by Sam Crescent
“It’s not,” Riley said, butting into the conversation.
“We didn’t ask you,” Jacob said, glaring at his partner, and future brother-in-law.
“You didn’t, your brothers did. So how does this work? Do you just see a woman, and that’s it? You’re in love, and you can’t have any other woman?” Riley asked, looking at all of the brothers.
Jacob glanced at his five other brothers. His sister was nowhere to be seen. She was probably hiding out in her bedroom. She wanted to join the parties, yet she was the shiest one of the bunch.
“I don’t know. You’d have to ask the guy who’s been caught.” Damian spoke up, turning to look at him.
All of his brothers’ eyes looked at him.
“You’re in love with my sister?”
Jacob sighed. “I don’t know how to describe it. It was like I turned, and she was there, and everything just seemed to stop. All I could focus on was her. All I wanted was her.” He remembered the moment he saw her, the way his world just seemed to open up.
“Yeah, but Lou’s not exactly giving you the easiest time of it, is she?”
“It’s not a two way thing?” Abel asked.
“No. I spoke to Mom because I assumed it was, but it wasn’t. I feel everything, and yet she feels nothing.”
“It’s not all bad, boys,” Charlotte said.
They all turned to their mother. She held a tray of drinks, and he took a glass of water. With all of them driving, his mother wouldn’t allow them to drink alcohol.
“You didn’t love Dad straight away?” Landon asked.
She shook her head. “It took me time. I’m sorry, boys. You’ve been given a legacy of falling for one woman, and having the work that you do, but you’ve also got to make the woman fall for you.” She patted Jacob’s arm. “I have every faith that you’ll make it work. Louisa is a wonderful girl.”
“She’s not letting you call her Lou?” Riley asked.
“Oh, she is. I just like her full name. It’s nice, and beautiful.” Their mother left, and Jacob released another sigh. He’d never had to work hard to get a woman. Like the strip club that Lou worked at, all he had to do was point at the woman he wanted for the night, and she’d come to him on her knees if he wanted her to.
“How are you making her fall for you?” Landon asked.
“Why? You wanting to get some tips?”
Landon’s face went beet red.
“Oh, has Landon found himself a girl?” This came from Oliver.
“Fuck off. All of us are supposed to fall hard like Dad. What’s wrong with getting a few pointers from our big brother?” Landon asked.
“Lou’s not like every other woman. We can’t share pointers about this, guys. This is going to be different for all of us. What I want to know is if the schoolteacher is Abel’s woman?” Jacob asked, putting the pressure on Abel.
“She’s not a schoolteacher, and she works at the casino at several of the tables. I like her. She’s nice.”
“Nice?” Gideon asked.
“Yeah, nice.”
Gideon turned to him. “Is that how you see Lou? She’s nice?”
“No. It’s not what I see when I look at my woman.”
“Okay, fine, she’s not the one, but I like her. She’s nice, and she’s a good girl, hard worker.”
Jacob shook his head. “You’ve got to be careful. If she’s not the one but she’s a nice girl, you’re going to break her heart when you find the right one.”
Abel shook his head. “You ever thought that the supposed legacy is not going to hit all of us?”
Their father interrupted them by laughing. “You boys, you really don’t get it, do you?” Maddox asked.
“What? What don’t we get?” Landon asked.
“You’re all going to find your woman. I agree with Jacob about this, Abel. I told all of you boys that you would find a woman for yourself, a woman you’re not going to be able to walk away from. Once you find her, and you will, the woman you’re with, she’s going to end up hurt. It’s not going to be something you can control. It’s just the way it works.”
“How do you know?” Abel asked.
“I watched my brother go through it.” Maddox pointed toward Stuart, his youngest brother, and their uncle. “He married the girl he dated in school. He was in love with her, and they had a child together. By twenty-seven years old, he was married with two kids, and then he met her.”
Jacob looked toward the corner where Michelle stood.
“Michelle caused quite a stir when Stuart first met her. He didn’t want to hurt his wife, but she wasn’t the one. It’s difficult for them all, and Michelle feels like she ruined a family even though she did nothing wrong. All she did was answer an ad.”
Michelle had gone for a job as a nanny. On the first meeting, Stuart had been torn.
“Be careful. Don’t become the bastard that Stuart has to live with. He has to watch his kids grow up with another man, and Michelle has to deal with the kids not being happy with her. It’s a fucked up situation,” Maddox said.
Their father left them alone, and Jacob wasn’t in the mood to talk anymore. Leaving his brothers to keep pestering Abel, he moved toward the entrance in the kitchen. Lou’s hair was now bound up in a ponytail, and she was kneading some bread with his mother beside her.
He’d never expected to enjoy watching his woman in the kitchen with his mother, but seeing Lou, it did something to him. This was what it meant to have a woman of his own, and being able to bring her home.
Lou looked up, her gaze landing on his, and she smiled. “Hey,” she said.
“Ah, Jacob, come on, show Lou that you know a thing or two within the kitchen.”
Entering the kitchen, he removed his jacket, and moved beside Lou to start kneading another batch of bread. His mother was one hell of a cook, and she loved to make several loaves of bread to give to her sons for when they left.
