Lots of Naughty & A Little Nice - Leigh Lennon Page 0,30
I needed him to replace the uncertainty of Avery. I needed him to show me that in him, he is my everything. And his need was to be loved unconditionally.
He’s outside, running off the frustration of last night as he was my voice of reason. I wanted to be mad at him, but he’s right, being the calm in my storm.
I remain in our room, in my sanctuary when the doorbell dings several times. Ro must have forgotten his key and locked himself out, as he often does, and because we only have the doorbell in the front part of the house, I hurry down the stairs.
“I’m coming. Keep your jock strap on.” I’m in my boxers and pull back the door to the frigid temperature outside. I rethink my decision about not wrapping myself into a robe, but when my eyes fall on the face of Whitney, my regret is tenfold.
“I’d hold on to my jock strap if I wasn’t about to keel over in shock and hysterics,” she begins.
“Good morning, smart-ass, come in.” Her eyes stay fixed on my body, and I’m up the steps.
“Give me a second. I’ll be back down.”
Her voice carries. “I can understand what my sister sees in you. Along with the boy genius.” I ignore her statement, wrapping myself in a bathrobe, then returning to Avery’s sister. “Fuck, Robin Hood, I didn’t know people still wore those.” She points at my robe.
“Whit, is there a reason you’re blessing me with your presence first thing in the morning?”
“Oh, yeah, sorry. I was distracted by your body. I mean, you’re old and all, but hell, I didn’t think old men were hot.”
I’m still off, moody, and not ready for the angst of this teenage girl. Certainly not ready for the younger sister of the woman I want to comment on my body. “Okay, moving forward, Whit, what’s up?”
“So my sister is pissed off at the world this morning. She’s implemented family decorating day. So, with that, I thought I’d invite you all over to maybe sway her mood a little. I love decorating the tree but not with a person who could be categorized right now as a mix between Stalin and Hitler.”
Footsteps are heard behind her, and again, I expect to see the azure eyes of my man. But instead, I’m rewarded with the green emeralds of Ave.
She steps over the threshold but doesn’t look my way. “What are you doing here?” Her question isn’t casual. My stare is on Ave, beckoning her to look at me. To give me something—anything. I’m studying her facial features, and her puffy eyes make my heart fall. It looks as if she’s cried herself to sleep.
“Whit, let’s go.” In her demand, no wonder Whitney compared her to two famous dictators.
Whitney ignores her older sister, turning her body to me. “So, are you going to help us?”
Whitney is very perceptive. She has to sense the chemistry between her sister and the two of us. And she’s giving us an in.
“Whitney Marie Masterson, let’s go.”
Whitney holds up her hand, extending her index finger to tell her big sister to wait. I don’t give her an answer, but she continues anyway. “Great. Meet us at the house around three. We’ll have all the decorations out and hot cider. It’s a tradition dating back to—well before I can remember.”
Avery’s expression turns to stone, and again, I hear footsteps up the front porch. “Morning, ladies.” Ro steps into the threshold of the house but is blocked by both Whitney and Avery.
Ave doesn’t acknowledge Ro, and her glare stays fixed on her sister.
“Morning, Ro, Whitney came over to invite us to their annual tree trimming.”
His attention moves to Avery. “Really, Ave? We’d love to be a part of it.” He doesn’t understand this is an invitation from Whitney, and I’m positive Ave will give her sister the tongue lashing of a lifetime. But Whitney also has to see what we could be for her sister and must want Avery to be as happy as we do.
“Cool, we’ll see you later, Ave.” He sashays around her but stops and drops a kiss on her head. It’s natural in the way Ro does this as he does it to me all the time. He passes her as though he doesn’t realize what he’s done, doing the exact thing to me. “Nice robe, sweetie. I’m taking a shower. Come join me.”
He disappears up the stairwell. His comments are so natural because he’s around those he’s comfortable