by Lindsey Hart
“She’s not under forty. What’s wrong with having a good time with an older woman?”
“Is she paying for it? You into Sugar Mamas now?” Ash shot back.
Their poor father leaned back, eyes flicking back and forth between his children like he wasn’t sure what to say or do. He settled for remaining silent, which was probably the wisest decision.
“No, she’s not paying for it. Sugaring isn’t my thing. I just happen to enjoy all women of all ages. Is there something wrong with that?”
“I don’t know. I just wish mom would tell you to stop sticking your dick in everything instead of always pestering me to give her grandchildren.”
“We have the opposite problem. What can I say.” Jason shrugged and tucked his hands behind his head. He leaned back, all smiles.
Ash shot him a scathing look. “God. You’re the worst.” She turned to Trace. “Even as a teenager, Jason was always out of control. The ladies always loved him. He lost his virginity to- what? A thirty-year-old woman and you were like eighteen? Barely?”
“Okay, I think that’s enough, you two. You’re going to scar our guest for life and he’ll never come back.” Ash’s father finally interjected. Red-faced, he cast a stern look at both his children.
Jason held up his hands in surrender. “Hey, it’s not my fault that I was born handsome.”
“You could have some self-control.”
“You should try letting go sometimes.”
“What do you call him?” Ash pointed at Trace, who wondered if it was possible to sink under the table and disappear. He forced a smile of his own.
“She has a point.” He wasn’t going to be ungentlemanly and elaborate on that. Especially not with Ash’s brother. Even though she was sitting right beside him, temptation incarnate. He forced himself not to really look at her and not to get turned on. She was wearing a long green tunic with black leggings and it hugged her body while not even being all that tight. It didn’t need to be tight. She’d done her makeup and put her hair up in a sexy messy bun on top of her head.
Annnddddd just like that, he now had a raging hard-on he had to cover up under the table.
Of course, Ash’s mother came back into the room right at that moment, baring a huge pie in one hand and a stack of plates in the other.
“Right on,” Jason fist-pumped the air. “You’re the best, mom.”
Ash’s dad looked relieved and Ash shot her brother one more evil look before helping her mom pass out plates. She grabbed the pile of forks off the table and doled those out as well.
A huge piece of pie was set in front of him and even though he was achy and cold and hot on and off and was probably still overly sweaty, he dug in. He wouldn’t mind repeating this. Ash’s mom was a great cook. And her pie was heaven.
Okay, that sounded wrong.
The pie she made was amazing.
Okay, that also could be wrong, given that she’d made Ash and Ash was…
Trace gave himself a mental shake and got his mind off Ash’s amazing- everything. Which was good, because suddenly all eyes were on him again. He looked up, aware that he’d been caught, yet again, not paying attention.
“I’m sorry. I was lost in this. It’s amazing. All my senses were tuned into savoring every single bite.”
Ash’s mom flushed with pleasure.
Ash shot him a private smirk. If only she knew he wasn’t trying to put on a show. If he wasn’t already sweltering, he might have flushed. And there went his man card…
“Jason said that you should hone your board game skills for a rematch,” Ash filled him in. “He’s implying that you’re obviously not as big of a nerd as I am.”
“That’s exactly what was implied,” Jason confirmed. He turned to Trace as he lifted his plate and literally licked it clean. Yeah, the pie really was that good. “What do you do anyway? I mean, for a job?”
Trace tried not to squirm, though he literally felt a bead of sweat trace its way down his back. Probably just the whole fever thing he had going on. He really hoped he was going to get through the night without having to answer too many personal questions, especially the work one. He’d thought about it ahead of time, thought about lying, but decided he didn’t exactly have to. It wasn’t like the entire world knew who he was.
“I- manage a nutrition store. Supplements and protein powders and that kind of a thing.”
“Sounds boring.” Jason grinned. “I mean, you like working out, so I guess that’s probably not that lame for you.”
“Jason, come on,” Ash protested.
“I wasn’t trying to be mean,” Jason insisted. “Honest, Ash. I was just saying, I mean, the guy is all solid rock. He probably runs every morning and then goes to work and then works out on his lunch break and then goes back to work, stays late like a good employee and goes home and eats five chicken breasts and finish up by working out again in his home gym.”
“Uh… right. That’s exactly how my day goes,” Trace laughed. “Hit it right on the mark.”
Ash and her parents joined in, though it probably wasn’t a good idea to encourage Jason. Of course, it wasn’t. Because he leaned forward, obviously pleased as a pig in mud with himself and directed his question to his sister. “How did you guys meet anyway? You seem like you’re complete opposites?”
“Oh- well- that’s a funny story…” Ash stammered.
Trace took her hand, wrapped his fingers in hers, and picked up right where she left off. “We actually met online. Your sister liked my profile name. She said it sounded like a good comic book villain name, so she messaged me.”
Jason snorted. “Are you sure that’s all she liked? Not that Ash has had many boyfriends, but you’re definitely way too hot for her.”
Trace stiffened, ready to defend Ash’s hotness and sexiness AND elaborate on ALL the details, even right in front of her parents, but she laughed. She released his hand and rolled her eyes.
