Page 59 of Another Christmas from Hell

Her eyes narrowed on the door as she thought about all those things that she’d been wondering about before shifting her focus on his brother to find Sean still glaring at her while she debated her next move. Bryce was surprisingly difficult to interrogate, but his brother…

Was about to answer all of her questions, Cayley decided, biting back a smile.

CHAPTER32

“That’s not what I meant!” the woman that he’d been thinking about for the past two hours screamed somewhat hysterically as his apartment door was thrown open and his brother stumbled inside with the little pain in the ass latched onto his back, desperately trying to stop him from doing something that was going to get him killed.

Bryce watched as the reason why he needed to put a stop to this before it was too late narrowed eyes that matched his on him seconds before his expression became determined. He never should have touched her, Bryce thought as he watched his brother make his way across the apartment, most likely to do something to piss him off while he sat there thinking about just how badly he’d fucked up.

As much as he wanted Cayley, and God, he’d never wanted anything more in his life, he never should have fucking touched her, not when it could end up hurting his little brother. She was his brother’s best friend, something that Bryce should have remembered when he’d touched her, especially when he knew how this was going to end, but he’d been too fucking focused on finally having her in his arms to think straight.

When this was over, Sean was going to end up being the one to pay the price and he couldn’t do that to his brother. He-

“She’s not your fuck buddy, asshole,” Sean snapped, making everything in Bryce go still as his gaze shifted from his brother to the small woman struggling to bite back a wince.

“That’s not exactly what I said,” Cayley mumbled, not quite able to meet his eyes as she cleared her throat, moved to release her hold on Sean, only to clear her throat again and mumble, “I’d really like to go home now.”

“Get out,” Bryce said, never taking his eyes off the small woman that had a lot of explaining to do as he stood up.

Nodding, Cayley said, “That sounds like a good idea,” as she waited for Sean to turn around and do just that. When Sean only stood there, glaring at him, Cayley cleared her throat again, released her hold on his brother and dropped to her feet where she stumbled, righted herself, and then with a nod, murmured, “I’ll just be going then.”

“Not. You,” Bryce bit out as he moved to reach past his brother to stop her, only to have Sean push his arm away.

“Not fucking happening,” Sean bit out as he stepped in front of his best friend in a move that had Bryce’s respect rising for his little brother. He appreciated the fact that Sean would never let anything happen to Cayley, he really did, but at the moment, that just wasn’t going to work for him. So, with a sigh, Bryce shifted his focus to his brother and-

“Ow! Why do you have to be so mean?” Sean demanded as Bryce dragged him across the living room by the back of his shirt and shoved him into the hallway before slamming his door shut and locking it.

“This isn’t over!” Sean yelled as Bryce turned around and focused back on the woman standing in his apartment, her mouth working soundlessly as she wrung her hands together and-

“Start talking,” Bryce said, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned back against the door, ignoring Sean’s sputtered demands to be let back in, which quickly turned to threats of tattling.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Cayley said, nodding solemnly.

“And why’s that?” Bryce asked as he pushed away from the door.

“Because that didn’t work out the last time that I tried it,” she admitted, unable to bite back that wince this time.

“And the reason why my brother thinks that I’m treating you like a fuck buddy?” Bryce asked, crossing the room so that he could glare down at the small woman that was driving him fucking crazy.

He should have taken the out that his brother just gave him, but…

Sean was never going to forgive him, Bryce thought as he found himself reaching for her. He noted the way that she was worrying her bottom lip between her teeth as he carried her into the kitchen and set her down on the kitchen island. Noticeably swallowing hard, Cayley moved her legs apart to make room for him as she opened her mouth, thought better of it, closed it, winced, and then finally admitted, “My interrogation backfired.”

“You were trying to interrogate my brother?” Bryce asked, placing his hands on her thighs as he waited for an answer.

“I don’t feel that it would be in my best interest to answer that question,” Cayley said as he stood there, absently nodding as he thought it over.

“Fair enough,” Bryce murmured, deciding that they had more important matters to deal with at the moment. “Let’s focus on the reason why he thinks I’m treating you like a fuck buddy, then.”

“I can honestly say that I have no idea how that happened,” Cayley said, looking really fucking relieved, which had him making a mental note to ask the little bastard about that later.

“Try,” Bryce said, watching as his hands moved over her thighs, enjoying the feel of smooth skin against his hand before he was met with the soft material of the shorts that she liked to sleep in before he looked up to find her sending his door a wistful look that had his lips twitching. “Cayley,” he said, feeling his lips twitch as he watched her shoulders slump in defeat as she shifted her attention back to him.

“He commandeered my interrogation,” she mumbled sadly with a helpless shrug. “I don’t know how he did it.”

“That is a mystery,” Bryce murmured dryly, feeling his lips twitch as he watched her nod in agreement.

“It really is,” Cayley murmured as she shifted to get more comfortable, only to end up worrying her bottom lip between her teeth as she took one of his hands in hers and began absently toying with his fingers.

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