Hammered with You: Book 2 (Ross Brother's Trilogy)

by Nikki Mays

  I stretch my arms out at my sides. “Well, I don’t know what to tell you. She treats me like I have a fucking incurable disease or some shit.” I grumble. My mood going from bad to worse, quickly.

  “What bar did you meet her at?” He asks.

  “That new one that just opened up.”

  “That pretentious as hell one? What the fuck were you doing in there?” He chuckles.

  I roll my eyes and smile. The three of us hate places like that. “A new client wanted to discuss some plans there. I was actually on my way out when I heard her date saying some really mean shit to her.”

  Mason’s eyes get squinty. “What was he saying?”

  I crack my neck. “Just about how she’s only good for sex because of how she looks. And that guys like him don’t date or marry trashy girls like her. Just some real dumb bullshit. Guy was just pissed that she didn’t want to sleep with him.”

  “What happened after that?” His voice is low. I can tell that he’s pissed off on her behalf. Truthfully, once Mase likes you, you have a friend for life.

  “I told him to get lost and I sat down. We started talking and drinking.” I shrug. “And I told you the rest of it.”

  Mason is sitting across from me with a very thoughtful look on his face. “What if she’s not ghosting you to be mean?”

  I snort and shake my head. “Why the hell else would she be doing it?” I scoff.

  He holds up his hands in surrender. “Just hear me out, okay?”

  I nod my head. “Okay, I’m listening.”

  “Jessie is feisty but sweet. She’ll defend anyone else to the death but allows people to treat her like shit. Kellie has told me that she has some really fucked up parents or something.” I file that little tidbit away mentally. “Anyway, you met her in a bar that is probably filled with other assholes like her date.”

  “Okay.” I say unsure, even though he’s dead on.

  He gives me a grimace. “Is it possible that maybe she’s afraid that you’re like that too? That she thinks that all of her tattoos and piercings or whatever make her seem like less than in some way?”

  I shake my head. “I never gave her any indication that I felt that way.”

  He tilts his head. “Maybe not. But I’m sure other people have. Let’s face it. Looks and personality wise, you both are night and day. It’s not too far off the mark to think that she’s a little uncertain of your motives here.”

  “What motives?” I shout and throw my arms up in the air. “All I’m trying to do is to get her to fucking talk to me. I started out wanting an actual date but fuck it; at this point I’ll just take a fucking hello!” I can hear myself beginning to pant as my anger rises.

  “Okay, well try spending some time with her so that she realizes that you aren’t like all the other judgey assholes in this town.”

  I squint my eyes at my moron of a brother. “That hasn’t exactly worked out too well for me so far.” I say through gritted teeth.

  “No, because you didn’t have me helping you out.” He gives me a megawatt smile, that is only slightly terrifying.

  “I’m afraid to ask.” I tell him, making him chuckle. Unfortunately, he’ll never realize how very serious I am.

  He picks up his cell phone and starts typing. “Don’t worry, I’ve got this.”

  “That makes me feel so much better.” I drawl. But screw it. I’m obviously desperate at this point.

  Halloween:

  Okay, I’ll admit it, Mason actually came through for me. I’m not even that upset that I’m dressed like Thor. Especially if it means that I get to see Jessie dressed up as Harley Quinn. And trust me, she looks a thousand times better than any other Harley Quinns in history.

  I walk next to Mase as we follow all the hellions that are trick or treating. Ella definitely made sure that you would know that we’re all together. Our family looks like Marvel threw up all over us.

  Much to my chagrin, Jessie is still pretending that I don’t know every inch of her body, intimately. But that’s okay, at least I have a better chance than I’ve had in weeks of getting her to talk to me.

  I’m just about to say something when I feel a slight tug on my arm. I look down into the adorable face of Ella. “What’s up Ella?”

  “Can you open this for me? Please?” She even bats her eyelashes as she hands me a three musketeers bar.

