Read Online Under the Mistletoe by Tracie Puckett - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Tracie Puckett
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man's eyes widened in response to Alex's gesture. “Hey, man,”
he pat him on the back. “Yeah, you too.”
“Steph, this my younger brother Blake,” he said. “Blake, this is
Steph.”
“Caroline's daughter?” I watched him run his eyes down my body.
From my feet to my legs and all the way up my torso until he
finally met my gaze. “ Nice to meet you.”
“You too,” I said, slightly offended.
“I heard you're celebrating a birthday?”
“The big 1-8.”
“Happy Birthday to me ,” he said, rubbing his hands together
as if he were going in for the kill.
“Knock it off.” Alex slugged him in the arm.
“I'm going to go... mingle with the family,” I said, hating to
leave Alex behind but praying to get away from his incredibly
creepy brother.
I returned to the living room where Emilio was telling elaborate,
goofy, and possibly exaggerated stories about each of the boys as
they were growing up. By the sound of things, after their parents
passed away, their grandparents ended up with sole custody of all
three of them. With Adriana's global business expanding by leaps
and bounds, I can't imagine she was around to help their
grandfather with the upbringing.
“Baby,” mom turned and whispered. “I could use a glass of water, if
you wouldn't mind.”
“Yeah,” I nodded. Because getting it yourself would just be too
hard...
I moved across the room and stopped just short of the kitchen
“What's the deal with Steph?” Blake asked from the other side.
I pressed my ear against the door, guiltily eavesdropping on the
conversation from the other end.
“She's an excellent student,” Alex said. “Straight A's. And as
talented of a designer as Gran-”
“I think I'm gonna ask her out.”
“ Whoa !” Alex said loudly. “She's Caroline's daughter,
Blake.”
“Yeah, so?”
“Family.”
“ Married into the family,” Blake said.
“Besides, she'd laugh in your face at the very idea.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“How do you figure?”
“Because she's not even single, man,” Alex told his brother.
“Yeah, but they just moved to town a few months ago. It can't be
anything too serious-”
“It's the real deal,” he said.
“A kid from school?”
“No-”
“Then?”
“It's really none of our business, okay? Just let her be. And try
to ease up a bit. You scared the poor girl to death.”
After deciding the conversation had officially moved elsewhere, I
pushed through the door.
“Hey guys,” I said. “Come join the party. Your grandfather is in
story mode.”
“Wonderful,” Alex shook his head. “How much blackmail do you have
on us?”
“Not much on you guys, but Calvin should watch his back.”
“He was always a daredevil,” Alex said.
“I'd say,” wholeheartedly agreeing. “He is marrying my mom,
after all.”
“Did you need something, sweet cheeks?” Blake interjected.
“Actually, yes. Caroline is requesting water.”
“I'm on it,” Blake said, walking to the refrigerator and pulling a
bottle from inside. “Find me later and we'll talk.” With a
he pat him on the back. “Yeah, you too.”
“Steph, this my younger brother Blake,” he said. “Blake, this is
Steph.”
“Caroline's daughter?” I watched him run his eyes down my body.
From my feet to my legs and all the way up my torso until he
finally met my gaze. “ Nice to meet you.”
“You too,” I said, slightly offended.
“I heard you're celebrating a birthday?”
“The big 1-8.”
“Happy Birthday to me ,” he said, rubbing his hands together
as if he were going in for the kill.
“Knock it off.” Alex slugged him in the arm.
“I'm going to go... mingle with the family,” I said, hating to
leave Alex behind but praying to get away from his incredibly
creepy brother.
I returned to the living room where Emilio was telling elaborate,
goofy, and possibly exaggerated stories about each of the boys as
they were growing up. By the sound of things, after their parents
passed away, their grandparents ended up with sole custody of all
three of them. With Adriana's global business expanding by leaps
and bounds, I can't imagine she was around to help their
grandfather with the upbringing.
“Baby,” mom turned and whispered. “I could use a glass of water, if
you wouldn't mind.”
“Yeah,” I nodded. Because getting it yourself would just be too
hard...
I moved across the room and stopped just short of the kitchen
“What's the deal with Steph?” Blake asked from the other side.
I pressed my ear against the door, guiltily eavesdropping on the
conversation from the other end.
“She's an excellent student,” Alex said. “Straight A's. And as
talented of a designer as Gran-”
“I think I'm gonna ask her out.”
“ Whoa !” Alex said loudly. “She's Caroline's daughter,
Blake.”
“Yeah, so?”
“Family.”
“ Married into the family,” Blake said.
“Besides, she'd laugh in your face at the very idea.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“How do you figure?”
“Because she's not even single, man,” Alex told his brother.
“Yeah, but they just moved to town a few months ago. It can't be
anything too serious-”
“It's the real deal,” he said.
“A kid from school?”
“No-”
“Then?”
“It's really none of our business, okay? Just let her be. And try
to ease up a bit. You scared the poor girl to death.”
After deciding the conversation had officially moved elsewhere, I
pushed through the door.
“Hey guys,” I said. “Come join the party. Your grandfather is in
story mode.”
“Wonderful,” Alex shook his head. “How much blackmail do you have
on us?”
“Not much on you guys, but Calvin should watch his back.”
“He was always a daredevil,” Alex said.
“I'd say,” wholeheartedly agreeing. “He is marrying my mom,
after all.”
“Did you need something, sweet cheeks?” Blake interjected.
“Actually, yes. Caroline is requesting water.”
“I'm on it,” Blake said, walking to the refrigerator and pulling a
bottle from inside. “Find me later and we'll talk.” With a
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