by CM Foss
Steph and Lawrence were already in their car, waiting for me with the door wide-open. I shook my head as I carefully made my way out in the dim light.
“Jeez. In a rush?” I asked with a huff as I climbed in the backseat.
Lawrence pulled away from the curb without a glance in my direction. “Just trying to hurry your ass up. Jace made our reservations for seven.”
I was in the midst of buckling my seat belt, but I froze when that name hit my ears. “Jace? Jace is coming?”
“Yeah. Of course.”
“Why ‘of course’?”
“Well, he’s basically a sibling, right?”
“Uh. No. I mean… not really.” Oh gosh. No. He was not a sibling. Incest! Incest!
Lawrence shrugged his big dumb shoulders. “More or less.”
Steph caught my gaze over her shoulder, studying me with her dark, intense eyes, just enough to make me squirm.
I cleared my throat and nudged Lawrence with my fist. “Where are we going?”
“Some new place. Jace knows them somehow. He only knows people he’s worked with or slept with. So… one of those.”
“Ew.” I scowled to myself. Wow, this evening was already shaping up to be a blast.
I forced myself to stop asking questions about Jace before they could catch on to my interest, and the rest of the drive was spent in easy chatter about their elopement and future plans. I was seriously supportive of the way they’d gone about things. I mean, being there would have been fun, but I could barely handle the buildup to one family nuptial, let alone two.
Steph and Lawrence had bought property in Virginia to run a therapeutic riding center—Steph was a physical therapist specializing in using horses, which was way cool—and they would be moving down there full-time after the first of the year. It would be just the sisters left in Kentucky, and they’d all be married, more babies on the way, I’m sure. Which really just left me alone in Kentucky.
I was pulled from my musings when we reached the valet outside the restaurant. Our doors were opened for us, and I slid out in an attempt to be ladylike. You know, keeping my knees together at least. Don’t judge. I spent my days with my legs wide-open. It was hard to adjust.
My brother stood between Steph and me, holding out his elbows for us to link our hands through. He winked down at me as we walked in. “Have you shrunk?”
I swung my foot up behind me and kicked him in the ass. “Shut up.”
The restaurant looked like an old mansion, lots of white with black shutters on the many windows. It did nothing to prepare me for the inside. We all stopped short, mouths hanging open. I exchanged a look with Steph and brought the back of my hand to my mouth to stifle a snort of laughter.
It was completely modernistic with white suede womb chairs, sleek glass tables, and geometric shapes. The lighting was bright and harsh with big globe lights hanging from the ceiling.
“This is weird,” I whispered from the side of my mouth.
Lawrence let out a snort and pinched my arm hard as we followed the maître d’ to our table. Everyone else was already there, and their faces all held the same mildly bewildered expressions.
I could barely concentrate on greeting everyone, however, because my eyes were immediately drawn to the infuriating man across the way. He was the only one who hadn’t stood to greet us, as he was deep in conversation with the voluptuous, raven-haired beauty occupying the chair to his right. Hurt washed over me, followed by anger, coupled with annoyance at every-fucking-body including myself.
Everyone spoke at once, laughing and hugging and congratulating the newlyweds. Even Adam, who was usually so serious, was ribbing Lawrence, slinging an arm around his neck and roughing up his head. I tried to join in, tried to be present, but I only heard half the conversation as I watched Jace from the corner of my eye. Smoothing his tie down, he placed a hand on the small of the woman’s back as they both stood. He bent to press a kiss to her cheek, though he didn’t have to go too far. She was tall. I was not.
Even in my heels, I felt like I was swimming underneath everyone, conversation flowing in currents above my head.
My three sisters were in a line to my left, whining to Steph about running off and getting hitched. Steph was taking it all in stride, perfectly confident in her decision to avoid the usual festivities. The boys were congregated on the other side, clearly not whining and happy for my brother. No one was even making an attempt at sitting yet, drawing curious stares from other patrons. Once again I felt an ache when I saw where Shane should have been, which was right by Lawrence’s side.
