by Janie Marie
“This is unacceptable, Jane,” he said, bracing his hands on the dining room table. When she entered the house, he had been waiting inside, arms crossed, and too furious to speak, so he just pointed to the dining room. “Making out with an older boy in the driveway, coming home with hickeys? And one of the parents informed me you had been caught having sex with the other Godson boy yesterday!”
She was afraid to be yelled at by him; he never raised his voice to her, never punished her, but now he looked ready to smack her. But she was too angry with him to care. How dare he watch her; how dare he force her and David to part when it was his fault they didn’t even know their parents were fucking for years. “I’m old enough to do what I want with who I want,” she said, folding her arms and fixing him with her own glare.
Eyes that were almost identical to David’s roared with blue fire. “You are seventeen.”
“I’ll be eighteen soon.” She’d actually been proud of herself for not having her first kiss until two nights ago. Yes, she’d gone hormone crazy and had sex the very next day, but she was in control. She wasn’t being taken advantage of. If anything, she was the one in charge of everything she’d done with David, Ryder, and Luc.
“You are still a minor, and you are my daughter.”
“Oh, no.” She shook her head. “I love you like a father, but you’re not my dad.”
He stepped back. “What are you saying?”
For a moment she thought about spilling the beans, telling him it was his fault she and David had to pretend they didn’t love each other and now she had lost him forever, but she didn’t want to push David away any further. “I’m saying marrying my mom didn’t make you my dad. And David is not my brother.”
“How can you say that? I took care of you and your mother as if you were my own wife and child. It was just chance we fell in love, Jane. It was never my intention to do that, but I don’t regret caring for you and making you my daughter.” His frown deepened. “If David heard you say this about him, he’d be hurt. He’s trying so hard to be a decent brother, to protect you from boys, and you’re jumping through each Godson.”
She stood, throwing her hands up. “So, I can’t just find out who I like? God, you tell me you didn’t mean to like my mother, but I can’t explore my feelings?”
His eyes dropped to her neck, and his jaw clenched. “Not when you’re being so reckless. You’ve been a wonderful daughter, never giving us anything to worry about. Now, you’ve completely lost your mind. Two, maybe three boys is what I’ve been told, Jane.”
Oh, he didn’t know the half of it. She roughly grabbed her bag. “Maybe there’s a reason I haven’t been with anyone and now I’m sick of waiting around. I want to be loved. I want to love back. Just because you’re a grownup doesn’t mean you’re the only one who gets to experience love. And I can like more than one boy if I want to,” with that, she turned, leaving before she blurted-out: I totally made out with your son after he gave me my first kiss.
“Don’t you walk away,” he hollered at her as she headed toward the stairs. “I’m your father, and you’ll obey me in my house.”
She spun around, tears in her eyes this time. “This is my dad’s home. Not yours. And my dad would’ve seen through my smile when I was asked if ‘I was okay’. He would’ve known his daughter was in love and confused. He would’ve helped me understand, not yell at me.” She sniffed, angrily wiping away the tear sliding down her cheek. “Like I said, you’re not my dad.”
The man was silent, and Jane didn’t have enough strength to deal with the hurt and sadness in his eyes to stick around. So, she turned, fleeing up to her room as angry sobs poured out of her. It was mean of her to say that to him—he was a good man and a kind stepfather—but she couldn’t hold back her pain anymore. She deserved to be loved too.
Slamming her door, she nearly screamed at the sight of a guy standing inside her room, but she immediately relaxed, relieved, when she saw who it was.
Tercero uncrossed his arms, which she briefly realized were holding a football jersey, and he held them open for her. “Come here, tesoro.”
Jane cried, because fuck, she missed him so much, and it had nothing to do with how much he looked like his brother, or how much his touch reminded her of both Ryder and David. So, she walked up to him, grabbing his face instead of giving him a hug, and she pulled him down, smashing her lips to his like she hadn’t been kissed mere moments ago.
She expected him to push her away, to tell her she was being emotional, but he didn’t. He tangled one hand in her hair and the other pulled her to him so there was no space between them. He drank her like she was the last drop of water on earth.
So many tingles and so much heat mixing with ice and hunger. Jane kissed him, taking everything he offered. All the loneliness that surrounded her for years, the misery of losing so much—her father, her David—of refusing to see Ryder, of refusing to live because she wouldn't move beyond her sorrow. It all came to an end, like he was able to somehow give all she needed, end her starving heart’s desires and not worry that she’d been so hungry for more than him.
He smiled, lifting her up, supporting her ass with his forearm as he breathed heavily against her mouth. “Better?”
Jane cried and laughed, running her fingers through his hair. “Much better.”
Tercero, beautiful and mysterious Tercero, looked at peace, and he kissed her sweetly before saying something she didn’t expect. “Only temporarily, yes?”
Her soul cried, and she nodded because darkness was returning. She had lost David, lost Ryder, and Luc was going to be furious once he realized she had strayed from him. Moments after leaving his side, no less. And now Kingston was threatening any chance of her being loved.
“Fear not, Sweet Jane,” Tercero whispered, “I’m here because you need something they can’t give you right now.”
“What?” She hugged him when he carried her toward her bed.
