All Chapters of A Naughty Christmas Affair: Fake Dating My Ex Brothers : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

AutumnI watch Luke go, embarrassment coursing through me in waves.God, why am I so awkward? I can’t even walk around a table without doing something stupid like that, and all I can think about is how I can’t believe that happened.I wouldn’t blame Luke for being upset about it. He’s famously particular about his personal space, and prefers to be alone most of the time, and I went and put myself in his lap with no warning.Benedict and Elijah are still at the table, and I glance at them. “Would you mind handling the pizza?” I ask them.“Sure,” Elijah replies, pulling out his phone. He gives me a look, but I can’t interpret it, so I just slip away to find Luke so I can apologize before the awkwardness can fester.He’s in the living room, crouched down by the fireplace. He adds another log on top, arranging the others better so the new one will catch.I walk over and put a hand on his shoulder, and he jerks a little, like he wants to be away from me.I pull my hand back quickly, curli

Autumn The next day, it’s back to work. I get up bright and early and creep through the house, trying not to wake up my house guests. It’s kind of a relief to get back to the bakery and be able to lose myself in making dough and trying out the various little experiments I’ve been thinking about for the holiday season.By the time the bakery opens at eight, I have trays of gougères and cookies with candied nuts. Danishes with jam and little shortbread treats, as well as the usual things that my customers have come to enjoy.I’m hoping that if I can win people over with old favorites and new treats, I’ll be able to drum up more business. The holidays are the best time to do it, even if it does mean I’m working harder than ever. It’ll be worth it if it results in me getting more customers in the new year.There’s a steady in and out at first, regulars coming in to get pastries on their way to work, stopping off at the coffee shop across the street and then coming in to complete their br

Autumn “What are you doing here?” I ask as they come over.“You’ve been gone all day at your bakery, and now you’re here at another one,” Benedict says with a grin. “We missed you, so we wanted to see you.”“You don’t mind if we join the tasting do you?”Luke adds. He folds his arms, looking polite but still imposing.He’s not looking at me, but instead at Raymond and Rhiannon, as if daring them to say no and make a scene.Raymond smiles, but I know him well enough to see the tension in it, the way his jaw is tight from how hard he’s biting back a comment. “That’s fine,” he finally says.Rhiannon looks at him and he shakes his head at her, clearly communicating that it’s not worth arguing.All three of the older brothers pull up chairs and sit on my side of the table.“The more the merrier,” the owner says. “It helps to have more input about these things, even if the final decision comes down to the bride and groom.”Her warm customer service smooths over some of the awkwardness, and

ElijahI get Autumn to the car, trying to focus. But it’s easier said than done when I can feel the softness of her body against mine and her scent is flooding my nose. Even in pain she’s beautiful, and my senses are attuned to her.She’s biting her lip hard enough that I worry she’s going to make it bleed, and her face is screwed up in a grimace of pain. It’s clear she’s really hurting, and seeing her like this almost makes me feel pain. It sucks, knowing she’s going through this and there’s not much I can do other than carry her to the car.“It’s going to be okay,” I murmur to her, firming my grip. “It’ll be alright.”“Yeah,” Luke says, leaning in closer. “We’ve got you, okay?”Autumn nods, and I shoot Luke a look. For once, not angry or annoyed, more glad that we’re on the same page.I drove us to the bakery, and my car is bigger than Autumn’s so I get her into it, laying her across the back seat as gently as I can.“Can I have your keys?” I ask her.“What? Why?”“So Luke and Bened

Autumn SIX YEARS AGOI’m so relieved when the exit for Sweetwater Lake pops up on the horizon. My butt is sore from sitting for so long, and I desperately need to stretch my legs. I debated pulling over like fifty miles ago, but the need to be home won out, making me push myself to keep going.The trip after graduating college was fun, and it was nice to just be near the beach with my friends, laughing and blowing off some steam after finals and everything. We all worked so hard to make it to that stage, to get our diplomas, and we deserved every bit of fun that we had.Most of my friends flew back to their homes, but it was easier, and cheaper for me to drive.Although I started wondering if that was true about an hour ago when my car’s AC started sputtering, leaving me to roll down the windows and hope for a breeze.I can smell that it’s getting hotter as I keep driving, and I rub my hand over the dashboard. “Come on, baby,” I whisper to it, putting on my blinker to merge into the