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main bedroom was freezing after the companionable warmth of the living room. The heat from the radiator stung her palm when she grabbed it to see if it was still on. Shivering, she climbed into bed and lay facing the meter of empty space Ross usually occupied. She’d grown used to his presence, a solid, warm shape beside her.
    She thought about the two men downstairs and the easy camaraderie between them. Was she threatened by it? Perhaps. She almost certainly would have been, if it weren’t for a certain edge to some of their interactions. Although, some level of wariness was inevitable after so long apart. Six years constituted a lot of catching up, but that prickliness piqued her curiosity too. Perhaps because Ross was the least jumpy person she’d ever met, and yet beneath his sociable calm he’d been agitated this evening, and at times, picking his words ever so carefully.
    Then again, Kit did seem to inspire that sort of nervous tension. She felt twitchy herself every time she thought of him. Maybe it’s because she’d seen him naked twice having known him only a few hours. Maybe it was the way he held his tumbler in the palm of his hand that screamed of sensuality. He certainly had a way of injecting sexual intent into the smallest of actions. Just asking Kit to pass the pepper grinder seemed like a lesson in flirtation. She’d never known a man whose movements were so fluid and yet unpredictable. Like water racing along a rocky stream, sometimes his actions met with a smash. She’d been unable to take her eyes off him most of the night, despite spending a goodly portion of it curled against Ross’s side.
    “Still awake?” Ross asked, slipping into the room and out of his clothes in the dark. He climbed into bed naked and cuddled against her.
    “I thought you’d be hours,” she said, snuggling up to the solid length of him, and seeking a kiss.
    “Nah, we don’t need to say everything at once. Some of it can wait. He’s going to be about a bit.” Ross draped one arm around her body and squeezed. “Night, Evie. I’m knackered.” He gave her the sought after kiss then rolled over and scooted over to his side of the bed. Ross liked to sleep in his own space. It was one of his quirks. He liked the space to stretch and roll. He didn’t like to be touched in case that somehow melded their thoughts. It didn’t make sense, but not sleeping spooned together was a minor inconvenience, and one she hardly missed, except tonight. Tonight, she wanted that comfort.
    Ross’s breathing began to soften almost immediately. She reached out and touched his shoulder. “I take it he’s quite well off,” she said of Kit.
    Ross hunched his shoulders, which she took as a “don’t know”, although it could just as easily have been him nudging the covers up a little farther to cover his ears, or an attempt to shrug her off.
    Evie pulled the bedclothes more tightly about her shoulders. The house was definitely cold tonight. “Ross? I mean, he must be, if he’s doing up a house.”
    Ross turned to face her again and captured her gaze across the white topography of the pillows. “I expect he inherited some money along with the house. Flora might have been madder than a hatter, but she wasn’t poor. That, and Kit had a good job over in Tokyo. He’s not staying with us ’cause he’s broke, Evie. Don’t pretend that’s not what you’re hinting at. He’s here because I offered. The pub’s a bit grotty.”
    “Grotty?”
    “Yeah.” Ross frowned at her narrowed eyes.
    “That’s not what you said on the phone to your mum about Christmas.”
    “It’s all right for the odd night.” He sniffed and pushed his nose into the pillow. “Besides, that’s different. I don’t want my mum here. She’ll just bang on about how successful my brother is and how many gorgeous grandchildren he’s spawned.”
    Evie smiled at his wriggling. It wasn’t his mum’s heartfelt desire for more babies causing the uncomfortable