Page 62 of Wrapped Up with the Three Scrooges

I mean, how was I supposed to feel about being introduced as Levi’s girlfriend when I was pretty sure I was falling for all three of them? It wasn’t like Levi could have announced, “Hey Mom, meet the woman who’s been fucking your son and his two best friends while living in their house!” Though watching Diana’s perfectly maintained façade crack would have been worth it.

The whole situation was a mess. A hot, complicated, incredibly satisfying mess that we really should have talked about before attending a formal dinner party.

I glanced between the three men, noting how they barely made eye contact with each other. These guys had been bestfriends forever, and now they were acting like strangers because of me. The thought made my stomach twist, and not in the good way it usually did around them.

We needed to talk. Really talk. About everything—the living situation, work, what exactly we were doing here. Because while what we were doing was fun, this weird tension between them because it was a secret was definitely not.

“Oh, wonderful!” Diana’s voice pulled me from my thoughts as servers began clearing our plates. “Here comes dessert. Emery, dear, I do hope you have a sweet tooth. Levi absolutely adores his desserts.”

The timing couldn’t have been worse. Both Max and Ronan had just taken sips of their wine, and at Diana’s innocent comment, they simultaneously choked. Max actually had to grab his napkin, while Ronan’s usual composure cracked as he coughed into his fist.

I bit my lip hard to keep from laughing, especially when I caught the gleam in Levi’s eye. He knew exactly what his friends were thinking about. Probably the same thing I was—how he’d thoroughly showed his appreciation for “dessert” last night.

“I’ve noticed.” My voice came out a bit strangled, but I kept a straight face. “He’s very... enthusiastic about sweets.”

Levi’s hand found mine under the table and squeezed in warning, but I couldn’t help myself.

“Though I think Max and Ronan enjoy their desserts just as much,” I added innocently, causing another round of coughing from across the table.

Diana looked concerned. “Are you boys all right? You’re not coming down with something, are you?”

“No,” Max wheezed, shooting me a look that promised retribution. “Went down the wrong pipe.”

“Perhaps we should switch to water,” Ronan suggested, his voice rough as he glared at me.

The server placed a stunning chocolate soufflé in front of me, topped with a perfect swirl of whipped cream and a sprinkle of crushed candy canes. I picked up my spoon, maintaining eye contact with Levi as I slowly licked off a bit of whipped cream. His pupils dilated, and across the table, I heard what sounded suspiciously like a growl from Max’s direction.

“The dessert is absolutely divine,” I told Diana, my voice syrupy sweet. “I can see why Levi’s such a fan.”

“Oh, you should see him with ice cream.” Diana dabbed at her lips, laughing. “Since he was a little boy, he’d always-”

“Mother!” Levi interrupted, his face flushing. “I’m sure no one wants to hear about that.”

Oh, but we absolutely did. Especially given how the tips of his ears had turned pink.

“Let the woman speak, Levi. I would love to hear about when you were a wee lad.” I gave Diana a nod to continue.

I tried to contain my laughter as Diana leaned forward conspiratorially, her eyes twinkling with mischief that reminded me exactly where Levi got it from.

“Oh, he was the most adorable little thing,” she began, ignoring Levi’s groan beside me. “Every Sunday after church, he’d beg to go to Scoops & Sprinkles. He’d promise to share his ice cream cone with mommy, cross his heart and hope to die.”

“Mother, please,” Levi muttered, but I squeezed his thigh under the table, thoroughly enjoying his discomfort.

“But the moment that cone was in his hands,” Diana continued, gesturing dramatically, “he’d pull it away if I got anywhere near it. ‘No, Mommy! You’ll give me cooties!’” She mimicked a high-pitched child’s voice that had me snorting into my napkin.

“I did not sound like that.” Levi’s face was turning an impressive shade of red.

“Oh, but you did, darling.” Diana patted his hand. “And anytime you got candies, heaven help anyone who ever tried to take one. You’d run around, clutching them like they were made of gold.”

Max’s deep chuckle drew my attention. “Interesting how some things never change. Levi’s still terrible at sharing.”

The loaded look he gave his friend made me bite my lip to hold back another giggle. Levi kicked him under the table, but Max just smirked.

“Though these days,” Ronan added smoothly, “I think he’s more... selective about who he shares with.”

I couldn’t help it. A laugh escaped, which I quickly tried to disguise as a cough when Diana looked my way.

Diana continued, oblivious to the undercurrent of tension at the table. “Anyway, back to the ice cream. The best part was when he got to the bottom of the cone. He’d have ice cream all over his face, looking like a guilty little cherub, and he’d say, ‘Okay Mommy, you can have the last bite now.’ As if I wanted his soggy, half-eaten cone!”

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