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face.
    “Hi.” His voice was rough, and Nicole shivered a little, letting it wash over her. “I’m Gabe, his older brother.” He tilted his head to the side, but he really didn’t need to point that out. They looked almost identical, except that Gabe didn’t have any facial hair. His face looked smooth and soft, and her fingers itched to touch him. He had a scar on his cheek, and she wondered for a minute what it would feel like against her tongue. Nicole shook herself. She was turning into a crazy woman. She wanted to blame it on the men, but maybe she had just been alone for far too long.
    “Of course. You two look so much alike. So, what are you both doing here this morning? What’s going on? I would’ve asked Josh, but I didn’t want to scare him. I kept thinking that he might cut something useful off if I did.” She giggled a little, feeling nervous under his scrutiny, and of course, she babbled too, which made an awful combination.
    He stared at her, moving a bit closer, and Nicole wanted to step back but held firm. She didn’t have any reason to fear this man. She felt something inside her uncoil and knew he was safe. “Josh said that you might need a little yard work done so I volunteered to help him.” He smiled, but it seemed a bit forced, and she got the feeling that he really didn’t want to be doing yard work. “Hey, Josh!” he yelled, and Josh immediately turned around, shutting off the electric saw.
    “Hey, Nicole, how are you this morning?” Josh asked. He acted as if he belonged there in her yard doing work. He put the saw on the ground and grabbed his shirt, wiping the dirt off his face.
    “Hi. Um, I’m not sure what you’re doing here?” Not wanting to sound rude, she pasted a smile on her face and acted like she didn’t care that he was cutting down the plants that protected her house from the wildlife. She liked feeling hidden.
    “Well, I just thought that these bushes were in the way. You can’t see anything from your front door. It could be a security risk. Also, on my way out yesterday, I noticed your woodpile was looking low, so I thought my brother here could help chop some for you. Oh… I’m sorry. Did you meet my brother, Gabe?” He looked back and forth between them, and Nicole nodded, holding her hand out. Gabe stalked closer. The way he moved reminded her of a predator, which meant she was his prey.
    He took her hand in his, and she was surprised by how gentle he was. He rubbed his thumb along her knuckles before bringing his face down and kissing her wrist. He took his time, and she could feel his breath on her palm. It was all so interesting, and she couldn’t stop staring at his face. He looked so content, standing next to her, holding her hand and sniffing her. She didn’t want to pull away, his features seemed to relax the more she allowed him to explore. He closed his eyes. She caught a smile curve his lips as she heard a quiet growl.
    “Okay.” Josh got his attention, and Gabe immediately dropped her hand. He stepped back, looking guilty, and she missed his warmth right away. “So, uh, we’re gonna do some work out here for you. I’m sure you need to get back to writing. Don’t let us stop you.” Josh turned her around so that she was facing her house and gave a little push.
    Nicole took an unstable step, feeling a little shaky. She wondered if she should protest or, at the very least, send them home, but he was right that she had work to do. She knew they wouldn’t leave, and she really did need some yard work done. Closing the front door, she went back to writing.
    Taking a deep breath she sat down in front of her computer, cracking her knuckles and rolling her wrists. It was going to be a long day. She could hear Josh start up the electrical saw, and she hummed, trying to drown out the sound. She stared at the computer screen and quickly started typing.
     
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    “Seriously?” Josh whispered harshly, not wanting Nicole to hear their