by Jewel, Bella
* * *
Ryder: I miss you so goddamn much. My brother is fun, but he’s not you.
Me: I miss you, too. It’s been an enlightening evening and I’m even more grateful for what we have.
Ryder: I like hearing that. Just how grateful are we talking, exactly?
Me: Blow job every day for a week and then any position you want grateful.
Ryder: Wow, that much? I might have to oblige with your needs.
Me: I have so many needs.
Ryder: And I’ll do everything in my power to satisfy each and every itch.
Me: If you do, I’ll feel guilty. I already feel guilty.
Ryder: What on earth for? If anyone deserves some sexy pampering, it’s you.
Me: Polly struck an ignoramus on her last foray into the dating cesspool. She has no one while I have...
Ryder: Me? You have me. You can say it. And everyone encounters a dickhead or bitch while searching for the perfect ending. Hell, I had one that made the devil seem like a nice guy.
Okay, didn’t really want to discuss exes while talking about our naughty bits getting it on, but whatever. I could ignore it and continue with the happier thread.
Me: I was going to say I have the most wonderful incredible down-right sexy man ever created but yeah, I guess just a simple answer would suffice.
Ryder: My brother is passed out from beer. Come here. I need to start redeeming these grateful gifts you want to give me. My cock heard the word blow job and is insanely interested.
Me: Would love to but can’t. Polly needs me. She hates anyone with a deep voice and a third leg right now.
Ryder: Well, bring her here, too. My brother gets bored easily. He’ll need entertaining. Both of you spend the day with us tomorrow.
Me: I’m not so sure that would be a good idea.
“God, what time is it?” Polly turned over, covering her eyes from the glare of my phone. We’d fallen asleep thanks to too many vodkas and binge watching on the floor.
“Almost three a.m., go back to sleep.” My fingers hovered over the keypad, ready to tell my man that he needed to respect girl time.
However, she murmured, “Are you messaging Ryder?”
“Yes.”
“Is he calling for booty?”
I smiled; glad she could still make a joke while dealing with dating disappointment. “No. He’s badgering me to bring you around to his place tomorrow.”
Sleep left her gaze. “Really?”
I nodded. “His older brother is in town. He’s offered us to go over together.”
Apprehension filled her gaze. “Oh no, another male. You haven’t met his brother, right? Can you confirm he’s not an imbecile with nose-picking fetishes or strange eating customs?”
Oh, Pol.
“I can’t. But if he’s anything like Ryder, he’s going to be a gruff, sarcastic teddy-bear with a heart of gold.”
Polly bit her lower lip. “And he’s invited me. You sure you didn’t invite me?”
“Nope.” I showed her the screen, making her squint again. “All him.”
Her eyes scanned my messages. “I agree with him that you shouldn’t feel guilty for being happy.” She leaned up, placing a kiss on my cheek. “You’re the best. And this is exactly what I needed, Ves. You’re awesome. If you promise to be there just in case he turns out to be a donkey, I’d love to go and see Ryder’s house and find out where the hell he puts all those dogs he brings in.” She laughed. “He doesn’t boil them into a soup, does he? ‘Cause that would be the worst thing ever.”
I giggled. “No, he has this amazing barn conversion. And the river, Pol. Wow.” My heart swooned even as my body melted at the memory of what we did at said river.
She rolled onto her back. “I know this is a stupid, crazy idea but how about we close the practice tomorrow? Pet Curers up the road can take any slack; we’ll put his number on the answer machine for any emergencies. And still take any calls that are urgent, urgent.” Her hand found mine in the dark. “I just really need this with you. I need to be with other people who are normal, away from work and home. I need a good laugh. Would that be okay?”
“It would be more than okay.”
I didn’t care about the loss of potential income. I did worry that pet owners would be stressed but as long as the other vet across town was open and they knew it was only for one day, then I couldn’t see the harm. There was a thing called workaholicism and unfortunately, Pol and I had reached that threshold.
“Text him back.” She tapped my phone. “Tell him he has a date.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.”
