by L. P. Maxa
“Hey, Jacks?”
“Hmm?”
“Could you maybe get me some ibuprofen? I’m a little, uh, I mean I’m totally fine but…”
I turned to her, frowning. “You have a headache?”
“No. Your dick is huge.”
Ohhhh, ice. That’s what Smith meant. “I…uh, yeah. I’ll be right back.”
As I walked down the stairs I tried to recall anyone else I’d ever been with saying they were sore. I’d sure as hell never gotten anyone ice and medicine afterward. By the time my foot hit the last step, I realized I was the biggest asshole alive.
***
I gave Bryan her pills with a glass of wine, hoping that would help her relax even more. I made her get comfortable and then placed the bag of ice where she needed it. I waited for her to fall asleep, drawing light circles with my fingers over her perfect skin. Then I headed back downstairs. There was no way I’d be able to get any rest. My mind was going a mile a minute. I was such a motherfucking prick. I went into the studio and picked up my guitar. I didn’t normally turn to the music when I was feeling like utter shit. I wasn’t Smith or Luke. But I couldn’t very well grab a bottle of liquor off the bar and get loaded. I needed to be functional when Landry woke up. I was halfway into an old tune by The Band when Smith came in. I didn’t stop playing, so he just picked up his bass and joined me. It’d been a long time since we’d sat up in the middle of the night and just jammed out. Letting riffs come and go, never stopping. We played well together; our bond was a big part of what made The Devil’s Share so fucking great.
After a while Smith stopped playing, and a minute later I did too. He sat his guitar on its stand and then handed me a bottle of whiskey. “Great minds and old habits.” I smiled and took a pull, much smaller than I normally would have. Then handed it back and he did the same. “Did I wake up the whole house? Or just you?”
“Just me. Couldn’t sleep.” He handed me back the bottle.
I took it but didn’t turn it up. “I can’t be hung over tomorrow.”
Smith chuckled. “Really? You think a couple pulls off a whiskey bottle are going to make you hung over? We both know it would take much more than that.”
He was right. I took a few swallows and handed it back.
He took another drink and then sat it on the floor between his feet. “Why aren’t you in your bed, wrapped around your girl?”
I looked at the ground, not answering.
He chuckled. “You show me yours, I’ll show you mine.”
“I’m an asshole.”
He nodded. “We all are. Care to elaborate?”
“Bryan needed ice and ibuprofen.”
Smith grinned. “I told you she would. That’s not your fault, man. You were born with a big rod and you fell for a petite chick.”
I nodded slowly. “You think B was the first petite chick I’ve fucked?” I felt wrong calling what we’d just done fucking. But I was pissed at myself. “I’ve never gotten anyone else ice before. I never fucking cared. How many chicks have I walked away from without a backward glance? How many girls have stayed awake at night, with pain and regret? What if I was the bad night that turned Landry’s mom into the disaster she is? I can assure you, I used her and then tossed her to the side.”
Smith picked the bottle back up and handed it to me. “We went over this the other day, man. We were all dicks. We all treated women like complete trash. But we grow up. We learn from our shit. You made sure Bryan was okay, right?”
“Yeah, of course.”
“Do you think I ever cared about hurting anyone but Dylan? I didn’t. She was the first girl in my entire life who I cared about. Who I wanted to take care of. And I doubt one heartless fuck from a rock star is what caused Landry’s mom to be a shitty parent. Trust me, that kind of behavior takes years of conditioning.”
I nodded, swallowing the whiskey in my mouth. “It just keeps coming, you know? It’s like, I have these amazing moments with Bryan, and then something happens to make me remember what an asshole I’ve been.” I shook my head. “And it’s double. Because it’s not just Bryan, it’s Landry too.” I took another sip. “Those chicks we treated like that? They have dads out there, lying awake at night hoping and praying that no one ever hurts their little girls.”
Smith grabbed the bottle back. “You and Dash are truly and utterly fucked.”
I put my head in my hands. “No. Shit.” I grinned. “It’s karma. We’ll probably all have nothing but girls.” I stretched my legs out in front of me, feeling slightly better after unloading my guilt on Smith. “Your turn.”
