had them on, I dug out another pair of thicker leggings and an oversized t-shirt. Fuzzy socks completed my sexy ensemble. I eyed the suitcases and then the dresser. I should probably put shit away, but the disagreement with Jake nagged at me.
I slid back into the bedroom to grab my necklace and bracelet. Once I had both on, I left the suitcase open on the bed. I’d put shit up before I went to sleep, later. Or maybe I’d live out of the suitcase.
Probably not, that would drive me a little crazy.
But only a little.
Pulling the door open, I paused to study the hallway. There were big ass windows on either end. The views were incredible. There were other doors along the way, a couple open, a couple closed. I had to wonder if the closed ones were where the guys were.
The weird feeling bubbled back up. There was a reason for them to have their own rooms, I told myself. Hadn’t we all been kind of on top of each other at the apartment? It wasn’t always easy to get alone time with any one of them when it was all of us.
Jake and Coop didn’t seem to mind.
A shiver went through me. They really didn’t seem to mind. And the less I focused on that, the better. Better to resolve the issues we had before I worked out how to steal away with one of them because I got horny.
Halfway down the stairs, I had to snicker at myself.
Horny.
My life had gotten so strange.
And more than a little wonderful.
But definitely strange.
The stairs were even better than they’d been when I was upside down on Jake’s shoulder. Christmas music played softly from somewhere. A huge tree stood center in the living room, lights twinkling on it. The fire burned merrily in the huge stone fireplace, surrounded by a half circle created by three oversized sofas. I didn’t see a television anywhere, but I knew the guys—there would be at least one. I stole a look at the ceiling as I hit the last step.
The crossbeams were amazing. This whole place was awesome. The only problem so far—the living room was empty.
Maybe all the guys were upstairs?
My stomach grumbled. Maybe I was a little hangry. Following the scent of coffee, I promised myself I’d go up and dig them out from wherever they’d gone—Jake in particular—after I got at least a cup of coffee.
Trusting my nose, I headed down the hall away from the living room and paused at the closed door when Coop said, “Did you seriously have to just pick her up like a sack of potatoes? Seriously, man…”
“Yeah, yeah. She was fucking cold and her lips were turning blue and she had zero intention of coming inside.”
“Still,” Archie countered. “You managed to take her from being enchanted and delighted to fucking furious. Thanks for that.”
“Bite me, Archie.”
“Guys,” Ian said with a sigh. “The point is, she’s annoyed. Apologize.”
“I’m not going to apologize for caring.” Aggravation discolored every single word.
I sighed, a sound Coop echoed almost perfectly. I could picture him, even with the door closed. He would be standing there, arms folded with one hand up as he pinched his brow. “Why don’t you apologize for being a dick then?”
I could live with that apology.
“So you’re saying I should have just let her freeze?”
“I’m saying maybe not just tossing her over your shoulder and spanking her as you carry her up the stairs and then ordering her to strip like she’s property,” Coop drawled. “You know, maybe talk to her instead of at her? Maybe that could work.”
The lack of actual verbal response didn’t mean there wasn’t any kind of response. I chewed my lower lip. I could sit here and let them continue to debate it, or I could just walk in there and resolve it.
Yeah, that was a no brainer.
They had coffee.
I pushed the door open and found all four of them staring at each other as they framed the island in the kitchen. The coffee smell wrapped around me like a siren pulling me in. Now that I was also in the kitchen, there was no mistaking the smell of biscuits.
All four heads turned, and the weight of their stares settled. As uncomfortable as it might be with tension prickling the air, some of my earlier unease of their noticeable absence in the room fled. They were all right here, and this was our holiday.
“I was a jackass,” Jake said abruptly. “I shouldn’t