Now he couldn’t look him in the eyes. And it had nothing to do with the wandering thoughts, and everything to do with giving himself away. No matter how much he wanted Beau, he couldn’t have him.
Beau deserved a nice guy. One who would put him first, help him to explore his most recently discovered desires. He damn sure didn’t need a man who wasn’t kidding anyone but himself when it came to his lifestyle. Everyone knew. He knew they did. But still, Ethan wasn’t yet ready to admit to the world that he was gay. He wasn’t willing to do that to his family. He didn’t doubt that they’d be accepting of him, hell, they accepted Travis with no problem, but that didn’t mean others wouldn’t look down on his family.
That wasn’t something he was willing to risk.
And until he was – if that day ever came – then Beau did not deserve the hell Ethan would surely put him through.
♂♀
Sawyer
Sawyer knew she’d show up. She always did, and tonight wasn’t an exception. Didn’t mean he had been sitting around waiting for her.
Oh, hell, who the fuck was he kidding? He’d been downing beers like he was dehydrated while watching the front door. He’d even counted the number of people who had come in before her.
Eleven.
And two left.
None of that mattered now that Kennedy was there though. Nothing had changed except for the fact that he had something appealing to watch as he drank his beer, listened to his brothers rattle on about this and that while the women who loved these guys filled the rest of any potential silence with their discussions about their last couple of excursions out and about.
Sawyer was tempted to fucking drink himself stupid.
Only that wouldn’t do a damn bit of good, and he’d still wake up in the morning, alone in his bed with his dick in his hand. But he’d also have a headache to go along with an insatiable hard on and frankly, that didn’t sound like fun.
He watched as Kennedy moved across the room after retrieving her drink from the bar. She purposely avoided looking his way, but if he had to guess, she knew he was looking at her. How could she not. Hell, he was almost finished undressing and redressing her with his eyes… for the third time.
When Kennedy went to a table with a group of women, he had to send up a silent prayer that the only seat available was one that would give her an unobstructed view of where he stood across the room. Not that she would look at him. At least not on purpose.
Only she would look at him. She always did.
God, thinking about the way her eyes heated even though she tried to pretend indifference where he was concerned made his cock lengthen. Damn good thing he had gone casual with his jeans and his untucked shirt.
Not that he gave a shit if she saw what she did to him. If he had his way, she’d be naked, and he didn’t even give a fuck where they were. He’d be happy to sneak off to the bathroom or even out to his truck. Didn’t matter. Just as long as he could slide his dick inside of her, he’d be a happy man. And at that point, maybe, just maybe, he’d be able to fuck her out of his system.
Lord knew he’d waited long enough.
Sawyer grinned the instant Kennedy’s eyes landed on his. This was just what he’d been waiting for…
“Hi.”
Sawyer’s thoughts were interrupted by the sweet voice beside him. Glancing over, he grinned out of habit. “Hey.”
There were two smiles beaming back at him, and the fact that neither of them were hard on the eyes had Sawyer turning his full attention to both of them.
“I’m Tara. This is my friend Liz.”
“And I’m speechless,” he teased, giving both of them his signature grin.
They giggled. Just what he’d expected. They always giggled.
“Can we get you a beer?”
No. No, he wasn’t thinking beer right then. “How ‘bout I get you two beautiful ladies a beer.”
Another round of giggles and Sawyer found himself glancing across the room, pretending to be checking out the bar when he was actually trying to see if Kennedy was paying any attention to him.
Surprise. Surprise.
She was glaring his way, but when their eyes met, she turned away quickly.
Hmm… Maybe his night was looking better already.
When the blonde’s arm slid into the crook of his, Sawyer glanced down at her, trying to remember her name. He couldn’t, but that didn’t stop him from pulling her up close and letting her lead the way across the room. And when her friend’s hand gently gripped his bicep on his other side, he smiled down at her too.
Yep, a beer would work for him. Then maybe a quick trip to the bathroom down the hall with the giggle twins to relieve the ache in his balls. He played up his attraction to the women, laughing when one giggled at the other, his stomach churning painfully at the disappointment he suddenly felt.
For most of his life, Sawyer hadn’t been particular about the women he was with. Didn’t give a shit if he saw them again and these two would be added to that long list of conquests. But, as he gazed across the room, wishing like hell that Kennedy would give him even a remote indication of interest, he knew this was getting old fast.
He wasn’t supposed to want anything more than a wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am. He didn’t have time for anything more than that, and he knew from experience he’d be satisfied for a little while once he got off.
That was the story of his life.
After ordering three Corona’s from Mack, Sawyer turned to see Greyson strolling his way, a satisfied smirk on his face. Instead of watching his friend swoop in and invite himself to their little trio, he found himself watching Kennedy again.
She frowned at him, and there was a sudden sharp ache in his chest that he’d never felt before. Guilt? Nah. Sawyer didn’t feel guilty. If Kennedy didn’t want a damn thing to do with him, he was going to take what he could get. And he didn’t give a fuck if she signed up to watch.
