Holidays With the Walker Brothers

by Nicole Edwards

  After their rendezvous that morning, it seemed to be getting worse. He needed to find a way to distance himself from these two. As much as he hated the idea, he knew it was what he needed to do. While they’d been sitting at dinner, he had watched Brendon and Jessie, saw the way they laughed together, smiled at one another. He’d never felt more like an outsider than he had right then.

  Only he would catch a glance from Jessie every so often and what he saw reflected in her pretty blue eyes seemed to be reserved exclusively for him. God, he wished he knew what she was thinking.

  But, it was Christmas, and he was here with his family and he had made a promise to himself that he would enjoy the day. Tomorrow was a different story.

  The game continued, more gifts being opened, more faces turning vibrant shades of crimson over and over, but ultimately everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. By the time the last gift had been opened, people were beginning to mull about, going back for dessert, chatting in corners and he noticed that Zane and V had disappeared upstairs, probably thinking no one saw them.

  When Brendon and Jessie snuck back to the kitchen, he planted his feet firmly on the floor and refused to move. He wasn’t going to follow them around like a stray puppy that was fortunate to have found a home.

  “You all right, boy?” his father asked, coming over and slapping a firm hand down on his shoulder.

  “Good,” Braydon said with a grin. “You?”

  “Never better.”

  Braydon stood beside his father as they watched the others in the room. He had to agree with his father, compared to last Christmas, this was something they should all be grateful for.

  Peering over his shoulder, he saw Brendon standing in the kitchen, his arm around Jessie as they talked to Gage and Kylie. A spear of jealousy stabbed him right in the gut, and he was surprised he didn’t double over from the pain. Forcing himself to look away, he turned his attention to Ethan. Or rather Ethan and Beau who were staring at each other from opposite sides of the room.

  Hmmm…

  Well, the only positive note in all of this was that Braydon wasn’t the only one who seemed to be involved in some convoluted love triangle. The only difference was that Ethan was strong enough to walk away.

  Braydon prayed that he could find the strength somewhere. Because if he didn’t, his world was going to come crumbling down around him, and he didn’t think his family was ready for that.

  Chapter Twenty Four

  ♂♂

  Ethan

  By the time most of the guests had left, it was late, but Ethan and the rest of his brothers still had one last gift that they needed to give. They’d been chatting nonstop ever since the interesting round of secret Santa had concluded, not trying to encourage anyone to go home, but Ethan was actually looking forward to the night being over.

  He was ready to go home.

  Alone.

  A few minutes ago, he’d managed to send Blake on his way without confrontation, although he originally thought there was going to be a problem. Considering Beau was still there, and Zane didn’t want him leaving, Blake had originally been gearing up for a tantrum. Ethan had quickly put a stop to that. He couldn’t stand that whiny bullshit, but he had to admit, he had handled it better than he thought he would have.

  “We’re going back to the living room,” Kaleb informed him as he passed through the kitchen, coming back inside after taking Zoey’s father home a few minutes ago.

  Ethan nodded his head in understanding as he turned to see where everyone was. He needed to ensure he stayed as far away from Beau as possible because as the night progressed, it was getting more and more difficult to resist the guy.

  Unfortunately, he didn’t have anyone to blame but himself. For the entire night, Beau had been the perfect gentleman, never once taunting him. They might’ve shared a few passing glances, but it appeared Beau was trying hard to avoid him.

  Ethan had to assume that was because Blake had been there. Now that Blake was gone, he was feeling entirely too vulnerable. As it would seem, having spent years in Beau’s company during the holidays, Ethan had never actually paid much attention to how respectful the man was. He was literally the epitome of what Ethan wanted. Strong, quiet, mature. Not to mention sexy as fucking hell.

  Making his way to the fireplace once again, he took a seat, hoping Sawyer would take his original seat beside him. As he watched the others return to the living room, he was disappointed right off when Sawyer took a seat beside Zoey. When each of his brothers took an available seat on the couches, his anxiety level rose.

