were such lousy drunks, though. The man can’t hold his booze worth a damn.”
“That’s because he’s never had any, you idiot.” She hadn’t meant to scream the words, but honest to God, she was about to surpass her big-brother tolerance level. “Just how many beers did you give him?”
“We didn’t give him beer. Precisely,” Nick hedged.
“Then what precisely did you give him?”
“Tequila. Straight from the bottle.” That from Gray, law enforcer extraordinaire.
Jorlan swayed. He almost fell, but she managed to hold him up with her hip. She just couldn’t freaking believe this. Her alien warrior was wasted. Totally and completely smashed.
“Katya,” he said slowly, carefully articulating each syllable. “I think I am dying.”
“You’re not dying,” she replied dryly. She led him to the living-room couch and helped him ease down. With every motion, he groaned. Sitting beside him, she smoothed his forehead. “But by morning, you’ll wish you were already dead.”
Jorlan slapped a hand over his eyes and moaned. He muttered something in a language she didn’t understand, but she knew by his tone that the words weren’t pleasant.
“I’m sorry, Jorlan,” she said, her voice now soft and gentle. “I don’t know what you’re saying.” She traced his eyebrows with her fingertips, and would have been surprised had she seen the I-told-you-so look Nick gave the rest of her brothers.
Jorlan spoke again, this time in English. “What sort of devil brew did your brothers give me? I wanted ‘lick her,’ not death.” His voice was slurred, almost incomprehensible, and she had trouble deciphering what he said.
“What the hell is this?” Nick shouted.
Katie whipped around, expecting to find…what? A decapitated body, maybe. Or a ticking bomb about to explode. What she found was Nick holding one of the plastic bags, a dark scowl pulling at the corners of his lips as he rifled through the contents.
Katie jolted up so quickly Jorlan’s body bounced on the couch springs. His arm swung up and down as he grappled for something solid to hold on to. She didn’t stop to help him.
“Give me that!” She launched herself at Nick.
A split second before their bodies collided, Nick tossed the plastic satchel to Gray. Gray missed. The contents spilled across her carpet.
Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. The only sound to be heard was the ticking of her grandfather clock. All eyes were fastened on what lay oh, so distinctly on her floor. Instead of diving to the ground and snatching everything up, Katie straightened, angled her chin to a proud tilt. She couldn’t control her blush, however, and knew if a fire detector had been nearby, she definitely would have set it off.
“Four boxes of condoms?” Gray shouted.
“Handcuffs?” Erik added, his tone a bit more discreet.
“Rope and a feather duster?” Denver yelled. His eyes sparked with fire.
I am not here, Katie thought. I am not standing here while my brothers ogle my purchases. I’m swimming in a clear blue ocean with the wind whipping my hair and the water splashing around my body.
That fantasy came to an abrupt halt with Nick’s next words. “What kind of kinky shit are you into, Katie Kat?”
That did it. Her temper exploded.
“Get out. All of you.” She jerked a finger to the door. “Get out right now. I’m not speaking to any of you for the rest of my life. You invaded my home, got my—my friend hammered, and now you think it’s okay to go through my things? Have I ever treated any of you with so little respect?”
They managed to look contrite, but not a single man made a move toward the exit.
“If I want to have sex with a man while he’s tied to my bed and tickle his entire body with feathers, that’s my business!”
Again, silence.
“I’m old enough to make my own decisions.”
“You’re our only sister,” Erik said, as if that explained and excused everything.
“We just wanted to meet your new boyfriend, honey.” Gray motioned to the now unconscious Jorlan with a tilt of his head. “You told me you weren’t seeing anyone. The next thing I know, Nick is calling me and going on and on about how you were making out on the bathroom floor with a romance cover model from Anguilla.”
She shot a narrowed glance to Nick, the tattletale.
He shrugged sheepishly, as if to say, “What else was a brother to do?” Then he grinned. “Mind if I pluck some of those feathers from the duster? This girl I’m seeing is really into—”
“Out!”
“Don’t be mad, sweetheart.” Blinking over at her, Erik stuffed his hands in his pockets. “We love you and only want to protect you.”
His apology didn’t surprise her. He was the peacemaker of the family. He was also the oldest and a former Army Ranger. His chosen profession was so at odds with his peace-loving nature, she often teased him about being a closet activist.
She sighed. “I will get you back, you know?”
“We know. You always do.” Denver lost his intense edge, even managed a half smile. “We wanted Jorlan to know what he’d be dealing with if he hurt you. This is the first man you’ve ever shown such an interest in, and we didn’t want to see you get hurt.”
Despite herself, Katie softened. She was still going to get revenge, but she abandoned images of a bloodbath. Even though they drove her crazy, made her wish she’d been an only child, she truly loved each of her brothers. All of her life these four handsome, wonderful men, plus the absent Brian, had protected her. They had guarded her from hurt and pain. They loved her. They would always love her, and she couldn’t fault them for trying to keep her safe.
She could fault them for being so damn nosy.
“You guys have to realize I’m a grown woman. I can be with whomever I want, with or without your approval.”
“Yes, but—” Gray began.
“No buts,” she said, cutting him off. “I don’t interrogate your girlfriends, nor do I get them drunk and beat them up.”
Each masculine face showed its own version of remorse.
“For what it’s worth, we think he’s an all-right guy,” Erik told her.
“He’s different. In a good way,” Denver added. “I never knew a man could fight with a spatula.”
Katie smiled; she just couldn’t help herself. Some women had the power to know what a man truly meant when he spoke, and at this moment, she was one of them. Erik and Denver were politely telling her Jorlan was weird. “He may be different,” she told them, “but he’s mine.” At least for