Me: Polly will accept your date. She says it’s a good idea, after all. When should we come over? I’m taking your other unsolicited advice from when we first started chatting and playing hooky all day.
Ryder: I love that my bad influence is rubbing off on you.
Me: I’ll be rubbing off something else tomorrow.
Ryder: I’ll hold you to that.
Me: So…time? What should we bring?
Ryder: Just your beautiful self and your business partner. Rupe and I will take care of the rest.
Me: You’ve got yourself a party.
Ryder: Is it in my pants?
Me: The one with exclusive invitation just for the two of us is.
Ryder: I’m glad Rupert isn’t invited. I have a confession to make.
Me: Oh?
Ryder: I was nervous about you meeting Rupert as I didn’t want you to think he was the better model and trade me in. With Polly there, you’ll be forced to stay with me because that would just be awkward stepping on your friend’s playing field.
Me: Somehow, I don’t think Polly will be looking for a hook-up. She’s scarred for life from the last one.
Ryder: Rupe won’t either but he’s a sucker for a damsel in distress.
Me: Polly isn’t a damsel. She’s a freaking ninja.
Ryder: She’s a girl who will be left alone at some point in our festivities while I go and do bad things to you. Ergo, damsel. Believe me; he’ll take good care of her.
Me: That gives me mixed feelings.
Ryder: About the bad things or Rupe’s exemplary care?
Me: Both.
Ryder: Guess we better discuss the rules in the morning.
Me: I guess.
Ryder: Ves?
Me: Yes?
Ryder: I’m really, really looking forward to seeing you tomorrow. I’ve missed you.
Me: I swear you say things like that to keep me in a permanent state of puddle-like infatuation.
Ryder: I like you in a puddle. It means I made you wet.
Me: No disputing that.
Ryder: Fuck, is it tomorrow yet?
Me: If you let me go to sleep it will be.
Ryder: Fine, best vet in the world. Go to bed—without me. I’ll make sure you make it up to me when we see each other.
Me: Deal. Goodnight.
Ryder: Sleep tight.
Locking my phone, I caught Polly watching me.
Her lips stretched into a sleepy smile. “That man is seriously addicted to you.”
“Or just having a good time.” For some reason, admitting just how much Ryder meant to me suddenly seemed beyond smug and just cruel.
However, Polly didn’t let me get away with it. “Vesper Carla Fairfax, if you belittle how he feels about you or how you feel about him one more time, I’m going to bop you one.”
“Bop me?”
“Bop you.” She fake punched me in the side of the head. “Bop.”
“Okay, okay, no more trying to protect your feelings, sheesh.” I gave her a grin.
“Good.” She nodded importantly, snuggling back into our nest on the floor. “Because if you don’t start owning just how rare and magical your connection is, then you’re both morons and I don’t do stupid people.”
Rolling over, our backs touched; our feet brushing in goodnight like we did at university after an all-nighter study sess
ion.
“Got it, no more stupidness.”
“That’s my girl.” Polly yawned. “Now go to sleep, so we’re not haggard hoe-bags for our double date tomorrow.”
I smiled in the dark. “You do realise the Urban Dictionary elaborates on that word rather well.”
Polly asked sleepily, “It does?”
“Yep. The exact definition is a person—preferably a woman—who is such a hoe that their vagina has been stretched to such an extent that it can be used as a bag to carry things such as mail, yoga balls, iPods, and crayons. Look it up. That stuff is on Google.”
Polly rolled over, her eyes bugging. “Crayons? There are women who put crayons and iPods up their twatwaffles?”
“Apparently.”
“Well, I’ll use another turn of phrase then because I sure as hell don’t want household equipment up there.”
We burst out laughing before falling asleep with images of things going in girly places that should never be used in such ways.
Unless it was with Ryder.
And it was his perfect package.
I slept with a smile on my face.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Ryder
“NOW, YOU BETTER BE ON your best fucking behaviour, Rupe. Got it?”