He loved her bread. He loved all of her food. If he didn’t work out three times a week, he’d have developed a serious problem. Jacob did love good food.
Standing beside Lou, he grabbed the bowl that had the risen dough. Removing the plastic wrap, he punched it down and gathered it out onto the floured counter.
“Well, well, well, I didn’t know you even knew what a kitchen was.” Lou bumped him with her hip, and he chuckled.
It was the first time she actually looked relaxed in his company.
“This is excellent work. Lou, you’re a darling.” His mother moved to the stove and started stirring a large pot. “I’ve been making plenty of leftovers for you to take home. You know I don’t like the thought of you guys living on fast food.”
“Fast food is a curse to everyone,” Lou said.
He kneaded the bread, standing closer to her.
“Do you like to cook?” she asked.
“Not so much. I used to enjoy helping Mom in the kitchen.”
“The boys were never allowed in the kitchen until their father was satisfied with their training.”
“Yeah, everyone gets to train but me. I’m expected to be in the kitchen all the time,” Tamsin said, jumping up onto a stool.
“Stop that pouting, honey. You’re not going to be training like your brothers,” Charlotte said.
“I know because I’m a girl,” she said, wrinkling her nose. “Lou, do you think it’s fair?”
“What? Sorry?”
“Tamsin,” Jacob said, trying to warn her not to draw his woman into the conversation.
“What? I’m only asking?”
“I love being in the kitchen,” Lou said. “I’ve never been one for the whole fighting thing. That’s Riley’s job.”
“What’s it like being a twin?” Tamsin asked, resting her chin on her hand.
“How do you mean?”
“Do you feel Riley? Know when he’s hurt? I watched this documentary once that said twins are connected or something like that.”
“How old are you?”
; “Ten, why?”
“It’s just you talk a little older is all.”
“Around here, you have to in order to be heard,” Tamsin said.
“Oh, don’t start with that nonsense,” Charlotte said, moving up behind her daughter. “You’re heard all right. You’re just too damn spoiled.”
Tamsin stuck her tongue out, which made Lou laugh.
“Don’t encourage her,” Jacob said.
Lou looked at him beneath her lashes, and his cock throbbed, remembering what it was like to have her in his arms. He was nowhere near winning over her heart, but he knew how to make it so she was begging for him.
****
The Dentons’ dinner was not what Lou was expecting. She sat opposite Jacob with her brother beside her. The table was large, and conversation was about everything and nothing. She’d half expected work to be a big topic of conversation, but it didn’t even enter a single conversation. Movies, books, school, football, and even the news had all been discussed.
“You never did tell me,” Tamsin said, drawing her attention once again. The young girl was sitting between Jacob and Landon.
“Tell you what?”
“Do you and Riley share a special connection?” Tamsin asked.
The table went a little silent.
“Connection?” Riley asked.
“With us being twins, she wants to know if we feel each other’s pain, or something like that,” she said, explaining to her brother.
“You’re asking me if we’re weird?” Riley said, smirking.
Tamsin shook her head. “I didn’t mean any disrespect.”
“It’s not something I talk about all that much, sweetie. It’s not as simple as knowing she’s in pain, but I get a feeling. We shared space for nine months, you know. She’s my little sister.” Riley pulled her in for a hug.
“He fell out of a tree house once,” she said, recalling the moment even though she had been in her room studying at the time. “I didn’t know where he was, but he broke his leg, and I remember so strangely, touching my leg as I felt a twinge, maybe just an itch. What freaked me out was when we got to the hospital, it was where his leg had broken. Creepy.”
“We can’t feel each other’s slaps or anything like that. It’s more of a gut feeling that something is wrong, and in a serious case like her leg, there’s a pain,” Riley said.
“What about pleasure?” Jacob asked.
Lou turned to the man who had her all over the place. Heat filled her cheeks. “What?”
“Pleasure, can you feel it?”
“Jacob, please, that’s private,” Charlotte said.
“No, I can’t, thank God, that would just be fucking creepy.” Everyone laughed at Riley’s words.
The rest of the meal went by without a hitch, and even though they all said they couldn’t eat another thing, Lou watched her brownies disappear.
“Damn, those are so good.”
At the end of the night, Riley got a lift off of Abel, and holding some food for herself, she climbed into the car.
Lou couldn’t get the memory of them together out of her mind. He’d touched her, and all dinner she’d tried not to think of what it would be like to be with him. There hadn’t been a single guy she had enjoyed sex with, and yet she wanted it with Jacob.
“It was a nice dinner,” she said.
“Yes, it was. I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
“Your mother is one hell of a cook.”
“I’m sorry about Tamsin. She gets nervous at family gatherings like that. When I told her you were coming, and so was Riley, she started looking at everything to do with twins.”
Lou chuckled. “She’s a nice girl. A little firecracker. She’s going to have the boys running rings around each other. I hope you can all handle that.”
“She’s not my problem. I’m just the big brother.”
“She loves you though. I saw that.” It reminded her of the love she had for Riley. He was her true family. Part of her was envious of the way the Dentons were with each other. It was a loving family.
A fun loving crime family.
