eased her back to her feet. Glancing at Tristan she raised a brow, silently asking for an introduction. She'd heard very little about Jordan and his wife, Rachel, from Tristan.
"Lillian, this is Jordan, Jason's younger brother and Zoë's best friend since college. Jordan, meet Lillian." Tristan stepped up beside her and wrapped his arm around her waist, nestling her into his side. "Now can you two please let us actually get in the front door before attacking her? Jesus." He shook his head and squeezed her waist. "Ignore them, beautiful. They were wicked children and were forced to sleep in the woods as punishment. It messed with their heads."
"Tristan!" A very pregnant brunette appeared in the doorway, scowling at him. "Stop lying to her. She'll never come back. I'm Rachel, by the way," she added. "Jordan's wife."
"Nice to meet you," Lillian murmured politely.
Rachel's eyes flicked up and down Lillian's body in quick assessment, her green eyes lingering on the way Tristan tucked her protectively into his side, his hand splayed across her hip. "I see you've tamed the big, bad beast," she said with a smirk.
"Rachel," he warned.
"What?" She rolled her eyes at him, still smirking. "We both know it's true."
He muttered something under his breath but didn't dispute her claim. Zoë and Jordan both remained quiet, watching the back and forth as if they'd seen it a thousand times and still found it amusing.
Lillian snuggled a little deeper into Tristan, slipping her arm around his waist to make her allegiance clear. "I wasn't aware the beast needed taming," she said, her voice level.
Rachel's brow shot up.
"You simply have to be smart enough to know not to poke him with sticks," she continued, getting the distinct impression Rachel needled Tristan at every opportunity. She wasn't sure why that bothered her so much, but it did. He had enough to deal with.
Rachel's smile widened. "I like you."
"Good to know," she replied. "Are we done taunting Tristan now?"
"Yeah," Rachel laughed and held up her hands. "We're done."
"Come on," Tristan encouraged, tugging her toward the door.
"Are they always like this?" she asked under her breath.
"You'll get used to them," he promised, letting her go to close and lock the door once everyone trooped inside. He turned and pulled her into his arms as soon as the door latched behind them. His mouth trailed along her cheek to her ear. His teeth closed lightly over her skin. "I told you they'd like you," he breathed in her ear, causing little fires to spread throughout her body. "And I really, really don't want to share you tonight."
"Tristan," she whimpered, her head falling back to grant him access as he nipped her throat.
His tongue traced the path his mouth had just taken.
"Oh," she moaned quietly.
"You do know we're standing right here, right?" Jordan asked, laughing.
"Yeah," Zoë chimed in. "You've had her to yourself for weeks already, Tristan. Let her go so we can get to know her."
He grumbled against her neck as her cheeks heated in embarrassment. She'd forgotten they weren't alone. "If we ignore them, they'll go away," he whispered.
"Zoë, stop harassing your cousin," a masculine voice interrupted.
Lillian flicked her eyes in the man's direction, her eyes widening. He had to be close to fifty, but he was as good looking as Tristan and Zoë. He and Tristan shared the same olive skin, dark hair, and bright eyes. Dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt, he put her at ease almost immediately, as if an aura of calm surrounded him.
Tristan reluctantly released her before turning to face his uncle. "John."
"Good to see you, son," John said before stepping forward and holding out a hand to Lillian. "And you must be Lillian. I'm John, Tristan's uncle. It's lovely to meet you."
"Hello, Dr. Angelo." She smiled politely and held out her hand. He clasped it in his. "Happy birthday."
"Thank you. And for the engraving as well. It's magnificent." His eyes crinkled at the corners as he
"Lillian, this is Jordan, Jason's younger brother and Zoë's best friend since college. Jordan, meet Lillian." Tristan stepped up beside her and wrapped his arm around her waist, nestling her into his side. "Now can you two please let us actually get in the front door before attacking her? Jesus." He shook his head and squeezed her waist. "Ignore them, beautiful. They were wicked children and were forced to sleep in the woods as punishment. It messed with their heads."
"Tristan!" A very pregnant brunette appeared in the doorway, scowling at him. "Stop lying to her. She'll never come back. I'm Rachel, by the way," she added. "Jordan's wife."
"Nice to meet you," Lillian murmured politely.
Rachel's eyes flicked up and down Lillian's body in quick assessment, her green eyes lingering on the way Tristan tucked her protectively into his side, his hand splayed across her hip. "I see you've tamed the big, bad beast," she said with a smirk.
"Rachel," he warned.
"What?" She rolled her eyes at him, still smirking. "We both know it's true."
He muttered something under his breath but didn't dispute her claim. Zoë and Jordan both remained quiet, watching the back and forth as if they'd seen it a thousand times and still found it amusing.
Lillian snuggled a little deeper into Tristan, slipping her arm around his waist to make her allegiance clear. "I wasn't aware the beast needed taming," she said, her voice level.
Rachel's brow shot up.
"You simply have to be smart enough to know not to poke him with sticks," she continued, getting the distinct impression Rachel needled Tristan at every opportunity. She wasn't sure why that bothered her so much, but it did. He had enough to deal with.
Rachel's smile widened. "I like you."
"Good to know," she replied. "Are we done taunting Tristan now?"
"Yeah," Rachel laughed and held up her hands. "We're done."
"Come on," Tristan encouraged, tugging her toward the door.
"Are they always like this?" she asked under her breath.
"You'll get used to them," he promised, letting her go to close and lock the door once everyone trooped inside. He turned and pulled her into his arms as soon as the door latched behind them. His mouth trailed along her cheek to her ear. His teeth closed lightly over her skin. "I told you they'd like you," he breathed in her ear, causing little fires to spread throughout her body. "And I really, really don't want to share you tonight."
"Tristan," she whimpered, her head falling back to grant him access as he nipped her throat.
His tongue traced the path his mouth had just taken.
"Oh," she moaned quietly.
"You do know we're standing right here, right?" Jordan asked, laughing.
"Yeah," Zoë chimed in. "You've had her to yourself for weeks already, Tristan. Let her go so we can get to know her."
He grumbled against her neck as her cheeks heated in embarrassment. She'd forgotten they weren't alone. "If we ignore them, they'll go away," he whispered.
"Zoë, stop harassing your cousin," a masculine voice interrupted.
Lillian flicked her eyes in the man's direction, her eyes widening. He had to be close to fifty, but he was as good looking as Tristan and Zoë. He and Tristan shared the same olive skin, dark hair, and bright eyes. Dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt, he put her at ease almost immediately, as if an aura of calm surrounded him.
Tristan reluctantly released her before turning to face his uncle. "John."
"Good to see you, son," John said before stepping forward and holding out a hand to Lillian. "And you must be Lillian. I'm John, Tristan's uncle. It's lovely to meet you."
"Hello, Dr. Angelo." She smiled politely and held out her hand. He clasped it in his. "Happy birthday."
"Thank you. And for the engraving as well. It's magnificent." His eyes crinkled at the corners as he
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