So I pick up my water and go to the living room. “That was the last batch of cookies.”
He follows me and when I take a seat on the sofa he takes the place right next to me. “So, what kind of things might you want to go to school for?”
“Reed, I honestly don’t know. And what are you doing out there in California? Rod never talks about it.” I sit back and see his eyes light up.
“I’m actually doing very well selling real estate there. You know, if you wanted to go to college, my real estate firm could give you scholarships to go. It wouldn’t cost you a dime.”
“Your firm? Like the one you work for?” I ask as he runs his arm over the back of the couch and his fingertips are near my shoulder. And I swear I can feel sparks coming from them.
“I own it,” he says. Then his fingertips touch my shoulder and I go all hot inside. “And I would love to use some of that money to put you through college. So what is it you’d like to do?”
“Teaching little kids was a thing I always thought I’d like to do. When I was a Sunday school teacher for the little kids at our church, I loved it. But Rod doesn’t want me to work,” I say, and his fingers leave my shoulder and the heat inside me dissipates.
“Well, Rod can get the fuck over it, can’t he?” He smiles, and I frown.
Rod doesn’t get the fuck over anything!
The front door opens and in walks Rod. His face goes frozen as he looks at us. “How fucking cozy is this shit?”
Reed gets up and walks to him, holding out his arms. “Come on, big bro, Christmas Eve hugs!”
Rod looks over his brother’s shoulder at me with a bit of a glare on his face. Then he looks at his brother. “When did you get here?”
“A little while ago. Jenna has been keeping me company.” Reed turns around to walk back and my heart stops as Rod looks hard at me.
“Get me a beer, baby,” he barks, and I jump up and move fast to get it.
I freeze as Reed grabs my arm as I try to hurry past him. “Hold up there, Jenna. No reason to run. I’ll grab him one. I am closer to the kitchen.”
I look at Rod, but he gives me no clue as to what he wants me to do. Reed lets me go and walks into the kitchen. I go to sit next to Rod.
Anger radiates from him. “Jenna, care to explain?”
Before I can say a word, Reed comes back and tosses a beer to him. “About Jenna, Rod. She has this crazy notion you don’t want her to get an education or a job. Tell her how she’s mistaken.”
“She isn’t mistaken.” He takes a long drink. “I take care of her. There’s no need for any of that.”
“When do you plan on marrying her?” Reed stands just in front of him.
“Take a seat, bro.” Rod looks his brother in the eye and takes another drink.
Rod sits in the chair across from us. “So, when was that you said?”
“Not that it’s a damn bit of your business, but I don’t believe in marriage. Jenna and I have discussed things. We know what we both want and we’re doing it.” Then his head swivels and he looks at me, then back at Reed. “Or did she tell you something different?”
“No!” I say and then shut up as his head snaps and he looks at me, then back at Reed.
Reed’s eyes go narrow as he looks at us both. “She didn’t say anything, Rod. I brought it up. I just want to know when you plan on making an honest woman out her.”
“Why?” Rod asks as he runs his hand down my leg. He takes the hem of my dress and curls his fingers under it possessively.
His mother walks in and I sigh. “Hey, Sue. The cookies are out. Want some help frosting them?”
“Sure,” she says, all cheerfully.
I look at Rod. “Can I go help her?”
“Sure,” he says, and I get up and notice Reed giving his brother a dirty look.
As I leave the room, I hear Reed ask, “Does she have to get your permission for everything, Rod?”
I listen for Rod’s response. “If she knows what’s good for her ass, she does.”
Then I slip into the kitchen and stop eavesdropping on them.
I pick up a spoon and stir the red food coloring into the white icing Sue’s dropped into it. “I love Christmas,” she says.
Reed comes into the kitchen. “Can I help?”
His mother is humming a Christmas carol. “Of course, my baby boy. Hey, would you put on some music to help us get into that holiday spirit, son?”
He goes over to the small television that hangs on the wall of the attached dining room, finds the remote, and puts on some holiday music, then comes back.
