The Brothers Rule - Carolyn Faulkner Page 0,34

cleaning.

But she was adamant about wanting to go in once, herself, although the boys were just as adamant about not letting her go.

"What do you want me to get? I'd be glad to look for anything you want," Ryan offered.

What she wanted to see if she could recover was a rather extensive collection of sex toys, but she didn't want to say that to them. She didn't know why she was feeling shy about that with them, but she was. Perhaps it was because she wasn't sleeping with them.

She was amazed how easily living with five men became pretty routine to her, as if it was something she'd done all her life. And they were all—for men—gentlemanly to her. She wasn't allowed to lift anything heavy or climb any ladders. All five of them were appalled at the idea that she had gotten out a stepladder to change the batteries in the smoke detector when Jace, who was the tallest—although Tanner was a close second—could do it while standing.

"No climbing ladders when no one else is around," Jace had intoned in front of everyone, so that they all knew what was expected of her—what she wasn't allowed to do. "And when someone else is around, they can do it for you. You have tons of donkey labor here. There's no need for you to use a ladder when you don't need to."

Nick questioned that, "What's the problem, big bro? She's a perfectly healthy, capable woman—"

"And I wouldn't normally have any objection to it. But she's afraid of ladders," he stated, "so she'll be shaking while she's on it and, thus, be more likely to fall. If she's not going to let us do it outright, which I much prefer, then I at least want someone with her when she tries, just in case."

They all nodded.

Jace stood in front of her. "So, no more of that, Laurie." He didn't say the "or else," but it sure was implied.

"All right," she agreed, even though she knew she didn't really have a choice. This was a strange living arrangement already, and she wasn't interested in seeing what might happen if she seriously misbehaved, as far as the oldest three were concerned.

She didn't think her butt would be at all safe, whether or not she was sleeping with any of them or not.

And she was still no closer to making any kind of a choice—in fact, that order of business had been shoved well to the back of her mind since she'd moved in.

The family had a game night once a month that was just the brothers. It was a tradition they'd had since they were just boys. Their mom had come up with it, and they had carried it on religiously. It was a night just for the Rules—their parents had played, too, when they could. Friends were allowed over any other time, in fact, they were encouraged. Their place was the one that everyone wanted to come to.

But game night was sacred, and it was family only.

It was one of the few times their mom allowed them to eat junk food rather than the well-balanced meals she'd always cooked for them. She'd bring home pizza or KFC or subs and everyone would have dinner together. Phones or tablets were to be turned off and put in their bedrooms, even Mom and Dad's. When dinner was done, the games came out. Music played in the background, and as the boys grew, drinking was added in, which made things even more fun.

Tanner had told her all about it about a week ago, and Laurie figured that she would just spend the night in her room. She had her phone, her laptop, and her iPad, and there was a TV in her room, too, so she wouldn't lack for entertainment.

When she got home that night—a little later than usual because she had to do some errands in town—Ryan had just arrived a few minutes before her with bags of Chinese food, plus tons of beer, chips, dips, sodas, and a huge cake he'd bought at a Sam's Club on the way home. One brother, each month, was the host and therefore responsible for supplying stuff for the party. It was their choice what to bring, but woe betide whoever didn't bring enough food or drinks, so everyone over-bought, and the leftovers got eaten during the week.

They all greeted her with a tight hug as she moved through the crowd. The Rules were alpha males, no