  I know that I probably shouldn’t but how the hell am I supposed to say no to that cute little face and voice? I can’t, plain and simple. I was not made to crush a child's dreams.

  Like the idiot that I am, I open up the candy bar and hand it back to her.

  Her whole face lights up with a smile. “Thanks Benny Bear!” She says before inhaling her treat and running ahead of us.

  “How many has that been so far?” Mason questions from my side.

  I look over and shrug. “From just me or between all of us?”

  He scratches his head. “Do you think that Kellie will find out that we’ve been giving her candy all night?”

  “I doubt it.” Noah states from Mason’s other side. “Kellie has been up front with everyone all night. There is no way that she’ll be able to find out.”

  “He has a point.” I say. “She probably won’t know unless we tell her. Which would just be stupid on our part.”

  “Okay, we take this one to our graves.” Mason states firmly.

  “Agreed.” Noah and I say in unison.

  We walk for a few seconds before we hear Noah muttering under his breath. I look over and see him fighting with his head gear thing.

  “You okay over there?” I chuckle.

  “No, I’m not okay.” He huffs pissily. “I don’t understand why I have to wear this stupid horn hat thing.”

  “Because, it’s part of his costume in the movies or something.” Mason states in a voice filled with mirth.

  I was going to complain about having to wear a wig until I saw Noah dressed as Loki. He looks absolutely ridiculous with the horns sticking up from the top of his head. Mason and I made sure to suggest that we all take a ton of family pictures tonight. Ya know, for Ma to have as memories.

  “I don’t understand why I have to be this guy. Ben is the one with dark hair. I would have looked better as the guy with the hammer.” Noah whines like a little girl.

  Mason and I look at each other and shrug. “Ella picked out everyone's costume. Go take it up with her.” Mason say knowing damn well that won’t be happening.

  I’m about to add in my two cents when the best moment of my entire life happens. It’s one of those moments that I wish that I could’ve been prepared for. But I know that it will live forever in my memory.

  “Arrgh! Son of a bitch!” Noah yells out loudly.

  When we all stop to look at him, it’s impossible not to crack up. The idiot literally got himself stuck in a tree. His horns are wrapped around a low branch, causing him to flail around.

  “How.” Mason wheezes. “How did you do that?”

  I have to hold onto Mason to keep myself upright. “I can’t breathe,” I say as laughter tumbles from my mouth.

  “Will you stop laughing and help me?” Noah growls at us.

  “Hold on.” Mason says while lifting his hand up. “Marc, Marc buddy I need you.”

  “I already got you covered.” Marc chuckles from a few feet away, with his phone pointed directly at Noah.

  “Christmas came early this year.” I wipe at the moisture underneath my eyes.

  “I hate this family.” Noah mutters petulantly from his spot in the branches. “Stop recording this and get me the fuck out of here!”

  “Noah Ross!” Our mother chides. “You better watch your language around all these children.”

  “Sorry Ma.” He grumbles while giving Mason and I death glares.

  “Honestly Noah, as the oldest out of us, you really should know better.” Mason states purposely adding salt to the wound.

  “Just get me out of this, so that I can kill you.” Noah bark
s.

  “That’s not really giving him much of an incentive to help you out big brother.” I just can’t help myself. I take out my phone and snap a few quick pictures for my personal viewing pleasure.

  “Boys, that’s enough now. You’ve had your fun. Help get him out of that tree.” Our mother states barely holding in her laugh.

  “I really need a new family.” Noah sighs.

  Mason shoves my arm. “Come on, let’s get grumpy out of the tree.”

  I look over at Noah and frown before looking back at Mason. “Do we have to? I like him better this way.”

  Mase smiles. “Me too.”

  We help Noah out and laugh even more when he stomps ahead of everyone.

  “Hey,” I look over at Mase. “how did you end up getting Jessie to join us anyway?”

  He gives me a mischievous smirk. “I told Kellie that she would probably feel more comfortable around our large group if Jessie was with her. I get brownie points with my woman and you finally get to be near Jessie.” He shrugs. “Win-win.”

