“You always said the kid had brass balls,” Dean said. “You know you deserve to be in that magazine.”
“I’m perfectly happy staying in the shadows.” What Dean didn’t realize was that even with all that Jett did for others, it could never make up for the ways in which he’d failed his own family. Most of all Dean, who had been picking up the slack with their family when Jett was unable to make it home for family functions ever since Jett left for college. But Jett wasn’t about to get into all that now, so he changed the subject. “How are things here? Business still good?”
“Business is great.” Dean’s expression turned serious and he said, “I thought you said you were working on things with Dad.”
“Christ, Dean. Do you ever give that shit a break? I am working on it. I talk to him at least once a month. The fences are mending, but we’re both busy.”
“I get that, but one of you has to give. You can’t fix things if you’re not here, and Mom and Dad aren’t getting any younger.”
Always the peacemaker.
Dean hadn’t just picked up the slack for Jett. Doug had already been away at school when Jett had left for college. With both of his brothers gone, and Jett barely speaking to their father, Dean had taken it upon himself to remain on the Cape to make sure their parents were okay and, more specifically, that their mother didn’t feel abandoned. He made a point of attending events for the foundation their grandfather had started, in which their father was heavily involved, and he was always there when they needed him.
Jett pushed to his feet and grabbed his coat. “I appreciate your concern, and I owe you years of gratitude for picking up the slack for me. But it’s not your job to make up for my shortcomings anymore. Dad and I are going to get through this at our own pace.”
“Your own pace. I know what that means. If it’s business related, you’re in for the long haul, but when it comes to personal relationships, you’re like a bad one-night stand—in and out before breakfast.”
Chapter Four
“S.L.U.T.” BLARED OVER the loudspeakers at Harper’s bachelorette party Saturday night. Harper’s sister, Jana, and sister-in-law, Cree, had done a great job throwing the party together. A black banner with gold letters that read SAME PENIS FOREVER hung over the bar. Pink helium balloons with LET’S PARTY BITCHES printed on them in black bobbed around the ceiling and danced from strings tied to chairs. A bra pong game hung on a wall by the dance floor—bras in several colors were hooked to a board, ready for the girls to toss Ping-Pong balls into them. Harper had refused to allow strippers, so Jana brought in life-size cardboard cutouts of scantily clad males and scattered them around the dance floor. She also gave each of the girls a pink-black-and-white eye mask with a cute tag in the middle. Harper’s tag read HOT BRIDE, while the others said things like SEXY MAMA, NAUGHTY ONE, BADASS BABE, DIRTY TEASE, SINGLE SLUT, and WILD THING. Tegan had no idea what her tag said, because Jana wouldn’t let them look at their own masks, and she warned them not to tell each other or there would be repercussions. Jana was as tough as she was beautiful, and Tegan was not about to go head-to-head with her. Desiree and Emery had made penis-shaped cookies. Much to Desiree’s embarrassment, Violet, who was as dark and brazen as Desiree was blond and sweet, had added white frosting dribbled down the front of the cookies like semen.
Chloe hadn’t been kidding about the theme of the party being the hotter the better. Thank goodness the bar was closed to the public, because they’d all gone full-on slut with their outfits. Tegan fit right in wearing the outfit she’d made last winter for a New Year’s Eve party—a skintight, sleeveless gray velvet shorts jumpsuit with an open back and a plunging neckline that led all the way down to her navel. The gray choker and thigh-high peep-toed leather boots were the perfect accessories to ratchet up the slut factor.
“Harper! Harper! Harper!” Tegan chanted along with the other girls. They were doing blow job shots, a delicious mix of amaretto and Irish cream, topped with whipped cream, meant to be consumed hands free.
“Give me a second,” Harper said, taking an exaggerated inhalation. She was decked out in a black lace shirt, unbuttoned to below her black bra, a black miniskirt, lace garters hooked to thigh-high stockings, and fuck-me heels. In addition to her BRIDE eye mask, she wore a sparkly plastic tiara and a white sash with BRIDE-TO-BE written in gold. “Okay, I’m ready!” She bent over the bar to pick up the shot with her mouth, her hands secured behind her back with fuzzy pink handcuffs, and her long blond hair tumbled forward, knocking off her tiara.
