Layer by Layer (Riggins Brothers Book 1)

by Kaylee Ryan

  “Owen.” Royce’s deep voice has me staring up as my feet hit the ground. “She’s not yours.” He points at his brother.

  A thrill races through me at his words. I glance down at Owen, and this time, I see his white teeth through the beard as he grins up at his brother.

  “Not yours either if I recall.” He turns that grin on me, and I’m hit with those Riggins genes. He really is handsome, but he doesn’t make me weak in the knees like Royce does. “Ready?” he asks.

  “Yep. Let’s do this.” I make my way to the passenger side of the truck and climb in. I try not to let it show that Royce trying to warn his brother away from me is affecting me like it is. My insides are like a swarm of bees buzzing around. He turns me inside out without even trying.

  “He’s not impressed.” Owen chuckles.

  “No fraternizing with the employees,” I remind him.

  “Right,” he says in an exaggerated tone. “Today is going to be a hell of a lot more fun than I originally thought.” With that, he hits the button to raise the garage door, and we’re driving down an old dirt road to what I assume leads us to the lake.

  It’s too late for me to back out now, but I’m beginning to wonder what in the hell I got myself into.

  Chapter 12

  Royce

  When I was ten, and my father told us he was building a lake, I didn’t think about what it was going to cost, or the logistics of getting it done. My brothers and I were pumped to be able to go fishing and to swim anytime we wanted. It never failed every time we would go to a public lake someone would end up talking Dad’s head off about a business venture they wanted him to join, or asking for a loan. He decided the only way he was going to get uninterrupted time with his family was to build a lake. He wanted it big enough so we could use the boat, to ski and tube, and use the Jet Skis.

  Now that I’m older, I understand the magnitude of the financial investment he made. Not that we couldn’t afford it, but he and my mother gave my brothers and me our own hangout. We spent every summer out on this lake growing up. We still try to do it as often as we can now that we’re older and have responsibilities. When Jennifer and I got married, this is where I wanted it to happen, but she refused. She hated the lake. Hell, she hated everything and anything that had to do with the outdoors. That should have been my first sign that we weren’t meant to be.

  I’ve never brought anyone here, just my ex, and she never went out on the boat with us. My brothers occasionally brought a girl with them, but it’s usually a huge get-together, not just us. Our buddies know they have an open invitation, but as we got older, everyone started getting busier. Day jobs, wife, kids, adult responsibilities, and for the most part, it’s the five of us and sometimes Mom and Dad. Not today. Today Sawyer is here.

  And I can’t keep my eyes off her.

  “You know,” Grant says from his spot next to me, “if you keep it up, this vein right here”—he taps the center of my forehead with his index finger—“might burst right open.”

  “Fuck off,” I grumble.

  “Seriously, what’s up with you?” he asks, his voice suddenly serious.

  “I’m fine.” We both know that I’m lying.

  “Want to try that again, big brother?” He smirks, taking a sip of his beer. I stay quiet, not because I want to ignore him, but I know if I start talking, that all the shit I’ve been holding on to is going to spew out of my mouth. “No? Okay, how about we start with why you were with her?”

  “She was at Jase and Sam’s last night.”

  “And that explains why she was with you today how?”

  Here we go. “She drank too much, and I took her home. She didn’t have her keys or her purse, so instead of going back to Jase’s to get them, she stayed at my place.”

  “And you gave Marsh and Con a hard time for dancing with her.” I can hear the humor in his voice.

  “Nothing happened.”

  “Oh, I believe you. That vein in your forehead tells me that all on its own. What I’m not certain of is whether or not you wanted something to happen.”

  “I met her. Before her first day at the office, I met her.”

  He nods. “Where?” There is surprise in his tone.

  “The plane.” I go on to tell him how we met and how I felt something for the first time in forever.

  “So, what’s stopping you?”

  I turn to look at him. “She works for us.”

  “Lame-ass excuse if you ask me. I’ve never seen you act this way, not even with she who shall not be named.”

