The large man placed a palm on her stomach to still her. "You should probably eat something other than cookies, Princess. You didn't have breakfast."
Alena's brows arched. "Whose fault was it that I didn't have time to eat breakfast? Oh, that's right, it was yours."
Xavier grinned, looking damn proud of himself. "And Julian. He's the one that instigated it all."
"That's not true, asshole." Julian crossed his arms over his chest. "I was getting up to shower, and you threw me back on the bed."
"Not my fault you looked so damn delicious walking around naked." Xavier shrugged, his grin never fading. "I'm only so strong."
Alena turned a bright shade of red as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "I swear you two are worse than children."
"You love us." Xavier guided one of her hands to his mouth to nibble on her fingers. "There's never a dull moment, and you love the life we've given you."
Her eyes brightened, and she reluctantly nodded. "That's true. But you're pulling focus away from Bridget and Lucas. We're visitors. I'm sure they don't want to know about our bedroom antics."
"Yeah, I really don't want to know about that." I wrinkled my nose. "Especially when it concerns Simon because he's like my brother, and you're like my sister. I can handle it when we talk in vague terms, but this is a bit much."
Lucas threw his head back and laughed. "You're so adorable, darlin'." He leaned forward and kissed the crown of my head. "Alena, I can make you a sandwich. We're having BBQ for dinner later, so maybe something small to tide us all over? Ribs, pulled pork, grilled chicken and burgers, the works."
"You go outside and grill?" I regarded Lucas with my brows reaching my hairline.
"Oh, fuck no. That's the one thing Noah and James are good at. I season everything, and they do the actual cooking." Lucas snorted. "Now, let me get up and make some sandwiches. The guys look hungry, too."
I rose to my feet, and he patted my bottom. "I'll make you an extra special one. Plus, I have some potatoes I sliced up for somechips,as you'd say."
His fake British accent made me shake my head as he sauntered to the kitchen.
"Why did Lucas sound like he just butchered our accents?" Simon asked as he came out of Noah's office. He gave me a quick hug before taking a seat on the sectional close to Xavier and Alena.
"Because he thinks he's funny." I snorted. "Or he just wanted to make me laugh while saying he made chips."
"You can call them fries, Luke," Simon shouted into the kitchen.
With a growl, Lucas popped his head back into the living room. "Do. Not. Call. Me. Luke." With a huff, he disappeared again. "Just for that, I'll make sure he gets the worst piece of chicken and cornbread. Maybe no cornbread at all!"
"Uh oh," I said in a sing-song voice. "You did it now."
Noah approached the oversized chair and lifted me before sitting and placing me on his lap. There was something so wonderful about having men that could lift you as if you weighed nothing. It made me feel small. Loved. Cherished. It was such a foreign thing to me. The Rossi's had loved me; accepted me into their family.
But it was different when romantic relationships were involved.
I snuggled against his chest with a contented sigh and savored that feeling.
My life had turned upside down in the last two months. A change that typically would have terrified me and sent me running for the hills or cowering in the corners.
Being here in Montana, at Second Chance, with Noah, James, and Lucas, had been one of the best things to ever happen to me.
As Noah held me, I knew that I was finally home and that I would change nothing.
They were stuck with me. But none of them would argue.
CHAPTER37
James
Iscraped off my boots with the special apparatus Lucas had insisted on mounting outside the door. God forbid anyone track mud or snow into his kitchen. Or horse shit.
We all took our shoes off just inside the door, anyway.