My brother groaned for the millionth time since I’d barged into his guest room where I’d plonked him last night after too many beers. We’d had a great night catching up, chatting about Singapore, his business, and any tail he’d recently tapped.
To my surprise, he’d been as dry in that area as I had been. And after one too many coronas, he’d even admitted that he was sick of sleeping around and lying about his name and bank balance. The next girl he shacked up with would be ‘the one.’
He successfully shoved me over with a feather at that confession.
My brother…the monogamous leper, suddenly wanted a wife.
Go figure.
Well, he can’t have mine.
You don’t have a wife.
Shut up.
I’m working on it.
Oh shit, I’m talking to myself.
I hadn’t been this nervous hosting a small gathering since I was sixteen and threw an illegal party in one of my parent’s renovation rentals. It had ended up way out of control, police were called, damages were paid for out of my measly farmhand wage, and I swore partying was for losers who put booze above careers.
“What’s got up your butt? Afraid I’m gonna chase away your girlfriend?” Rupert raked his hands through his thick dark hair that (if I was honest) needed a cut. The scruffy bad boy image screamed, ‘I have a surfboard and ten bucks to my name, want to blow me?’ Instead of what some scissors and a razor blade could deliver with, ‘I’m worth more than a small country and want to settle down with wholesome sweet woman. Dinner?’
Perhaps while he was in town, I’d help straighten him out in more areas than just helping him de-stress from working too much.
Clearing my throat, I said, “Afraid nope. Terrified yep.”
“Don’t be such a pussy.”
“I’m being rational. You have this uncanny ability to screw things up.”
Rupert grinned as he poured himself a mug of caffeine from the instant coffee pot. I preferred gourmet lattes, but we had a late start today and just got back from a mad rush around the store to get a shit load of food for a BBQ.
Despite having lots of animals on the property, and loving every creature great and small, I still ate meat. However, there was one animal I just couldn’t eat now I knew how kickass their personalities were and how loveable they could be when breaking the rules and snuggling in bed with you.
Pigs.
Pork, bacon, chops—anything that oinked was off the menu forever.
I’d never forgive myself if Hippo figured out I was eating her kin.
“Relax all ready. I know you motherfucking sighed over this girl. I know you’ve handed over your balls already candy-wrapped and bowtied, and I know you’ve most likely already fallen dick over heels for her so…” Rupe drew a cross over his heart with a spatula he’d plucked from the drawer. “Scott’s honour I won’t fuck it up for you.”
I didn’t feel any twinge of relief. “And you’ll be nice to her friend, Polly. Right? You mess that up and I’m single again for sure. Vesper is very loyal to her.”
“Loyal, huh? Is that a good quality in a woman?” Rupe rested both elbows on the bench, blinking dramatically as if I was Buddha with the gospel of life.
“Loyalty is paramount as are laughing together, hot as hell sex, and mountains of trust.”
“Spoken like a true besotted ball-less lover boy.”
“Shut—”
The doorbell went.
Scar barked and Hippo’s bell tinkled from somewhere in the house as she raced to the door. She had a fascination of greeting new guests before I could get there.
Rupert chuckled. “Let’s get this show on the road, little bro.” Scooping up the platter of beef sausages and chicken wings, he headed outside to the deck off the dining room that’d been replaced last week. Instead of a shambling rotten monstrosity, there was now raised seating, a cushion pit for lounging, and a BBQ area complete with brand new stainless steel man cooker ready to be christened.
The fact that I was about to spend the day with my brother and woman was the best bloody gift ever. Even if I was a little nervous from Vesper’s tone last night.
Something had happened with Polly and a bad date.
I just hoped it didn’t cool things between Ves and me because of some misplaced guilt or belief that what we had was too good to be true, therefore it had to be and dump my ass.
Christ, if she dumped me…I’d embarrass myself a hell of a lot trying to get her back.
Racing to let the two vets in, I grinned as I unlocked the door and Hippo raced out, chuffing in welcome.
Polly immediately took a step back, her eyes latching onto the pigmy pig. “Oh my God, you were telling the truth.”