“You’re very quiet.” My heart leapt as a deep voice intruded into my thoughts. “It makes me nervous.”
Jace was standing close behind me, the heat from his body almost palpable. I steeled myself from leaning back against him and tucking myself into his shoulder.
“I wasn’t certain you even noticed me.” Oh my gosh, I was that girl. I wrinkled my nose against the sound of my girly voice.
He laughed softly, causing vibrations to rumble through the air and straight into my chest. “I always notice you, Midge.”
I snorted in derision and stepped away, taking a much-needed breath as the rest of my family sat. Everyone was paired up and sitting with their spouses, bucking my mom’s tradition of mixing up the table. Which meant that my breather was short-lived as the chair next to me would soon be occupied by Jace. Oh gosh, this felt like a date.
I lowered myself to my seat, watching as the men all smoothly helped their better halves slide close to the table. I rolled my eyes and grumbled to myself as I prepared for the scoot war I would soon inadvertently instigate. As if I couldn’t seat my damn self. Honestly, the whole assisted chair scoot annoyed me to no end. And it was an art I’ve never figured out. There was no rhythm to it. Every time I went forward, the scooter would hold. And every time I paused, they’d scoot. It was fucked up, and I was always afraid my foot would get squashed.
After the first awkward jerk, Jace did what no man had done before. He just picked up the chair and placed it close to the table. I sat blinking for a moment. That was awesome. Looking up, I saw Jace’s smirk and wink at the same time I felt his fingers softly trail the skin on the back of my neck. I inhaled deeply through my nose, keeping my lips and thighs clamped shut. You know, vagina heartbeat.
Finally we were all seated and champagne was poured for each of us. I, once again, took in our surroundings. The modern flair was so odd, particularly when the outside of the building was so charming. I flipped open the menu to see what kind of food was being served, squinting as I read through.
“What is this place?” I whispered to Jace.
“Strange. It’s strange.” He nodded, paging through his own menu.
“Why are we here?”
“Well, when I got the good news this afternoon, I was with a client.” He arched an eyebrow and cut his eyes to me, lips quirked in a wry smile. “You might have noticed Mrs. Benton. The woman I was just talking to at the table? The one you freaked out over?”
“I did not freak out.” I shifted in my chair, scowling.
He didn’t even grace my comment with an acknowledgment. “She and her husband own this place. She immediately suggested we come celebrate here. I couldn’t exactly turn her down.”
I huffed and returned my attention to the menu. “Chicken-fried steak?”
“I bet it’s good.”
“Just seems out of place.”
“So do the fried pickles.”
“So much fried. Jace, I can’t eat here.”
“I didn’t know what the food was going to be.” He scratched his head thoughtfully and shrugged. “They are from Texas.”
I snorted and covered my mouth with my hand to stifle it.
Steph looked from across the table. “Who’s from Texas?” she asked, ears perking at the mention of her home state.
“The owners of this fine establishment,” I said.
“Ah.” She nodded and went back to
perusing the menu. “Makes sense.”
I kept chuckling and searching for something I could eat that was reasonable. Which was salad. Pretty much just salad. The waiter returned and took everyone’s orders. Lots of fried items were rattled off by my siblings, and I motioned for the waiter to come close so I could quietly tell him my order.
He looked at me with undisguised pity, sparing a quick glance at Jace. “No guy wants a girl who doesn’t eat,” he whispered before walking away.
I frowned and cocked my head to the side as I watched him leave. That was kind of harsh.
“What’s wrong?” Jace asked.
“Huh?” I blinked rapidly as he came into focus.
He reached up and pulled my hand away from my mouth, where apparently I’d been chewing on my thumbnail. His rough fingertips left a trail of warmth along my skin, wrapping around the smallness of my wrist as our hands disappeared under the table to rest on his thigh. I stiffened in surprise at the intimacy of the gesture, sitting at a table surrounded by my family. He began tracing a little pattern across my palm while I tried valiantly to keep my breathing easy and a relaxed outer shell. My inner shell was a mess.