Fucking liar.
He watched as Kennedy leaned over and whispered something to the woman across from her. He divided his attention between admiring her and watching the two women who were now practically crawling on Greyson.
He wondered just how long Kennedy would put up with his shit. There was something between them, even if she wouldn’t admit it. She felt it the same way he did. Only she was better at denying her attraction than he was.
Sawyer wouldn’t deny that he liked her hard-to-get act. Probably the only reason he was still chasing after her. When she met his eyes, he grinned. She frowned as she stood from her seat and his stomach clenched painfully.
Shit. She was moving. Damn it all to hell.
He held his breath.
The seconds ticked by in tune with his rapidly beating heart as he waited to see what she was going to do next.
What would he do if she actually confronted him?
Damn it.
Apparently, he wouldn’t discover the answer to that question tonight because the little hellcat had traded places with another woman at the table.
Chapter Fourteen
♂♀♂
Braydon
“What time is Jessie gonna be here?” Braydon asked, trying to sound as carefree as possible.
They had left Moonshiners a little before midnight, but Jessie had wanted to stay behind and talk to V and Zoey, so she had said she’d come over when she was finished. They had only been home for a few minutes, but he was already anxious to see her again.
“What the fuck do you care?” Brendon retorted.
Epic fail at sounding casual. Apparently.
Ok, well, that’s not what Braydon expected, but exactly the sort of response he deserved. After all, it had sounded like he was looking forward to seeing Jessie again. Which he was.
Knowing he would just make things worse, he didn’t say anything, just remained seated on the black leather chair that sat off on the side of the room facing the flat screen television mounted to the wall above the fireplace. He didn’t even
bother to turn his head to look at his twin.
He knew this was eventually going to happen. Due to his inability to hide his interest in Jessie, Brendon had now figured him out. The repercussions of his own actions were likely going to be monumental, but at the moment, Braydon was at a loss about how to change the outcome.
The images on the television continued to move, but Braydon couldn’t have identified what was on if he was asked. For the last five minutes, he’d done little more than stare at the screen and think about Jessie. He was horny as fucking hell and impatiently hoping she would show up soon. It would be his only opportunity to get laid because, at this point, Brendon seemed to have renewed his focus on winning Jessie permanently.
Ever since they had walked out of Moonshiners, Braydon was under the impression that Brendon was trying to tell him something. Based on their sparse conversation on the way home, he got the impression Brendon was renewing his efforts to win Jessie over, rather than letting things unravel between them the way they had been. Braydon wasn’t necessarily sure how he felt about that.
A gentle knock on the door had Braydon gritting his teeth and forcing his head to remain forward, his eyes focused on the unknown images on the screen.
His brother shifted, got up, and then proceeded to head to the entry way to let their visitor in. When he returned, Jessie was by his side, and Braydon simply nodded his head when she greeted him.
If he thought he could be more shocked by his brother, he obviously had no idea what was about to come next.
It was difficult to sit there without glancing over at Jessie, especially when he could smell that sexy, spicy scent of her perfume and hear her breathing. And he probably lasted at least five minutes, but maybe it was more like three. Hell, he didn’t know. It wasn’t until he heard Jessie’s labored inhale that had his head jerking toward them.
There, on the couch just a few feet away, Brendon’s tongue was thrusting down Jessie’s throat his hands groping her breasts through her clothes. And Jessie seemed completely onboard with the idea.
Braydon wasn’t. He fucking wasn’t onboard with anything, not if he was going to be forced to watch and not participate.
Trying to return his attention to the television, Braydon managed to get his neck to turn his head in the right direction, but it didn’t take long before the imaginary spring had shot his gaze back across the room.
“I want you naked, Jessie,” Brendon whispered, his voice still loud enough to carry across the room.
To Braydon’s surprise, she didn’t say anything.
“I want you naked, right here. Right now. Just for me. Can you do that for me?”
Braydon watched her. He never let his gaze falter as he waited on pins and needles for her to acknowledge him in some way. He wanted to see if she would understand the significance of this moment. If Brendon pursued her without inviting Braydon into the mix, then this would’ve been a first for them. And, it would also draw a line in the sand that Braydon would not be able to cross. No matter how he felt about her.
Until here, tonight, Braydon wasn’t sure he’d ever been so scared of losing something. Especially something he never actually had in the first place.
♂♀♂
Brendon
If he said he wasn’t scared about what he was about to do, Brendon would be lying.
After witnessing their interaction tonight at Moonshiners, he’d spent more than enough time thinking about what was going on between Braydon and Jessie. Even if the two of them weren’t willing to openly admit that they had feelings for one another, it was obvious to him how they felt. And he knew that if he had any hopes of salvaging what might be his only chance at a healthy relationship in his future, he had to make a decision.
Healthy was a relative term, considering.
