Page 21 of Starts With a Bang

Someone called Lucinda’s name from the kitchen, and she patted my arm before leaving to see what they needed. I discreetly scanned the room for Sven and found him lounging on the couch, pretending to watch football. His relaxed posture looked posed, and I wanted the effort to be for me. I allowed my gaze to linger on his exposed strip of stomach before I forced myattention elsewhere. I found the newly engaged couple standing off to the side of the room and got the impression they’d been watching me. Had they caught me gawking at Sven? Did Kerry still think I was a sad sack who should stay away from his brother? I forced down a sigh and crossed the room to make small talk with the happy couple. I must’ve done a piss-poor job of hiding my turmoil because Keegan asked what was bothering me.

“It’s nothing,” I said.

He tilted his head to the side. “It’s something. Maybe you’ll feel better if you tell us.”

I’d opened my mouth to decline his suggestion, but I told him about the invitation to the family holiday in Vail instead.

Kerry understood the significance right away and scowled. “Oof.”

Keegan’s brow furrowed, and he looked from his fiancé to me. “You don’t get along with your family?” Keegan asked.

“We got along great until I caught my husband in bed with my cousin,” I replied. “You can imagine the explosive reactions in my family when I went to war with my cousin, and my mom took her sister to the mat.”

“Oh, Dom,” Keegan said. “I’m so sorry.”

“I want to say it’s all water under the bridge, but it would be a lie. I’m over the failed marriage better than I thought I’d be at this point, but I’m struggling with my cousin’s betrayal.”

“Who wouldn’t?” Kerry asked. He tightened his grip on Keegan’s hip and sent a scathing look in his cousin Seth’s direction.

Keegan scoffed. “As if.”

Kerry nuzzled his nose in Keegan’s hair and nipped his ear.

“That’s the shit I’ll get to look forward to over the holidays, except it will be my ex smooching up a guy I loved like a brother,” I said.

“Why are you even putting yourself through that kind of heartache during the holidays?” Kerry asked.

“Nana isn’t doing very well,” I explained. “You know how much I love her.”

“Man, I’m sorry to hear that. I thought she’d outlive us all,” Kerry said.

“I wish that was true, but Mom thinks this will be her last Christmas. She wants everyone to suspend their animosity for two weeks so Nana can have the most amazing holiday ever. My aunt and uncle rented a huge chateau in Vail, and Mom wants me to go. I can’t let Nana down, but I don’t want to be the only single loser getting pitiful looks every time my ex-husband and his new lover go up to bed for the night.”

“Damn, that would be rough,” Kerry said.

“Take Sven!” Keegan blurted.

Kerry’s eyes glittered with glee. “That’s a great idea.”

It was?Kerry hadn’t even wanted me to kiss his brother at one point, and now he’d volunteered Sven to shack up with me in a chateau? What’s happening? Was I still sleeping? Would I wake up and discover this was all a dream? Kerry and Sven watched me expectantly as they waited for a response.

“I don’t know.” My gaze landed on Sven again, and I couldn’t help picturing the things we could get up to in a private suite. With any luck, I’d never see Emerson or Christian. “Some of my family members are pretty uptight. Sven’s outfits might not go over very well.”

“I’m sure he’d wear something more conservative if you approached the subject in the right way,” Keegan suggested.

“Hell no,” Kerry said. “Sic Sven in his full glory on the pretentious assholes. No one who has been hurt as badly as you were would ask you to shack up with your ex and his lover for two weeks. That is selfish and inconceivable. Sven would love to help you teach them a lesson.”

Kerry took out his phone and typed a quick message. Sven looked at his phone, quirked a brow, and headed toward us.

He raked an ardent gaze over me. “Kerry said you need me.”

My cheeks heated, and sweat beaded on my upper lip. Any minute, I’d regain my sanity and put a stop to this. “I could use your help with a situation.”Fuck.

“Ohhh,” Sven simpered. “Undercover for another case?”

I swallowed hard but held Sven’s gaze. “This is personal.”

“You’d get a two-week trip to Vail at Christmastime,” Kerry said. “Dom, lead with the selling points first.”

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