Chapter One
Clay Landon leaned against the mantel of a fireplace and frowned. He’d spent quite a lot of time with the Barringtons over the past year, and the idea of spending Thanksgiving with them had sounded mildly entertaining. He hadn’t expected the dark mood that was slowly taking hold of him.
His best friend, Dax Marshall, stepped away from his new bride to join him. “You’re in a mood. Are you hungover or hungry?”
Clay kept his expression serious. “I’m hoping if I don’t smile, Asher won’t try to hand me his son again. Do I look like someone who wants to hold a baby?”
Dax laughed. “Better you than me, but don’t panic. Fatherhood isn’t catching.”
Clay glanced around and arched an eyebrow. “Are you certain? Lance and Willa are preparing for twins. You and Kenzi married sooner than you’d planned. Kenzi’s probably already pregnant and waiting to tell you.”
Looking across at his wife, Dax’s expression softened. “I wouldn’t mind.”
With a shudder, Clay folded his arms across his chest. “Like I suspected, highly contagious and you’re already infected.”
“Don’t be afraid of growing up, Clay, it’s not as bad as you think.”
“Growing up. Giving up. Call it what you want. I prefer my life the way it is.”
“Do you?” Dax’s question hung in the air.
Clay dropped his arms and pushed off the mantel. “Look at them, Dax. All smiles and hugs. I can see the lure of it for you, but don’t buy into the fairy tale. They’re not as perfect as they want you to believe.”
Unbothered, Dax smiled. “They’re completely screwed up, but I’m pretty messed up myself.” He clapped a hand on Clay’s shoulder. “And you, my friend, fit right in.”
Clay shrugged his hand off. “Remind me why I’m here since it’s not for the pleasure of your company.”
“I have two working theories of equal merit.”
“I’m sure I don’t want to hear either.”
“One is that you are a lonely son of a bitch who actually misses me now that I spend more time with Kenzi than I do with you.”
In a tone thick with sarcasm, Clay said, “Nailed it.”
“Or you heard Lexi will be here.”
Clay didn’t respond at first because Dax’s second guess cut too close to the truth. Lexi Chambers was slowly but surely ruining his sex life. At first he’d dismissed his attraction to her as the “twin effect.” What man hadn’t indulged in the fantasy of being with twins? After getting to know her sister, though, his interest had settled solely on Lexi. Willa was not only too sweet for his taste, she was also now married to his best friend’s brother-in-law, which made her almost family.
Lexi on the other hand was a spirited, irreverent rebel who spiced up his late night dreams on a regular basis. She was not only gorgeous, but she knew how to use her body to reduce the men around her to babbling pools of drool. Her outfits were daring; her comebacks were sassy. Careers couldn’t contain her. Neither money nor fame seemed to impress her. She ran wild and free with an abandon that was hotter than hell. The only flaw he’d found in her so far was that she was unimpressed by him.
Normally Clay would have moved on to another woman. He had enough eager women on speed dial to fill his bed for a month, but the mere thought of Lexi was enough to kill his desire for any of them. “Will she be here? Kenzi and Willa will be happy,” Clay said in a bored tone.
“So you’re here to see me? That’s your claim?” Dax asked in a droll tone.
Dale, the patriarch of the Barrington family, joined them. “May I get you a drink, Clay?”
Clay shook his head. There was something about the wholesome vibe Dale and his wife, Sophie, exuded that stole the enjoyment out of catching a buzz. Although Dale wasn’t from the same generation as Clay’s grandfather, he had the same dignified authority. Being around Dale brought back fond memories even while leaving Clay feeling a little sad. “As always, thank you for including me, Dale. Dax was just saying he hopes he’s the next to give you a grandchild.”
“Friends never miss a chance to throw you under the bus, do they, Dax?” Dale asked with a smile.
Dax nodded and returned the smile, looking a million times more comfortable with his father-in-law than Clay ever imagined he would be. “No, they don’t. Is Lexi here yet? Clay was just asking about her.”
Dale’s eyes twinkled with humor. “She said she’s on her way, but that could mean she’ll arrive before or after dinner. She’s a tough one to figure out.”
“She sure is,” Clay said, instantly regretting it when the other men smiled knowingly. It was definitely time to change the subject. “I was looking forward to meeting your son, Andrew.”