“I was actually waiting up for Luke.” He sighed. “He’s going down a bad road, man.”
“I know.” I pointed to the second set of drums in the corner. “He’s giving Landry music lessons though.”
“Last week he overheard Dash tell me and Dylan that he was going to ask Lexi to marry him.”
“Holy shit.” No wonder Luke was going off the deep end.
“It can’t be easy for him, especially now that Bryan is here, to be around all of us.” Smith stood up, checking his phone for the time.
“We’ve all been pretty occupied, I guess.” Other than studio time the only person who ever really spent any time with Luke the past couple of days was Landry.
“You think he’s in love with her?”
“With Lex? I don’t know. I think he thinks he is.” I snorted. “Does that make sense?”
“Perfect sense.” Smith sat down on the couch. “You think he’s hitting the hard stuff?”
I thought about the times I’d seen him stumble in over the past couple of weeks, the way he’d looked before crashing and the times he’d asked me for downers. “Nah, coke and booze, in my opinion. You?”
“I figured about the same.” He held the whiskey bottle out to me; when I shook my head, he put the cap back on. “You think we need to put a stop to it?”
I pursed my lips. “Wouldn’t we just be the pot calling the kettle black? It’s not affecting his job, or the band. He’s here in the studio every day and he’s nice and pleasant around Landry and the girls. Who are we to tell him how to cope? At this point at least.”
Smith nodded. “Okay. We’ll just keep watching him, right?”
“Yeah, man. Let’s just give him to room to deal.” I stood, stretching my arms over my head. “Has Dash said anything about it?”
“Not to me.” Smith headed toward the stairs. “I doubt he thinks it’s his place, you know? He doesn’t like to get in between Luke and Lexi unless absolutely necessary.”
I followed Smith into the house. “Thanks. For tonight.”
“We’ve all been there, bro.” He pulled me in for a very manly hug. “You’re doing good though, with both your girls.”
“Oh for the love of everything holy. Do you guys ever stop hugging each other?”
Smith and I both winced at the sound of Lexi’s voice. We pulled apart and headed into the dark kitchen to find her sitting on the island eating leftover fried chicken. I chuckled. “Cravings?”
She shrugged, rubbing her belly. “Couldn’t sleep. This little girl is nocturnal.”
Smith pried the chicken leg from her grip and then handed her an apple instead. “Join the club.”
Lexi calmly sat the apple back in the bowl on the counter and snatched the chicken from Smith. “If you attempt to take this meat from my hands one more time, I will lose my shit. Your girlfriend has me eating the grossest crap, and I. Am. HUNGRY.”
Smith held his hands up and slowly backed away. “Sorry, Lex.”
She took a big bite and talked around the food. “Why are you two up? Late-night tryst?”
I pulled a bottle of water out of the fridge, the light blinding us before I shut the door. “I have spent the past ten years treating women like garbage.”
Smith leaned against the counter, farthest from Lexi. “I was waiting up to talk to your boy.”
Lexi pointed at me with her chicken. “You were an as
shole. You were all assholes. But everyone loves a bad boy who ends up being a good man. So you guys will be okay. You’ll all be cursed with daughters, but you’ll be okay.” She turned to Smith. “If you want to talk to Luke, you’ll have to wait for a few more hours. He usually gets in around seven.”
I cocked my head, studying her. I thought he’d been able to hide his early morning homecomings. “You knew?”
Lexi rolled her eyes. “Of course I knew, it’s Luke. He’s my best friend.” She smiled, almost sinister. “There isn’t anything that goes on in this house that we don’t know about.”
Smith pursed his lips. “We? As in you and Dash?”
Lexi laughed. “No. Me and the girls.” She held her hand out for me to help her down off the counter. “You think Dylan doesn’t know you’re up worried about Luke? Or that Bryan doesn’t know you were down in the studio feeling low? They know.” She backed out of the kitchen, her eyes glowing. “We always know.”