“Sorry I hadn’t called yet. I was going to.”
“That’s okay. I’m sorry I made you late this morning.”
“No you’re not.”
“Well, I’d rather have kept you in bed, tasting every part of you and making you scream until you passed out, but hey, a job’s a job.”
My face was burning and I hoped no one could hear him as he spoke so casually and none too quietly. But at least the tension from this morning was gone. It was replaced by another, much better, kind.
When Lawrence and Steph began simultaneously telling the story of their wedding, I did relax somewhat, letting the laughter and chatter wash over me. But all the while, the pattern on my hand repeated, over and over. Part of my brain tried to decipher it while the other part tried to stay with the table. Pretty sure it wasn’t working well, judging by the number of times my name was called to get my attention. I’m not sure why I allowed it to go on so long. I could have snatched my hand away at any point, but it wasn’t until the meal was served that I took it away, slowly though, so that his fingertips could trail all the way to the ends of mine and linger for just a moment.
The clarity I had once we were no longer touching was incredible. The fog of lust lifted and I could distinguish voices again. I could also smell more than Jace’s cologne. And that… was a bummer.
Tears pricked the backs of my eyes when my plate of lettuce and vegetables with dressing on the side was placed in front of me. There was a sliced, grilled chicken breast as well that I was sadly excited about. It was silly to get upset over my own damn choices, but as my family all dug in, fully amused over the dishes but also exclaiming at how fucking good it all was, I was… I was… I was really jealous. And hungry for substance.
“Wanna bite?” Jace asked quietly, slicing off a corner of his golden, crispy something-or-other.
“What is it?” I licked my lips.
“Do you care?”
I didn’t. With very little of my consent, a piece of food much larger than a bite was slid onto my plate. I stared at it, trying to decide if one bite would be enough. A piece appeared on a fork, wafting the greasy, salty scent around my nose. My mouth opened of its own accord and closed tightly around the bite. Yeah, I was totally afraid it would escape.
I moaned and my eyes fluttered shut, only to reopen to the amused stares of… everyone. My mouth was full, so I couldn’t talk and I didn’t want to. I was enjoying myself. When I shrugged and took it upon myself to cut another piece, the table erupted in cheers and applause. Heat washed over my face, my cheeks burning at the ridiculousness that was my family.
“You guys are assholes,” I muttered.
Chrissy piped up. “We’re just happy to see you eating.”
“Yeah, well. Don’t get used to it.”
Fortunately they left me alone after that, allowing me to relax and actually enjoy myself. Periodically someone would put a portion of their food on my plate, encouraging me to continue.
I obliged.
Chapter 23
“Who wants dessert?” Lawrence boomed after the last of our dinner plates were cleared.
“No.” I shot to my feet, scrambling to push my chair out of my way. I wiggled my fingers in his direction. “Gimme your keys. I’m leaving if it’s dessert time.”
“Oh, come on, runt. You don’t have to eat it. Hang with us.”
I shook my head vigorously, my hair whipping around my face. “No. I can’t take it. This was already too”—I waved a hand around—“much. Too much.” My stomach was already rumbling in protest of the evening’s events, and I placed my palm over it in an attempt to soothe the discomfort.
Lawrence grumbled good-naturedly and began digging his keys from his pocket, but Jace stood beside me, pulling his own keys out with a jingle.
“No worries, man. I’ll take her home.”
There was a moment, ever so brief, when Lawrence’s eyes narrowed, his glance darting between his friend and me. I smiled my best normal, easy, friendly smile, but his eyes tightened even more. I bit my lip and looked away. Friendly smile probably wasn’t the best way to go. Instant suspicion.
Instead of standing there like an idiot, I went around the table and said my good-byes to everyone, garnering hugs all around. Despite my grumbling about the food, the company was great, and it was fun to hang out with my siblings away from home. It kind of made me feel like a grown-up.
