Page 14 of Four Stepbrothers for Christmas

My whole body tightened at the realization, blood surging south in a primal, uncontrollable reaction. I clenched my fists to anchor myself. This was Becca, my employee, and any other line of thinking was absolutely forbidden.

Should I have gone in? Hell no. That was a line that, once crossed, offered no return. I might be an asshole, but I wasn't a monster. Should I tell my brothers? That was a more complicated question. On one hand, it was an invasion of her privacy; on the other, it confirmed what I'd suspected—there was an undercurrent, a tension felt not just by me but apparently by her as well.

I took a deep breath and forced myself to move, my boots feeling as though they were made of lead. I wasn't the sort of man who eavesdropped on a woman's most private moments, even if those moments involved fantasies about me.

I would talk to the guys. We had an unspoken agreement: we didn't mix business with personal matters. But then again, none of us had accounted for Becca to walk into our lives and cloud our judgment.

For the moment, I headed to my room, but I knew sleep would be elusive. My thoughts were a tangled mess of business, family, and now a woman who had unknowingly turned all of our worlds slightly but irrevocably askew. She wanted us. And whether we'd admit it or not, we wanted to know more about this woman who was as complex as she was captivating. But at what cost?

Chapter 9

Vinnie

Swirling the liquid in my glass, the scent of aged scotch hit my nose. It was a fragrance I equated with unwinding, and it was doing wonders for my mood.

The living room’s ambient glow, courtesy of the fireplace, gave everything a soft touch. Luke and I were sprawled on the plush leather couches, our heads close, going over the week's agenda. Skiing, choice hiking spots, and some much-needed downtime for fishing. This was the kind of vacation I'd been yearning for. A break from the grind.

But my thoughts were interrupted when Archer, the brother I often dubbed "the thinker," walked in. It didn’t escape my notice that something was off with him. There was a ripple in his usually calm demeanor, an anomaly I couldn’t ignore.

“I thought you were headed to bed?”

“Couldn’t sleep,” he said with an odd look.

Sitting back, I shot him a curious look. "What's got you looking like the cat that swallowed the canary, bro?"

Archer’s gaze darted around, eventually landing on the office door. "Where's Isaac?"

Luke rolled his eyes, sipping his scotch. "In the office. Buried in his work, as always."

Sighing, Archer took a seat opposite me, his features taut. "You guys won't believe what I stumbled upon."

I leaned in, my curiosity piqued. Archer wasn't one to get easily flustered, and I was certain this would be worth hearing.

Archer shot another glance toward the office, then, lowering his voice, he said, "I heard Becca... in her room. She was... enjoying herself. And saying our names."

For a split second, silence reigned. His words created an electric charge, an unspoken tension wrapping around us. The soft crackle from the fireplace was the only thing breaking the stillness.

Suppressing a chuckle, I smirked. "You're screwing with us, right?"

But the seriousness in Archer’s eyes told me all I needed to know. "I'm not kidding."

Luke, carefully placing his glass on the table, asked, "All our names?"

Archer nodded slowly. "Every single one."

A rush of mixed emotions hit me. There was surprise, a flicker of excitement, and, if I dug deep, a dash of smug satisfaction. "It's a fine line," I mused aloud. "On one hand, she’s our employee. But on the other..."

Luke jumped in, "She’s obviously attracted to us too."

Rubbing the back of my neck, I took a moment to gather my thoughts. "Whatever Becca does in her private moments is her business. But knowing this? It adds a new variable to the equation."

Archer looked tormented. "I should’ve minded my own business. But what do we do now?"

After a thoughtful pause, I answered, "We keep this to ourselves. It's her place to come to us if she ever wants to. Until then, it’s business as usual."

Luke gave a nod of agreement. "It won't be easy, but her privacy is paramount."

Finishing my scotch, its warmth provided little comfort against the newfound turmoil. "This vacation's going to be more intriguing than any of us anticipated."

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