he’d be asking for if he pursued this.

Long seconds ticked by as they stood there, staring at one another, neither of them saying a word. Finally, whatever spell had pulled them under was broken and Beau took a step back. “I’ll go get that screwdriver now.”

“You do that.” Ethan intended to stand there and hold up the wall for a few minutes longer. Then… Yes, maybe then he’d be able to feel his legs again.

Lord help him. Beau Bennett had just found a way underneath the impenetrable armor that Ethan had erected around his emotions, and the man hadn’t even fucking touched him.

Chapter Eighteen

♀♂

Zoey

Christmas Day

“Good morning,” Zoey greeted Lorrie when she arrived at the Walker’s house at nine o’clock.

“Good morning, honey,” Lorrie answered, moving swiftly across the room to give her a hug. “Let me take your coat.”

Zoey turned around, allowing Lorrie to help her slip out of her coat. She had been surprised when she stepped out on the porch that morning to see that they actually did have a few snow flurries and the temperature had dropped into the low thirties. That might not be cold to some, but for their area, the temps were colder than she was used to. The possibility of a white Christmas, even if it was just a light dusting of snow had filled Zoey with an overwhelming sense of joy.

“Is V here yet?” Zoey asked, following Lorrie into the living room.

“She’s on her way. She just called and said she was picking up Jessie and heading this way.”

“Where’s Kylie?” If Jessie needed a ride, that meant her little Honda obviously wasn’t fond of the cold temperatures either.

“Travis and Gage needed to take her somewhere.”