Page 90 of Tempting

My doorman buzzes my condo.

“Dr. Hayes. Juliette and Becket Kingston are here and coming up.”

Certain people have automatic entrée privileges. Jules and Becks are both on that list. I just get a courtesy notification. Thankfully. Because five minutes later, and they might have walked in on something that no parent—biological or surrogate—needs to walk in on.

“Everything okay?” Nixon asks, and I stand from his lap.

“I don’t know. I wasn’t expecting them.” A ball of dread tightens in my stomach.

This isn’t normal.

I grab my phone from the table and immediately dial Easton.

“Kenz, are you okay? Did he fuck up already?”

“That’s how you answer the phone, E? Really? I’m fine, but Becks and Jules are heading up to my condo at eleven at night, in the middle of the night, without calling. I needed to hear your voice. Everything okay with you?”

“Yeah, but stay on the phone. I want to know what’s going on with Becks and Jules.”

I slide him to speaker and look at Nix. “I just put you on speaker, and Nixon’s here with me, FYI.”

“Fuck face,” Easton greets Nixon.

“Dickhead,” Nixon responds, and I look between my future husband and my brother’s name on my screen.

“I guess you guys got over your shit?” I ask both of them as Jules and Becks knock on my door.

“Yup. We both agreed if he hurts you, he dies,” Easton answers, and I shake my head and hand Nixon the phone before I answer the door.

“We also agreed Easton’s an overbearing asshole who needs to back the fuck off. But I think we’re doing dinner at his house Sunday, if you’re not working,” Nixon adds, and Easton groans.

“I said takeout, man. Lindy can’t cook for shit. Don’t let her lie to you.”

I shake my head and open my door. Becket holds Juliette’s hand in his, but they both drop them and wrap their arms around me. “Thank God, you’re okay.”

The room behind me goes eerily silent.

“I’m fine. What are you talking about?” I ask, utterly confused.

Becket closes the door and ushers Jules and me into the other room, where I move into Nixon’s side. “Easton’s on speaker phone.”

“What the hell is going on?” my brother asks, a scary tone taking over.

“Honey, why don’t you sit down,” Jules tells me, and the hairs on my arms stand on end.

“Tell me what’s going on—now. Is someone dead?” I ask quietly, scared of the answer, and the look on their faces tells me I’m right. “Who,” I cry out, and if it weren’t for Nixon’s arms, I’d fall to my knees.

“Why didn’t you tell us about Dr. Richardson, sweetheart?” Becket asks with so much emotion in his words, it’s hard to understand him.

I look from Nixon back to Becks and Jules. “Honestly, I didn’t want to worry you. I thought if I ignored it, it would go away. But Nixon helped me realize that wasn’t the way to handle it, so I went to HR and reported him today.”

“You did?” Nix asks, and I nod hesitantly.

“You were right. I was going to tell you?—”

He pulls me against him and buries his face in my hair. “So fucking brave, baby.”

He doesn’t whisper it. Doesn’t care that anyone else can hear him.

---