Page 21 of Saving Nevin
It is SO like that. Quinn says you’re practically over the moon for this guy and like, no offense, but you haven’t dated anyone like, ever. Remember Parker Phillips? That cute British Omega who was here on holiday a few years ago? We met him at Mom’s Christmas party. He was SO into you. I thought for sure you two would get down and dirty, but NO. Not even a bit of mild flirting. And now you meet some random wolf on death’s doorstep and suddenly you’re in LUV? This Nevin guy must be something else.
I paused to think about that. Honestly? I barely remembered the British guy. I’d been polite, I’m sure, but I hadn’t been interested. Nothing about him stood out to me. Why Xan remembered him, I had no idea. Unless Xan was the one playing matchmaker, trying to hook his forever-alone older brother up with a suitable partner. Come to think of it…
Xan. How did Parker Phillips even get invited to Mom’s party anyway?I asked.
He sent me a smirking emoji.Someone had to do it. He was SO your type! But no.
You set me up?
Duh. Obviously it didn’t work. But whatevs, it’s in the past. I wanna meet Nevin. Can I come over?
Today?I blinked in surprise, glancing up at the clock on my phone. It wasn’t even ten in the morning. Nevin and I were still in our pajamas. I’d hoped for a quiet morning of movies and cuddling, but…Let me ask.
“Hey, Nev?”
“Hmm?” His blue eyes trained on me, curious.
“Would you be up for some company here in a little bit?” At Nevin’s hesitation, I quickly added, “It’s just my brother. He’s dying to meet you and I don’t think he’s gonna take no for an answer.”
“The one whose clothes I’m wearing?”
I chuckled. “The one and only.”
“I mean… Heisthe only one of your family members that I haven’t met, so I guess? Let me get dressed first, though, and do something with my hair.” He pushed his chair back with the backs of his legs, then padded off down the hall.
I turned back to my phone.How about 10:30? Give us a bit of time to clean up and get dressed.
Yay!Came his immediate response.I can’t wait!
At exactly ten-thirty, Xan waltzed in through the front door, no doubt having used the key stashed under the flowerpot next to the door. “Honey, I’m hooome!” he singsonged as he paraded into my cottage like he owned the place. He popped around the corner, to the living room, where Nevin and I were sitting.
“You ever heard of knocking?” I dead-panned.
“You ever heard of ‘I’m your baby brother and what’s yours is also mine’?” he shot back, sticking his tongue out with a playful butt-wiggle. He rocked back on his chunky-heeled combat boots and looked past me, to Nevin. “Hi! I’m Xan, and I must say, you have impeccable taste in fashion.”
Of course, Nevin was wearing an outfit that had been in the bag of clothes Xan had given him—a pair of tight blue jeans with slits cut down the sides of the legs and a fitted v-neck tee with a cutesy Loch Ness monster on it that said “I Believe In You!”
Still, Nevin ducked his head with a blush and a little giggle and mumbled a thanks. Xan kept on grinning. “Aww, you’re shy. That’s okay. I’m not. I’ll do all the talking, don’t worry!” He cut a glance to me, bouncing his pierced eyebrows and widening his eyes. “So. I see where I went wrong with the British guy.”
Oh lord… “Xan,” I warned, but Xan laughed and waved his hand, dismissing me.
“You’re into femboys! Oh, this is better than I ever could’ve expected. My big burly brother and his cute little mate.” He clasped a hand over his chest, like he couldn’t take it. “Adorable! Nevin is so cute, too. How’d you get so lucky, huh?”
Nevin blushed an even deeper shade of red. “Um… I’m right here…”
“Sorry,” Xan said, though he didn’t sound very sorry. “I’m a little…”
“Obnoxious?” I offered.
“Sure, why not. You are super cute, though, and my clothes suit you so well. It’s like this really was written in the stars, like Kace always dreamed about.” He winked at me. I rolled my eyes with a sigh. “Wish an Alpha would fall into my lap like that,” Xan said with a wistful sigh.
“You’re young,” I told him. “I waited twenty-six years to meet Nevin.”
“Yeah, but I don’twannawait,” Xan whined, stamping his boot on the floor. He flopped down in the overstuffed arm chair and crossed his leg at the knee. His foot bounced, making the hardware on his boot jingle softly. “I’m only twenty, sure, but I’m ready to settle down. I want an Alpha. I want a family.”
“Xan.” I didn’t want my brother going into a “my body needs babies,” tirade when I knew Nevin was sensitive about the subject, so I cut in. “Why don’t you tell Nevin a bit about yourself?”
Thankfully, it worked. Xan sat up a little taller in his chair and smiled at Nevin. “Right. So, my name is Xan. Short for Xander. Not Alexander, just Xander, though Mom only calls me that when she’s pissed off at me, which is often.” He giggled. “I’m a brat, what can I say. It comes with being the youngest.”