He hated that he was being such an asshole, but he couldn’t seem to stop himself. Brendon had to do something, and this was that moment when he just had to close his eyes and jump into the deep end and pray that he’d be able to swim. Didn’t matter that the only thing between him and water were rocky cliffs that looked like they’d rip him apart and leave him clinging to a lonely life either. He’d come to a point where he had to make a choice. Even if it was going to change his life forever.
“Naked, baby,” he repeated. “I want you naked, Jessie.” Infusing his tone with authority, he kept his eyes trained on her, never once looking over at his brother.
Holding his breath, he waited to see what she would say. He was hovering just above her, his knee pressed between her thighs, the heat of her sex scalding him through his jeans. She was breathless from his kiss, but he could see the hesitancy in her eyes.
He wanted her naked, wanted to be sheathed inside of her body. And damn it all to hell, he wanted to teach Braydon a lesson. He wanted his twin to know that she belonged to him. Right or wrong, Brendon had to get his thoughts back on track, and the first step in doing so was to lay out the new rules.
When Jessie’s uncertain gaze met his, Brendon kept his expression masked, waiting to see what she would do or say. Without her saying a word, he knew exactly what she was thinking. Probably the same thing Braydon was.
“What about Braydon?” she asked, causing him to bite the inside of his cheek to keep his temper in check.
“What about him? This is you and me.” The words sounded strange coming from his mouth.
His twin’s confusion was pouring off of him, the shockwaves vibrating out through the room, felt by all three of them.
Yes, this time was different, but rather than do what was right, which would be to take Jessie to his bedroom and lock Braydon out, he was here to prove a point.
♂♀♂
Jessie
Why did she feel like she was at a crossroads and the next decision she made would alter everything she’d known up to this point?
As she lay beneath Brendon’s thickly muscled body, inhaling the fresh clean scent of him, Jessie’s heart was pounding like a bass drum on steroids. In fact, she found herself in pain from it.
From the moment she stepped foot in the front door of Braydon’s and Brendon’s house, she knew something was off. Actually, the truth was, she’d known it ever since Braydon and Brendon left Moonshiners a little while ago.
And as though to prove the point, Brendon had kissed her within an inch of her life only seconds after she walked into the room. That usually didn’t happen between them.
For months, they had developed a friendship, one that might be complemented by fantastic sex, but it was a friendship nonetheless. And as though they were a package deal, Jessie had entered into this strange interaction understanding the unconventional aspect of it. After all, Brendon had laid out the rules at the very beginning. They were a package deal.
Had that been strange initially? Damn straight. But somewhere along the way, things began to feel somewhat normal, all things considered. Both of them treated her with respect and she knew without having to ask that they cared about her.
So why the change all of a sudden? Why was Brendon about to insert a fault line down the middle of what had been an unquestionably stable relationship?
Jessie tried to control her breathing as she stared up at Brendon. Did she do this? Did she finally get to have her normal? The true definition. One man who would treat her with respect? One relationship that might very well have promise? This was what she was familiar with and even if having been with both of them at the same time was beyond her wildest dreams when it came to sexual gratification, Jessie couldn’t deny the fact that normal was what she craved.
It was a tremendous feat not to look over at Braydon, but she could feel the heat of his gaze on her. He was watching, waiting to see what she was going to do. And one wrong move would upset the balance of what they’d previously established.
Was Brendon the one she wanted? Or was Braydon? Those were questions she hadn’t been able to answer up to this point.
Could she get what she needed from Braydon? He was b
y far the twin who needed the most from her. Based on their previous conversations, Jessie knew that he was looking for a permanent relationship. Someone to love him for him.
While, in the same sense, she felt as though Brendon wasn’t looking for something longstanding, even though his actions tonight contradicted that assumption. Based on her history with relationships and the fact that she had recently gotten out of an exceptionally miserable one, Jessie was inclined to go the route of Brendon’s way of thinking.
Permanent was scary. Feelings were too. And Jessie was scared to death already that she was falling for Braydon.
Taking a deep breath, she searched Brendon’s gaze, needing to make sure she understood where he was going with this. If she opted to go this route, she was going to devastate Braydon, and that thought alone broke her heart into a million tiny pieces.
So the question was… Was she going to do it?
Chapter Fifteen
♂♀♂
Braydon
Why the fuck was he having a hard time with this?
Braydon could barely swallow past the lump that had formed in his throat and nothing had actually happened yet. But he knew it was about to.
Pushing up, he sat on the edge of the chair, watching Jessie and Brendon, his heart pounding like he’d just run a marathon. For some strange reason, he felt like he’d been punched in the solar plexus, his breath stolen from him.
When Jessie reached for the hem of her shirt, he knew he was done for. She was signing up for a one-on-one with Brendon which would forever change things between them all. Rather than sitting by and watching her shatter his heart into a million pieces, Braydon knew he had to move forward. He needed to get out of here.
“Where’re you going?” Brendon called out as Braydon passed him by.
Glaring at his twin, he didn’t even offer an explanation. This was what his brother wanted, and Braydon damn sure didn’t have to sit by and wait for Brendon’s point to be made. He was feeling it already.
Holidays With the Walker Brothers Page 10