up!”
“She was going to go to work!”
Christopher crossed his arms over his chest and glared at them both. “Work?”
“I wasn’t leaving the house!” Lana threw her hands up in the air and flounced onto the living room sofa. “I realized over breakfast that it would be too dangerous to go into the office, so I called work and told them I needed to telecommute for the next couple of days.” She waved her hand towards Gareth, who was just picking himself gingerly up off the floor. “Doofus over there saw me heading for the staircase to tell you what was going on, thought I was leaving the house and assaulted me.”
“I did not attack you!”
“You picked me up off the floor and threatened to tie me up!”
Christopher shook his head and headed past Gareth into the kitchen. It was too damn early in the morning to listen to his mate and his brother bickering without the fortification of caffeine. Besides, he bet Gareth had done exactly what Lana said he’d done. Big brother could be more than overprotective at times. He could be a real pain in the ass.
Christopher tried to look on the bright side. At least he knew if anything happened to him, Lana would be well guarded. The volume of the fight increased. He could hear Gareth threatening to stuff Lana in a closet for her own safety.
He winced. Very well guarded.
“Good morning, Chris. Need a mug?”
“Good morning, Annabelle. I would love a mug, thank you.”
She smiled serenely, ignoring Lana’s voice threatening to do more than just kick Gareth’s prized jewels if he ever laid a hand on her again. “Sugar? Cream?”
Christopher took a seat at the banquette and absently scratched his chest, stifling a yawn. “Yes, please. Do I smell Danishes?”
She put the mug in front of him, her expression merry. “Yes, in fact you do. Lemon, cherry or cheese?”
He picked up his mug and took a sip. “God, that’s good. Cheese, please, and thank you.”
“You’re a polite one. I like that.” She brought him a Danish and joined him at the table. They ate peacefully despite the battle raging on in the front of the house. He picked up the newspaper that was lying on the table, opening it to the sports section, settling in for a nice breakfast.
“Ugh! Your brother is impossible.” Lana stomped in and poured herself a cup of coffee.
“Yes, dear.” Christopher turned to the financial pages, handing Gareth the sports section.
“I am not impossible, you’re impossible.” Gareth stole Christopher’s mug, frowning when he saw it was empty.
“I didn’t play grabby with anyone.” She bit savagely into a Danish, glaring at Gareth.
“No, you just kicked me in my,” he darted a quick look at Annabelle, “man parts.”
“You were holding me up in the air and refusing to let go. What was I supposed to do?”
“Not kick me in my man parts? That would have been a good start.”
“How about next time you not assume you know what I’m up to?” Lana crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Gareth.
The mug got slammed down on the table. “You die, my brother dies. What part of this do you not get?” Gareth stood. “I’m going for a walk.” He stomped out of the room. Seconds later they heard the front door slam.
Lana collapsed against the countertop. “He needs to switch to decaf.” She settled onto the bench next to Christopher. “Good morning.” She kissed him on the cheek, her lips sticky from the Danish.
Christopher held still for a moment, shocked. It was the first affectionate gesture she’d shown towards him on her own, and he was stunned by it. “Good morning.”
“You want more coffee?” She took his mug and stood, pouring him a cup. She grabbed a second mug and poured one for herself. “Another Danish?”
He looked over at Annabelle. “When did we replace my mate with a Stepford wife?”
“Ha ha.” She sat back down next to him. “I have to log in about thirty … no, twenty minutes now.
Anything interesting
“She was going to go to work!”
Christopher crossed his arms over his chest and glared at them both. “Work?”
“I wasn’t leaving the house!” Lana threw her hands up in the air and flounced onto the living room sofa. “I realized over breakfast that it would be too dangerous to go into the office, so I called work and told them I needed to telecommute for the next couple of days.” She waved her hand towards Gareth, who was just picking himself gingerly up off the floor. “Doofus over there saw me heading for the staircase to tell you what was going on, thought I was leaving the house and assaulted me.”
“I did not attack you!”
“You picked me up off the floor and threatened to tie me up!”
Christopher shook his head and headed past Gareth into the kitchen. It was too damn early in the morning to listen to his mate and his brother bickering without the fortification of caffeine. Besides, he bet Gareth had done exactly what Lana said he’d done. Big brother could be more than overprotective at times. He could be a real pain in the ass.
Christopher tried to look on the bright side. At least he knew if anything happened to him, Lana would be well guarded. The volume of the fight increased. He could hear Gareth threatening to stuff Lana in a closet for her own safety.
He winced. Very well guarded.
“Good morning, Chris. Need a mug?”
“Good morning, Annabelle. I would love a mug, thank you.”
She smiled serenely, ignoring Lana’s voice threatening to do more than just kick Gareth’s prized jewels if he ever laid a hand on her again. “Sugar? Cream?”
Christopher took a seat at the banquette and absently scratched his chest, stifling a yawn. “Yes, please. Do I smell Danishes?”
She put the mug in front of him, her expression merry. “Yes, in fact you do. Lemon, cherry or cheese?”
He picked up his mug and took a sip. “God, that’s good. Cheese, please, and thank you.”
“You’re a polite one. I like that.” She brought him a Danish and joined him at the table. They ate peacefully despite the battle raging on in the front of the house. He picked up the newspaper that was lying on the table, opening it to the sports section, settling in for a nice breakfast.
“Ugh! Your brother is impossible.” Lana stomped in and poured herself a cup of coffee.
“Yes, dear.” Christopher turned to the financial pages, handing Gareth the sports section.
“I am not impossible, you’re impossible.” Gareth stole Christopher’s mug, frowning when he saw it was empty.
“I didn’t play grabby with anyone.” She bit savagely into a Danish, glaring at Gareth.
“No, you just kicked me in my,” he darted a quick look at Annabelle, “man parts.”
“You were holding me up in the air and refusing to let go. What was I supposed to do?”
“Not kick me in my man parts? That would have been a good start.”
“How about next time you not assume you know what I’m up to?” Lana crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Gareth.
The mug got slammed down on the table. “You die, my brother dies. What part of this do you not get?” Gareth stood. “I’m going for a walk.” He stomped out of the room. Seconds later they heard the front door slam.
Lana collapsed against the countertop. “He needs to switch to decaf.” She settled onto the bench next to Christopher. “Good morning.” She kissed him on the cheek, her lips sticky from the Danish.
Christopher held still for a moment, shocked. It was the first affectionate gesture she’d shown towards him on her own, and he was stunned by it. “Good morning.”
“You want more coffee?” She took his mug and stood, pouring him a cup. She grabbed a second mug and poured one for herself. “Another Danish?”
He looked over at Annabelle. “When did we replace my mate with a Stepford wife?”
“Ha ha.” She sat back down next to him. “I have to log in about thirty … no, twenty minutes now.
Anything interesting
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