Sole Survivors: Crux Survivors, Book 2 by Dani Worth Page B

sense.
    Could he share her with his brother?
    That is, if she wanted that sort of relationship?
    She didn’t though. He knew it in his gut. She’d looked at Chase like he was all she was interested in exploring and he was honest enough to admit he didn’t want anyone else touching her. Not even his brother. She brought out this instinctive, possessive need in him that actually alarmed him a little.
    Tripp stepped in front of him, blocking the light from the fire. Chase looked up, expecting to see that sad, silent expression and instead found Tripp grinning at him like an idiot and holding out a steaming bowl of gumbo. Chase took the bowl and found himself grinning back because his brother didn’t look upset. Not at all.
    “Smooth brother. Real smooth,” Tripp spoke under his breath. He’d looked upset when he’d walked into that apartment, but if he had been, he’d let it go fast. Maybe he, too, saw that there was something between Keera and Chase. Something damned strong for how short a time he’d known her. It certainly felt like longer than twenty-four hours.
    The scent of cooked sausage and vegetables hit him and he lifted the bowl to breathe it in deep. “Oh my God.”
    Tripp sat next to him, handed him a spoon. He cradled his bowl in his lap. “Thought we’d take our first real taste of this together. I already cheated earlier with pickles.”
    “There are pickles?”
    “Yeah. With garlic. I haven’t even tasted this yet and I know it’s going to be the best food ever.” He leaned closer. “We really, really need to keep her.”
    Chase nudged his brother with his shoulder. “You can’t keep people, Tripp.”
    “Well, maybe she’ll want to stay with us.” He dipped his spoon into the gumbo. “I can’t wait any longer.” He closed his eyes with the first bite, chewed a long time then moaned. “Sorry. I’m becoming the next president and making slavery okay. We’re keeping her.”
    He said this loud enough for everyone around the fire to hear. Soft laughter trickled into the night and it warmed Chase nearly as much as his first taste of the spicy, delicious dish—but not nearly as much as that damned kiss had. He thought about grabbing one of the blankets because the sweatpants Keera had given him were not going to hide the hard-on he couldn’t seem to keep down. Luckily Tripp was too enraptured with the food to notice.
    He hoped.
    As he enjoyed the food and the company, he did his best to keep from looking at Keera but he could feel her gaze on him often.

Chapter Seven
    Keera spent most of the night tossing and turning in her bed. She’d come so close to asking Chase to share it, but had chickened out. Most of the group had bedded down on the soft cushions by the fire pit. Ross had built the fire up before he’d snuggled in with his lovers. Keera had handed Tripp a small television with a built-in VHS player and he and Cadmar had set up a spot down in the warehouse next to an outlet. When she’d come upstairs, Tripp had been introducing Cadmar to his first movie, The Mummy . They’d dragged a couple of the cushions inside and had made a cozy spot for the night.
    Cadmar’s eyes had been nearly as big as his face as he stared at the screen.
    She’d watched from the window as Chase had climbed into his RV. Then she’d stayed awake most of the night staring at the empty side of her bed and imagining him in it, all big and naked and warm. She wanted to feel his calloused hands and his beard on her skin—wanted it so badly, she’d ended up using her hand to get some relief.
    With only about three hours of sleep under her belt, she got up at dawn, dressed in old comfortable jeans and a soft blue sweater, then started brewing tea. She made chamomile and added lemon verbena, wishing she’d found the ginseng, but shrugging it off.
    Outside, Dorian, Ross and Jenna were wrapped around each other under a pile of blankets. She’d thought that with Cadmar occupied, they would have set up a