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“Callie.” West’s warning is a hint.
Nic’s standing in the living room, fully dressed now. Natalie must still be sleeping, though. He gives me the nod.
Guess we’re doing this, then.
“Come on in,” I say, letting them pass. Callie walks over to Nic, her hand outstretched.
“I’m Finn’s sister, Callie,” she says, shaking his hand. Nic’s wearing his professional face. It’s weird to see it in my living room. While he’s wearing pajama pants, no less.
“I’m Nic.”
“This is West and Lee,” I say, pointing them out. “Callie’s partners.”
Everybody tenses, waiting to see what the reaction is to that word. Naturally, I can’t help but roll my eyes.
Nic doesn’t even blink.
“Pleasure to meet you,” he says, somehow including them all when he smiles. It warms me up from the inside, which I didn’t expect.
The warmth rises enough to irritate my neck, where I can feel the beard burn he left behind last night and again this morning. Shit. Nic looks sexed-up, too, with hickeys on one side of his neck where Natalie spent some extra time and attention after that crazy confrontation last night.
Swear to God, I’ve blushed more in the last month than my whole life combined.
“What’s going on?” Natalie’s voice comes from the hall, and holy shit, speaking of sexed-up.
She’s covered, if you can call it that. Stretchy sweatshirt gaping over one smooth shoulder and tiny shorts she told me she only wears for home workouts because they’re not fit to wear in public. And sweet Jesus, the sex hair. Her curls are everywhere, from sleep, Nic’s hands, and my own. She looks like sex on wheels, and everybody in the room is thinking it.
My sister, God bless her, marches right up to her. “Hi. I’m Callie.”
Natalie blinks and shakes her hand. Blushes to the roots of her hair. “Hi, Callie. I’m Natalie. I’ll be right back.”
She whirls around and makes a beeline back to the bedroom.
“So, this is awkward,” says Lee after a beat of silence.
Nic snorts.
West looks me right in the eye. “I told her she should call first.”
“Well, she didn’t.”
“You’re my brother,” she says. “I’m allowed to check up on you if I need to.”
“Since when?” I ask. I’m not half as annoyed as I should be, but considering Callie could barely even leave her own house until a few months ago, she’s got a ways to go before I’m going to be upset about it for real.
She flushes.
“Would you like some coffee?” Nic says to Lee, who drained his coffee cup right after they walked in.
“Sure,” Lee says, beaming.
“Come with me,” says Nic, leading him back to the kitchen, leaving me alone for the moment with Callie and West. Their voices are low, but the apartment is too small for much privacy.
“Made himself right at home, has he?” says West.
“If you’ve got something to say about it, do it now.”
He folds his arms across his chest. “I don’t see what you have to be defensive about. Unless there’s something else you haven’t told us yet.”
