Unfortunately, he didn’t have much to offer. His brother shrugged his shoulders, appearing clueless. “I don’t know what to tell you, bro, I haven’t heard anything. Maybe it’s PMS. That stuff can be downright evil.”
“It’s not that.” Ash shook his head. “This has been going on too long. It’s not that she’s in a bad mood; it’s different. Things aren’t as spontaneous as they used to be.”
“That’s called a relationship,” Rhett sighed. “It’s like going to the grocery store and buying one thing, only to figure out after you get it home it’s completely something else. I call it false advertising. Like those damn stuffed bras. That should be illegal. You’re anticipating motorboating those big ones, then she takes the padding off and it’s a real mind-fuck. I seriously thought I brought the wrong woman home the last time. I actually argued with her for ten minutes over it. She finally showed me her driver’s license to prove it. Not that it really helped since I didn’t remember her name to start with.”
“You’re a total pig,” Dylan deadpanned. “Please tell me I was never that bad.”
“Let’s not even pretend that we weren’t,” Ash interjected. “It would be a tough call to figure out which one of us was the bigger prick. You’re trying to bury the memory before Zoe can quiz you in your sleep one night.”
Rhett took a sip of beer from the bottle in front of him before saying, “You and Zoe were best friends, so she already knows most of that and she married you anyway. Maybe she’s been sharing some of our greatest hits with Dana. That would be enough to make anyone run for the hills.”
“Dana’s not like that.” Ash rubbed at the knot in his neck. “She’s even bailed me out before with a crazy chick. She also doesn’t have a history of serious relationships. I swear, things were perfectly uncomplicated until recently. Now weirdly enough, I’d be happier if she was acting clingy because this aloofness is bizarre.”
“You think she wants to break things off?” Dylan sounded concerned. “She’s not the kind to mince words so she would walk if she wanted out. It must be something else. Have you offended her? You remember all of the shit you used to say. I’m surprised she didn’t cut your dick off the first opportunity she got.”
“Dude, yeah, that was downright mean. You never call a woman fat, and from what I hear, you tossed some version of that at her every day for months. She’s sure more forgiving than most. I’m with Dylan—I’d have been afraid to go to sleep with the family jewels exposed. What if she went all Lorena Bobbitt on your ass?” Rhett shuddered. “I once dated this chick that accused me of doing her sister. She threw every knife in my kitchen at me. I almost pissed my pants before she ran out of silverware.”
Dylan studied Rhett in amazement. “The question I want to ask is, why did you stand there while she tossed sharp objects? Also, were you guilty?”
“I couldn’t move because her sister was blocking the doorway, and yes, I had perhaps shared my love with her family. But in my defense, the sister was way hotter and she came on to me. I turned her down twice before I couldn’t hold out any longer.”
“I feel better about myself now,” Ash remarked dryly. “To think, it only took a few stories from you to accomplish it. You should teach self-help classes. Or more accurately, what-in-the-hell-to-never-do courses.”
“You have no right to get all high and mighty.” Rhett leveled him with a stare. “I know all about that one who sucked your armpit in public. It’s on YouTube, isn’t it? Oh, and the lovely young lady who pissed on your towels. Dude, where in the hell did you find them because I need to avoid those places.”
Dylan crossed his arms over his chest as he stared at Rhett. “Didn’t you date someone who wrote her name all over your new BMW with pink paint? Seth bought you that personalized tag for Christmas that said ‘PINKCAR.’ What was it again that you did to flip her switch?”
“Slept with her mother,” Rhett mumbled. “But she looked really young for her age and she knew stuff that you guys wouldn’t believe. I swear, nothing was off limits with her, but when she shoved a finger up my ass, I had to end things.”
“Wait . . . what?” Ash gaped at him. “You let her do that to you? Like, voluntarily?”
“Hell no!” Rhett snapped. “She was going down on me, then before I knew what was happening, she’d invaded my sacred land. Doesn’t everyone with half a brain know there’s a strict no trespassing order in effect there? I had no idea that it needed to be spelled out or put in writing. I still can’t enjoy a blowjob without being paranoid.”
Dylan dropped his head in his hand. “I feel certain this is too much sharing even for brothers.”
“So what’s your shameful secret, bro?” Rhett asked. “Don’t even act like there’s not one because we’re Jacksons. We come by it naturally. I think it’s the main trait our father passed on to us.”
Dylan looked conflicted before he finally sighed. “If either of you mention this to my wife, I’ll kick your ass.” He lowered his voice and looked around before continuing. “I once let the girl I was dating talk me into a threesome with her best friend.”
Ash frowned at his brother. “That’s it? We’ve all done that. Big deal.”
“Her best friend’s name was Jack,” Dylan whispered.
“Holy shit,” Rhett yelled before yelping when Dylan punched his arm. “Can you keep your big mouth shut? I’d rather it not make the news tonight.”
“Bro, are you saying . . .” Ash wrinkled his nose up.
Dylan flushed. “No, I didn’t do that with him. We just did her at the same time. Still it was far more up close and personal than I’ve ever been with another penis.”
“So which end did you get?” Rhett joked, but appeared intrigued.
