ChristmasisComing Read Free Page B

they’d
purchased and the rest was history.
    Gaby lifted her glass and hoped they
wouldn’t notice she’d been crying. “Hey, boys.” She let her gaze rove their
muscled chests and drifted a little lower, a smirk curling her lips. “Looking
good.”
    “Good enough to run off to Vegas with us?”
Fletch winked at Liam. “We could get into some mischief on the strip.”
    Gaby backed up against the counter when
Liam ventured too close. “Don’t dare put your sweaty body anywhere near me. You
both reek.” Her nose wrinkled in exaggeration because they smelled tempting
rather than off-putting. If there was some way to bottle the musky, masculine
scent and put the aroma into one of her massage oils or maybe a lube, she’d
have a big seller on her hands.
    Liam nudged Fletch with his elbow. “Does
that mean I can put my body near you once I’ve showered?”
    Gaby rolled her eyes, half tempted to touch
to see his reaction. “Save the flirting for your ladies. Go and shower, and if
you’re good, I’ll buy you a drink at the Cricket.”
    “You’re our first lady.” Fletch didn’t even
crack a smirk when he uttered the words.
    “Damn straight,” Liam agreed instantly.
“I’ll take first shower.”
    “Well, hurry up or else I’ll jump in with
you,” Fletch said.
    “I thought I might have dinner at the pub,”
Gaby said once Liam left. She heard the splatter of water and Liam’s cheerful
whistling as the ventilation fan exploded into action.
    “Sounds good. Can Liam and I tag along?”
    “Sure.” Relief swept through Gaby. She
hadn’t wanted to walk into the pub on her own. Not this evening. Tonight she
needed fun and laughter. Distraction.
    “Great. I’m gonna hurry Liam along. He’ll
stay in there for half an hour if I don’t shout insults at him.”
    Gaby nodded and watched Fletch saunter
away. Nice ass . The words popped into her mind like a magical genie. Her
eyes widened and she snapped her gaze back to her wine. That was not a
suitable way to think about her roomie. She picked up her glass and wandered
along the passage to her bedroom. The rumble of masculine voices was soothing
and familiar. Luckily for her, the guys didn’t have dates tonight. They were
the diversion she needed to forget her woes. Yep, tonight she’d portray the
party girl or die in the attempt.
    * * * * *
    “What’s up with Gaby?” Liam asked when
Fletch barged into the bathroom. He wound the towel around his waist and
reached for his stick of deodorant.
    Fletch frowned. “I didn’t ask. I figured if
she wanted us to know she would’ve told us.”
    “Something made her cry.”
    “I know.” Fletch reached past Liam to turn
the shower back on and shucked his remaining clothes to step under warm water
that pelted his body from different directions. The wet room they’d installed
the previous year was a hit with all of them. Fletch studied the waterproof,
cream tiled walls and floor, and the single glass screen marking the shower
area. The patches of mosaic in shades of terracotta and brown to contrast with
the cream. Sleek and modern, with extra showerheads, the bathroom was a
hedonistic pleasure. Perfect for three lovers, he thought with satisfaction.
“We should go ahead with our plan. I was thinking about Gaby during the last
leg of our run.”
    “Ah, that explains the smell.”
    “Ha. Ha.” Fletch reached for the soap. “We
need to woo her. Get her used to thinking about us in a romantic light instead
of friends.”
    “Yeah like that’s gonna be easy.”
    “Gaby wouldn’t be worth the effort if she
succumbed without a fight.”
    “True.” Liam opened the door and paused in
the doorway. “Okay, I’m in.”
    “No second thoughts. No problems with me?”
    Liam met Fletch’s gaze without
prevarication. “No second thoughts. Let’s do this.”
    * * * * *
    “You shouldn’t have forced the last drink
on me,” Gaby said, falling onto their lounge couch with relief. Her legs felt
about as steady as a