  Chapter 3

  Jessie

  I’m currently sitting in Kellie’s living room trying not to laugh at the three idiots who snuck a little girl way too much candy. They make the funniest sight in the world. They’re all still dressed in their costumes and getting yelled at by a woman who is barely half their size. I kind of wish that Marc was still around to record this as well.

  Actually what I’m doing more than trying not to laugh, is trying to ignore the way my traitorous body reacts to Ben. My body goes up in flames every time that I think about our night together.

  Seriously, the man’s abs have abs. I didn’t even think that was possible. His sun kissed skin has a light dusting of dark hair along his chest that leads down a very happy trail. A trail that I really wouldn’t mind licking ag....

  I take a sip of my chilled wine and cross my legs. No need to be thinking those thoughts, especially when the intoxicating man has been practically eye fucking me all night. I know this because I’ve been sneaking glances at him as well.

  Yup, best to just ignore that my hormones want me to strip down bare and lay myself out on a platter for him.

  Lay myself out on a platter? WTF Jessie?

  My subconscious is right. I need to stop reading so many romance novels. I haven’t been able to get enough of them in the past couple of weeks. But if I’m spouting shit like that to myself, yeah, it’s time to put the kindle down for awhile.

  Dee has just walked in from putting Ella to bed after cleaning her up for Kellie. And damn if she isn’t glowering at her sons.

  She points a stiff finger at them, “Don’t you fools “Ma” me! I swear I must’ve dropped you three out of the stupid tree and you hit every damn branch on the way down. The worst part is, this isn’t your first offense. I can’t believe that you still haven’t learned your damn lesson.”

  Kellie sits down next to me with a grin on her face. I just shake my head and smile while also enjoying watching three grownish men getting yelled at by their momma.

  After a few more comments she states. “And as much as I would love to stay and yell at you some more, I need to get going.”

  The three of them narrow their eyes at her simultaneously. “Why are you leaving?” Noah asks in a voice filled with suspicion.

  “I have plans tonight.” Dee says haughtily before downing the rest of her wine. That woman could drink most people under the table.

  “With who? Jean and Tony are with Kellie’s sisters and their kids. You don’t have any other friends.” Mason looks around confused. “Do you?”

  Dee is glaring at him fiercely while Ben and Noah are nodding their heads in agreement.

  Kellie is looking over at me in shock and all I can do is shake my head slowly at the idiot trio but it doesn’t seem to matter. I have a feeling that the damage has already been done.

  Poor Dee looks so hurt that her sons don’t think that anyone would want to have her around. I swear, men are the dumbest creatures in the entire world.

  They’re now trying to backtrack and it’s kind of working. Or it was until Noah decided to open his mouth again. “Why didn’t you tell any of us earlier? You always say something when you have plans with Jean. Are you not actually going out with anyone and just trying to hide that fact?”

  Kellie is looking at him with a horrified expression that I’m pretty sure matches my own. Mason and Ben are actually sliding as far away from Noah as they can get. The looks on their faces would be funny if Dee didn’t look like someone just kicked her puppy.

  Dee puts a hand on her hip and hisses at him. “Boy, when have you known me to be a liar?”

  Noah’s cheek twitches. “Never. But I’ve also never known you to randomly go and hang around with other people either.”

  Dee places her glass down on the coffee table. When she stands back up, she has her head held high and shoulders back. “Think what you want son. But I do have plans and I would much rather be near anyone else but you right now.”

  “Ma.” Mason tries but Dee just holds up a hand.

  “No.” She simply states. She walks over and says goodnight to Kellie before walking over to me.

  She gives me a kiss on the cheek. “Good seeing you sugar.”

  “You too Dee. Don’t forget you have an appointment this week.”

  “I never do pretty girl.” She casts another glare at her sons and walks out the front door.

