The Christmas Laughbox (Laughbox Boxed Sets Book 4) by Julia Kent

Author:Julia Kent [Kent, Julia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-12-10T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter

Twelve

Declan

The Yankee Swap, a.k.a Dirty Santa

“Kids are settled,” I announce softly as I find a spot on the sofa next to my wife and put my arm around her shoulders. The feel of a steady adult who stays in place for more than half a second is a welcome change from managing Ellie.

“You mean Will, Charlie, Ellie, and Tyler are,” Jeffrey says smugly. He’s flexing his not-kid muscles with the condescension of a thirteen-year-old who knows damn well one cocked eyebrow from Grandma or Grandpa can drop him back down into kid class, but he can't help himself.

Amanda comes out of the hallway, Andrew at her heels, the two of them positively giddy.

“We got the twins down! They're both asleep at the same time,” Amanda whispers as if she's invented teleportation.

“It's a Festivus miracle!” Andrew crows. He grabs Amanda's hand and whispers something in her ear. She turns beet red and her eyes go shifty.

I know that look.

Shannon picks that exact moment to catch what's going on, then gaze at me like it's contagious.

Because the look my brother gave his wife is the look of a new father trying to get some nooky while the babies are asleep. Those rare, stolen moments when two minutes is all you need.

Sometimes just two strokes. Not that I'd know about that.

A raspy, furtive series of whispers bounces between Andrew and Amanda as a negotiation worthy of the Paris Peace Talks takes place. I sympathize. Who wants to have a quickie on Christmas in someone else's house?

Andrew.

Andrew does.

“It's like being an anthropologist studying the mating habits of the slightly less interesting brother in a family,” I say out of the corner of my mouth.

“I heard that!” Andrew snaps. “You must be looking in a mirror, bro.”

Shannon suddenly feels so good against me, her soft curves begging to be touched, her little sighs of contentment making me imagine whimpers and pleas.

Frustration Nooky is suddenly on the table.

See what I mean? Contagious.

“No,” she hisses as she realizes what's happening, her voice meant to cut this idea off at the knees. “Just because they have twins and are desperate to hump like bunnies on the floor of a locked bathroom with a dog bed for a cushion doesn't mean I am!”

“But there is a cushion.”

“DECLAN!”

The rapid-fire murmurs between Andrew and Amanda are killing me. Sex talk is a contagion. Knowing my brother is about to bust one with his wife and I'm not isn't an aphrodisiac in and of itself, of course.

But knowing he's getting off–and I'm not–makes me think.

And not with my brain.

Amanda whispers the word bathroom, then the word basement, and Shannon scooches away from me, reaching for a big chunk of chocolate peppermint bark that is her version of foreplay for sex we're not having.

Not having.

“If you want something sweet, I've got a candy cane for you,” I whisper in her ear, earning a groan of disgust.

“When did you become 'that husband'?”

When she pulls out the finger quotes, I know I'm in trouble.

“What's 'that

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.