House of Leights (Secret Keepers, #3)(30)

“Are you comfortable with this?” Chase asked, filling the doorway.

Brad raised an eyebrow at me but didn’t comment. He wasn’t one of those men who had to throw their dominance around all the time.

I smiled. Chase hadn’t asked in a rude way. “Yep, it’s no worries. Brad and I have been best friends since we were little.”

My mom, who had just stepped out of the room next door, was now visible under Chase’s arm. “They’ve had hundreds of sleepovers through the years,” she confirmed. “We trust Brad.”

I pouted. “You don’t trust me?”

My mom just shook her head at me, that gentle smile tilting up her lips. “You, my little one, definitely need to be watched.”

She had a point.

Chase still didn’t look particularly happy, but he didn’t say anything except, “There are some clothing and bathroom essentials in there.” He pointed at the chesterfield closet. “We didn’t know what you would have or need, but if you’re missing anything, just let someone know and we’ll get it for you.”

Before I could even say thank you, he was gone. My mom took his place in the doorway, looking even tinier after Chase’s large frame had taken up so much space. “It’s only temporary.” She wrung her hands, as she did when she was stressed. “I really am sorry you had to be thrown in like this.” She shook her head with a rueful smile. “Would you believe I never knew a thing until I married Sam. They’re forbidden from telling anyone, bar immediate family.”

“Bet that came as a nice wedding surprise,” I guessed, chuckling.

She let out a low laugh as well. “Yes, it was very difficult for me to understand. At first. But then I grew to love the Daelighters, their unique energy. The way they bring another element to our world. They truly add to it, rather than taking away.”

“You’ve always had such a beautiful way of looking at the world, Konami,” Brad said. He’d always called my parents by their first names. I did the same with his. “I’m really, definitely, a hundred percent this time going to try meditation one of these days.”

She just smiled, knowing that Brad and I could not seem to stop long enough to even breathe deeply, no matter how many times she told us we needed to center ourselves.

Crossing to one of the beds, I sank down, completely exhausted. “Shower and then sleep,” my mom told me. “I’ll wake you if anything happens.”

Her suggestion sounded like absolute bliss. I dragged my butt back up and walked to the closet. It was an antique, two-door monstrosity. Heavy wood frame, intricate filigree detailing, and so much excessive stuff going on. I was not a fan of antiques. Give me modern, sleek, and Hamptons any day.

There were two piles of clothes on a shelf inside, plus half a dozen shirts hanging up. One side was clearly for Brad – it was close to his pretty boy, Abercrombie style. The other was definitely more me. There was some brand-new underwear. Short denim skirts, high-waisted black shorts, a few cropped shirts, and some tanks.

Perfect.

I grabbed some underwear, what looked like a set of sleep shorts, and a matching tank. A bag of toiletries, which actually contained some makeup and everything, was on another shelf. Brad had one too, with a shaving kit and deodorant.

“They are thorough,” I said as I emerged with my hands full. “Remind me to thank them.”

Brad stepped in after me, going through his haul.

Moving out of the room, I leaned down and kissed my mom’s cheek, and then entered the large bathroom across the hall. This was the one we would share with my parents, which was a pain, but at least everyone else had their own bathrooms. It could be worse.

It was older but very well maintained. A clawfoot tub dominated half the room, but I didn’t have time or energy for a bath, so shower it was. Placing my new clothes on the bench next to the sink, I shucked off what I was wearing and padded across to the glass stall.

The water was hot, the pressure was good, and I spent at least fifteen minutes in there trying to clean the last twenty-four hours off me, finally emerging with clean hair, teeth, and skin – old makeup is so gross. I got dressed in the comfortable sleep clothes and was barely able to keep my eyes open as I stumbled into the bedroom. I’m not sure what happened after that, but I think I managed to dump my stuff in the corner before face-planting on the bed. Brad ruffled my hair – the ass – once or twice, as he left to shower.

Everything after that was blank.



I was pretty sure I didn’t move a single muscle for the entire night. When I woke the next morning, there was dried drool on my face and my right fingers were numb from me lying on them. With a groan, I wiped my face and pulled myself up to sit. As more of my brain came online, yesterday’s events hit me in a screaming rush. Aliens. Secret Keepers. Starslight stones.

And Chase.

Sweet alien babies, Chase was absolutely everything I both feared and craved.

For some reason, I hadn’t expected the craving I felt for him to be as strong today, like maybe a full night of sleep would dull those hyped-up emotions. But, if anything, they felt stronger. Just knowing he was under the same roof as me … in bed somewhere...

Give me strength. Resisting him was going to take a lot more effort than I was used to with guys.

“Dude, did yesterday actually happen?”