Page 32 of Another Christmas from Hell

“And you think you’ll end up with someone like your mother?” Cayley asked, not bothering to ask him why, but then again, she wouldn’t need to, not when she got to experience it for herself.

“I’m never going to find out,” Bryce said with a slight shake of his head as he took a sip of his cocoa because if there was one thing that he knew, it was that he would never risk putting his children through the same bullshit and he sure as hell would never-

“You don’t plan on getting married, do you?” Cayley asked, reaching over to pluck the hot cocoa out of his hand and took a sip.

“No, I don’t think it’s in the cards for me,” Bryce said, knowing that he would spend the rest of his life alone while he prayed like hell that his brothers were lucky enough to find what their sister had.

“But you want it to be?” Cayley asked as he found himself looking at her and-

“God, yes.”

CHAPTER17

She should probably stop thinking about Bryce, Cayley decided as she rolled over onto her other side and faced the wall, only to sigh when she thought about the look on his face when she asked him why he wasn’t married.

To be honest, she’d always thought he’d be married by now with at least a half-dozen adorable little boys that loved to glare just like his father, but then again, he would probably have to date someone for more than three months to make that happen. Bryce barely dated, and when he did, it was never for long. She’d always wondered about that, not that she would ever admit that she thought about him because she knew better. He couldn’t stand her and she…had no idea why she couldn’t stop thinking about him.

That, of course, turned into her wondering why Sean was walking into her room, glaring at her every step of the way. “You left me to die!”

“It’s late,” Cayley pointed out, watching as he stopped next to the bed so that he could fold his massive arms over his chest while he glared accusingly down at her.

“I demand that you tend to me while I’m on my death bed,” Sean said, gesturing for her to get on with it.

Biting back a sigh, Cayley reached up, grabbed hold of his shirt and yanked him down so that she could slap her other hand against his forehead. “You’re fine,” she said, releasing him so that she could snuggle back under the comforter.

“Fine? I have the fucking sniffles, woman!” Sean snapped in outrage as she lay there wondering, not for the first time, why she didn’t settle on one of his brothers to be her best friend instead. It would have made her life so much easier if she’d picked Johnny or Brian.

God, what she wouldn’t do to have Brian as her best friend.

“Go home. You’re fine,” Cayley murmured around a yawn, beyond exhausted. Between the Winter Festival, which she’d been given a lifetime ban from thanks to the annoying bastard pouting down at her, and dealing with Kevin tonight, she was done for the day. She just wanted to close her eyes and pretend that this day never happened, but unfortunately for her, Sean had other plans.

“How can you be so heartless? I’m dying!”

“You’re fine,” Cayley pointed out, yet again.

“Fine? I have the fucking sniffles!” Sean snapped, reaching down to steal her pillow and leaving her with no choice but to glare up at the annoying bastard.

“Why are you like this?” Cayley demanded, moving to grab her pillow away from him, but he simply held it out of her reach.

“Because you won’t take care of me!”

“Go home, Sean,” Cayley said, deciding that she’d had enough for one day as she turned over and closed her eyes, only to go still when she felt it.

“Please tell me that you’re not doing what I think you’re doing,” Cayley said, telling herself that she was wrong and that he wasn’t really crawling onto her bed.

“I’m making it easier for you to take care of me,” Sean said with a satisfied sigh as he dropped down on the bed next to her.

“We talked about this,” Cayley said as she opened her eyes and turned over to glare at the large bastard that knew that she liked her space.

“And yet, I’m still staying,” Sean said, shifting to get more comfortable.

“I need to get up early for work,” Cayley said, knowing that trying to argue with him would be a waste of time and moved on to physical violence.

“And that’s more important than our love?” Sean asked, not really sounding all that concerned as she did her best to shove him off her bed.

“What love?” Cayley demanded as she continued trying to shove the large bastard off her bed, but God, was he freaking heavy!

“Exactly!” Sean snapped as he shifted onto his side and closed his eyes on a sleepy sigh. “You may tend to my needs now.”

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