Page 61 of The Lie That Stole Christmas

“You really like that word.”

Ashley snapped her bra into place just as the bedroom door flew open.Her face paled, eyes doubling in size like she was caught committing a crime.Maybe being with him felt like a crime to her.

Fire burned in Gabe’s eyes, an angry shade of red spread up his neck into his face.His eyes locked on Carter.

“I’m going to kill you!”Gabe declared.He lurched forward, and Carter braced himself, but Lena jumped in between them, her body swaying in sync with Gabe’s.

“Can you get out of the fucking way?”

“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, are you always this dramatic?”

“Mind your business,” Gabe growled.

“Gladly,” Lena said just as her foot lifted and swiftly kicked Gabe in the balls.All six-foot-plus of him dropped to his knees, and Carter had to stop from grabbing his own in sympathy.

Lena rolled her shoulders back, turning her attention to Carter and Ashley while ignoring a groaning Gabe on the floor.“Now.We forgot to discuss games, so why don’t you two make yourselves decent and I’ll meet you in the dining room of the main house.”

Ashley’s face turned a shade that rivaled the glowing red of Rudolph’s nose.“Lena!”

“What?”Lena asked innocently.

“You kicked my brother.”

“He was being an asshole.”She blinked at Carter, and he tried to muffle a laugh.

“You assaulted me.”

“Self-defense.”

“I wasn’t going to hurt you.”

“I didn’t know that.You were being all rawr and growl.”

“Are you five?”

Ashley pinched the bridge of her nose.“I’m sorry to break this up,” Ashley said.“But I’d really like to get dressed, so if you two can take this literally anywhere else, I’d appreciate it.And Lena, if he threatens to press charges, my lawyer is better than his.”

As Lena headed for the door, Gabe leveled a glare at Carter.A promise and a threat, all mixed in one look.Carter didn’t even flinch.He glared right back.

For years that glare would have gotten under his skin.Years ago, he would have backed down, apologized, and tried to keep the peace.He would have stayed within his station.Not anymore.

Apologizing made it that he had done something wrong, and Ashley had always been the only right thing in his life.He wouldn’t apologize.He wouldn’t make any excuses.Ashley wasn’t some secret he was hiding.And he wasn’t asking for Gabe’s fucking permission because he didn’t need it.

Lena grabbed Gabe’s arm and started dragging him toward the door.“Let’s go, tough guy.”

“I’m going to kill him.”

“And get blood all over the hot cocoa station.Absolutely not.”

“I don’t give a shit about the hot cocoa station.”

Lena stopped abruptly in front of him.“Well, I do, so bottle up that macho rage you have inside you before I kick you in the balls again.”She drew her leg back, and Gabe covered his assets while stepping out of her reach.

“Fucking hell.You’re crazy, you know that?”

“No, I’m just trying to save Christmas from a moron with too much testosterone running through his body.”

She shoved him over the threshold, and the front door slammed behind them.Silence settled over the guesthouse.Carter moved toward Ashley, who was quickly yanking on her sweater.Her cheeks were still pink, her hair still slightly disheveled.She looked more beautiful than ever.