“That he definitely is. See, Jay, I told you karma is a thing. I’ve been a nice person all my life. Being nice is way better than being attractive, which you think is the only thing that counts. I definitely thought Trace was hot. I mean, I have eyes. That wasn’t the only reason I messaged him. Despite the fact that he did have an amazing profile name and the fact that he really does look like he’d be a good villain, there are other aspects of attraction. He’s smart and funny. He’s kind and selfless. He wasn’t feeling well, but he still came tonight, and he didn’t even tell me. I had to pry it out of him. He probably let you win half those games we played earlier-”
“No, I really didn’t,” Trace interrupted. He didn’t just feel it, he knew he was flushed. And he’d never, ever, blushed before. Not that he could remember, at any rate.
Ash went right on ahead, ignoring him. “You might have had a lot of dates, Jay. Women might find you attractive, but when was the last time one of them came back for dinner? I bet you probably don’t even think to ask because that’s beyond you right now. That’s okay, for the time being, but one day, you’ll want something more and you’ll realize that being good looking or being uh- skilled in- well- you know- will only get you so far. An actual real woman wants a guy who will have her back no matter what. And even endure a family dinner with an obnoxious brother.”
Silence. Dead utter silence filled up the room.
Finally, Ash’s dad cleared his throat. “On that note, I think I’ll excuse myself. I have some reading to get back to.”
Jason shrugged, pushed his plate forward, and asked for a second helping of pie. Ash settled in beside him and gripped his hand like she wasn’t ever going to let go. And for some really crazy reason, that was just fine with him. Her mother gave Jason a second piece of pie then went into full-on mother mode, offering him a container of frozen homemade chicken noodle soup or any one of the medicines in the kitchen cupboard. She buzzed around making him a care package to take with him.
Which was just about the nicest thing anyone had ever done for him.
Wishing that he was really her boyfriend. If he had a say in it- and he planned on it- he was going to convince her that they could do this. That they could be something real. He wasn’t going to let her get away.
When Ash’s mother presented him with a huge baggie of food, including that chicken soup after Ash started mumbling about having to get back home and get some sleep before the reunion, Trace accepted it gratefully.
He was glad that after a round of hugs, which included not just another handshake but a real bro hug from Jason, he was thankful she had her back to him as she walked to the car.
He may have had something in his eye that he needed to take care of. And no, it wasn’t dust.
It was official. He’d just handed in his man card.
And damn, it felt good.
CHAPTER 13
Ash
“Thank god, we got through it.” Ash allowed a small smile to play over her lips. She turned to Trace, who looked more than a little exhausted in the passenger seat beside her.
“It wasn’t that bad,” he protested, and she had the strange notion that he wasn’t just trying to be a good sport. That he really meant it.
“So…” she pulled up in front of her apartment. Trace’s sports car was parked on the street. She’d protested against taking it to her parents’ because she didn’t want them to ask questions. She knew for a fact her dad and probably her mom would lecture her about getting into what they termed a death trap. It was just easier to take her old, ugly, family sedan. “Do you want to come in for a bit? I know that you’re not feeling well, so it’s alright if you don’t.” At Trace’s sidelong look, she quickly tacked on, “it’s not for sexual favors. I just wanted to talk a little about the reunion tomorrow.”
“Right. Of course.” Trace opened the door and unfurled himself out of the car. It was still easier to get out of than his low ass sports car. He waited until they were standing in front of her door to lean in. “Are you sure we can’t just skip the talk and go for the sexual favors after all?”
Ash’s body reacted like it always did to Trace. As her brother pointed out, asshole that he was, Trace was gorgeous. He was sexy in a way that she couldn’t even explain. On a whole different level than any man she’d met before. Probably because, like she’d also told her brother, he was sweet. He was genuinely a good person. He didn’t have to, but he made an effort for her. Like they were actually in a real relationship and he cared about her. Like he wasn’t just trying to give her a boost of confidence for the reunion by sleeping with her and awakening her inner goddess. Inner goddess- his words, not mine.
Ash fumbled with the key and eventually got the lock to turn. She thrust open the door, body tingling and on fire, panties long past being soaked, breathing sharp and fast, heart pummeling her ribs, and all that good stuff that she’d come to acquaint with Trace and his proximity and his dirty words and his mouth and his hands...
“Uh- no.” She had to remain firm. She took the plastic bag her mom packed and put it into the fridge. “Definitely not. For starters, you’re not feeling well.”
“I feel well enough.”
“Nope. No way. You got through dinner with my family. I think that’s enough of a selfless act for one night.”
Trace rolled his eyes. “You just don’t want to be distracted. You want to have that talk about the reunion, even though you’re going to be amazing.”
Ash shook her head. “Nope. Not having this conversation. Now, get into bed. We can talk about it in there so you can finally lay down and take a break.”
“Oh. Bed. Maybe you do want to discuss sexual favors after all.”
She grumbled under her breath, but she couldn’t help but smile. I could get used to this. That was the scary part. Trace wasn’t permanent. He’d agreed to help her because he was a nice guy. A good guy. Maybe even because for some crazy reason, he found her attractive and liked having sex with her. What they were doing wasn’t a real relationship and it wasn’t permanent.