  “You mind?” Beau asked, startling Ethan. He hadn’t seen or heard the man approach.

  Yes. Yes, he did mind, thank you very much. Shaking his head no, he moved closer to the edge, trying to leave enough space between them so that he didn’t risk touching him.

  “Mom. Dad,” Travis began, sitting on the arm of the sofa directly across from his father’s chair. “We all got together this year,” Travis continued, gesturing to those who were in the room, “and decided to get you something we hoped you would enjoy.”

  “Are you saying they don’t usually enjoy what we get them?” Zane asked, making everyone laugh.

  “Only what you get them,” Travis said seriously, causing Zane to scowl at him.

  Ethan watched from across the room, doing his best to ignore the tantalizing scent of Beau’s cologne, and the heat of his body just a few inches beside him.

  This sucked.

  Truly sucked.

  Ethan forced himself to focus on Travis and not on Beau. He knew he wasn’t successful, but he had to at least pretend. There was no way in hell he was letting Beau know just how affected he was by his nearness.

  Travis handed his parents an envelope, then took his seat back on the arm of the couch and put his arm around Kylie.

  “Go ahead,” Curtis told Lorrie as he looked up at her.

  Their mother smiled, looking around the room, and before she even opened the envelope, Ethan could see a sheen of tears in her eyes. Crap. She was going to get emotional, and that was the last thing Ethan needed at the moment.

  In fact, the only thing he needed was air. Lots of air.

  Outside air.

  Fuck. Was it getting hot in there? Did someone turn on the heater?

  “Oh…” Lorrie squealed. “Oh my goodness!”

  “What is it, woman?” Curtis asked gruffly, reaching for the envelope she had a death grip on.

  “Holy sh –”

  “Dad!” Kaleb yelled, laughing as he interrupted his father’s curse.

  “Sorry,” he replied with a mischievous grin, still reading the card that had been inside the envelope. “Is this real?”

  “It’s real,” Travis confirmed.

  Ethan knew what his parents were looking at. Every single person in the room knew, including Beau. They’d all pitched in to buy their parents a cruise. An Alaskan cruise to be exact.

  His parents weren’t world travelers, but it wasn’t a secret that his father had always intended to take his mother on an Alaskan cruise – the one and only trip she had ever dreamed about – for their honeymoon. Needless to say, that trip had never happened. Aside from never being able to afford to go when they were married, with seven boys to contend with over the years, his mother always said they never had the time to go.

  Well, Ethan knew they had the time to go now.

  He met his father’s stare, noticing the glassy way his eyes shimmered as he searched every one of their faces.

  “Merry Christmas,” Kaleb said, causing a succession of several to follow.

  “This is wonderful,” Lorrie said, her voice soft, her eyes moist. “I can’t believe you did this.”

  “We figured you could both use some time away from us,” Zane offered with a huge grin.

  “That is not why we got it for them,” Sawyer said as he smacked Zane on the back of the head.

  “Whatever.”

  Ethan glanced down at his hands, not
icing his palms were beginning to sweat. Seriously, the room was getting hot. And Beau’s intoxicating scent wasn’t helping. He needed to…

  Without saying a word, hoping his parents would understand, Ethan stood up and then made a beeline for the front door. He needed some air. Just a little.

  As soon as he was outside, the dizziness subsided. He inhaled deeply, letting the chill in the night air soothe his overheated lungs. He followed the wraparound porch to the side of the house, not wanting to encourage company should one of his brothers come out to check on him. He wouldn’t be able to explain himself if they did. Hell, he didn’t even know what was wrong with him.

  “You ok?”

  Ethan groaned, unable to stop himself. The deep, rich baritone of Beau’s voice was the most erotic thing he’d ever heard, and right then, in the state he was in, he couldn’t stop himself from reacting to it.

  “Fine,” he responded breathlessly, hoping like hell Beau didn’t come any closer.

  Fuck.

  He was moving closer.

  Closer still.

  “Stop,” Ethan pleaded, backing up against the wall. “Turn around and walk away.”