Forget about that.
“You and Riley, you’re really close?”
“Yeah. I’ve told you before. It’s just me and him for a long time.”
“Do your parents know about us?”
“No. I avoid talking to them.” If her parents knew Jacob was sniffing around her they wouldn’t leave her alone about having him as a potential husband. She hated her parents. They only did what was good for themselves.
“What are you doing next week?” Jacob asked.
“Erm, I’m working Monday through Friday. I’ve got the weekend off.” She tucked some hair behind her ear.
He reached over taking hold of her hand, locking their fingers. She stared down at their joined hands, noticing his slightly darker skin.
“Have you been on a vacation?” she asked.
“Not recently.”
Lou nibbled her lip wondering what the hell to say. For the past couple of days Jacob had been the one to do all of the talking. Now, she was finding it hard to say something to him or to draw him into conversation.
Before long, he was parking up outside of her apartment, and she stared up at the tall building.
“Do you want to come up?” she asked.
“Sure. I could do with a coffee.”
It’s just coffee. Nothing is going to happen. It’s just coffee.
Even as she kept assuring herself that nothing was going to happen, she couldn’t help but hope that something did happen. She wanted him, and there was no denying it. Her pussy was damp, and she wanted to continue where they left off.
They made their way up together, and she was aware of the heat of his hand at her back. Her mouth went dry, and all she wanted to do was wrap her arms around his body, getting him to take her.
You don’t want him to take you.
You want him to fuck you, to make it hurt, and then soothe out the pain.
She pulled her keys out of her pocket, and even as her hand shook, she entered her small apartment.
Jacob closed the door.
The air was thick with tension.
Entering the kitchen, she filled the kettle and placed it on to boil. Jacob came up behind her. Both of his hands rested on the counter, trapping her against his hard body so she had nowhere to go.
His mouth brushed across her ear.
“Do you want me, Lou?”
Her pussy grew wet, and she hated it.
“Are you used to everyone falling for you?”
“I’m not interested in what everyone else wants.” One of his hands left the counter, and he touched her stomach. She sucked in a breath, but Jacob didn’t stop there. He moved his hand up to cup her breast. “I’m interested in knowing what you want.” He pinched her nipple. “You don’t want to be attracted to me, do you, Lou? You want to fight what this body wants but you’re turned on by me, and that pisses you off.”
“Jacob?”
“I’m not a good man, Lou. I’ve killed people, and I’ve done it without caring. It’s easy to me. I’ve been trained to kill. It’s what I do.” He nuzzled her neck at the same time he teased her nipple, soothing out the pinch. “You see, baby, I’m a patient man. I’m not used to working for it, but I don’t mind waiting for you. I’m not going anywhere. I won’t have that coffee after all. I have a long day.” He pulled away, and she watched as he placed a cell phone beside her. “I’ve programmed all the numbers that you need. Use it.”
“I’ve got a phone.”
“Not as good as this one. I’ll be seeing you, baby.” He spun her around, dropping a kiss to her lips. “Think about me.”
She watched him move toward the door, closing it behind him.
Lou touched her lips, then flicked the locks into place before turning off the kettle. She was not interested in drinking right now. The dinner with his family had gone into late evening, and it was a little after eight.
Aft
er taking a quick shower, she sat in front of the television, holding the cell phone that he’d given her.
She clicked the buttons going into the contacts, and found Jacob’s number. His brothers, her brother, and even his parents were all there.
Lou: This is my new number.
Staring at the television screen she didn’t know what was actually playing when her cell phone beeped.
Riley: I know. You accepted his gift?
Lou: I didn’t have a choice.
Riley: Stop being a bitch and give him a chance.
She smiled but didn’t respond. Lou had been determined to keep Jacob at arm’s length, but he was more determined to keep her in his life.
Lou hovered over his name, wondering if she should send him a message. He was a hard man to forget. Pam had told her not to get her hopes up, but then the other woman hadn’t looked pleased when she told her that Jacob was pursuing her.
Pam was normally a nice woman but just recently she had shown her true colors, and Lou would watch her back around her.
Lou: Thank you for the phone. I like it. X
She sent the message then cringed. What if the kiss on the end was too much?
Jacob: You’re very welcome. XX
Lou chuckled and rolled her eyes. He wouldn’t let her have anything.
Chapter Nine
Three months later
Jacob stood in the basement of the casino watching as Abel worked over the snitch who had tried to cop a deal with some attorney. Their father was working with their own attorney to have the evidence disappear, and while that was happening, they were going to make sure everyone knew not to fuck with them.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” the snitch said, whimpering.
“You’re sorry now?” Abel slammed his fist against the man’s face, and a tooth got thrown across the room.
“You’re driving my sister nuts,” Riley said, coming to stand with him, and handing him a folder.
Jacob smiled thinking about the past three months. It had been a long time since he’d gotten any pussy, but the only pussy he wanted was that of Riley’s sister. “What about her?” Jacob had listened to his mother, taking her advice. For the past three months, he’d been dating Lou, taking her out on long dinners, walks, the movies. He’d even gone to museums and art exhibits. He texted her constantly, and he’d done everything with her apart from have sex.
