Page 22 of Thick as Thieves
“You aren’t, so why should we be?” says James with a too innocent look on his face, the little shit. Making a song and dance about snuggling up to his mum.
Marcus starts to crack up. “Smoked by the teenager,” he laughs out.
As both boys cuddle their mum, she shakes her head at us all. “You lot need to stop,” she says, grinning. “And no one is too big for cuddles,ever,” she says as she pulls them both into her.
“Get us a drink, Dads,” Bucky demands, his natural exuberance returning more by the hour.
“Are we servants for you two?” asks Marcus, jokingly. Moving to put Lochi into the crib, he nods for me to put Sorley in with him.
“Yes,” nods James. “You’ve got eighteen years to make up.”
Marcus points at them. “You already had me on the hop in London. Harass Xander. He hasn’t had to put up with you on your own.”
They both look at me, expressions full of innocence.
James smirks. “Drink, Dad?”
He’s definitely been listening. I look at Marcus who is regarding him, clearly thinking the same thing. Our faces must be a picture of panic and terror, with fake smiles thrown in for good measure. It reminds me of LA, that first christmas.
“Your turn, Xan,” he says, and lays back down with his boys. “I’ll have a whiskey while you’re up.”
The drinks all ordered, I wander into the living room and see Betty in the corner of the room, out of sight but not earshot.
“Can I get you a drink, Betty?” I ask. Viscount Sterling, in full polite mode. “I’m clearly in charge of the drinks, so what can I rustle up for you?” I offer her a contrived polite smile. She must be an idiot if she doesn’t see the fake bonhomie.
“I’m fine, thanks,” she snaps out. “I’m just going to get some food while the boys are sleeping so I’m ready for later.”
I nod my head towards her and watch as she moves out of the room. I need to speak to Jonno. She definitely isn’t right. But what the hell is she doing if not reporting in? And to whom?
As the littles doze, we continue to lay comfortably together, chatting and all drinking alcohol apart from Evie. “Do we need to move the boys?” I ask as Bucky gets cracking with a funny story that has Marcus and I in tears.
“No, they need to get used to sleeping with a bit of noise, otherwise they’ll wake all the time,” Evie says. “James and Bucky used to sleep regularly at the drop of a hat, a snack after school and a nap before dinner. With all my brothers shouting in the house, they were never bothered, were you?” she prompts the boys.
They both shake their heads. “Can still sleep anywhere. Good training, Momma,” says Bucky, snuggling down for a nap now.
“What’s it like not to sleep, Xan?” asks James from his position under the crook of Evie’s arm.
“Hard work,” I say.
James gets up to nip to the loo and I take his place. We all look at him as he comes back in and scowls at me. We’re all grinning at him.
“Snooze you lose, sucker.” I push further into Evie, to wind him up.
“God, you two are hotter than the twins.” She flaps her shirt at me and Bucky.
Marcus gets up and turns up the AC while we all continue to lay comfortably in silence. And I fall the fuck asleep.
I haven’t slept for a week at least, and when I wake, the only one left is Evie. I’m still in the same place, and she’s holding me. I look up at her and smile. “How long?”
“Four hours. Not enough, but some,” she whispers, moving my hair across my forehead.
I close my eyes and stay as I am. I feel so relaxed, maybe her being here won’t be so bad on all levels. I might get some sleep.
The twins’ cry makes it to my ears a moment before the door pushes open. Marcus comes in, shutting the door behind him. “Kitten, the dinner bell has rung.”
He nods his head towards the room next door. But instead of waiting for her to move, he gets on the bed behind her and kisses her, smiling into her mouth as he does.
Looking over at me when he lets her up for air, he asks, “Feel better, Xan, for that snooze?” He's touching her body as he’s talking to me. I watch his hands, and as I nod, he cups her breasts. “These are heavy again. God knows how you do it.” He’s pecking at her lips, and running his thumbs over her swollen breasts.