  Beau didn’t move, but Ethan didn’t look at him. He didn’t want to see those intense brown eyes, or the beautiful, sculpted lines of his jaw. Didn’t want to notice the immense size of his body or wonder what it would feel like against his.

  “Please, just go,” Ethan whispered.

  To his horror, Beau moved closer. They were hidden in the shadows of the porch, but Ethan wasn’t worried about anyone seeing them. That’s not what had him barely breathing.

  Beau’s nearness was making him crazy, and the fact that he’d fought this feeling for so long was finally causing him to crack. When he’d been sitting in the living room, Beau close to him, right at his side, Ethan hadn’t been able to avoid thinking about what it would be like if this were his life. If Beau was with him. If Beau was there because of him. His lover. His man.

  For a fraction of a second, he’d wanted that. Wanted to have Beau with him, to know that when they left his parents on Christmas night, he’d be going home with him. Spending the night in his arms.

  But it wasn’t real. It wouldn’t happen.

  It couldn’t happen.

  And now he was freaking out like a fucking pussy.

  “Ethan.” Beau was close enough that Ethan could feel his breath, could practically feel the warmth of his skin against him. And the way he said his name…

  “Breathe.”

  Ethan made the mistake of looking at Beau. Meeting his gaze in the dim light cast by the holiday lights outlining the house, the concern he saw there nearly had him choking on his own fear. Fear that he could possibly get in over his head with this guy.

  When Beau’s large, callused hand came up and touched him gently on the cheek, Ethan thought he might pass out. “Fuck,” he groaned, never taking his eyes off of Beau.

  What would he do if Beau kissed him? Could he even push him away? He needed to. That was the smart thing to do because it didn’t matter how badly Ethan wanted him, he wasn’t the man Beau needed.

  Ethan was notorious for casual sex, nothing more, nothing less. He wasn’t looking for a relationship and the gentleness in Beau’s gaze every time he looked at him told Ethan that’s what Beau was looking for.

  “Awww, fuck,” Ethan whispered. He was going to lose his control. Beau’s hand eased down, his thick, warm fingers sliding behind his neck, his thumb scraping sensually across his throat as he stared at him.

  When Beau’s lips came down to rest on his, Ethan swore he would come right then and there. Gentle, sweet, and so fucking tender, Ethan didn’t know what to do. He was confused, angry. He didn’t want this, didn’t want Beau.

  But, God, he did want him. With a desperation he’d never known before.

  Without realizing it, Ethan found his hands gripping the front of Beau’s shirt, pulling him closer until their tongues were entwined, the world and everyone in it diminishing with the taste of Beau’s kiss.

  The squeak of the front door opening was like a bucket of ice water being tossed over him and Ethan pulled away at the same time he shoved Beau. Glaring at him, he let his rage take over.

  “Get the fuck away from me,” he bit out, his voice low, threatening. “This ain’t happening.”

  To his surprise, Beau didn’t look hurt, just shocked. With a simple nod of his head, he turned to go but paused, looking back over his shoulder as he said, “Just remember, when you’re tired of the games, I’ll still be here. Because no matter what you think, there is something here. And you won’t be able to stop thinking about it anymore than I will.”

  With that, Ethan watched Beau’s back as he disappeared around the side of the house, talking to whoever was there. With a thud, Ethan let his head fall back against the house.

  Closing his eyes, he made a promise to himself.

  No matter how hard he had to fight it, Ethan would never give in to Beau Bennett. And if he had to break Beau’s heart in the process, he would do just that.

  Whatever it took.

  Chapter Twenty Five

  Let’s ring in the New Year together…

  Please join us for a New Year’s Eve party

  December 31st at 7:00pm

  Alluring Indulgence Resort

  Hosted by the Walker brothers

  ♂

  Beau

  New Year’s Eve

  Beau honestly couldn’t believe his eyes.

  Here he was, standing inside of the luxurious Alluring Indulgence Resort and the place wasn’t even open to the public yet. Not that he could tell from looking around, considering the sheer number of people who were there.