“Someone hold her hair!” Colton hollered from behind the bar, where he was dancing shirtless, his washboard abs and blue tattoos on display as he served them drinks.
Colton was gorgeous, with sharp features and spiky bleached-blond hair. He wore low-slung jeans, a black bow tie, and white cuffs around his wrists with penis-shaped cuff links. It was too bad he was wasting all that hotness on them, when he was into guys. But from the moment Tegan had met him last summer, it had been clear that Colton and his brother, Brock, would do anything for their sisters.
“I’ve got it!” Jana gathered Harper’s hair in her hand. “This is payback for all the times you held mine when I puked as a teenager.”
Harper looked at her and said, “Girl, you owe me years of this!”
Serena pulled out her phone and started videoing. “This is the moment of truth, my friends. Does Harper Garner soon-to-be Wheeler spit or swallow?”
“Of course she swallows,” Colton said with a smirk. “It’s one of the Garner gifts.”
“Colton!” Harper scolded. “Do not make me laugh when I get this thing up to my mouth or I’ll spit it out!”
“I hope you don’t say that to Gavin,” Violet said, smoothing her black halter minidress over her narrow hips. It had cutouts along the sides, revealing all her colorful tattoos.
Harper said, “Trust me, my man never makes me laugh when my mouth is down there.” She sealed her lips over the rim of the shot glass.
Everyone chanted, “Swallow! Swallow! Swallow!”
Harper tossed her head back, downing the shot, and they all cheered.
Jana took the shot glass from Harper’s mouth, then removed the handcuffs and said, “I’m borrowing these for tonight, sis.”
“Like you don’t already have your own?” Cree said. She had grown up with Tegan in Peaceful Harbor and had lived on the Cape for several years. She’d married Harper and Jana’s brother Brock over the holidays.
“One can never have too many handcuffs,” Jana said. “Wait, does anyone need a pair?” She dangled the handcuffs from her fingers, offering them up.
Chloe shook her head. “I’ve got my own.”
“Dean and I have plenty of toys,” Emery said.
“Me too,” Serena said. “Several.”
Jana waved the handcuffs at Desiree and Daphne, both of whom shook their heads, blushing furiously. “I’m not even going to ask Vi,” Jana said. “I don’t want to know what kind of dark shit you and Andre are into.”
Desiree and Violet ran an adult-toy shop out of the back of their art gallery by the inn. When Tegan had come to the Cape for Cree’s wedding, the girls had taken her on a tour of the impressive little shop. Tegan had been so busy wrapping up her life in Peaceful Harbor and preparing to come to the Cape, she hadn’t had much time for dating. She’d bought a few toys from their shop to keep her company on long, lonely nights. Now that she had Armani to fantasize about, she just might put them to good use.
Violet grinned. “Dark, light, you name it, we probably do it.”
“You’re so lucky,” Chloe said.
“Tegan? Handcuffs?” Jana offered.
Tegan wasn’t into bondage, but a silk tie now and again with the right guy was a definite yes. “No thanks. I’m good.”
“Steph?” Jana waggled her brows.
“To use those, I’d need a man,” Steph said. “And there’s no one promising on the horizon.”
Tegan knew Steph from the book cl
ub. She was a poet and she ran an herbal shop in Brewster. She was always doing funky things to her brown hair, and tonight she had blue streaks in the front.
“No one promising?” Violet said loudly. “How about Dwayne?” Dwayne was Justin’s cousin.
Steph rolled her eyes. “I’ve known Dwayne Wicked since I was a kid. Sometimes I help him with his dog rescue, but that’s it. I’m not going there, thank you very much.”
“Hey,” Serena said. “I’m married to a guy I’ve known forever, and I can tell you it’s the best!”
“Knowing a guy forever is not a reason not to date them,” Violet added. “If not Dwayne, then how about Justin? Baz? Beckett? Zeke? Zander? Tank? Do I need to go on?”
Tegan tried to keep up. She’d met Justin and his brother Zander and Gavin’s brother, Beckett, at Gavin’s birthday party last year, but she had no idea who the others were.
