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Annabelle turned and embraced Josh, resting her head on his shoulder. Goes both
ways, Joshie. You never told me about whoever marked you.
Josh snickered as he hugged her tight enough to force the air from her lungs. Ah,
diversion. Well I will let you get away with it this time and tell you the jackass who hoovered
my neck is history. He doesn t matter, we never had sex, he was a great gaping mistake.
Josh tried to keep his tone light, but Annabelle heard the pain and anger buried in his
voice. I m sorry, Joshie. You point him out if he shows up at the Xxchange and I will castrate
the fucker for you. I ll use toenail clippers so it ll take a while.
It s a deal. Josh rubbed her back then met her gaze when Annabelle raised her head.
So, you re staying here with Rory, aren t you?
Yeah, I think I need to. Annabelle released Josh and turned back to dig out the clean
clothes she needed. He s my brother, and he s hurting. Justin and Evan are& the sexiest
fuckers I ve ever known, under my skin, in my head and I don t know what they are, what the
three of us are, but finding out will have to wait. I can t leave Rory right now. Annabelle
piled the clothes into her arms then turned to Josh. She bumped the dresser drawer shut with
her hip. And if Rory s up to it, he and I need to have a chat about this long lost brother or
whatever the hell he is. Maybe we can call the ranch, talk to Navarra.
You re not running from Justin and Evan again are you? Josh asked a question
Annabelle was, even at that moment, asking herself. She scrubbed at her forehead as she
seriously considered her motivations.
No, I think Rory and I need to spend some time together. I hope Evan and Justin
understand, but if they don t& Annabelle shrugged. Anyone who expected her to choose
between them and Rory wasn t worth her time. She didn t think Justin or Evan was like that,
but since they kept fucking more than talking, she couldn t be sure.
Josh rolled his eyes and batted his lashes at her. They ll be fine with it. Neither would
expect you to ditch your brother at a time like this.
Goof, Annabelle muttered. I need to get cleaned up then hunt my brother down.
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And I need to go back to work and make up for the time I took off early. Give me a
hug.
Annabelle stepped into Josh s arms and did him one better, giving him a slobbery kiss
on the cheek.
Ewww, gross! Josh leapt back and gave her a mock glare as he swiped at the spot.
Why did you do that? Keep your body fluids to yourself! For all his mock indignation, Josh
was grinning from ear to ear.
Annabelle laughed and shoo d him towards the door. Go on now, before I put you to
mucking stalls!
Once Josh was gone, Annabelle hopped in the shower and washed away the traces of
her night with Justin and Evan. She was towelled off and dressed in a matter of minutes, then
she went to find her brother, dialling Justin s number as she walked towards the house.
Justin s voicemail came on so Annabelle stuttered out a message about her brother needing
her then ended the call.
Annabelle bounded up the porch steps and tapped at the front door. Chance was
almost immediately on the other side of it, pulling open the screen to gesture her inside.
How s he doing?
Chance shook his head. I don t know. One minute he seems fine, then he s back to
crying. I don t know how to help him deal with this.
Just be with him, Annabelle advised. He s older than me by eighteen months, but in
some ways he still seems so much younger.
Chance nodded as he hooked his arm through hers. All right, I can do that, and so can
you.
* * * *
It was almost midnight by the time Annabelle left Chance and Rory s. Justin had called
hours ago and she d given him the bare bones version of today s events when she d stepped
outside for a little privacy. Rory hadn t asked her any more questions about the two men she
was involved with, instead spending hours talking about their dad and wondering why he d
been such a cruel man. But when she d taken Justin s call, she could feel Rory s gaze on her
through the window, and she wondered if he really was going to try to accept the fledgeling
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relationship she was entering. She hoped so; when she thought about the choice she might
have to make if he didn t, something close to panic swelled in her. She couldn t give her
brother up, and even though she wasn t sure how serious Justin and Evan were, she knew
she was feeling a lot more for both men than she d ever thought she d feel for anyone.
Twice the men, twice the intensity. Annabelle stripped and dropped into bed, pulling the
sheet over her body. It was too hot for the blanket.
Annabelle squirmed and shoved at her pillows, but she couldn t get comfortable and
she was afraid she knew why. One night spent cuddling between two gorgeous men seemed
to have spoilt her. Stupid to be so invested so quickly, but it was what it was and there was
nothing she could do to stop it. She wanted Evan and Justin, wanted to be with them right
now
Fuck! Annabelle sat up in the bed and looked at the alarm clock. It was after
midnight, too late to call Justin like she d said she would. Still, he d be pissed if she didn t do
something, so she grabbed her cell off the nightstand and sent a text to him and Evan both,
explaining that she thought it too late to call them. Her phone rang before she could set it
back down. Annabelle yelped and slapped her free hand over her heart as she glared at the
phone s display.
Justin, you dick! Nearly gave me a heart attack! Not that she was mad. Pure joy rushed
from her head to her toes, warming her already hot skin and sending all sorts of body parts
throbbing. Annabelle tapped the answer button and set the phone to her ear.
Are you trying to kill me? Annabelle asked, ruining it by snickering through the
accusation.
You about worried me and Justin to death, so we re even, Evan hollered, sounding
kind of tinny over the phone. You re on speaker, by the way.
Well, that explains the hollow sound to Evan s voice. I didn t mean to. And she wasn t
going to apologise for spending time with her brother. Rory and I had a lot to talk about.
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