“None of your business,” Dylan mumbled. “This ends the sharing portion of the evening. Let’s save this for the next time Seth and Luke are in town.”
“Now that Seth’s married, he’ll be all prim and proper like you are,” Rhett pointed out. “But Luke is a different story. He says the women in St. Croix are up for anything. I’ve been meaning to get down there for a nice, long visit.”
“How’s he doing?” Ash asked, thinking of the rough time their brother had been through. He’d been in a bad car accident a few years back and had endured months of physical therapy to walk again. The wreck hadn’t been his fault, but Ash knew he’d had a hard time dealing with the fact that the other driver had died at the scene.
Rhett ran a hand through his hair as he studied Ash. “You know Luke. He’s pretty closed off about it. I believe he’s still struggling, but he won’t admit it. He also refuses to have surgery to minimize the scars on his face. I think he sees that as a punishment for being the one who walked away from the accident.”
“We should go see him soon,” Dylan added thoughtfully. “He’s down there all by himself. Whereas the rest of us see each other on a regular basis, he has no one. And what concerns me is that he wants it that way. Remember the last time we were all there for the renovations on the luxury suites and he made sure he was out of town the entire visit? For some reason, he only wants to deal with us via phone or Skype if he’s forced.”
“I’m worried too,” Ash admitted. “I’ve pondered showing up without warning to see what in the hell is going on. The resort is running well and turning a great profit, so he’s got it in hand. But I’m not sure the same can be said for him.”
“Let’s talk to Seth and get something in the works,” Dylan agreed. “This has gone on for long enough.”
“While we’re talking about family,” Rhett began, “what’s going on with Mom? Things are weird as hell. She’s actually talking back to Bart. Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s fucking awesome, but when did she grow a pair? She told Claudia the other day to stop with the whining, that it was getting on her last nerve. Can you remember her ever telling the princess that?”
Ash rais
ed a brow, impressed despite himself. He’d told Rhett all about their mother’s revelations concerning her marriage with their father and the reason she’d gone on to tie the knot with Bart. Things had been a little different at each family dinner since then. “The dynamic has shifted, I’ve noticed. Bart appears almost nervous around her now and tries to please her, which has always been her role with him. I can only hope that she’s finally come to her senses and is laying down the law. Hell, she hasn’t hit us up for money in a while either.”
Dylan raised his beer and drained it. “I, for one, hope it lasts. Family dinners might be tolerable if Bart and his horrible daughter were living elsewhere. Like another country.” It was almost midnight when they stood to leave. Rhett walked ahead while Ash followed Dylan. They were almost at the door before Dylan stopped and looked back. “I’ll see if I can find out anything about Dana from Zoe. It’s probably nothing though. Most of the time we never know what we did to piss them off, but luckily they eventually get over it.”
“Thanks, man,” Ash said gratefully.
Rhett was waiting for them in the back of a cab. They’d known they’d be drinking so they had opted for an alternate means of transportation. As his brothers picked on each other, Ash thought of the woman he’d come to care for so deeply. What Dylan didn’t know was that Ash was terrified that history could be repeating itself. Had he fallen in love once again only to find out that the person who had his heart didn’t want it? Ash was very much afraid that Dana would shatter him into a million pieces if that was the case. Because regardless of his intentions, he’d gone and given her the ultimate power to wound him. He could only hope that she’d use it for good and not to destroy him.
“Where’d everyone go? I used all of my ones already; how ’bout you?” Dana squinted at Zoe to try to see her more clearly.
“Me too,” Zoe pouted. “I gave the last of mine to that guy who was dressed like a cowboy.”
“Mmm, that was money well spent,” Dana agreed. “Did you see the outline of his big gun? No way was that all stuffing.”
“Heck no,” Zoe agreed. “I saw it moving and everything. He was almost as big as my boo.”
“Ahhh, that’s so sweet,” Dana cooed. “I’d call Ash a pet name if he wasn’t such an asshole.”
Zoe blinked as if attempting to bring her into focus. “I thought you two were getting along now. What’s he done to mess it up? He better not have called you fat ’cause I’ll kick his butt, or I’ll make Dylan do it. My man would totally take care of it if I asked.”
Dana leaned forward and whispered loudly, “I heard him telling Rhett that I was nothing but Miss Right Now and he’d never been serious about me. Not that I wanted that, but come on. How freaking insulting. It was like he was doing me a favor by being with me. He said something about me not even being his type.”
“What?” Zoe shouted. “How dare he! You’re way too good for him. You’re beautiful and you have a brain. He’s not used to women who can count past ten or have more than three words in their vocabulary. I bet you intimidate the hell out of him.”
“You’re damn right I do.” Dana fist-pumped the air. “He’s my bitch in this relationship. When I come home, he should be kissing my feet and begging to know how he can make me happy enough to stay. After all, a big dick will only get you so far. So what if he totally knows how to work it? Oh, and his oral skills are unparalleled. He can stay down there for days. I’ve never been with a guy who had that much self-control. I swear, he enjoys getting me off more than he likes it being done to him.”
