Once they arrived at the house, the

Once they arrived at the house, their things were brought in and Jamie joined them for a late lunch. Evelyn found it difficult to look at Jamie after the last time they were in the dining room together, but his easygoing disposition helped. It was almost impossible to associate the carefree man with the one who watched her come with nothing but pure lust and intensity in his eyes. It was easier to forget about what he’d seen when they were at the penthouse, but when they were at Lucian’s home the past came hurtling back to her.
“Are you enjoying your holiday, Scout?” Jamie asked as they sat in the library after lunch. Lucian was called away for a few moments with an important business call.
The library wasn’t overly formal, which didn’t really match the name. Rather, it was like a cozy living room, but a television was absent and the walls were covered with books. She sat cross-legged on the overstuffed sofa facing Jamie. “Lucian has a way of making every day feel like a holiday.”
Jamie’s cheeks were dusted with freckles that made his pigment appear darker than it was. He was actually quite pale. When he smiled, like he did now, twin dimples formed in his freckled cheeks. His smile was quite charming. “Lucian does have that ability when he chooses to use it. I think you’ve been good for him. I haven’t seen my friend this lighthearted since we were children.”
Lucian definitely had an intense side. He brought that side out when they were intimate, but it wasn’t the same as the severe side she’d caught glimpses of when he needed to accomplish something important. She had no doubt that Lucian could have anything he wanted, because his determination and tenacity was almost frightening at times.
“I’m enjoying myself,” Evelyn said.
“I’m glad,” Jamie admitted. “I hope that you stick around for a long time, Scout. I like you. I like what you do for my friend and I like the kind of girl you are. Luche’s never had a girl like you before.”
“What do you mean, ‘a girl like me’?”
“Tough. You’re not a pushover. Lucian’s extremely domineering with women. Not everyone can handle a demanding male and draw a line between being submissive and being completely subjugated. You won’t lose yourself to him. You’ve a strong little will under all that beauty.”
“Thank you?” What did you say to that? Domineering with women . . . Lucian didn’t have women. He had her. There had better not be any other women.
The sound of Jamie’s laughter eased the tension weighing on her face. “Relax, Scout, I meant it as a compliment. Oh, yes,” he said holding his trim belly. “I think you’ll be quite wonderful for Lucian. As a matter of fact, with the fierce look you just had on your face, I wonder if maybe I should fear for the day that Lucian truly pisses you off, because trust me, love, he will.”
She believed him. When Lucian returned, he seemed flustered. “Evelyn, will you get me a drink, please?”
Caught off guard, because Lucian rarely requested her to wait on him, she did a double take. He wasn’t looking at her, so she simply stood and went to the bar. Crystal was incredibly heavy for glass. Evelyn’s hand trembled as she tipped the decanter over the tumbler. Lucian and Jamie were speaking in hushed tones over at the sofa. Distracted by trying to hear what they were saying, she almost overpoured and spilled all over the bar.
Amber liquid topped the glass, almost forming a bubble. If she moved the glass, the placid surface of liquor would ripple and make a mess. Her eyes shot to Jamie and Lucian, then back to the glass. Leaning over, she put her lips to the rim of the glass and sipped. Fire burned through her esophagus like tunneling lava. She gasped and choked.
Her eyes watered and she turned, fighting to suck in a deep breath. A bottle of cool water was shoved in her face. Her hands gripped the bottle and drank from it greedily as someone patted her back. Swiping a finger under her runny eyes she turned, totally embarrassed. She was such an idiot. Never a dull moment.
“You okay?” Lucian’s expression was wholly concerned. Knowing he wasn’t laughing at her she felt a little better.
“Yeah. Thanks. What the hell’s that crap you’re drinking?”
“Brandy.”
Evelyn made a gagging face. “It’s like trying to swallow melted glass.”
Jamie chuckled, reminding her of his presence. Lucian’s eyes softened and he leaned forward and kissed her temple. The gesture wasn’t unfamiliar, but there was something intimate about it. It surprised her that he’d show such simple affection in front of his friend. When she turned, Jamie looked equally surprised, but also pleased. The smile hovering around his lips also touched his eyes.
“Well, kids, I believe I’ll be taking off. Perhaps I’ll visit Christmas Eve,” Jamie announced, and Lucy, who seemed to always show up at just the right moment, disappeared, then reappeared with his coat. Jamie shifted his long arms into his dapper coat and buttoned the double-breasted panel in the front. The style reminded her of something Parker would look great in.
“Do, Jamie,” Lucian said patting his friend on the back. “I know the girls would love to see you.”
The side of Jamie’s smirk kicked up, “Antoinette’s in her twenties now.”
Lucian scowled. “No.”
Jamie laughed merrily and slapped his shoulder with what appeared as sympathy. “It’s inevitable, Luche. You know it and I know it.”
Jamie kissed Evelyn’s cheek and walked out of the library in high spirits. “She’s got a boyfriend, Shamus. He’s a martial arts instructor. He’ll kick your ass!” Lucian shouted and Jamie’s laughter echoed from the foyer.
Once she was sure Jamie had left, she asked, “Does Jamie like your sister?”
He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “Not as much as Antoinette likes him. She used to follow him around like a puppy. Jamie’s always kept his distance, but once he lost a bet and Toni made him give her his word that after she turned twenty he’d stop seeing her as only his friend’s baby sister.”
“You don’t want her to be with Jamie?”
“Jamie’s a great guy. Couldn’t ask for a more loyal friend, but Toni’s my sister, and Jamie’s my friend for a reason. We have very similar tastes.”
A small bit of hurt formed in her belly. Why were Lucian’s ‘tastes’ good enough for her, but not good enough for his sister?
“Hey. What’s that face for?”
She shook her head. “You don’t want a man to treat your sister the way you treat me?”
He opened his mouth, but the tension in his brow faded and he seemed to understand the conclusions she was drawing. “Evelyn, there’s nothing wrong with what we do. My concern with Jamie getting involved with Toni is . . . let’s just say that I’m very private about my appetites around my family. Toni’s a blabbermouth. She likes Jamie because the little girl inside of her said one day she’d marry him. She doesn’t have a clue about what she’d actually be walking into with him. My sister doesn’t have a submissive bone in her body and I’m not sure Shamus has the fortitude to help her be what he needs. The entire thing could end badly and I don’t need Toni running to all her little friends, painting Jamie’s name in a bad light when he does nothing I wouldn’t do.”
His words reassured her. She understood the desire for privacy. “Well, you said she has a boyfriend. I don’t think Jamie’s the kind of guy to poach.”
Lucian’s head jerked with a short bubble of silent laughter. “Baby, Jamie and I are very similar. If there’s something we want, we go after it. It doesn’t matter who’s guarding it from us. Once we set our sights on it, it’s already considered ours. And we always get what we consider ours.”
“Well, what about Antoinette’s boyfriend? Surely Jamie wouldn’t fight—”
“Antoinette’s boyfriend couldn’t kill a spider. He’s a tissue. Jamie would destroy him if it came to that.”