Page 3 of Filthy Rich Santas

The pained look that crosses his face might have made me laugh if I wasn’t strung so taut on nerves, excitement, and my body’s reaction to his nearness. “Andyouknow that Caleb would kill all three of us if he found out you were here.”

I smile a little when he says “all three of us.” I can’t help it. And maybe that’s the reason I can’t settle on just one of these men to crush on. Through thick and thin, they’ve always been a unit. My brother too, of course, but now that he has to travel so much for his career in the NHL, I know that a certain amount of distance has grown between him and the other three men.

Beckett isn’t wrong, though. Caleb would definitely havefeelingsif he found out I’d come to a kinky sex club tonight. Even one, or maybe especially one, where his friends were there to look out for me.

But I’m a twenty-six-year-old woman, single and free, and finally living far enough from my family to start exploring things that I know they’d disapprove of. If I was going to let my brother’sfeelingsstop me from starting to live the life I really want, I never would have walked through Radiance’s doors.

“This isn’t any of Caleb’s business,” I tell Beckett, poking his rock-hard chest for emphasis.

He gives me a flat stare, ignoring my finger. “You’re his sister.”

“And a grown-ass woman! I can do what I want.”

“Lana…” Beckett growls.

“Beckett,” I say back, trying for sassy but ending up sounding hopelessly breathless instead.

Not my fault. Sassy isn’t really who I am, and besides, he’s standing too close. I can feel his body heat. Smell the cedar and leather scent that’s uniquely his. And all that rumbling displeasure of his literally makes the air between us vibrate.

“I was having a perfectly nice conversation with the man at the bar,” I start.

“No,” Beckett cuts me off.

I blink up at him. “What?”

“I said no.”

I give a disbelieving laugh, shaking my head. “Just… no?”

All three of my brother’s best friends have always been incredibly protective of me, but even if they’ll never see me the way I want them to, I still have every right to be here. Every right to explore my interest and try to discover if kink is right for me.

“You heard me,” Beckett says, something dark and a little dangerous flaring in his eyes.

The sight of it makes my breath hitch, touching on the hidden part of me I’m yearning to explore here. So of course I attempt to poke him again, or maybe push him away from me.

Too bad for me I accidentally end up stroking the heated planes of his solid chest instead.

Again, not my fault, though. He’s wearing a tight black shirt that’s molded to his muscles and feels sinfully soft. Possibly silk? Whatever it is, it fits him like a second skin and feels like pure pleasure.

He captures my hand, holding it against his chest. He frowns down at me, his eyes narrowing. “You shouldn’t be here, little menace. Where’s your boyfriend?”

I snatch my hand back, his use of that stupid childhood nickname reminding me of where I’ll always stand with my brother’s friends.

Even when it’s bubbling just under the surface, I can’t quite admit to myself what I was really hoping for by coming to the club thattheyown. But Beckett’s reaction to finding me here makes it clear.

I will always be Caleb’s little sister to this man. I know it’s the same with Tristan and Ryder too.

And if that isn’t enough to kill my hopes, along with my libido, the fact that Beckett brought up my ex definitely is.

I guess he hasn’t heard.

“Wade broke up with me—a month after proposing to me, actually. Apparently, ‘chubby girls aren’t wife material,’” I mumble, certain that my skin is broadcasting my emotions again as I feel my face flush with embarrassment.

Not that I miss my ex-fiancé. I don’t. But it would be nice, just once, to be… enough for someone.

Or just enough, period.

“Shit,” Beckett mutters, his hard demeanor instantly softening.

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