Page 11 of My Brother's Best Friends

She gestures toward the mountains, but I know that’s not what she’s talking about. I hadn’t considered her a romantic possibility when Bryan informed us that we would be sharing a suite.

I figured it would be like old times, with us gently teasing her and catching up over mulled wine before we hit the ski slopes. But Makayla has managed to surprise and disarm us both in amanner of minutes without even trying. This organic connection between us must be explored, and I think she’s aware of it, too.

“I think I’ll grab my swim trunks,” Alex says before disappearing inside.

Makayla nods, lifts her drink, and drains nearly half the glass. “I don’t remember Alex being the prudish one,” she says lightly.

“I didn’t remember you being so bold, either. Not that I mind—I’m quite partial to it. My brother needs a minute to adjust, but don’t worry, I reckon we’ll all be buck naked in hot water before this holiday’s over,” I say with a laugh.

“Fair enough,” she says, sidling closer to the edge of the hot tub.

“Why don’t you take your suit off?” I ask.

Makayla sighs, setting her glass down on the table. She slips back into the water but doesn’t disrobe. Instead, she sits down on the edge and gently slides into the tub.

“I can’t leave Alex on his own. We’d be ganging up on him. It won’t be a fair fight,” she quips.

“We’re lovers, Kay. Not fighters.”

She narrows her eyes at me, and for the first time, I can’t tell what she’s thinking. “Where’s Oscar?” she asks.

“Why? Do you want all three of us here?” I ask, curiosity spiking. “You’re planning something—should I be worried?”

A typical woman would choose just one of us, leaving the other two brothers out in the cold. Makayla, however, is anything but typical, and I need her to voice what she so clearly wants.

“I scare you, don’t I?” she says, giggling as she gazes into the distance. “Kidding, of course. No, it’s just that seeing you and Alex now… I realized I’d actually missed you. I’d love to see Oscar as soon as possible, too.”

“That would be an interesting reunion,” I reply, fully aware of the double entendre lingering just beneath the surface of the entire conversation.

“He’s probably still at the meeting,” I say, sliding over to sit beside her.

She stiffens up a bit, but it’s not against me. The subtle quiver of her lips and her dilated pupils tell me we’re merely a touch away from unraveling something extraordinary here. “I never imagined my first day in Sweden would look like this,” she says on a sigh. “Actually, I didn’t even know the three of you were going to join us.”

“Bry told us you might be here, but I’ll be honest, Kay. You are already my favorite part of this trip,” I confess.

“We’ve got a lot of catching up to do, don’t we?”

I nod slowly. “In a sense, we might have to get to know each other all over again—like strangers meeting for the first time. Would that make you more comfortable?”

“It might,” she says.

“Good. We’re on the same page, then,” I reply. “Just know that you are always safe and comfortable with us, regardless of the impromptu nudity and the occasional jokes. You know how it is when the dudes get together.”

“Oh, I remember,” Makayla throws her head back in laughter, then takes another deep breath and a sip from her glass. “I can’t wait to get out on the slopes,” she says, avoiding my eyes.

“Have you been skiing before?” I ask.

“A few times,” she admits. “I am horribly bad at it, though. What about you?”

“Occasionally,” I respond. “Though I’ve done more snowboarding lately. Wait, how bad are you at skiing, exactly?”

“Was horribly bad not descriptive enough?”

“Maybe you’re just being modest.”

“You’re right. Maybe I am catastrophically bad.”

It’s my turn to laugh. “Dammit, Kay, you haven’t changed much. Still the same smart mouth—only now with even more appetizing curves.”

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