“Do not set her up with Justin,” Chloe said. “He’s a total player.”
“All those guys are yummy,” Daphne said. “I’m not into bikers, like Justin or his brothers and cousins, but Gavin’s brother, Beckett? Delish. And Jett?” She fanned her face. “He’s too much man for me, but I do love to look at him.”
“Hello? Single girl over here!” Tegan waved her hands. “You just rattled off a list of assumedly single guys, some of whom I’ve never met. I know Beckett, but he lives in Virginia, and Justin, who’s hot, but I think Chloe’s secretly wishing she could climb him like a tree—”
“Only if you duct tape his mouth shut,” Chloe said.
Violet leaned over Chloe’s shoulder and said, “Mouths are the second-best part of men.”
“And hands,” Tegan said. “I love big, strong hands.” She’d noticed that Armani had big, manly hands, and last night she’d thought in great detail about all the things he could do with those strong hands and his sexy mouth.
“Arms. I love strong arms. Brock’s are perfect.” Cree licked her lips and raised her brows.
“Can we not talk about body parts?” Daphne pleaded. “It’s been a really long time for me.”
“Aw, Daph. We’re going to find you a man,” Desiree promised.
“Who else is on the single-guy list?” Jana asked.
“Justin’s brother Blaine and Dean’s brother Jett!” Emery said.
“Blaine? Now, there’s a tasty morsel. But Jett? He’s technically single and definitely hot,” Chloe said. “but totally married to his business.”
“What I wouldn’t give to be bent over my bar for that strappingly handsome man,” Colton said, earning a wide-eyed look from Daphne.
“Is Jett bi?” Daphne asked.
“I wish,” Colton said.
“You’d get a lot of women if you were bi,” Daphne said more to herself than to Colton.
Colton patted Daphne’s hand and said, “Baby cakes, I am straight-up gay. The scariest place I’ve ever been was in a vagina, and I got the hell out of there as fast as I could.”
“Colton, you’re here for eye candy, not input,” Jana said. “Serve up another round of shots for us, please.”
“Okay, bossy pants.” Colton stepped away and said, “But for the record, I’d happily take any of those Wicked men for a ride.”
Jana glowered at him.
As the girls talked about Justin’s single brothers—Zeke, Zander, and Blaine—and his single cousins—Tank, Baz, and Dwayne—Tegan’s mind trailed back to the arrogant, handsome guy from the café. Armani had somehow managed to push her fantasy about her truck-driving, howling soul mate to the back burner.
“Justin and his brothers will be at the wedding,” Harper said, bringing Tegan’s mind back to their conversation.
“Let me ask you guys something. Have you ever met a guy and been totally turned off and turned on by him at the same time?” Tegan asked. “Is that even possible?”
“Babe, that’s every man who walks on this earth,” Colton said as he poured the liquor into the shot glasses.
“I agree. If they don’t scare you in some way, they say weird shit,” Violet said. “But if they were too much like us, we’d get bored.”
“I’ve never been turned off by Gavin,” Harper said proudly.
Jana gave her a deadpan look. “You’re not married yet. Wait until he Dutch ovens you because he thinks it’s funny. Hunter did that once, and he barely survived my wrath afterward.”
“Gross!” Daphne said.
“What’s a Dutch oven?” Desiree asked. “Is that code for something sexual? Rick’s working hard to show me all the moves that go with the lingo, which is so fun.” She whispered so fun. “But I don’t know that one.”
They all giggled as Violet explained the meaning to Desiree.
“That’s disgusting!” Desiree exclaimed. “Rick would never do that.”
“I didn’t mean grossed out by him. I meant that he was a bit too arrogant. You know the type. Expensive suit, fancy car, assumptive,” Tegan explained. “But he’s funny, smart, and obviously sharp about business.”
“Where did you meet him?” Serena asked.
Daphne squeezed closer to them. “I learn so much when you guys evaluate men. Does it matter where you meet?”
“It depends,” Serena said. “A library says something very different than a bar, for example.”
“Guys don’t hang out at the library, trust me on that. I take Hadley there just about every week, and there are never any hot single guys.”