  “It’s fucking with my head.”

  “Don’t let it.”

  “Yo, you two coming or what?” Marshall calls over to us. He’s standing on the side of the boat. Owen and Conrad are already in the water, and Sawyer stands next to him.

  “You going to let those three swim with your girl?”

  My girl is standing beside my baby brother in a barely there teal bikini. Okay, so it covers her everywhere, but all that smooth exposed skin is also fucking with my head. I want to wrap her up in my arms and feel her skin against mine. I want to kiss her lips, and— I shake out of my thoughts. I can’t go there.

  “Count me in,” Grant calls out just as Owen climbs back on the boat.

  I watch as Grant runs and jumps into the lake, splashing Sawyer, making her laugh. I want those laughs. I also know me, and I can’t do anything halfway. If I start something with her, I’m all in, and I don’t know if that’s the right thing to do.

  “You not swimming?” Owen asks, running the towel over his head.

  “Yeah, I’ll get in eventually.”

  “You used to be just like them, you know?”

  “What?” I turn to face him.

  “You were the fun-loving brother, until Jennifer. She took the light from your eyes, and even now, four years later, she’s still taking it.”

  “That’s crazy.”

  “Is it? Come on, Royce. You can admit that she didn’t want anything to do with this place. In fact, there wasn’t much that the two of you seemed to have in common, if anything.”

  “Yeah, I should have listened when you told me not to marry her,” I agree.

  “She just seemed… off to me. I didn’t want you to get hurt.”

  Owen and I are closest in age. He’s two years younger than me, and until my ex, he was the most serious one of all of us. He always has been. That’s just his personality. “That ship has sailed,” I tell him.

  “Has it? She brought you down, took the light before the divorce, and she’s still taking it. What’s worse is you’re letting her. You stopped living. I get it. What she did sucked. She fucked you over, but you had a prenup, and there were no kids involved. Did it suck? Absolutely. Should it define you and the rest of your life? No.”

  “What would you do, Owen? She works for us.”

  “You’re the only one who seems to be hung up on that.”

  I think about that, and he’s right. Even Sawyer admitted that she was willing to look for a new job to see where this might go. “I want her,” I admit.

  “No shit, we can all see it. The real question is, what are you going to do about it?” He nods to where Sawyer still stands on the side of the boat. She has yet to get into the water, and I can’t help but wonder if she’s waiting on me.

  “I told her I would be on good behavior today.” Owen raises his eyebrows, and I can’t hold in my chuckle. “I might have held her hand on the way over here.”

  “Oh, big steps, brother.” He smiles, scratching at his full beard. “Just relax, and whatever happens will happen.”

  “Relax? Do you know what that word means?”

  He laughs. “I know exactly what it means. I’ve been in the water already, and I’m the DD, so I’m relaxing responsibly.”

  “I’ll see what I can do,” I say as I tip my beer to my lips and finish it off before tossing it into the trash. With careful steps, I make my way to the edge of the boat, to Sawyer. “You not swimming?”
I ask her.

  She looks up at me, and even though she has on sunglasses, I can imagine the green in her eyes bright and sparkling. “I was waiting for you.”

  Something tightens in my chest, and I fist my hands at my sides to keep from pulling her into my arms. “Together?” I ask her.

  She holds her hand out for me, and I don’t hesitate to take it as we step on the edge. “On three.” She nods and removes her sunglasses, tossing them on the seat. “One. Two. Three.” I count us off, and we jump in at the same time. Once we hit the water, her hand is released from mine, and I feel the disconnect. I also feel panic. I surface and open my eyes looking for her. I don’t see her and feel the panic start to rise. “Where is she?” I call out to my brothers. Before they have time to answer, I feel her wrap her arms around my neck from behind, and she wraps her legs around my waist.

  “Looking for me?” she asks.

  “She’s right behind you,” Marshall replies with a shit-eating grin.

  “Helpful,” I mutter. Below the water, my hands grip her thighs, holding her to me.

  “Is this okay?” she whispers in my ear.