“Dylan’s the same way,” Zoe sighed. “Those Jacksons were raised right. There have even been times that he didn’t get his either. He told me that it was all about me. Can you imagine? At first, it made me feel kind of guilty, but I got over it. Multiple orgasms scramble my brain.”
“Ash is the best I’ve ever been with by far,” Dana murmured. “And to think I was falling in love with the big jerk. But since I heard how he really felt about me, I’ve been working extra hard to keep things casual. There’s no way I’ll give him the satisfaction of me following him around like the rest of his bimbos always have. If he’s expecting that to happen, he’s in for a major disappointment. The funny thing is that I didn’t figure he’d even notice the change in my behavior, but he has. He’s even asked me several times if something was wrong. I acted like I hadn’t a clue what he was talking about, which I could tell only made him feel more paranoid.”
“Serves him right.” Zoe sniffed. “Just when I thought there might be hope for him, he goes and disappoints both of us.”
“No kidding.” Dana frowned. “The only positive thing that has come out of this is he seems to be trying even harder in bed. I come so many times when we’re together that I can barely stand it. I swear, he’s trying to lick me into liking him again.”
Zoe giggled. “I bet that’s tough to take. Maybe his tongue will fall off before it’s over with. Oh wait, that would be a damn shame. Just lay back and let him do all the work. He owes you that much.”
“Has Dylan mentioned anything about Ash? Like maybe him wondering why I’m acting different?”
Zoe shook her head. “You know I’d have mentioned it if he had. As far as I know, Dylan thinks you and Ash are doing great together.”
“Do men not discuss this stuff like we do?” Dana wondered out loud. “Oh, and by the way, you better not tell Dylan anything that I’ve told you. I refuse to give Ash the opportunity to lie to me. I know what I heard. He might not have told Dylan anything, but he sure didn’t have a problem dishing to Rhett that day.”
“You never got brave enough to ask him about Fiona, did you?” Zoe asked as she swayed unsteadily in her chair.
Propping her face in her hands, Dana said, “Why bother? He’s not going to confess his darkest secrets to his bed buddy. It would have been difficult to have asked him before, but after hearing where I stand with him, I certainly couldn’t do it.”
“I don’t care what he says,” Zoe said firmly, “he has it bad for you. I’d even go so far as to say he’s in love. Even Dylan thinks so. You know how men are. They get the worst case of denial when things get too intense for them to handle. I think that’s what happened to Ash. Otherwise, he’d have bolted by now and he hasn’t.”
“He’s a complicated man,” Dana said wistfully. “I’m not sure anyone ever truly understands him, even his own brothers.”
Before Zoe could respond, the driver that Dylan had arranged for them showed up at their table. “If you ladies are ready, I have the car waiting out front.”
Dana got to her feet and linked arms with Zoe as they weaved their way through the crowd. “I don’t suppose you have any extra dollar bills on you?” Dana asked Marcus, the driver.
His lips twitched before he said, “I’m sorry, Miss Dana, but the boss might fire me if he found out.”
“That figures.” Zoe hiccupped. Marcus ushered them into the back of the limo before getting behind the wheel.
Dylan was waiting outside for his wife when they pulled into the driveway of their home. “Baby!” Zoe squealed as he laughed softly and all but carried her in the door.
“Mr. Jackson says that I’m to drop you at the hotel,” Marcus stated, although Dana could hear the question in his voice. It was on the tip of her tongue to instruct him to take her to her apartment instead, but she didn’t really want to be alone tonight. She might be pissed at him, but shouldn’t she enjoy their time together while she was able? Because sooner or later he’d end things and she’d be left to pick up the pieces. She only hoped when that happened that Ash had no clue that she’d gone and fallen in love with him just like all the women who had come before her.
Fifteen
Someone was groaning and Dana had no idea if it was her or the warm body behind her. Wait . . . what? She turned her head so quickly that immediately afterward she was afraid she’d toss he
r cookies right there in bed. But luckily a few deep breaths helped calm her stomach from the alarming rolling it was doing. She’d also managed to make out Ash’s features in the dim light of the room. Thank God she hadn’t lost her mind and gone home with some stranger last night. She didn’t even remember coming to Ash’s apartment, but apparently she had. The pained sound filled the air once again and Dana saw Ash rub the side of his head. “Are you all right?” she asked, then immediately winced. Why was her voice so loud?
“Shhh,” Ash attempted to quiet her. “Make the voices stop, baby. There are like a dozen of them banging shovels inside my skull.”
“Poor thing,” she whispered. “I’ll do it for you if you’ll do it for me.”
“Deal,” he muttered as he rolled over on his back. “I think I had too much to drink. Rhett kept buying shots and calling us pussies if we didn’t toss them back. I hope he’s dying a slow, painful death somewhere this morning.”
“I stuffed my salary for the week down some guy’s underwear before doing body shots off some chick at the next table.”
“That’s my girl.” Ash grinned weakly. “Although I’d rather you keep your hands off another dude’s junk. Maybe next time you could toss the bills at his feet instead.”
“Where’s the fun in that?” Dana asked seriously. “Plus, it was a bachelorette thingie, so it’s a rite of passage. I’m sure you’ve been to a few strip joints in your time. Half of the girls there probably have your name tattooed on their ass.”
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