Dale’s expression sobered. “He wasn’t able to get back for the holidays this year. When that has happened in the past, we’ve been able to Skype with him. This year he said he’s not in a situation that allows it. He won’t say where he’s deployed to. He tells me not to, but I worry about him.”
Dax frowned. “Have you looked into it? Asked around?”
Dale shook his head. “He’d be furious if I did and he found out about it. Don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’ve raised some headstrong sons.”
Dax nodded and accepted Dale’s answer with an ease that meant he would look into it. It was still strange to see how protective Dax had become of this family. Before meeting Kenzi, Dax had been known to slice through companies with the heartlessness of a pirate from the past. He’d charged forward, avoided personal investment, and made no apologies for his choices. This new version of Dax still took some getting used to.
A family man.
How the mighty have fallen.
Clay glanced around the room again. Dale’s wife, Sophie, caught his eye and waved him over. Turning to gain support from Dax, Clay realized he was standing alone. He made his way over to her, feeling slightly uneasy as he did. His own mother and father had died when he was a young child. His grandmother had cared for him, but she’d been more generous with her money than with her time or attention. Sophie was the opposite. He could have found a reason to avoid her, but he not only liked her, he also liked the idea of her. She was sweet and devoted to her family, like an old-fashioned mother in the movies.
“I am so glad you agreed to join us today, Clay. It’s good to see you and Dax laughing together.” She reached up and gave his cheek a motherly pat.
He wanted to dislike the gesture, but he didn’t. The genuine affection in her eyes warmed Clay’s heart in a way that confused him. This was Dax’s new family, not his. He spent time with them out of curiosity, not because he wanted or needed this type of people in his life. “Dax hasn’t stopped smiling since he met your daughter.”
“Love does that to a man,” Sophie said. “I couldn’t have chosen a more perfect husband for Kenzi. How about you? Do you have anyone special in your life?”
“They’re all special,” he said lightly. “And I prefer it that way.”
She smiled indulgently. “Boys. You all sound the same until you meet the right one.”
Clay felt Lexi’s arrival before he saw her. His attention slid away from Sophie to the doorway of the living room where Lexi was greeting Kenzi and Willa with hugs.
“Clay?”
Lexi removed her jacket, handing it to Grant, the second to the oldest of the Barrington sons. Her tight, orange dress might have been too bold on another woman, but she wor
e it with the confidence of a model. It hugged every curve, accenting her beautiful ass and amazing breasts. Her blonde hair was pulled back on both sides, revealing enough neck that he grew hard imagining kissing his way up it. Grant said something to her that made her smile, and Clay’s stomach clenched with a jealousy he tried and failed to conquer.
Sophie laid a hand on his forearm, pulling his attention back to her. “I know a lot of single women who would love to meet you.”
Clay looked down at Sophie. “I appreciate the offer, but meeting women has never been my issue.”
Sophie sighed. “I didn’t think this house needed more men in it, but having you and Dax around feels like I added two more sons to the family. So, when I say this, I mean it in the kindest, most loving way. You and Lexi are very much alike.”
He gave a long look. “Is that a compliment or an insult?”
She gave his forearm a squeeze. “It’s a warning to be careful what you wish for. I wouldn’t like to see either of you get hurt.”
“She’s a beautiful woman, Sophie, but that’s it. Don’t worry. In my world, women like Lexi are a dime a dozen.”
“Charming as usual, Clay,” Lexi said as she wrapped her arms around a shocked looking Sophie and planted a kiss on her cheek. “Sophie, happy Thanksgiving.”
Lexi Chambers took a moment to enjoy the red flush that spread up Clay’s neck. He’s embarrassed. Good. He should be. If she’d ever allowed herself to be, Lexi might have been intimidated by the Barringtons and the man who had just insulted her. The Barringtons were one of the richest families on the East Coast, and Clay was a financial notch above them. He was also drop-dead gorgeous.
Money didn’t equate to a person’s value, though. It didn’t fill them with integrity or make them better than anyone else. And gorgeous meant little at the end of the day.
Sophie turned and gave Lexi a warm smile. “You’re on time to eat with us; good girl. Willa wasn’t sure you’d even make it.”
“Hard to pass up a free meal,” Lexi said lightly. She and Sophie were in a better place than they’d ever been and, for Kenzi and Willa’s sake, Lexi wanted to keep it that way. “Thank you for inviting me.”