“She didn’t meet him at a library.” Chloe looked at Tegan and said, “May I?”
Tegan had told Chloe all about Armani last night when they were comparing outfits for the party. Her leggy blond friend looked like a model in a little black dress that laced up the center, exposing miles of toned belly. She waved a hand of approval, giving Chloe the floor.
“Tegan saw him at a gas station, then talked with him at a café,” Chloe explained. “There were definite fuck-me vibes going on between them. I told her she should have taken him home for the night, but she said she didn’t need the distraction since she’s got so much on her plate.”
“So why are you asking about single guys if you don’t want to be distracted?” Jana asked.
“Because I can’t stop thinking about him. He’s already become a distraction. I’ve only got about two months to get the schedules, website, marketing—basically everything I need for Harper’s play—in place, and I caught myself daydreaming about this guy like some lame, hard-up woman, which I’m not.” Tegan sighed. “Or maybe I am right now, but that’s because I need to be. Forget it. It doesn’t matter. We didn’t exchange numbers or anything. I’ll never see my sexy suit wearer again except in my fantasies. Let’s do another shot. Maybe I can drink enough to forget him.”
Chloe nudged her and said, “Sometimes fantasies are a heck of a lot better than the real thing.”
“Darn right,” Steph agreed.
“Hang in there, girls,” Harper encouraged them. “There are good men out there, and several of us are testaments to that.”
“I know I am.” Jana patted the handcuffs and said, “I guess these babies are coming home with me tonight. My baby daddy is at home taking care of Kai, so when I get home, I’m going to take care of him.” Kai was her four-month-old son.
Colton snagged the handcuffs and said, “Sorry, boss, but these are mine tonight. I’ve got a bear who needs to be taught a lesson.” He hooked them to his belt loop, then pushed a row of shot glasses across the bar. “A round of deep-throat shots for the girls with partners. May your men all get lucky tonight. And for our single girls, a round of screaming orgasms.” He picked up a shot glass in each hand and began clinking glasses with the girls.
“Why do you have one of each kind?” Desiree asked.
“Guys have needs, too.” He winked and they all downed their drinks.
“Single Ladies” blared from the speakers, and Serena and Emery cheered.
“Come on!” Serena grabbed Emery’s hand, and Emery grabbed Jana’s. They ran t
o the dance floor with the rest of the girls on their heels.
They all danced around the cardboard cutouts of men. Tegan waved her hands, shimmying and wiggling her hips, singing along with everyone else.
“Watch out for Tegan!” Cree hollered.
“What do you—” Violet turned to look at Tegan.
Jana’s jaw dropped. “Tegan, what are you doing?”
“Dancing!” Tegan said, arms flailing. “Cree’s just jealous of my moves!”
Emery tried, and failed, to stifle a laugh. “Babe! You look like a fish out of water.”
“I know!” Tegan spun around, and then she planted her feet, pointed her thumbs to the left, and bounced her upper body in that direction, then switched directions. “I totally suck, but it’s okay! I own it!”
“Who’s sucking and owning it?”
The girls spun around at the deep male voice booming through the bar.
It took Tegan a second to recognize the stocky guy with short blond hair and a lascivious grin as he stepped forward, opened his arms, and announced, “Dwayne Wicked at your service, ladies. Sucking welcome, swallowing appreciated, and those dresses…” He narrowed his eyes and made an “mm-mm” sound. “I must have died and gone to heaven. Who wants to revive me?”
Harper yelled, “Gavin!” and ran across the room toward her fiancé.
There was a cacophony of commotion as several of the other girls’ significant others came into the bar. Some of the girls ran toward the men, but Tegan’s eyes were now locked on her arrogant suit wearer walking through the door. His piercing stare rooted her in place as every dirty detail of her late-night fantasy came rushing back.
“Armani,” she said breathlessly as Chloe walked by.
“Armani?” Chloe followed Tegan’s gaze and whispered, “Holy shit. Armani is Jett? Girl, you are one lucky bitch. Good luck. I have to go hammer Justin for crashing the party.”
“Tell him thank you from me.” Tegan heard the lust in her own voice.
Bayside Fantasies (Bayside Summers Book 6) Page 4