“Told ya.” Vesper grinned. “Isn’t she cute?”
“It’s so small. It’s an embarrassment to pigs.” Polly smirked. “Are you sure it’s related to the suidae family?”
“The what family?” I asked, holding the door.
“Suidae.” Polly rolled her eyes at Vesper. “I thought you said he was intelligent.”
Vesper laughed. “Oh, did I? I thought I said he had a very large cock not a very large IQ.”
I pursed my lips to prevent from laughing. “Standing right here, ladies.”
“Well, Mr. Standing Right There. Pigs are suids. Also known as even-toed ungulates. It’s your new word of the day.” Pointing at my piglet, Polly added, “That is a suid.”
“Wrong.” I crossed my arms, enjoying the banter far too much. “That is a Hippo.”
Vesper giggled. “She’s called Hippo. She isn’t a hippo. Those grow in Africa not Australia.” Moving toward me, she smirked. “Do you need geography lesson, Mr. Carson? I’ll gladly lend a hand.”
My mind immediately shot to a filthy delicious gutter full of hands on cocks and mouths on pussies. “You know what? I do feel extremely dumb all of a sudden.”
Polly smiled at us, drinking in the way my body curved toward Vesper and hers into me. It’d happened without even noticing—the need to touch my woman too strong to ignore.
“If any teaching is to happen, ensure I’m not present.” Pushing past her friend, Polly added, “And she could be part hippo. She looks vicious.”
Vesper was nudged closer as Polly deliberately put her in grabbing distance. My arms lashed out and squeezed her, dragging her close. “Hello, woman.”
Instead of melting and moving like liquid back into the puddle where she belonged, Ves fought my hug, looking uncomfortably at Polly.
I glanced between them.
Aw shit, did the best friend tell her to dump me? Is that it? That I wasn’t good enough? That it was time to end it?
I liked Polly. I had nothing against
her. But if she ruined this scarily brilliant thing between me and Vesper, I wouldn’t hesitate to rip into her.
My hands fisted as Polly tore her gaze from Hippo and felt my wrath.
Vesper cleared her throat, “Ry, don’t. It’s not—”
Cocking her chin, Polly shoved Vesper between the shoulder blades, directly into my embrace. “Hug the damn man, Vessie. I know you’re banging uglies and I know those disgusting things called emotions are flying every which way.” She smiled softly. “And I’m glad. I want to watch what true love looks like. Then I have a completed exam to cheat from when I’m next tested by douche bags.”
Vesper and I froze.
True love.
Holy fuck. Was this is it? Was this where we admitted the big, looming, hardly concealed but not verbalised yet secret?
“Ves, I—” I choked.
“So, this must be the ball crusher?” Rupert stole the moment by strolling to the door and leaning against it, effectively blocking the entrance but saving me a shit load of anxiety.
Slipping into host, I waved at Ves. “This is the woman I’m panting over, yes. Ves meet my annoying slightly deranged brother, Rupert Carson.”
“Pleasure.” Vesper stuck out her hand, a smile already on her lips. Everyone smiled when they met Rupe. He had that way about him. He was brash and frankly rather scary but his grin was infectious and there was softness in his eyes that instantly put people at ease no matter their age, race, or gender.
“Pleasure is all mine.” Rupert kissed the back of her hand.
“Okay, okay, no pleasure. Pleasure when it comes to Ves belongs to me and only me.” Tugging Vesper into the house, I waved at Polly who still had Hippo sniffing round her legs. “And this is Polly Dartford, Vesper’s business partner and friend.”
“That’s best friend.” Polly tilted her head, eyeing up Rupert. “And I see you’re the better looking brother. With bigger muscles which works if Ryder ever gets out of line with my bestie and needs an ass kicking.”
Rupert laughed. “And how do you know I wouldn’t kick Vesper’s ass for hurting my little bro?”
“Because you’re as much as an outsider to their love nest as I am but we love them and will mess them both up if they let anything stupid break up what they have.” Polly gave Vesper a secretive smile.