  I want to turn and hold her close, but this will do for now. “You tell me, Sawyer. Is this okay?”

  “I don’t want to let go,” she confesses.

  “Then, this is more than okay.” I take off swimming with her wrapped around me, and her laughter fills the air. It’s as if the sound reaches inside my chest and grips my heart. I let Owen’s words replay in my mind, and he’s right. I used to be a fun-loving guy like the rest of my brothers. Hell, even Owen has been more laidback than me today. I want to be that guy again. I’m tired of being angry, and I miss the companionship of a woman for more than just a night. I miss women in general. It’s been far too long since I’ve allowed myself even the simplest pleasure of a hook-up.

  “Cannonball!” Grant shouts as he launches himself over the side of the boat, splashing us all.

  I’m ready to yell at him for it, but Sawyer lets go of me and climbs up the ladder. I’m quiet as I watch her. She disappears, and then I hear her feet slapping against the deck as she runs and, just as Grant did, launches herself off the boat. She lands close to him, water splashing up and covering his face. He coughs, obviously not prepared, and I grin.

  “That’s it!” Grant swims after her, but she’s faster and swims to me, wrapping herself back around me. “He can’t save you.”

  “He can,” I answer for her.

  Grant’s smiling at the two of us. “He won’t be by your side all day.” He takes two fingers and points at his eyes, then points them at Sawyer. “I’m watching you, blondie,” he teases.

  That’s how the entire day goes. We break to grill some burgers before going back in the water. It’s just the boat today, but I can’t help but imagine the two of us out here on the Jet Skis—anything to keep that smile on her face and keep her wrapped around me.

  “Owen is going to have to drive us home,” I tell Sawyer as we get back to the garage and start to unload the boat. “I had four beers.” I’m kicking myself in the ass for having one, but it was damn nice to just let loose and have some fun.

  “I only had one, and that was when we first hit the water. That was hours ago. We’ve eaten since then and everything.”

  “You kids have fun?” My dad’s voice greets us. Turning, I find him and Mom holding hands walking into the garage.

  “You two should have come with us,” Owen says, greeting Mom with a hug and a kiss to her cheek.

  “Oh, you kids don’t want us hanging around.”

  “You know you’re always welcome,” Conrad tells her. “Besides, then Sawyer would have had another woman to talk to. She was outnumbered.” My brother grins, and I feel Sawyer stiffen beside me.

  Mom's eyes scan until they land on the two of us. “Sawyer.” She lets go of Dad’s hand and walks toward us. “I’ve heard so many great things about you.” She steps into Sawyer’s space and wraps her in a hug. “Gail, Sam, and the boys, all of them have had nothing but great things to say.”

  “Thanks, Mrs. Riggins.”

  “Oh, none of that Mrs. business. Call me Lena.”

  “Thank you, Lena,” Sawyer corrects. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “This is my husband, Stanley.” Mom turns and motions for Dad to join them.

  “It’s a pleasure.” Dad offers her his hand. “You keeping these boys in line?”

  “They were very well behaved,” she assures our parents with a slight laugh.

  “Come in and eat. I’ve got fried chicken and all the fixings,” Mom tells us.

  I chance a look at Sawyer, and she shrugs. “We’ll be right in,” I tell Mom. I finish helping my brothers clean up the boat, making sure we have all the trash and wet clothes. “We’re headed in to change,” Conrad says.

  “We’ve got our stuff here.” I hold up my bag and Sawyer’s. “We’ll be right in.”

  “Take your time.” Marshall winks. “We’ll cover for you.”

  “Jackass,” I mumble, but his laugh and that of my other brothers tell me they all heard me. I wait until it’s just the two of us before sliding my arms around her and pulling her into a hug. “I had such a good day with you.”

  “Me too. It was fun.” She pulls out of the hug. “Thank you for the invite.”

  “Are you okay with dinner with my family?”

  “Are you?” she counters.

  “Yes.” I don’t even think about my reply. I’m always ready for more time with her. I’m in trouble with this girl. Deep, deep trouble.

