Page 46 of Another Christmas from Hell

“He always watched over me,” Cayley murmured with a sad smile.

“Which is how I knew that he was the one for you,” Mr. James said, making her frown as she looked back at him.

“Bryce?” Cayley asked, even as she had to wonder, “Not Sean?”

Shaking his head, Mr. James said, “I have other plans for him,” as he stood up, taking the plate from her.

Before she could ask about that, he said, “I heard that your cousin is looking to have The Firehouse renovated.”

“She’s been putting off having the diner renovated, hoping for an opening with Rerum Highland Construction, but they’re booked solid for the next two years,” Cayley explained as she once again found herself watching Bryce.

“Tell your cousin to call me. I might know someone that can do it,” Mr. James said, and before she could respond, he was making his way across the room, only to throw, “I’ll see you Sunday,” over his shoulder before walking away, leaving her confused.

Sunday dinners were for family only.

Even when she was little, she wasn’t invited and that hadn’t changed over the years. It never bothered her because she knew that meant that she got one day a week where she didn’t have to worry about Sean stealing her food. Although he did make up for it during the rest of the week, Cayley thought absently as she watched Bryce, noting the way that he watched her and found herself wondering how much more she was willing to lose.

* * *

He hatedwhen the little bastard was right, and right now, as Bryce stared up at his bedroom ceiling, there was no doubt in his mind that his brother was right.

She was pulling away from him.

He’d felt it happening on the drive home and he’d been helpless to stop it. While she’d quietly sat there, staring out the window, he tried to think of something to say to stop it from happening, but he had absolutely no fucking idea what he was supposed to say to her. By the time Bryce walked her to her door, he knew that it was already too late. Cayley barely looked at him as she thanked him for taking her home as she let herself into her apartment while he stood there, resigned to watch her go.

For the past four hours, Bryce told himself that Sean was wrong, but when an hour passed and Cayley still didn’t walk into his room so that she could take over his bed, he knew that he’d fucked up. He considered asking his brother how to fix this, but the little bastard wasn’t talking to him at the moment, which meant that he was on his own.

“Fuck,” Bryce said, rubbing his hands roughly down his face as he debated going over there and trying to fix this, but he had no fucking idea what he was supposed to say to her. He-

“I terrify you?” came the curious question that had him glancing at his bedroom door to find Cayley standing in his doorway, watching him curiously.

“Yes,” Bryce found himself admitting, swallowing hard as he watched her as she stood there, thinking it over and-

“Good to know.”

-narrowed his eyes on the little brat when she turned around with a satisfied sigh and walked away, leaving him lying there, seething as he watched her go. Her father should have spanked her ass years ago, Bryce thought as he shoved the covers aside, more than a little fucking tempted to spank her beautiful ass.

She really was a pain in the ass, Bryce thought as he made his way into the kitchen and-

“That’s far enough,” the beautiful woman that was clearly fucking with his head said as she settled more comfortably on his kitchen island.

“You want to tell me what’s going on?” Bryce asked as he forced himself to stay where he was as he watched her, taking in her light pink tank top, the white cotton shorts, and her adorable feet as they hung above his kitchen floor.

“That’s what I’d like to know,” Cayley said as she crossed her arms over her generous breasts while she narrowed her eyes on him.

“Meaning?” Bryce asked, leaning back against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest as he waited for her to get to the point.

“I have questions,” Cayley said with a firm nod.

“Of course you do,” Bryce said, sighing heavily as he gestured for her to get on with it.

“It’s not going to be that simple,” Cayley said with a sad shake of her head and a heartfelt sigh as he reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose as he muttered, “Of course it’s not.”

Clearing her throat, Cayley continued, “Every time that you answer a question, you may take one step forward.”

“I see,” Bryce murmured as he considered her. “And what happens when I reach you?”

“Well, that really depends on your answers,” Cayley said, shrugging it off while he stood there, running several possibilities through his head, only to sigh heavily as he pushed away from the wall.

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