Playing House: A Small Town Brother’s Best Friend Romance (The Playboys of Sin Valley Book 1)

by Cassie-Ann L. Miller

  Because the minute Jace gets home, we’re getting an annulment. And everything is going back to normal between us.

  Everything is going back to normal. Everything is going back to normal.

  Right…

  Truth be told, I don’t feel all that burning resentment toward Rocky anymore. Let’s just say, I’m distracted.

  Distracted in the most forbidden way.

  Every time I think about that vibrator sitting untouched in its package, it’s not my ex’s face that comes to mind. It’s Jace’s.

  I really want his lips on mine again. The idea makes my stomach twirl in the most delicious ways. The way he was looking at me the last time we video-called. The heated twinkle in his eyes, the dirty smile on his lips. And not his usual playboy smirk either. I could see the intense, dark look that crossed his features as he looked at me through his phone screen.

  That’s the look that has been haunting me the past few nights, making me want things I know are very, very bad for me. But the sad reality is, I have a secret crush on my accidental husband.

  I’m in the middle of organizing the pasta shelf when the doorbell rings.

  That’s when I realize that I haven’t seen anyone in days. Jeez. What the hell do I even look like? My ponytail is falling apart and I’m wearing another one of Jace’s too-big sweatshirts with man socks.

  No time to worry about my fashion choices now, though. I hurriedly replace several boxes of penne back on the pantry shelf and pad across the floor to peep out the hole. When I see a stunning woman on the other side, my self-consciousness goes through the roof.

  Surely Jace’s groupies know he’s not home this week. Good lord, this is going to be awkward.

  I make a futile attempt at taming my frizzy hair with my fingers, then I open the door. But before I can tell the breathtaking woman that Jace is not here, an army of modelesque beauties march through the door and into the living room. What the—?

  An elegant middle-aged woman stops in front of me with a clipboard and a smile. “Miss Rodriguez?”

  “Yes?” I eye her warily then glance over my shoulder and realize that each of the seven women who just paraded into the condo are all wearing matching lavender medical scrubs. Anxious confusion sweeps through me.

  Jace has some weird medical fetish, doesn’t he? I wouldn’t have expected that. I guess you never really know what people are into…

  Before I can figure out how to handle the situation in a tactful way, the women are setting up massage tables and unloading supplies across the kitchen’s quartz countertops.

  The woman reaches out to shake my hand with her dainty, manicured fingers. “We are with Harmony Aesthetics. Mr. Bellino sent us.”

  My head shakes back and forth like a fool. “If you’re looking for Jace, he’s out of town.”

  The woman in charge laughs prettily. She throws me a wink. “No, girl. Jace sent us here for you.”

  Twelve

  Sera

  I lay my skull against the cushioned surface of the portable massage chair and whimper.

  This is glorious…

  Someone with ultra-soft hands is working some celebrity-branded cream into my feet. Katrina and Minka sit on either side of me, heads tipped back, emitting contented little murmurs and groans of their own.

  As soon as the army of estheticians explained why they showed up here at Jace’s condo, I called up my sister and my bestie.

  I’ve already received a divine head-to-toe deep tissue massage. It did wonders for my body, but the champagne and my favorite girls are doing wonders for my preoccupied mind. I was a little nervous to touch the champagne after all the trouble I got into the last time I was around alcohol, but I looked up the label and it would be a crime to let this quality bubbly go to waste. And the finger foods. Oh the finger foods are to die for.

  Jace.

  He did this.

  I can’t even imagine how much a house call like this must have cost him. It’s so above and beyond. I’m already trying to think up the best words to thank him when I call him later.

  I keep wondering what he’s trying to say by arranging all of this. Is he guilty like me? Is this his way of making amends for everything that’s gone wrong between us lately? Is he just looking out for me like always? Or is he trying to send a different message entirely?

  The estheticians step away, leaving my friends and me with crumbling face masks. My skin feels firm and tight, and I can already tell that it’s going to be smoother than a baby’s bottom.