  “We’re friends.”

  Reaching out, I slide my hand behind her neck and lean down, placing my forehead against hers. “I want to be more than your friend, Sawyer.”

  Her hands rest on my chest. “It’s been a weird couple of days. Let’s give it some time and make sure you still feel that way.”

  “I’m not going to change my mind.”

  “Good.” Green eyes smile up at me. “Where can I change?”

  “There’s a bathroom through the door.” I point to the door to our left. “But I can help you here, and it’s just us.” I let my hand slide down her bare back, nothing but the strap of her bikini top in my way of feeling her soft skin.

  “Go change.” She pushes away from me and removes her bag that I still have over my shoulder and saunters off to the bathroom. I swear she adds some extra sway to her hips just for my benefit, but I’m good with that. I soak up the sight of her until I can no longer see her.

  Dropping my bag to the floor, I slip out of my swim trunks and pull my dry clothes out of my bag. I’m not worried about being seen. My brothers have seen it all before, and to be honest, I wouldn’t be upset if Sawyer caught me. Maybe she’ll be tortured the way her body on display and snuggled up to mine in the water has tortured me all day today.

  “Ready?” she asks, not even five minutes later. She’s in a tank top and cutoff shorts, her wet hair is up in some kind of knot on top of her head. She has no makeup on, and I love her like this. Just Sawyer. She’s never looked sexier to me than she does in this moment.

  “Stop looking at me like that, Riggins. Your mom has fried chicken with my name on it. Come on.” She holds her hand out for me, tossing her bag over the opposite shoulder. I take her hand and lead her up to the house. She pulls free once we reach the front door, and even though I hate it, I don’t pressure her. Instead, I place my hand on the small of her back and lead her into the house.

  Chapter 13

  Sawyer

  They have a piece of my heart—all seven of them. Tonight is the first time since I lost my parents that I’ve felt as though I was a part of a family. Lena and Stanley welcomed me into their home, to their table, and treated me as if they’ve known me for years. Royce and his brothers were cutting up all through dinner, recapping our day out on the lake, and every once in a while, Royce would slide his hand under the table and give my thigh a soft, reassuring squeeze. It’s almost as if this entire
day has been a fairy tale.

  “I hope you all saved room for dessert. I made apple pie.”

  “I hope you made more than one,” Owen comments. Lena gives him a look that says “you know I did,” and disappears into the kitchen. Not a minute later, she’s back with a tray carrying two pies that smell like heaven.

  “There’s two more where this came from. Let me grab the ice cream.”

  “We love you, Momma!” Marshall calls out.

  “Kiss ass,” Conrad mutters.

  “Come on, man, it’s her apple pie with vanilla ice cream,” Marshall defends.

  “You doing okay?” Royce asks, leaning in and placing his lips next to my ear.

  I can’t stop the goose bumps that break out across my skin. He notices immediately and traces his index finger over my bare shoulder.

  “Yes.” I nod as if he needs to see the visual acceptance that I am indeed doing okay.

  “Uh-hm.” A voice clears. Royce gives me a lazy grin and a wink, making him seem so carefree before turning to face whichever of his brothers who deemed it necessary to break into our moment.

  “What’s up?” Royce leans back in his chair and throws his arm over the back of mine, his fingers softly caressing the bare skin of my shoulder.

  This man is trying to kill me.

  In front of his family.

  “Dig in,” his mom says, and I can only assume that she busted us… snuggling, flirting, canoodling? Is that a thing these days?

  The apple pie is delicious and hit the spot after that meal and a long day out on the lake. I insist on helping Lena clean up, and she comments how nice it is to have another woman around. I’m tempted to ask her how often other women are here eating with them around their table, but I bite my tongue. It’s none of my business, but I am curious.

  “You two need a ride?” Owen asks.

  “Nah, Sawyer only had one, and that was hours ago. She can drive us home.”

  Us. Home. Royce doesn’t seem the least bit fazed at how that sounds.