crossing this conversational minefield while holding a grenade with its pin pulled.
“Kelli?” Matt glanced over at him. “What about her?”
“How serious is she about that guy Archer?”
“The principal?” Matt had to shout to be heard over the engine, which could’ve drowned out an entire carrier deck of fighter jets taking off. “Hell, I don’t know. It’s not like she and I talk about stuff like that.”
“Well, you’ve got eyes, don’t you?”
“Sure, but—” Those eyes in question widened as comprehension dawned. “Whoa. Man. Are you saying you’re thinking of hitting on my sister?”
“No.” Yes. Kind of. Cole closed the windows again, which lowered the engine noise to a level less likely to induce ear hemorrhaging. “I’m on my way to the cabin for a few days.”
“Lucky guy. While you’re spending Christmas Eve cross-country skiing and vegging, I’m going to be having dinner at my in-laws’ and going home to put together a dollhouse and a pair of toddler balance bikes.”
“And you love it,” Cole said, feeling a little stir of envy.
Matt had what Cole had been picturing last Christmas when he’d proposed to Marcia. Okay, maybe three rug rats might be one more than had been framed in his imaginary Douchett family Christmas card, but if he had a wife like Matt’s, he damn well wouldn’t complain about dollhouses and toddler bikes.
“Abso-freaking-lutely,” the other man said. “Plus, there’s something to be said for sex on a regular basis.” That idea had him frowning. “Shit.”
“What?”
Matt scowled and raked a hand through his windblown hair. “Are you planning to have sex with my sister?”
“Now, see.” Cole blew out a breath. “That’s the problem. I don’t have any sisters, but if I did, I probably wouldn’t want to think about some guy doing them.”
“Thank you for putting that image in my head,” Matt said dryly, closing his eyes, as if that would help him unsee it. “I think, as soon as we get back to the dealership, I’m going drop by the parts department and find a sharp tool to jab into my brain to see if I can dislodge the picture of you and my baby sister. Naked. Together.”
“I’m not talking sex.” Another lie. Not that he was kidding anyone. They both knew damn well that he was. “I’m talking about maybe two people going to the New Year’s Eve dance together.”
“And getting up close and personal.” Matt pressed his fingers against his eyes. “Christ Almighty, Cole, you’re killing me here.”
Cole allowed himself a moment to imagine Kelli’s arms around his neck, her lush breasts pressed against his chest, her thighs moving against his. . . .
Oh yeah. Who was he trying to kid? They were definitely talking about sex.
“I just need to know two things.”
“I’m afraid to ask.” Matt blew out a long breath and shook his shoulders, like a boxer shaking off a punch. “And those would be?”
“How serious do you think she is about the teacher guy?”
“Principal,” Matt repeated.
“Whatever.” Cole shrugged.
“Like I said, I don’t know. But Meredith says he’s dull as dirt, so, if I have to venture a guess, I’d say he’s just a temporary deal until some guy more to her liking comes along.”
“Okay. The second question is whether you’d have a problem with that guy being me.”
Matt rubbed his chin as he thought that over. “Depends. Are you going to hurt her like you did last year?”
“Hey, in case you’ve forgotten, she was the one pissed at me.” He certainly hadn’t thrown that stupid ring box against his own chest.
“Yeah. That’s what I thought at the time, though I damn well couldn’t figure out why. Then Meredith told me you broke her heart.”
Hell. “Thanks for sharing.”
“You’re the one who brought my sister up in the first place,” Matt reminded Cole. “Seems when you pulled that ring out of the box, she thought it was for her.”
“Get out. You’re jerking
“Kelli?” Matt glanced over at him. “What about her?”
“How serious is she about that guy Archer?”
“The principal?” Matt had to shout to be heard over the engine, which could’ve drowned out an entire carrier deck of fighter jets taking off. “Hell, I don’t know. It’s not like she and I talk about stuff like that.”
“Well, you’ve got eyes, don’t you?”
“Sure, but—” Those eyes in question widened as comprehension dawned. “Whoa. Man. Are you saying you’re thinking of hitting on my sister?”
“No.” Yes. Kind of. Cole closed the windows again, which lowered the engine noise to a level less likely to induce ear hemorrhaging. “I’m on my way to the cabin for a few days.”
“Lucky guy. While you’re spending Christmas Eve cross-country skiing and vegging, I’m going to be having dinner at my in-laws’ and going home to put together a dollhouse and a pair of toddler balance bikes.”
“And you love it,” Cole said, feeling a little stir of envy.
Matt had what Cole had been picturing last Christmas when he’d proposed to Marcia. Okay, maybe three rug rats might be one more than had been framed in his imaginary Douchett family Christmas card, but if he had a wife like Matt’s, he damn well wouldn’t complain about dollhouses and toddler bikes.
“Abso-freaking-lutely,” the other man said. “Plus, there’s something to be said for sex on a regular basis.” That idea had him frowning. “Shit.”
“What?”
Matt scowled and raked a hand through his windblown hair. “Are you planning to have sex with my sister?”
“Now, see.” Cole blew out a breath. “That’s the problem. I don’t have any sisters, but if I did, I probably wouldn’t want to think about some guy doing them.”
“Thank you for putting that image in my head,” Matt said dryly, closing his eyes, as if that would help him unsee it. “I think, as soon as we get back to the dealership, I’m going drop by the parts department and find a sharp tool to jab into my brain to see if I can dislodge the picture of you and my baby sister. Naked. Together.”
“I’m not talking sex.” Another lie. Not that he was kidding anyone. They both knew damn well that he was. “I’m talking about maybe two people going to the New Year’s Eve dance together.”
“And getting up close and personal.” Matt pressed his fingers against his eyes. “Christ Almighty, Cole, you’re killing me here.”
Cole allowed himself a moment to imagine Kelli’s arms around his neck, her lush breasts pressed against his chest, her thighs moving against his. . . .
Oh yeah. Who was he trying to kid? They were definitely talking about sex.
“I just need to know two things.”
“I’m afraid to ask.” Matt blew out a long breath and shook his shoulders, like a boxer shaking off a punch. “And those would be?”
“How serious do you think she is about the teacher guy?”
“Principal,” Matt repeated.
“Whatever.” Cole shrugged.
“Like I said, I don’t know. But Meredith says he’s dull as dirt, so, if I have to venture a guess, I’d say he’s just a temporary deal until some guy more to her liking comes along.”
“Okay. The second question is whether you’d have a problem with that guy being me.”
Matt rubbed his chin as he thought that over. “Depends. Are you going to hurt her like you did last year?”
“Hey, in case you’ve forgotten, she was the one pissed at me.” He certainly hadn’t thrown that stupid ring box against his own chest.
“Yeah. That’s what I thought at the time, though I damn well couldn’t figure out why. Then Meredith told me you broke her heart.”
Hell. “Thanks for sharing.”
“You’re the one who brought my sister up in the first place,” Matt reminded Cole. “Seems when you pulled that ring out of the box, she thought it was for her.”
“Get out. You’re jerking
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