  Minka starts telling us all about the crazy stories that she’s received from readers of her online sex advice column. Katrina is giggling her ass off, calling Minka’s anecdotes unbelievable. All the while, I’ve got a scandalous story of my own weighing heavily on my mind. I can’t keep it quiet anymore.

  I take a large gulp of champagne. “Hypothetically speaking, what would you say to a girl who…got very publicly dumped by the guy she was going to marry…and then…she sort of moved in with a friend. A male friend. A gorgeous male friend…and then things got…physical between them and—?”

  My sister sits up so fast, part of her lumpy face mask plops off her chin and lands on her T-shirt. “You kissed Jace?!”

  On the other side of me, Minka wiggles her shoulders and cackles. “Hell yeah, bitch!” She thrusts an arm out to me for an enthusiastic high-five.

  Katrina isn’t so impressed. “You kissed Jace? Jace? Jace, our brother’s best friend, Jace?”

  Minka rolls her eyes. “For fuck’s sake, Katrina. Yes, Jace. Hot-as-fuck Jace.” She’s nodding a lot. She seems to approve. “Way to rebound like a boss, Sera.”

  I glance over to the kitchen where the masseuses are busy packing up and pretending not to be eavesdropping. “Um…there’s more,” I say in a whisper.

  Minka’s eyes bulge wider. I hear Kat gasp but I dare not peek in her direction.

  “We had sex.” I cringe, bracing my chair’s armrests before I add the next part. “And…”

  Minka leans closer. “And…?” She makes a speed it up motion with her hand.

  “And we also…got…married.”

  Minka’s jaw drops open and she stares at me in shocked silence.

  I have managed to shock Minka Phillips silent. I repeat: I have managed to shock Minka Phillips silent.

  That’s how I know I’m beyond redemption.

  Katrina croaks. My sister literally croaks. She’s dead, y’all.

  I didn’t mean for my confession to thrust my girls into a stupor. But now that it has, I can't stop the words that burst free of my troubled brain and come tumbling out of my mouth.

  “It was the night Rocky ditched me. I just...I just felt so rejected. I think maybe my self-esteem was just really, really low. And I’d had so much to drink at the club that night. I was so wasted and so tired of my reputation as the good girl. And Jace was there, and he was looking at me and I was looking at him and I just didn’t want to be thinking or feeling.” I suck in a quick breath. “So I kissed him. And one thing led to another. And then we woke up naked on the hotel room floor, married.”

  Minka’s still blinking at me. She whispers reverently. “You fucked him right off the bed?”

  “I…I guess so.”

  Katrina looks like she might need emergency medical assistance.

  “Say something. Please.”

  Kat’s lips move wordlessly for a while before she finally says, “Y-you married Jace?”

  I nod.

  “So…he’s your husband?”

  I nod again.

  “And you’re his wife?”

  More nodding.

  “Wh-what are you planning to do about it?”

  “We’re gonna get an annulment. Quickly. Before word gets out.” I purse my lips.

  “You mean before Wyatt finds out?” My sister tilts her head to the side.

  “Preferably.” I cringe some more.

  Minka waves a hand dismissively. “Forget what Wyatt wants. What do you want? W
hat does Jace want? Does this marriage thing make sense for you two?”

  I scoff under my face mask. “Of course not. It was a mistake. And we agreed—we both want an annulment. Fast.” I don’t understand the flash of uncertainty I experience when I say it. “I feel so guilty. Embarrassed. You know? It was just really immature of me to go and do that. And now I'm living in his apartment, and I don't know how to handle this.”

  Minka huffs next to me. “Girl, you’ve been mature your whole life. You did everything by the book. You were bound to let loose eventually. And getting stood up at the altar, drinking too much, being around that hot man—it was the perfect storm for a crazy decision. Don’t beat yourself up. I know I’ve had my share of wild nights. No judgment.” She lays a comforting hand on mine.

  My sister doesn’t look convinced. “Yeah, it’s all fun and games until Wyatt finds out that you’re fooling around with his best friend, and he sets Jason’s fancy car on fire. Hell, if Jace hurts you, Wyatt might burn this whole building to the ground.”

  I gulp.

