Chapter Seven

Lyric

"Lachlan is going to be so mad," I whisper, clinging to Sinclair's hand as we pull up in front of the house a little before ten. After spending all day living every dream I've ever had, I'm not ready to face reality yet. But we can't live in my fantasy world forever. We have to face Lachlan eventually.

"I'll handle Lachlan," Sinclair says firmly, putting the car in park. He turns to face me, cupping my cheek in his palm. "Trust me, baby girl."

"Okay," I breathe, melting into his touch.

He gives me one of those rare smiles. He's given me a lot of them today. My grumpy daddy isn't so grumpy after all. At least he's not when he's allowed to touch and kiss and hold me.

All this time, I wasn't the thing making him grumpy. Being without me was. It's such a powerful revelation, one that makes me feel like the center of his world.

I spent so long thinking he never saw me, when the exact opposite was true. I'm all he saw. I probably shouldn't love that as much as I do…but I do. I want him crazy about me. I don't want him to be able to keep his hands off me.

Now that I know what it's like to belong to him, I don't ever want to know anything else. I just want to be his baby girl. Forever.

Dear Santa, please grant me one more Christmas wish. Let me keep him forever.

"Come on, princess," he murmurs. "Let's go talk to your brother and get your shit."

"Okay," I whisper, my stomach trembling with nerves. I'm staying with him tonight. Lachlan isn't going to be thrilled, but it's my choice to make. Sooner or later, he'll forgive us, right? Right.

Crap. I hope he forgives us.

Sinclair and I climb from the car. He circles around, meeting me at my door.

"Wait for me to help you next time."

"Yes, daddy."

He slips his hand into mine before leading me up the sidewalk to the front door. Unlike his house, Lachlan's is decked out for Christmas. Red and blue lights twinkle from the trees and the columns on the porch. Inflatable snowmen smile in the yard. Rudolph and the reindeer pull Santa in his sleigh across the front lawn.

Lachlan let me go overboard with the decorating.

I let us in using my key, smiling when I see the giant Christmas tree lit up in the foyer. Lachlan complained about it when we were putting it up, but he never forgets to plug it in. He only pretends to be a Grinch and have no time for holidays. Underneath, he loves this time of year.

"I'm home!" I call as Sinclair closes the door behind us. "Where are you?"

"Shit," Lachlan growls from the living room. "Don't come in here."

Naturally, I immediately head that way, eager to bust him wrapping gifts.

"Oh my gosh!" I cry, gaping in shock at the naked woman on his lap. He's naked too. Judging by the guilty looks on their faces, the only wrapping they've been doing tonight is unwrapping each other.

Lachlan grabs her, yanking her close to cover her as Sinclair steps into the room behind me.

"Fuck," Sinclair growls, hooking an arm around my waist to drag me out of the living room.

"He's naked," I whisper-shout, staring in shock at Sinclair.

"I noticed." A muscle in his jaw ticks.

"He's with a woman."

My brother hasn't had a woman here since I moved in. Actually, I can't remember the last time I saw him with a woman.

"Noticed that too."

"She's pretty," I whisper. At least judging by the quick glimpse I got of her anyway. Curly red hair, green eyes, curvy. She looks closer to my age than to his.

"She's his assistant, Caitlin."

"His assistant?" I mouth. Holy crap. Is that why he's been all secretive and weird lately? Because he's been dating his assistant? A thousand different questions rush to the forefront of my mind in a jumble.

Sinclair shrugs like it's not his business.

"Are you decent?" I shout into the living room.

"Give us a minute," Lachlan calls back and then mutters something to Caitlin.

"I'm so embarrassed," she hisses to him. "I'm never talking to you again!"

"Yeah, you are, pretty baby."

"Pretty baby," I whisper to Sinclair, a smile overtaking my face. Oh, my goodness. Lachlan is in love with his assistant. I hear it in his voice. It's so soft and gentle. All thousand of my questions dissolve in an instant.

"We're decent," Lachlan calls a moment later.

I practically drag Sinclair back into the living room to meet Caitlin. She's sitting on Lachlan's lap fully dressed this time. Her face is bright red, hidden partially behind her hair.

"Hi," I say, waving to her. "I'm Lyric, Lachlan's sister. I'm sorry we just burst in on you. It's Lachlan's fault. He didn't tell me that he was bringing anyone over."

Lachlan scowls at me.

I smirk at him.

"Um, hi," Caitlin squeaks. "It's nice to meet you."

"Why are you here?" Lachlan demands suddenly, narrowing his eyes on Sinclair. And then his gaze drifts to me. "And why has your phone been off all day?"

Well, crap.

"She's been with me," Sinclair says.

Lachlan's scowl darkens. "She's been with you?"

"We came to get her stuff," he says quietly. "She's spending the night at my place."

Lachlan stares at the two of us in complete silence for so long I feel like my heart is going to explode out of my chest. He doesn't move a muscle. He doesn't even twitch. He just stares.

"Please say something," I plead.

"How long?" he asks, his voice deathly quiet.

"How long have I been in love with your sister?" Sinclair asks. "Since I met her. How long since I decided that she was it for me? Just as long. How long has she known? I told her today."

Lachlan glances at me.

"It's true," I whisper. "He found a stupid letter I wrote to Santa. It's a long, embarrassing story. But he never touched me until today, Lachlan. He never even told me how he felt until today or kissed me until today."

"She's the reason you're letting me buy you out," Lachlan says.

"I don't intend to spend my life with her working my ass off."

"You didn't decide this today."

"No." Sinclair holds his gaze. "It's always been the plan, but I needed to do it right, make sure I could take care of her the way she deserved. The house is almost finished. You're buying me out. She'll never want for anything."

Caitlin presses her lips to Lachlan's ear and whispers something too low for me to hear. Whatever it is makes him grunt.

"This is what you want?" he asks me.

"He's what I've wanted since I met him," I whisper.

Lachlan expels a heavy breath and then slides Caitlin off his lap before rising to his feet. He crosses the room, stopping directly in front of me. For a long moment, he just looks at me. And then he curses and drags me into his arms for a tight hug. "Then it looks like we're both getting what we want for Christmas this year, baby sister," he says, pressing a hard kiss to my temple. "Because I know exactly how that feels."

I throw my arms around him, sobbing.