  We all just stare at Noah in horror once she leaves. He has to be the dumbest man alive or just so callous that he doesn’t care about his mother’s feelings. I kind of having a feeling that he’s just dumb though. Dee is good people, there is no way not to love her.

  Kellie is trying to explain to them that this was probably the first time going out with them. I decide to add a few things since I’m extremely pissed off on Dee’s behalf.

  “It doesn’t matter either way.” I growl, unable to stop myself. “Your mom was probably really excited and you ruined that for her.

  “It’s not like we meant to.” Mason states.

  After that they decide to try and find out why Noah was such a jackass and he ended up storming out.

  But at least Kellie and I were able to convince the last two, to stop scaring guys away from Elle in hopes that she’ll give Noah a shot.

  He has a better chance of catching a snowball in hell than getting her to like him. I’ve only dealt with a little of his attitude. If she’s been getting the full brunt? Yeah, she’d probably rather push him off a ladder than date him.

  I decide to stay out of it as I throw what’s left of my lollipop in the garbage. Not my circus, not my monkeys. Although, I will admit, I’m now curious to see how that whole situation pans out. Personally, I hope she makes his miserable ass grovel like a bitch before even allowing him to speak to her. Gathering my things I try to ease out of the conversation when I hear.

  “Are you ever going to talk to me?” The words whispered closely in my ear make my traitorous body shiver.

  Spinning around I come face to face with a pair of electric blue eyes that have been haunting my dreams for weeks now and have undoubtedly followed my every move since I’ve arrived. “What?” I ask hating the breathless sound of my voice, but I chalk it up to being startled instead.

  He leans in closer to me, placing a hand on each side of me, caging me in. I have the counter to my back and I’m unable to escape. Not that my body really wants to, but still. “Are you going to stop pretending that I don’t exist?” He growls deeply and the vibration from his chest causes a million butterflies to take flight in my stomach.

  My eyes drop for a second. I gather the strength to look in his eyes.

  “I haven’t been pretending that you don’t exist.” I tell him. “I’m very much aware of your existence.” My gaze touches every inch of his body to get my point across.

  “Then why won’t you look at me when I go into the shop? Or return the phone calls that I’ve made?” His eyes are fi
erce and look as though they are searching the depths of my soul. And that is most definitely a place that I don’t want anyone to be exploring.

  “What would be the point Ben?” I sigh. “It was just a drunken night. No more and no less. We were completely hammered.” This was the explanation I told myself the next morning when I woke and realized what had happened. It was better that way.

  He rears back like I’ve slapped him. “It could be more than just that one night.” He says so earnestly, that it kills a part of my heart. The part that would love for that to be true.

  I give him a sad smile while gripping the counter behind me tightly. “We’re oil and water Ben. We just don’t mix well.”

  He raises his eyebrow and gives me a wicked smirk. “We’ve mixed pretty well before. I’m sure that we can again.”

  I can feel my entire body heat at just the memories of that night. “Yeah, sex is easy, but everything else isn’t. And I’m not looking for just some casual hookup. That’s not usually what I’m like, despite my momentary lapse with you.”

  His eyes narrow, “Who says that I was looking for anything casual?”

  I laugh but it holds no mirth. “You did, that night, right after you sat down.”

  He has the grace to look embarrassed. “Okay, I said that, but that was before you and I got together.”

  I bring my hands up and place them on either side of his head. “Don’t forget that I’ve seen into your world. Everything in your house was organized to an inch of its life. You’re order, where I’m total chaos.”

  “So?” He questions. He doesn’t get it so I try to explain better.

  “None of my stuff matches, I don’t plan my outfits or my days and I consider being thirty minutes late to be on time.” He actually cringes when I say that. “You’re precise, organized, well dressed and a respected member of the community.”

  “Well, they say that opposites attract.” He states proudly.

  I pat his cheek before lowering my hands. Poor Ben. “Yeah, but they never said that they stay together. I would rather just skip all of that stuff and get to the ending. You know the part where we realize that we’re too different.”