“Where’s Rod?” I ask.
“He went to go get some beer. He said he’ll be back soon.” Reed moves in next to me.
His mother places a bowl of icing in front of him and drops some green food coloring into it. “Reed, grab us all some aprons, would you, dear?”
He leaves the place next to me and in moments he’s back. I feel his body right behind mine. He’s so close, and then his arms are around me as he puts the apron over my head and his hands graze my stomach as he smooths it out, takes the strings, and ties it behind my back.
I have to fight myself not to let my body fall back to his. It’s nearly overwhelming. My head feels light, and I don’t know how he makes me feel like this.
It’s beyond anything I’ve ever felt with Rod, and I feel instantly awful for this. I shake my head to try to clear it. “Thank you, Reed.”
Then my panties go wet as he leans even closer. His lips brush the hair around my ear as he says in a deep, husky voice, “You’re welcome, Jenna.”
I’m nearly shaking as he moves back and puts his apron on, then hands one to his mother. All too soon he’s back beside me and his elbow gently pushes into my side. I scoot over a smidge to stop the connection.
“I’ll be right back,” I say and nearly run out of the kitchen to the bathroom down the hall.
As I get inside it, I close the door and fall back on it. I don’t understand how I can be so attracted to him. I do love Rod.
I do!
After splashing some cold water on my face and calming myself down, I go back out and find Rod standing under the mistletoe. He’s smiling at me. “Hey, baby,” he says with a sweet sound to his voice.
His arms open and I move into them, and his mouth takes mine in a sweet kiss. Not hard, not demanding. Just sweet. And my body melts into his.
His arms go around me as he sways with me, then our lips part and he looks down at me. The blue in his eyes has a silvery quality to them and sparkles a little.
It’s times like this that make him so special to me. Love flows from my heart and I feel it coming from him, though he’d never say the word.
I run my hand over his scruffy cheek and he takes my hand and kisses the top softly. Then the doorbell rings and he reluctantly lets me go. Taking my hand, he takes me with him to answer the door and let in the first of his many family members who will be at the party tonight.
As he opens the door we find his cousin, A.J. holding up a bottle of Jack Daniels. “Ready to get fucked up, cuz?”
I roll my eyes as Rod says, “Fuck, yeah!”
I step back with Rod to let the man near Rod’s age in and say, “Now that’s the Christmas spirit.” My words come out heavily laced with sarcasm.
A.J. follows us to the kitchen and, as we travel through the living room, he stops under the mistletoe. “Jenna, look where I am.”
Rod and I turn back and Rod shakes his head. “Not happening, dude.” Then he pulls me along with him and leans in to whisper “Not with anyone but me. Got me, baby?”
“Yes,” I answer and see Reed glance up when he comes our way.
“You were helping frost cookies one minute, then gone the next, Jenna,” he says. “I suppose Rod happened to you.” He gives his brother a look.
Rod lets my hand go, then runs his arm around my neck and pulls me in tight to him. “And I happen to her every night, and sometimes in the afternoon and mo
rning too. Ain’t that right, baby?”
I faintly hit at his broad chest and feel the heat filling my face with embarrassment. “My God, Rod!”
His lips press against my temple as he laughs deeply. “What, baby? I’m proud you’re, mine is all.”
Sue turns around and shakes a spoon dripping with red frosting as she looks at him. “Rod! Stop that! You know I hate when you talk about her as if she’s something that belongs to you. Jenna is a person, not an object you own.”
His hand runs down to my ass and he gives one cheek a squeeze and whispers to me, “If she only knew.”
With his words, my body heats with some type of excitement this time. I can’t explain what knowing I belong to him sometimes does to me. It’s odd, and I think it sets me back in the women’s liberation movement by decades, but it’s hot for some damn reason.
Reed turns back to his cookie decorating and I glance at him for only a moment. He wears a frown, and it makes me feel awful.