I turned to Smith. “I’m never getting out of bed in the middle of night again. Lexi is fucking scary as shit.”
He pointed to the stairs and we both raced up them like two kids afraid of the boogey man. I climbed in bed next to Bryan, pulling her against my body, breathing in her sweet scent and wrapping my arms around her waist.
“I’m fine, love.”
I stiffened. “What?”
“No reason to lose sleep over the past. There is nothing anyone can do about it.”
Holy. Shit. They do know everything.
Chapter Twenty-two
Bryan
The next morning I woke up with my head on Jacks’s bare chest. All my memories from the night before came flooding back to me. I closed my eyes, more than happy to relive them. I still wanted him. I wasn’t pulling away. I only wanted to snuggle in closer. I couldn’t help but smile.
“Good morning, doll.” Jacks tightened his arms around me and kissed the top of my head.
“Morning.” I choked out a laugh when I opened my eyes and saw the large tent that Jacks had made with his cock and the sheets. I reached my hand out, flattening that whole…situation.
“How are you feeling?”
I took a quick internal inventory, “Fine, a little sore and not bored in the slightest.”
He grinned. “Yeah?”
I nodded.
“I think we should go take a shower, and take care of my wood.”
I sat up and peered across the hall. “What about Landry?” She was still asleep, but I would hate for her to wake up and come looking for us and find us both gone. “How about you go shower and take care of that, and I’ll stay here in case she needs us.”
Jacks stuck out his lip. “I have a girlfriend who I thoroughly enjoyed fucking. I am not going to go whack it in the shower.” He looked at his watch. “Luke should be home soon, maybe he can watch her.”
I rolled my eyes and threw the covers back and grabbed his hand. “Come on. I’ll fix it real quick.” His eyes widened in surprise, but he sure as hell hopped out of bed and followed me into the bathroom. I locked both sets of doors and then got down on my knees in front of him.
“Are you for real? Because, like I’ve said before, jokes like this aren’t funny. They are cruel.”
I didn’t answer him. I just grabbed the waistband of his shorts and pulled them down, using my hands to work his cock. He let out a hiss the instant my tongue swirled around his tip, his head thrown back. It wasn’t long before his hands found their way into my hair.
“Nope. Sorry. Can’t do it.” He let go of my hair, pulled his briefs back up and grabbed me by my arm. “I need that tight pussy of yours. I have to have it.” He unlocked the door to the room that was supposed to be mine and tossed me on the bed. He secured all the doors and stalked toward the bed. “I told you. You’re like a drug. You’re my favorite place to be.” He slid my shorts off, instantly burying his face between my legs. His tongue, his mouth, his fingers. All started to work me in sync. I was instantly lost, arching off the bed, desperate for release. He knew it too, because he pulled back with a chuckle. “Now who has a problem that needs taking care of?” He slipped two fingers back inside me. “Answer me, doll.”
I grabbed his wrist, holding him in place, grinding against his hand. “I do.”
He took my clit in his teeth for a moment then stopped. “And who is the only person who can help you?”
I sat up quickly, taking him by surprise. “You are. So fucking help me already.” I pulled the elastic waistband of his shorts outward and down, freeing him once again. I let my tongue dart out once more, teasing his tip.
He groaned and I knew our little game was over. He jumped onto the bed and opened the nightstand drawer, grabbing a condom and quickly putting it on. He lay down on the mattress, his hands behind his head. “Help yourself.” I straddled his body, his hands on my hips guiding me into place. Inch by slow inch I impaled myself with him. When I was fully seated, I felt his cock in my stomach, every little movement I made, I could feel.
I took his hand, holding it low on my abs, letting him feel how deep inside me he was. His free hand tightened on my ass, bruising my skin. I set a slow pace. I couldn’t physically go any faster, any harder. It was too much.
“That’s it, baby. Nice and slow.” He kept his eyes open, watching me ride him. His hand at my stomach, feeling himself move inside me. “Damn, doll. That’s so fucking hot. You’re so fucking perfect.”