  From the moment he had walked in the door, Beau had been introduced to one person after another, many of them from Dallas. As he watched the action heat up around him, he tried to put faces with names. Not something he was proficient at, but it wasn’t like he had anything else to do at the moment.

  Sitting at the bar height tables scattered throughout the room, Beau saw Zane and V talking with another couple he’d been introduced to. If he recalled correctly, their names were Logan and Samantha. He only remembered because the man mentioned that his twin hadn’t been able to make it for the event and Beau had been pulled into the conversation.

  Opposite them, a mountain of a man was talking to Travis while Kylie and the woman who had come with the guy were talking with Gage close by. What the hell was the guy’s name? He couldn’t remember.

  Looking around, he tried to locate Ethan, but he was nowhere in sight, although Beau knew he was there. He’d seen him when he arrived, but he knew Ethan was trying to avoid him like the plague, which actually wasn’t all that surprising. Not that Beau was in the chasing mood at the moment. If Ethan wanted to play these cat and mouse games, Beau was willing to sit back and wait for him to get tired of running.

  “Hey, how’s it going?” Sawyer asked when he walked up holding a beer in one hand while a gorgeous blonde cuddled up to his side.

  “Good. You?”

  “Not too bad,” Sawyer said with a mischievous grin. “Beau, meet Andrea. Andrea, this is Beau.”

  Beau nodded his head at the woman. Knowing Sawyer, she’d only be an ornament for a little while longer, so there was no reason for him to make small talk, nor would he need to try and remember her name. They didn’t stick around long these days.

  “Have you seen Greyson?” Sawyer asked, turning to face the crowded room.

  Beau nodded his head toward the far corner of the room. Greyson hadn’t wasted any time getting the party started tonight. After all, this was supposedly some sort of taboo sex resort and Greyson was all about the taboo. And the sex. Or at least that’s what Beau suspected based on the way he’d been groping his date since they walked in the door.

  “Thanks. I’ll catch you later.”

  Beau didn’t bother with a goodbye. Sawyer was moving at a fast clip toward the wall where Greyson h
ad a sexy brunette plastered against the wall, her hands captured above her head in one of Greyson’s while he was pressing a knee between her spread thighs.

  Based on the action that was quickly heating up around him, this was evidently going to be the theme for the night. He was almost disappointed that he hadn’t brought a date with him, but ever since that one night with Zane, the night that he realized his entire life had been a lie, Beau hadn’t been interested in seeking out anyone. Not to mention the disaster of a date he’d had right after he helped Zoey and Kaleb move into their house. His first official date with a guy was certainly not something he wanted to remember.

  Then again, he had other memories that easily trumped that one. Like the first kiss he’d ever shared with a man. And not just any man.

  Holy fuck.

  Beau wasn’t sure he’d ever stop thinking about the way Ethan had kissed him, the way he’d pulled him close, or the feel of Ethan’s erection pressing firmly against his. It was the most exquisite, mind-blowing feeling in the world. And that was saying something considering the night he’d been with Zane still lingered on his mind from time to time.

  But he knew Zane wasn’t an option.

  Then again, if Ethan had his way, Beau wouldn’t have him either.

  Despite the music playing from the overhead speakers, Beau heard a noise behind him, and he turned to see Brendon, Jessie and Braydon in an interesting state of undress. There was a small black leather sofa, and the two brothers had Jessie sandwiched between them. What they were doing was evident, although there weren’t any stray body parts visible.

  Ok, so if they had meant to keep their threesome a secret, the cat was out of the bag now. Up to this point, Beau had always heard the rumors, even suspected they were true, but seeing it firsthand felt… strange.

  Feeling like a voyeur, he turned away quickly.

  He chuckled to himself.

  Kind of the wrong place to be if he felt uncomfortable witnessing others in intense sexual acts. The night was rapidly progressing as they got closer to the midnight hour, but he couldn’t help but wonder whether anyone would even notice when the clock struck midnight at this rate.