“I know you can’t choose between David and my brother.” He carefully laid her down, then turned to retrieve the jersey he’d dropped. “I didn’t realize Luc would have such a desire for you, but I rarely understand my big brother’s intentions. He is more controlled than any of us, and he never let it slip he had his eyes on you.”
What he was saying was hard to concentrate on as she watched him lock the door before returning to her side. He was wearing all black and somehow looking sexy instead of weird. “How did you get in here?”
“I’m agile,” was all he said.
Oh, she bet he was—like her own personal ninja. “I’m sorry for pushing you away,” she said softly.
“I know why you did it.” He sat next to her, resting a hand on her belly as it rumbled with hunger. A teasing smile touched his lips. “Almost insatiable.”
“Shut up.” She touched the jersey. “Is this Ryder’s?”
He turned it so she could see the name: D. Leodegrance. “You have always been his choice. It’s only right he sees you wear it when he is accepting all his feelings for you. Forgive him.”
Jane stared at David’s name, wondering how on earth Tercero was telling her to forgive David, but then she got a heavy whiff of perfume that wasn’t hers and definitely wasn’t David’s scent. “Where did you get this?”
“Diane.” He chuckled, setting the jersey aside. “You’re not the only girl who hungers for me.”
Her jaw dropped and jealousy, like she hadn’t expected, consumed her. “You had sex with her?”
Tercero put a finger over her lips. “Hush.”
She didn’t know what came over her, but she snapped her teeth at his finger.
He let her bite him without flinching and continued calmly, “I approached her knowing David was near. I complimented her attire, and she couldn’t help herself. She said I could take it off her, and I knew David had heard, so I told her to take it off for me.”
Jane released his finger, feeling ridiculous for still having it in her mouth.
He ins
pected his skin, and she noticed she’d actually made him bleed. Instead of being angry, he smiled and held it to her lips. “Take it.”
Her skin prickled and heated as she got lost in those dark eyes. It was a weird thing to do; drink someone’s blood, but she found herself completely willing. She parted her lips, sucking when he put his nicked finger inside her mouth.
It wasn’t like it tasted like a good drink, but she let out a moan and sucked harder.
“This is why you are a treasure, Jane. You are able to hunger and be satisfied by us, as well as satisfy, complete and fill all our desires.” Again, he leaned down, pulling his finger free but replacing it with his tongue, his lips molding to hers as they kissed again. Her aching belly tightened with need that wasn’t going away this time, and he smirked, pulling back. It was as if he was purposely holding back what she wanted. “Let us finish our conversation first.”
Panting, she nodded, hugging David’s jersey to her chest. Though it had stunk of sweet perfume, she smelled David underneath it, and she focused on him instead. It was like being home at last.
“Diane isn’t in love with David,” he said, “and he most definitely has no real feelings for her.”
Jane’s lips trembled. It was unrealistic for any guy to be a virgin at their age, and David was already eighteen. Guys as hot as him and Ryder, as popular as them, didn’t stay virgins. It wasn’t going to be easy to accept that her perfect image of David was only a fantasy she’d created. He’d fucked a girl more than once, a girl she pretty much hated. It was out of love if she believed him, and she did. No boy would write to a girl every day if he didn’t love her. He wouldn’t be as honest as David had been with her in those letters. In one of the letters, he’d even begged her to slap him if she was reading them.
So, yes, she knew that she’d been wrong about David, but he was genuine in those letters, and the boy in those letters was still perfect in his own way.
Tercero smiled softly. “You know his feelings are for you, his whole heart—it’s yours, Jane.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Because I want you to know you’ve always been loved, especially by him. He should’ve told you, but he thinks too much.”
She choked out a laugh, nodding. David’s letters had proven how much he thought, how many scenarios he’d imagined things blowing up, but it was only when it was her that came up in the line of fire that he made his choices, and his choices were all aimed to set her free of him and lock up his heart. “So, what else happened with Diane?”
“After she took off his jersey, I folded it up and promised to give it to the girl who it was really intended for. Then I moved so she could see David.” A wicked smirk flashed for just a second. “She begged him to forgive her, but he brushed her off, telling her he’d been coming to tell her he was sorry for using her to get over you, but he was going to consider them both assholes while he focused on what really matters to him.”
“What?” she breathed as Tercero brushed his thumb across her lips.
“He told me to tell you he was sorry, and if you could give him one chance, he wouldn’t let you down.”
“Really?” She wiped her tears, but more fell.
Tercero nodded. “He wants to talk to you in person, but yes, he is like a wounded puppy, only remembering he is a vicious warrior when he has any hope of earning your heart and of course, stopping anyone from hurting you.” He smirked, adding, “I think he wants to suffer, but his heart is putting up a hell of a fight, urging him to man-up and accept his mistakes and face the consequences and make it all right.”
Jane sniffled, her sad little heart warming back up.
“There is more,” Tercero said. “He knows it’s bold of him to request it, but I think this is the David you never got to experience.”
“What?” She was so curious now, not sure if David was totally forgiven, or that she deserved forgiveness either, but what was Tercero talking about?
