Trade It All(48)

Willa pulled the back of his T-shirt out of his jeans. His rippling muscles were heaven beneath her hands. He pulled her shirt free also. Beneath her shirt, his thumb traced the outline of her bra before slipping beneath to cup her breast.

“They should still be in here,” Emily said from the hallway.

Willa froze.

Lance lowered Willa back to the floor, adjusting her clothing as he did. “Shit.”

“Oh,” Emily said in surprise.

“Really, Lance? At Emily’s museum?” Asher asked curtly.

Lance tucked Willa into his side. Willa buried her face for a moment in his shoulder as she tried to compose herself. He growled, “Don’t be an ass, Asher.”

Willa raised her head. She’d never heard Lance use that tone before, especially not with his brothers.

Asher’s eyebrows shot up revealing his own surprise. “I’m an ass? I’m not the one giving the security cameras a show.”

Emily’s lips pressed together in a straight line. She looked as if she had something she wanted to say but was holding it in. “It doesn’t matter.”

Asher looked from Lance to Willa and back. “He knows it does.”

Emily went up onto her tiptoes and gave her husband a quick kiss on the cheek. His attention shifted from Lance and Willa to his wife and the secret smile on her face. “You have a short memory, Mr. Barrington.”

Asher pulled her into his arms gently, allowing for the space her rounded stomach required and kissed her briefly on the lips. “Maybe, but I know trouble when I see it.”

Emily smiled up at her husband, her love for him shining in her eyes. “So do I, but I married him anyway.” She caressed one side of his face.

With a grunt of concession, Asher looked back at Lance and Willa. “Mom doesn’t know you’re a couple yet, does she?” The way he asked didn’t sit right with Willa. He sounded as if he were suggesting there was still time to fix things—not be with her. His rejection stung. What have I ever done to him? Does Sophie not like me? Think of me as good enough as a friend of the family, but not for one of her sons?

Lance’s arm tightened around Willa’s waist. “I didn’t tell her who I was bringing with me, no.”

Asher frowned. “Find a reason to cancel.”

His words stabbed through Willa.

Lance stepped away from Willa aggressively. Asher did the same with Emily. Youngest brother faced eldest, but time had leveled the playing field. They were the same height, had similar powerful builds, and both had a stubborn look on their face that implied the conversation was headed nowhere good. Between gritted teeth, Lance said, “What is your problem? Didn’t you learn anything from when Kenzi brought Dax home?”

Asher’s face tightened with remorse. “That was an accident.”

Willa stepped forward to intervene. She hated that they were arguing over her. “It was.” She laid a hand on Lance’s arm.

Shaking his head angrily, Asher said, “Date her if you want, but do you have to announce it?”

Emily went to stand beside Asher. “Asher, I know you like Willa. Why are you doing this?”

“That’s the problem. We all like her. When they break up—” Asher stopped himself then said, “If they break up, it won’t only be Lance who will be affected.”

Willa said hastily, “Lance, maybe he’s right. I don’t want to cause any issues.”

Lance put his arm back around Willa as he continued to glare at Asher. He took a deep breath, then forced a smile. “Emily, thank you for the tour.”

Emily looked back and forth between the brothers. “Don’t let him leave like this, Asher.”

“He’s only angry because he knows I’m right,” Asher said.

With an audible angry sound, Emily turned to Willa. “Block the door.”

Willa hesitated, but something told her that when a very pregnant woman barks orders it’s best to follow them. She went to stand in front of the door that led out of the room to the main hallway.

Emily paced before the two men, with one hand supporting her back. “This is ridiculous. Neither of you is leaving until you figure this out. Our baby will not come into the world with the two of you fighting like five-year-olds. Work it out.”

“It’s not good for the baby if you get upset, Emily,” Asher said, looking white and worried.

“Too late for that,” she answered with a wave of her hand. “Willa, sometimes you have to stand your ground, and this is one of those times.”

Willa wasn’t sure of that, but her admiration for Emily soared again. She was a lioness, taking two self-proclaimed kings of the jungle down a notch.