  Wyatt doesn’t scare me. To me, he’s just my overprotective brother. But I’ve seen him lose his shit. I don’t want Jace on the wrong side of that.

  Minka swats her hand through the air, rolling her eyes. “Katrina, stop being so melodramatic. Wyatt won’t do anything we wouldn’t do ourselves.” Her eyeballs focus on me. “Sera, you did the uptight, people-pleaser thing. It didn’t work out for you. Now is as good a time as any to let your hair down and have some fun. And Jace seems like a fun-loving guy.” She winks. “And for the record, I don’t mean ‘fun-loving’ in a safe and harmless, let’s go bowling kind of way.”

  My sister shakes her head. “Sure, Jace is really hot but let’s be real here. He’s a playboy. Everyone knows it,” she adds quietly, briefly glancing toward the kitchen as the last remaining estheticians pack up. “If you get feelings for that man, he’s going to end up hurting you, and he’s going to hate himself forever.”

  Minka throws her arms outward, with a carefree shrug. “So, don’t get feelings for him. Just play house. Have some fun. Have a damn rebound, Sera. I mean, you’re already married to the man. You might as well get all the good dick you can handle while it lasts.”

  Katrina, her usual skeptical self, leans forward, peeking around me to shoot a look at Minka. “Well, thank you for that sound advice, Tony Robbins.”

  Minka sighs heavily. “Oh, Kat. You’re taking your role as the ‘designated good sister’ way too seriously. Sheesh! Let the girl have some fun!”

  My head ping pongs back and forth as my favorite girls argue over the mess I’ve made of my life.

  “You two have been dancing around each other for years, playing the whole ‘just friends’ thing. Lies. Pure lies.” Minka eyeballs me challengingly. “Tell me the sex between you two wasn’t explosive.”

  I’m flustered at the tiny fragments of memories I have from that night. “Uh, I…It’s not…it’s not like I’ve been sitting around replaying it…”

  Minka cuts me off. “Tell me you don’t want to fuck him again.”

  “I…I…haven’t really thought about it.”

  Minka chuckles. “Watch out, Pinnochio. Your nose is getting longer with every word you say.”

  My shoulders heave when I sigh. “He’s Jace. I can’t have a fling with Jace. He means so much to me. I don’t want to mess up our friendship. I’ve already complicated things enough as it is. The best thing for us to do now would be to just clean up the mess we made and try to salvage our friendship.”

  Minka shakes her head. “Stop overthinking. Just have some damn fun with the man. Or...with any man, really.”

  I gasp. “That’s…Well…”

  The idea hasn’t even crossed my mind. I’ve only ever been with a few men, always waiting until I was in a committed relationship before getting into bed. I’ve never done the hookup kind of thing. Plus, I always viewed marriage as a lifetime commitment. I never intended on un-tying the knot once I finally said ‘I do’. A nervous jolt zips through me.

  Good lord, I thought I was done with the dating world. Curse you, Rocky.

  “Plus, Jace is the biggest ladies’ man. How do I even know he would be interested in being with me?” I ask, my palms sweating.

  “That’s easy to find out,” Minka says dismissively.

  “How so?” a skeptical Katrina interjects.

  Exasperated, Minka glares at us both. “Would you two just trust me?” She focuses on me. “You’ve been the good girl for so long. Now is the time to let your bad girl out.” Minka does a little shimmy in her seat.

  “I don’t know how to be bad,” I whisper, almost embarrassed.

  My best friend grins widely, looking very much like the evil joker. “Don’t worry, girl. I’ve got you.”

  I get a pang of excitement.

  Katrina groans next to me, throwing herself back against her chair. “For the record—none of this is a good idea.”

  My sister is probably right. This is probably a terrible idea. But for once, I don’t think I care.

  Thirteen

  Jace

  I’m grinning as I coast into my designated parking spot in the underground garage. Home, at last. It feels like this week has been the longest damn week of my career.

  I’m freakin’ happy to finally be back in Sin Valley, especially after we kicked Arizona’s ass last night.

  Holding my duffle over my shoulder, I stride through the lot. Out of habit, I reach for my phone when I climb into the elevator. I pause. Normally, I’d use my elevator ride to set up a hookup for the night. But tonight is different.