“He said, if you can give him time to work things out, and to talk to you—send him a bit of hope by texting him a picture of you wearing his jersey.”
Jane gaped at him.
“I’m not finished.” Tercero dragged his fingers across her jaw, sliding down to David’s hickey. “He asked what my feelings were for you.”
Jane held his stare, feeling like somehow Tercero was showing her himself as well as David. “Yes?”
Tercero slid his finger down between her breasts, over her stomach until he reached the edge of her shirt, then he pushed it up, pressing his palm to her skin. He moved his hand above her navel until he was right over her ravenous stomach. It wasn’t really food she wanted, just everything she’d refused to let herself have all these years. “I said I crave you in every way, and I am starved without your presence. That I won’t let you become a mindless monster who none of us recognize because you’re now going to deprive yourself of love.”
“Oh, wow,” she breathed, wishing he’d say something else because his words and touch were so right. She couldn’t choose because they were everything she needed and wanted. “And what did he say after that?”
“Well,” he said, pushing her shirt up, exposing her breasts like it was completely natural for him, then he expertly unclasped her bra in the middle. He took her in as he then teased her with a tingling and heated caress across one of her nipples. “He wasn’t alone.”
Tercero lifted his gaze to her face. “Ryder was behind him, and my brother nodded to him—a silent agreement between them, obviously. Then David, as I said—the David he has hidden from you—turned to me and said if you agree to all this, to feed you and only send him and my brother a picture of you after I’ve satisfied you for them, and for myself. And Ryder said you should know, Archer wasn’t lying; he wears nothing under his pants.”
So many butterflies and tingles. “I’m going to burn alive if you don’t do exactly what they asked.”
“I take that as a ‘yes, you’ll give David a chance?”
“All of you,” she rushed, her breathing heavy. “Is that okay? At least until I talk to him?”
“It was our wish.” Tercero gently tugged her shirt off then began placing the faintest of kisses down her body as he added in the sultriest tone, “Ryder said you should wear his underwear and stop teasing him. He also insisted that you be wet”—he snapped the button on her shorts—“swollen”—he kissed her above her panties then slid them down, only to return to where he kissed with his mouth—“and satisfied.”
Ten
David growled, throwing the ice pack into the trash. He squeezed his eyes shut along with his throbbing hand, praying he wasn’t fucking things up with Jane. Again.
“He’s not responding to my texts,” Ryder said, chuckling at him.
Lance shot David a glare, not happy with anything David had revealed about his and Ryder’s plans with Jane.
“I guess that’s a good sign,” Ryder added. “I’ll still beat his ass later.”
Archer patted Lance on the shoulder. “Come on. They need to talk.”
It wasn’t like David to be grateful for the Godson brothers. But their brotherly relationship and acceptance were welcomed. He and Ryder had been working out too much hatred to focus on much else, but Archer and Savaş kept nosy players from interfering. They had enough to deal with now that Diane had gone crazy, telling everyone he, Ryder, and Tercero were all fucking Jane. She’d even told people Luc was charging them for time with her like he was her pimp.
David had been ready to slap Diane and fight every bastard talking about Jane, but the Godson brothers threw their weight around, threatening the team with all manner of things if they added to the mess Diane caused.
Ryder, the bastard, made sure everyone knew he’d been the only one with that privilege, then he punched the guy who tried to high-five him.
“Are you positive she’d want this?” David asked him for the tenth time. “That she’ll forgive me?”
“Thought you knew your girl,
” Ryder said, taking a bite of an apple he’d stolen from someone’s locker. “You know she’ll forgive you, just like you’re forgiving her—like I already forgave her.”
“I know Jane.” David sighed, breathing heavily as he tried to imagine Jane with Tercero right now, of her knowing he’d sent Tercero to satisfy her until he could be with her.
“Then you know she’s been wound up tight for years.” Ryder took another big bite. “She locked up all her feelings, every desire for all of us, and you unlocked the door then walked away. You let a very hungry little monster out.” Ryder chuckled, finishing the apple and tossing it.
“She told me she wanted time.” David glared at him. “Because of you.”
Ryder pulled his phone out. The disappointed sigh told David he’d still not heard from Tercero. “She thought of me, but you hurt her, giving her the final push to let me have a chance.”
“I get it. I fucked up.”
“At least you’re admitting it.” Ryder smirked, knowing full well he was the better man.
“She still gets the final say in this,” David said, pulling his helmet down. “If she picks me, you walk away. If she picks you, I’ll leave her to you. And the same goes for Tercero.”
“You’re forgetting she has Luc on the table now, and she might still want more than we, individually, can give. I mean, I can give her the world, but she’s pushing me away because of you. Even if she accepts what Tercero is offering her, she’s not going to make up her mind like that. She’s not going to forget what you did, and she’s going to feel guilty about everything with me because it meant more than she wants to admit.”
David shook his head. “You had a quickie with her. I haven’t been with her. I can satisfy her.”
“It’s not just the sex, idiot. And I satisfied her,” Ryder shot back like a child. “Almost had her coming this morning, too. Except you had to make a scene with Luc.”
“Luc isn’t in this.” David wasn’t going to let that manipulative bastard near Jane any more than he already was.