She had no idea what an actual relationship meant. She didn’t even know if she wanted to. She had a life. She had her writing. She had her romance to keep her busy. She had a job. She had her family. She was happy before she met Trace and she’d be happy after.
Still, as she followed him into her bedroom, watched him greet Slappy, who didn’t bother to unfurl out of his tight little cat ball, pull back the blankets and slide into her bed, a sharp pang hit her right in the chest. She’d say right in the feels, but that saying always sounded so stupid. She did reach up and rub the spot, right over her heart, where the pain emanated from. Go figure, it didn’t exactly diminish.
Trace stared up at her. “You look like you’re thinking too hard.” He patted the spot beside him on the bed. “Come on. Slide in here and let me make you feel good. You’re wound up so tight it looks like you’re literally going to come undone at the seams.”
“No way. Not like that.”
“Well, we can cuddle, can’t we? I promise not to get too close and spread my disease all over you. It would be a shame if you were too sick to go to your reunion tomorrow.”
She rolled her eyes as she pulled back the sheets. “Yeah. A real shame. Maybe I should get you a paper bag and you should breathe into it and then I’ll inhale it all. Maybe we should have a really long make-out session where we swap enough spit to drown a small country.”
“That sounds good to me.”
“I was kidding. And not because I want to get sick.” She slid in beside him. As she leaned in, threw her arm over him and rested her head against the solid wall of his chest right above his heartbeat, her tongue felt too thick for words.
Trace waited patiently while Ash tried to gather enough of her scattered wits to actually form language. Right when she opened her mouth, he smoothed his hand over her hair. He dug in at the end, pulling her elastic free and spilling her long hair out of the bun she’d worked it into. He made a noise low in his throat, something smoky and sensual and deep, while he caressed her hair. He dug his fingers in at the end, massaging her scalp gently. She nearly whimpered, it felt so good.
“I had a good time tonight.”
Lord, was there anything sexier than a guy saying he had a good time enduring her family? Especially Jason? He was just the worst. She knew he’d bug her unmercifully, but poor Trace had to sit through it.
“Really? You don’t have to say that. I would totally understand if you told me that my family was nuts and that your faith in humanity was severely rocked by meeting them.”
He laughed, that deep rumble that she loved so much. His chest vibrated beneath her cheek. “No, they were nice. Your dad is funny. He tries anything he can to keep the peace. I think he’s embarrassed by how you guys talk to each other, but he gives you space since you are adults and he obviously loves you and thinks the world of you and gets that you’re brother and sister and you’re going to have that sibling rivalry your whole life because you’re close to each other. Your mom is amazing. She’s nice. Even if she harps on you to be with someone, she’s probably just worried about you being lonely. She obviously cares. And she sent me home with a get better soon package. That’s the nicest thing anyone has done for me in a long time. Your brother is- well- he’s your brother. Why do brothers exist if not to drive their sisters crazy? I’ve asked my sister this a hundred times myself, so I get it. Although, I would never bug her like that in front of anyone.”
Ash had to giggle. “Yeah, I know. Jason is crazy. He does it on purpose. He’s always been crude like that. It’s our brand of humor. He only turns it on thick when we’re with our parents. If we were out by ourselves it probably would have been different. Although, maybe not. He knows it drives my mom crazy.”
“It sounds like you enjoy it a little bit too.”
Ash flushed. “I do. I can’t help myself. Sometimes it’s just nice to unwind and be extreme
ly politically incorrect. I’m actually surprised Jason said you did another workout in the evening at your home gym when he was talking about a day in the life of Trace.” She grinned against the soft cotton of Trace’s shirt. “I could tell what he actually wanted to say was that you get your workout in with me. I can’t believe he didn’t go there. I thought for sure he was going to do it.”
“He must have seen your dad melting on the spot and taken pity on him.”
“Probably. My dad is so mild-mannered. He’s nice. He loves us a lot. We were his whole life when we were growing up. I mean, my mom too. They actually still love each other. Even though they’ve been married for like, thirty-two years now, they still make it work. And I know they don’t just tolerate each other. I can tell by the way they look at each other that they’re still in love.”
There was a pause and Ash realized what she’d said. She wished she could take it back, in a way. Another part of her wasn’t sorry at all.
“Do you believe in love? I mean, love like that?” Trace smoothed his fingers through her hair again. She should be talking about their plan for the reunion tomorrow, but she couldn’t bring herself to start. It just felt so good, what Trace was doing with her hair. They were fully clothed, yet what they were doing was somehow far more intimate than anything they’d done so far.
Ash wanted to answer, but it was hard for her to force words past her jammed-up throat. Sudden tears pricked the corners of her eyes. “I…” she’d never had so much trouble just trying to form words. “I- I don’t know,” she finally said. Thankfully, her tongue unglued. “I write romances and stuff, but I don’t know about real life. It’s different. It’s more complicated. A romance is just a snapshot in time. It has a plot. We don’t get to see any more than that and we just hope for the best after. I- my parents made it work, but I think that’s pretty rare now.”