  I don’t want to see any of my randoms.

  Tonight, I’m going home to my wife. I only want to see Sera.

  Feels like I’ve been away from her for too long.

  Whoa…I miss her.

  Instead of freaking me out, the realization puts a big grin on my face.

  For the past few days, I’ve tried to keep it playful and casual every time I’d call her. I didn’t want to end up saying something stupid over the phone. As many times as I thought about spilling out my guts to her, the last thing I want is to come off as desperate and scare the shit out of her.

  We need to have this conversation face-to-face. I need to look her in the eyes when I tell her I want a shot with her.

  But damn, it was hard to keep my mouth shut when she called me rambling her ‘thank you’s after her in-home spa day. And when she received the gift certificate, she sent me a dozen heart-eye gifs.

  Making her happy made me feel like a man. I could get used to the feeling.

  Now, the wait is over. In a matter of seconds, I’m going to see her sweet face.

  My gut is clenched. My head is a mess. My chest is thumping with nervous excitement.

  When I exit the elevator and approach my condo door, my senses are overwhelmed by the delicious smell of a homemade meal. My hand on the door handle, I inhale deeply, instantly recognizing the scent as Sera’s signature dish.

  Fuck—this evening just keeps getting better.

  I’m starved. I can’t wait to sit down to eat a home cooked meal with my wife. And then eat her. Hopefully.

  I let myself into the condo and drop my bag at the door. The entire place is spotless. The floors are literally sparkling and the windows are so clean, I could walk straight through them. I spot a casserole dish covered with foil on the kitchen counter. In the living room, I notice flickering candles and a half-empty bottle of red wine on the coffee table. I’m getting major sex vibes right now. A tingle runs up my thighs. My dick is really into this.

  Aw, man. Tonight is gonna be awesome.

  I call out Sera’s name as I toe off my Jordans on the front mat. Wait—I have a front mat now? Nice. And if I should be terrified by the idea of a woman making herself at home in my luxury bachelor pad, I’m definitely not. I’m not horrified to realize that I…like it.

  I think. Possibly. Maybe.

  “Jace?” I hear her c
alling out from somewhere in the apartment. She sounds a little breathless. “Coming…”

  The hall bathroom door opens. And everything around me stops.

  Sera is walking toward me looking like a foxy little thing. She’s wearing a dress. It’s red and knee-length. The fabric hugs her soft curves, dipping low at the neckline to expose the creamy swell of her breasts. I’ve always had a preference for girls with curves but my wife’s hourglass frame puts every Instagram model to shame.

  Her body in that dress is profanity.

  Her dark waves are pulled back in a messy ponytail that highlights the length of her neck and the angles of her high cheekbones.

  I want to smear that red lipstick with a greedy kiss. Leave bite marks down the side of her neck.

  Tonight, I don’t want to be the nice guy. Tonight, I want to get my hands on her and lose all control.

  She slips on some little hoop earrings as she speaks. “You're early.” She beams at me as she spreads her arms out, tentatively approaching me for a hug. “Congratulations. You played a heck of a game last night. Those analysts still don’t know what to make of that comeback.”

  I gather her up in my arms and squeeze her to me. Fuck yeah. She feels so good. And she smells fucking delicious. Forget dinner—I want to swallow her whole.

  Sera takes a step back and I allow my eyes to travel down her body. “You look…” I try to form a complete sentence, but the words won't come. “Wow…” is all I can manage to say.

  Sera hesitates, peeking up at me from under her lashes. “You think so?”

  My hands leap to her waist. “Hell yes. You look gorgeous.”

  Crazy sexual tension crackles in the air. I don’t know how I’m going to keep from ripping her out of this dress and taking her right on the coffee table.

  As if sensing it, too, Sera goes stiff beneath my touch. “I was really nervous about the dress. I bought it with that gift certificate you got me, and by the way, thank you again for that. Anyway, I wasn’t sure if it was too skimpy. Especially with heels. You know how nightclubs freak me out. But Minka keeps saying I need to have fun and I—”