Page 57 of Mountain Mens' Curvy Obsession

There’s a knock on the front door.

I freeze in his embrace, my fork halfway through a piece of waffle. I look up at him, then Nico and Booker. Fear works its way into my nervous system, but Chance holds me close, while Nico gets up, briefly checking his phone.

“We’ve got cameras on all points of entry, remember?” He smiles as he shows me the screen. It’s Breonna at the door.

She’s holding something. A tray, I think.

“What’s she doing here?” I mutter.

“We’re about to find out,” Nico says and walks out of the kitchen.

I listen to the sound of his receding footsteps, followed by the door opening and Breonna’s voice filling the entire lodge. I pick up bits and pieces as they both come into the kitchen.

“Nico, I just want to talk to her,” Breonna says, then stills in the doorway when she sees me. “Hey, Anya.”

“Hey,” I reply.

We did not part on the best of terms, and the knot in my stomach is only getting tighter in her presence. But Breonna perseveres, putting on a soft smile, while Booker and Chance glare at her.

Nico maintains a polite neutrality. I think it has more to do with his principles than anything else. The brothers were raised by the same good people, but they react differently to outside influences. And Breonna is clearly a bit of a mixed bag.

“I brought some pecan pie,” she says, holding up the tray, which is covered with cling wrap, “as a token of peace.”

“A token of peace,” I repeat.

Breonna sighs deeply as Nico takes the pie and stores it in the fridge. She takes a couple of steps forward, straightening her pale blue jacket. “I owe you a huge apology, Anya, for the way I spoke to you, for rushing to judgment… That was not my best day. I am deeply sorry.”

“You believed a complete stranger over me,” I reply.

“I did, yes. Probably because… okay, I’ll admit it. I was jealous of you.”

“Of me? Why would you—”

“Because you and the guys are clearly involved!” Breonna snaps. “And it pissed me off. I could tell it is serious between the four of you, and I couldn’t get over it. I only ever got a one-night stand —”

“Whoa!” Chance gasps.

The whole room goes quiet. I think I stop breathing altogether.

Slowly, Nico turns away from the fridge. His eyes search my face. I wish I could say I was shocked to learn about this, but I suspected as much. There were nonverbal cues that gave Breonna’s feelings away more than once.

“Oh, shit!” She covers her mouth with both hands, realizing precisely what she has just said. “Oh, my God, I’m sorry. I thought you knew, Anya!” She looks at Nico, then at Chance and Booker. “I thought you told her!”

“Our intimate past isn’t exactly something we’re keen to share.” Nico sighs and rolls his eyes, then takes the seat next to me. “Anya, are you okay?”

I nod once. “Yes. I… You said it yourself; what’s past is past.”

“It didn’t mean anything,” Chance tells me. “No offense to Breonna, but I’ve made my feelings clear to her more than once. She was at a difficult point in her life; we were in a certain mood. It just happened.”

“Once, then never again,” Booker adds.

“Way to make a girl feel desirable,” Breonna says dryly, then leans against the kitchen counter, while I glare at the twins.

Nico exhales sharply. “The way we ended things was not great either,” he concedes. “We could’ve handled it better.”

“I thought there would be more,” Breonna adds, “and I was wrong. I wasn’t very good at taking no for an answer either. Let’s just say I played a part in my own suffering. Maybe it’s time I apologize to you guys for any discomfort I might’ve caused.”

“That’s very nice of you, Breonna,” Nico is quick to reply. “And my brothers and I should also apologize for the way we handled the aftermath. We should’ve done better.”

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