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My gaze met Chrissy’s. “I’m still here. I just learned how to grow the fuck up.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Hendrix
Parker pulled the truck behind Thea’s car, then cut the engine. I grabbed the box between my legs and hopped out of the car. The blinds to the bedroom in the first level were drawn, giving us a full view of her inside.
The home was like a fishbowl, and we watched as she sat in bed, a mug in one hand, a book in the other. She didn’t see us approaching the front door, too engrossed in her story.
Parker knocked on the door, while I hung back, the box tucked under my arm. We were taking her camping today, and I bought her some gear to get her started with rock climbing. We wouldn’t do much of that on this trip, but she’d learn small basics and slowly work her way up to Parker’s skill level.
The door swung open and Thea smiled. She was wearing a cotton pajama set. Blue with spaghetti straps and short shorts that had pinstripes on them. Her hair was loose, framing her pretty face. My gaze dropped to her midriff, where her top cut off at her belly button.
“Morning, kitten,” I said, licking my lips. Heat crawled up my neck, wanting to run my tongue along the curve of her stomach. Wanting to taste the saltiness of her skin while also being close enough to inhale the scent of her musky arousal.
The aroma of bacon spilled out of the cabin, and my nostrils flared.
“Hey boys.” She smiled, her gaze darting between us.
It was forced, not meeting her eyes the way it usually did. She’d been sadder the past few days, and we couldn’t figure out why. I thought maybe it had something to do with not having sex with her. There’d been threesomes, sure. But I never penetrated, always letting Parker have the fun. We’d decided that it was best this way. That it made her have a connection to Parker, and also to make her ask for it.
She hadn’t brought it up, hadn’t asked us for that, and we weren’t giving her things unless she requested. “How was your evening?” I asked.
She shrugged, stepping aside to welcome us in. “It was fine. Are you hungry? I can cook up some more eggs and bacon for you.”
“We’re good, nabi. We ate already.” Parker stepped in first. He’d been here once before without me. It was a few nights ago after he dropped her off from the bar.
Entering, I glanced down the hall to see her bedroom door opened. I wanted to go in, to see the place she slept when she wasn’t sandwiched between Parker and me. I was curious about the book she was reading. Most of all, I wanted to claim her, be inside of her on that bed.
Parker plopped down on the couch, dragging Thea with him. I followed, resting my back at the entrance of her room, wanting to catch a peek, wanting to see if I could inhale the scent of her.
I glanced in, the orange book cover lying front and center, smack in the middle of her bed. Evidence strategies for child custody. A winning custody guide book. My breathing hitched, unsure what to make of that. Was she a mother? And we hadn’t figured that out?
I turned my attention to the rest of the common area. There were no pictures, no intimate touches of a family. The loft, where a child would sleep, wasn't decorated. The bed had a plain, solid colored comforter. There weren’t any toys scattered about.
Zero indicators that this woman was a mother. And she was so young. Sure, people had children in their teens, but Thea? Wouldn’t she have told us? She was transparent about the loss of her father and the way she spoke about her exes and her mother. Why would she hide this? This important detail of her life.
My gaze dropped to her stomach, and I watched her closely. Was she pregnant now? That thought instilled a ball of fire in the pit of my gut. She was lying to us, hiding something. Was it because she was ashamed? Maybe we should have looked into her the second we brought her home.
We should have run a background check to lay all the cards on the table before we allowed ourselves to stick around. I was right, after all. We shouldn’t have kept this going beyond a one-night stand.
“You okay?” Thea asked me, her arms snaked around the neck of my brother.
She seemed happier than when we first arrived, smiling as Parker brushed back the hair from her face. He nipped at her chin, one of his hands traveling up her torso underneath the pajama top. I cleared my throat, not wanting to bring this up right now. We’d go through the weekend as planned, and then I would investigate when we were home.
I pushed off the door frame. Nodding, I bent down and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Yes. Just a rough night of sleep without you to keep me warm.” I winked, and she blushed, nuzzling into Parker more.
“You ready for our hike?” Parker asked.
A soft giggle escaped as she nodded. And that sound? Fuck, it was like it was attached to my heartstrings. It tugged at me, warming me. It made me forget that quickly that I was mad at her for hiding secrets.
Thea’s tongue darted out, wetting her bottom lip as she nodded. “I’m packed. I just need to hop in the shower first.”
Parker closed his eyes, a dusting of pink hitting his cheeks as a rumble left his chest. “Need someone to join you? Reach those pesky spots you can’t get?”
His arm tightened around her. Possessively, needily. I already knew we weren’t leaving here without him getting what he wanted from her. She could protest, but he was an excellent sweet talker. I loved watching the way he could turn a no into a yes. Witnessing how good she made him feel was just as much of a turn on for me as it was taking her myself.
Thea’s head shook, and she moved to stand, but Parker moved his grip to the back of her neck. He held her in place. Yet, the thumb on the inside of her thigh brushed softly against her sensitive flesh.