We were both worked up, so on edge. Even at my leisurely pace, it didn’t take long before we were both panting, both chasing our release. He sat up, bringing his mouth to my breasts; my hands went into his hair holding him in place. My movements became shorter, jerkier. “Jacks, don’t stop.”
“It’s all you baby. Ride me. Fuck me.”
My whole body tightened at his words. He captured my mouth with his, stifling my cries as my orgasm over took me. My whole body reacted, it was like nothing I’d ever felt before.
“Fuck, you’re so tight.” I had stopped moving, my body had a mind of its own. Jacks wrapped an arm around my waist, lifting me slightly. He started thrusting up into me, finding his own climax in seconds.
***
In stark comparison to our morning, Jacks and I spent the rest of the day just hanging out with Landry. We headed into Destin and took her to all the tourist attractions. We ate lunch at a little place on the beach and finished the day with a few new Disney movies in front of the big TV downstairs. The whole house usually got together for dinner at night, but it seemed like everyone was doing their own thing right now. Which was fine by me. I hadn’t talked to Dylan since yesterday morning. She may be my big sister, but she didn’t control my life. I was happy here with Jacks and Landry; more than happy, I was ecstatic. Jacks was such a good dad, but he was also a fantastic boyfriend. Everything he did was so thoughtful and kind, and casual. I was worried at first about how Landry would react, to the two of us getting closer. But he was so relaxed, so at ease, that it made everything seem seamless.
“B?”
“Yeah, sweet girl?” I’d just closed our book. I’d read three chapters tonight.
“I had fun today.”
I lay down next to her, tucking my hands under my cheek. “Me too.”
She smiled. “What are we doing tomorrow?”
I took a deep breath. “Actually tomorrow we have some pretty important stuff to do.” I pursed my lips, “You want to hear it?” I waited for her to nod before I continued. “Well, Jacks and I wanted you to meet with a few people. We have a counselor coming to talk to you.”
“About what?” She was on her side now, facing me.
“About your mom, and about coming to live with Jacks.” I brushed her hair over her shoulder. “Is that okay?”
She nodded. “Who else?”
“A tutor. We want to make sure you are all caught up on your schoolwork and ready to start in the fall.” I picked up Ello and put him under the covers next to her. “I have a few different tutors coming.
You can pick the one you like the best.”
She nodded again.
“Do you have anything that you want to ask me? Or anything you want to talk about?” I didn’t want her to feel overwhelmed, but all of these things were necessary.
“Can I still do my drum lessons with Uncle Luke?”
“Absolutely.” I smiled. “You have fun with Uncle Luke?”
“Yeah.” She let out a little sigh. “He has fun too. When he’s teaching me, he smiles and laughs. Which is good because usually he seems so sad.”
Well, shit. How was I supposed to explain Luke to Landry when I didn’t even really know what was going on with him? “Sometimes grown-ups get sad about things. But you make Uncle Luke happy, so it’s good that you like hanging out with him.” I sat up and kissed her forehead. “Good night, sweet girl.”
She snuggled up with Ello. “Good night, B.”
I turned off her light and headed across the hall to Jacks’s room. Well, my room too I guess. While I was showering this morning he moved all my stuff into his closet and dresser. I flopped down on the bed next to him. “All tucked in.”
Jacks closed his laptop and sat it on the nightstand. “I have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow morning.”
I wrinkled my nose. “Why?”
“I’m getting tested for STDs.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Be still, my beating heart.”
He reached out and pulled the rubber band out of my hair. “I want to make sure that I’m all clear, then I’m throwing away the condoms.”
I crawled up his body and onto his lap. “Oh yeah?”
He nodded. “Oh yeah.”
I kissed his neck. “Aren’t you even going to ask me how I feel about that? Maybe I don’t want to throw away the condoms.” I kissed the other side of his neck, then let my nails trail down his chest and hook into the band of his shorts.
He ran his hands up my back, under my shirt. “I don’t care.” He let his hands move in the opposite direction, grabbing my ass. “I don’t want anything between us. I want to feel you riding my cock, bare. I want to come inside you so fucking hard that it drips down your thigh.”