As the night wears on and Rod and his cousins get thoroughly trashed, I find myself sitting in a quiet corner of the den, a room not often used by the Manning family.
I like the fireplace in here, though. The fire has burned nearly all the way down and it gives the small room a nice golden glow.
I watch the embers and what’s left of the flames. Then I hear someone clearing their throat. “Mind if I join you?”
Without looking up, I know it’s Reed and answer, “Of course you can, Reed. This is your home, after all.”
The room has one loveseat and a chair in it and I’m sitting in the chair, so he takes the loveseat. He sprawls out on it, taking it all up, and lays his head back on the arm of it as he looks at me. Then his gaze moves to the fire.
“What a night, huh?” he asks.
“Yes, it’s very, let’s say, festive.” I smile, as it’s so different from how my family celebrates. Wild and full of alcohol and dirty jokes is what this family does.
My family is traditional. We celebrate on Christmas afternoon after church services, a place I have to be at tomorrow while I’m sure Rod will be staying home and sleeping tonight off.
“Your man is tying one on. I doubt he’ll be in any condition to drive home. You should talk him into staying the night here in his old bedroom. Mom keeps our bedrooms just like we’ve always had them. The bed’s a single, but if you work it out right, you’ll fit too.” He gives me a wink. “Or you can take the guestroom just down the hallway. It’s next to my room. You could drop by if you wanted to talk or something like that.”
My eyes move from the fire to look at him. Bathed in the golden light, he looks like some kind of model. The light brings out the especially shiny parts in his blond hair. His eyes seem to dance with the firelight and his lips look plump and very inviting.
My body feels the drag of the magnetism it has for him. I guess it’s kind of natural since I have such a strong thing for his brother to have some kind of attraction to Reed as well.
I suppose it’s natural …
“I want you to know you can tell me anything, Jenna. Anything at all. If you need my help, I’m here for you. You should really think about college. You can take online classes. I can help you. I want to help you.” His eyes dance as he looks at me. “Are you really happy with my brother?”
I look back at the fire. “Of course I am.”
“Will you be happy letting him take care of you forever?”
Being twenty years old does have me thinking of a future for myself. But Rod is adamant that I must be available for him at all times. If not, then he’ll find another female to take care of his needs. I can’t stand the thought of that.
“I suppose so. He and I are in it until the end.” I turn my head to look at him.
I find him smiling. “No ring. No marriage. I think you have too much faith in him, Jenna. You don’t know him like I do.”
I look away and think he doesn’t know his brother like I do.
Reed gets up, comes toward me, and leans over. My body heats and my lips quiver as he’s so close. But instead of taking me into his arms or kissing me, he picks up the cell phone in my lap and taps in his phone number and saves it.
He places it back on my lap and goes back to his lounging position on the loveseat. “There. Now you have my number. You call me if you need anything. Anything at all. I mean it.”
A smile creeps over my face as I look down at his name and number still glowing on my phone’s screen. “K. Thanks.”
“Baby?” I hear Rod slurring as he looks into the room.
I hit the button to make my phone screen go dark. “Yes, Rod. I’m in here.”
He’s drunk and leans on the door frame. “What are you two doing all alone in here?”
Reed sits up. “Just talking. What are you doing?”
“I’m ready to take my woman home and give her a good old- fashioned Christmas fucking.”
I jump up and move quickly to him. “Jesus, Rod!”
Taking him by the arm, I pull on him to come with me. Reed gets up and comes to us. “You should stay the night here. You’re pretty drunk, bro.”
Rod runs his hand over my head very clumsily and says, “Nah. What I plan on doing to her will have her screaming my name, so staying here is out.”
Reed reaches into Rod’s front pocket and digs out the keys as Rod protests, but he can’t seem to function enough to stop him. Reed places the keys in my hand. “Let her drive, at least.”
Rod smiles. “You want to drive me, baby?”
“Yes,” I say as I start to pull him along.
“Yes, what?” he asks as he stops and stares at me.