“Come on, Midge. Let’s get you out of here before you cave again.”
I walked ahead of him, his fingertips discreetly pressing into the small of my back, blocked from the view of my brother by his body. Even through my dress, I felt the heat of his touch, and a shiver ran down my spine, weakening my knees. Oh, I was gonna cave all right.
“I don’t remember inviting you in.”
Jace shrugged as he sauntered through my front door. “Figured it was a given.”
“I’m not sure how I feel about that.”
He stalked me straight into my bedroom.
I turned with a sigh, hands on my hips. “What are we doing, Jace?”
He slowly shook his head as he approached, reaching his hands around the small of my back. “What we should have been doing all along.”
I was frozen, unsure, and frankly, nervous as hell. Two nights together in a row wasn’t happenstance or impulse. This was a decision.
His eyes met mine and I saw… depth. I saw lust and history, and I wondered how they all mixed. And I wondered what he read in my own blue gaze.
His hands glided down to caress my ass, fingers pressing slightly and then grasping the fabric of my dress, drawing it up and crumpling it in his fists until it rose above my hips. I raised my arms and he pulled it up and over my head, tossing it aside.
Using just the tips of his fingers, he traced down the side of my neck, across my collarbone to my shoulder, and down to my rib cage. My breath hitched as he used his index finger to follow the ridge between bones, my eyes pinching shut at the sudden discomfort. I felt stark and ugly and naked. Exposed.
He dropped to his knees, startling me into opening my eyes in time to see him lower his face to my belly. I tangled my fingers in his already disheveled hair, gripping the locks to anchor myself as he pressed soft, slow kisses everywhere he could reach. He moaned softly, his breath skating across my skin, sending a wave of goose bumps throughout my body, making me forget everything about myself.
I reached behind my back to unfasten my bra, but he stopped me, stilling my hand and deftly flicking it open on his own. I wish I could do it that easily.
He chuckled against my stomach. “Don’t overthink that. Teenage boys spend months practicing.”
I snorted and pushed his head back so I could look down into his face. “What?”
“We do. Lawrence and I did it all the time.”
“Lik
e, together? Like a weird pervert party?”
He grabbed the edge of my lace panties and pulled them away, then let go with a snap, making me jump at the slight sting. “No, you weirdo. I don’t have sisters, so Lawrence stole one from Jeanine.”
“Ew!” I wrinkled my nose at the thought.
His shoulders began to shake as laughter overtook him. “It’s normal.”
“No. That is not normal.” I stepped back and waved a hand between us. “This is not normal.”
He walked forward on his knees and gripped the sides of my panties in his hands, drawing them down over my hips to let them pool at my feet. “I’m fine with that.”
I balanced with my hands on his shoulders to step out of the garment, still in my heels. He skimmed a broad hand down my calf, lifting my foot to slide the shoe off, then repeating it on the other side. Looking up at me from his knees, he pressed a kiss to the inside of my thigh. “Someday we’ll leave those on. But tonight”—he blew out a breath and slid both hands up the outside of my legs to wrap around my waist, watching the entire time—“I just want to make love to you. No outside forces or gimmicks.”
My heart skittered, and I swallowed down my nerves mixed with excitement mixed with straight-out panic, pushing his words down to examine another day. Or never.
He stood, so close that I felt his clothes brush my skin as he rose. I hooked my fingers in the belt loops of his pants to stabilize myself.
“You’re wearing shoes,” I mused as I stepped onto his toes, rising up to beg for a kiss.
His mouth curved into a smile, lighting his eyes and instantly calming my nerves. “I do wear shoes for business. I know how to be appropriate.”
I snorted softly. “I’ve just never seen it.”
His hands slid up to grip the hair at the base of my skull, holding firm. “I much prefer being”—he bent to kiss my neck, nipping at where it met my shoulder—“inappropriate with you.”