I look into his eyes. “Do you remember where you are, Rod? At your family’s home. With your brother looking right at you.”
“Yes, what?” he asks again.
I lean in and whisper, “Yes, Master.”
He smiles and Reed looks at me. I think he heard me even though I said it very quietly. But he makes no remark other than saying, “Bye. See you tomorrow.”
“Bye, Reed. Have a merry Christmas,” I say as Rod leans his weight on me and I struggle to the door with him.
Reed follows along and helps me get him into the truck. Rod slumps in the passenger side. Reed seatbelts him in, then walks with me to the driver’s side. “If he falls asleep, just leave him in the truck. He’ll be fine, and it won’t be the first time he’s slept in that position.”
“Thank you. I’ll do that.” I open the door and get in and Rod is already snoring.
Reed chuckles. “Looks like you won’t be screaming his name tonight.”
I look down and go scarlet. “Good night, Reed.”
He shuts the door and I start the truck up and drive home.
To my complete amazement, Rod wakes up just as I turn the truck off at our small house and looks at me with wide eyes. “You two! What the fuck were you doing alone with another man?”
I get out of the truck and go around to help him, but he seems to be no longer drunk somehow. He gets out and slams the door, so I hurry to unlock the house and get inside.
He slams the front door closed and locks the door. “Answer me!”
“I was watching the fire, and he came and sat down and we talked about nothing, really. Not a big deal. And he is your brother, Rod. Not some man.”
I turn to walk to our bedroom as he says, “Well, since you were alone with a man and I have no idea what it is you were doing, then you need to know I will be alone with some woman and you will have no idea what it is we’re doing.”
I stop and turn back to look at him. “Are you serious? He’s your brother, Rod. Neither of us would do anything to hurt you. Now don’t threaten me with that, please.”
“He’d hurt me. He has before. And I’m not threatening you, Jenna. I will be doing something with some woman. Just know that, baby. And have a merry fucking Christmas!” Then he falls on the sofa and promptly passes out.
I slam into the bedroom and fall on the bed
and cry.
Merry fucking Christmas, indeed!
Chapter 5
REED
The first sunrise of the new year and here I am sitting alone in my parents’ backyard.
A swimming pool would look very nice back here …
I’ll make that happen before summer gets here this year. I have a financial secret I’ve been keeping from my entire family. My real estate business has been good.
Well, great, actually. I’ve managed to become a billionaire through the sales and investments. But I’ve kept it all very low key.
My mom and dad and even brother aren’t jackals, but the rest of my family is, and I can see the Manning clan making nuisances of themselves.
Many would think of me as their personal ATM machine. And many would suddenly want to visit me in California. Maybe want to stay at the Bel-Air mansion I just bought a few months ago.
I can see the old trucks driving through the ritzy neighborhood now. Yeah, the neighbors would hate me for sure.
The sliding glass door rumbles open as Mom comes out. Her steaming cup of coffee leaves her in a cloud of fog as she emerges after the nearly all-night party they threw for New Year’s Eve.
“Good morning, sunshine,” I say very quietly, because she most likely has a hangover. “Sleep well?”
She takes the lawn chair next to mine and sips her coffee. Bloodshot eyes look at me. “No.”
I smile at her. “Mom, when will you learn not to take shots at your age? Stick with the wine and leave the tough stuff to Rod and his cousins.”
Her lips curve into a smile. “You’ve always called those rowdy boys your brother’s cousins. Never yours. Why is that?”
“They’re nothing like me. All of them are the same. Work only as much as needed. Spend every last dime they manage to make so they’re broke as hell the day before payday. Then drink away half their paycheck on payday. It’s a vicious cycle Rod and his cousins are in.” The sun catches my eye as it rises over the area I’ve decided the pool should go.
“They are your family, son. You’ve always stayed to yourself so much. You should try to get to know a few of the cousins now that you all are older and all that rivalry is gone.” I watch her sip her coffee and fight a frown.
His Sweet Torment: A Bad Boy Billionaire Romance Page 26
