“Here.” Joss leaned across her to get the clip. Her light, flowery perfume filled his nostrils, along with the scent of vanilla she carried with her at all times.
He was beginning to realize what he’d done by kissing her. Over the years, he’d trained himself to ignore the sexual attractiveness of the girls he thought of as friends. Or, rather, he’d trained himself not to react on it. He was human, after all, and he enjoyed the female form, so he was hardly going to look the other way when Caitlin wore one of her short skirts, or Elle the pink blouse she favored that was see-through in the right light.
And Maisey was the same. He’d been aware of the length of her legs from day one, and of her generous bust that most of her bras had trouble restraining. He knew her hair was silky because he’d tugged on her braids when she was at school, and he was aware she’d probably be fun in bed, judging by the occasional thing she’d let slip about past boyfriends over the years. But that was the extent to which he let himself notice. She was Kole’s younger sister, and Joss had focused his energies on the crackpot side of her that never failed to exasperate him.
But now he’d kissed her. And he’d opened Pandora’s Box…okay, probably best not to talk about boxes. He’d eaten of the apple…no, maybe he shouldn’t think about eating either. Gritting his teeth, he shoved the clip of her belt in and turned back to the road. He’d opened a fucking can of worms, that’s what. And they’d gone and wriggled about all over the place, and he was having a fucking hard job trying to get them all back in again.
“You all right?” Maisey asked.
“Fine.” He eased the car onto the road and headed for his sister’s. Don’t look at her. Don’t think about her sitting there, and the way her shirt is stretching across her breasts, and how her skirt has ridden up her long, shapely thighs…
“So which nephew are we picking up?”
“Liam,” he said, glad of the distraction. “Usually, my dad takes him swimming for Hayley, but I’m trying to help out a bit.”
“It must be difficult, coping with four kids on your own,” Maisey said.
“She finds it incredibly hard.” Joss signaled and turned the car onto the main road. “I don’t know how she does it.” Well, that was the problem, wasn’t it? Hayley wasn’t coping, which was the main reason he’d offered to help.
“How long have she and Ben been separated?”
“Nine months now.”
“Is there any chance of reconciliation?”
“No. He’s with someone else.”
“Ah. I didn’t realize that.”
“He had an affair. That’s why she threw him out.” Why was he telling her this? He hadn’t gone into detail with any of his friends. But he needed to distract himself from the way Maisey had kicked off her shoe and was massaging her foot with her left hand.
Maisey stared at him in shock. “No! The bastard.”
“Yeah.” Joss’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. “I wasn’t happy when I found out either.”
“I bet. Did you talk to him?”
He glanced at her, unable to stop a sheepish grin. “Talk isn’t quite the way I’d put it.”
Her eyes widened. “You hit him?”
“Knocked him out.” He scratched the back of his neck. “I know. Not very professional. Satisfying, though.” She didn’t say anything, so he looked back at over at her. Her lips had curved, and a twinkle had appeared in her eye.
“Wow,” she said.
“How much do you want me right now?”
“You have no idea.”
They both started laughing. Joss sent her a smile. “I shouldn’t have, though. Hayley was so upset.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. She saw it as interfering, I suppose. I couldn’t help it, though. It made me mad.”
“And that’s why you’re you, darling. I wouldn’t want you any other way.” Genuine fondness filled her voice.
Time to change the subject again. “So how’s the preparation for the party coming along?”
“Okay. I drew up a list today. I need to get some invitations printed, then organize decorations for the shop. Oh, and get the four of us some outfits.”
“Outfits?” He raised an eyebrow. “Like a gorilla suit or something?”
“Not quite. I’ve seen what I want. It’ll be difficult to know what’s more tempting, us or the chocolates.” She gave a little giggle.
Joss smiled and flicked the indicator as his sister’s road approached. If he hadn’t seen those antidepressants, he would have been certain Maisey remained fourteen years old inside. Her childlike quality was adorable, but it exasperated him too. As he pulled up, though, he wondered whether it was exasperation he was feeling, or envy. How nice it must be not to have any responsibilities. His seemed so heavy sometimes he felt like a swimmer with a cannon ball attached to his leg, dragging him under.
“Can I come?”
“Sure.” He said it without thinking, then hoped Hayley wouldn’t mind. She always stressed when people came to the house, as she found it impossible to keep tidy with four kids.
They walked up the path to the front door, and he knocked. Inside, somebody yelled, “Mum! Door!” Feet hammered on the wooden floor, and then a tiny person wrenched the door open so hard it banged on the wall.
“Uncle Joss!” Sammy screamed in delight and threw herself at him. He caught her just in time and swung her up in the air.
“Hey Minx. How’re you doing?”
“Good!” She flung her arms around his neck and planted a wet kiss on his cheek. “I’ve missed you!”
“I only saw you yesterday.” He pushed open the door and beckoned Maisey to follow him in. Toys and clothing littered the hallway as if the kids had planned out an obstacle course for their mother.
“That was ages ago,” Sammy said. “My friend gave me her old scooter. It’s red with a bell.”
“That’ll be nice for your mother.” He put her down. “Why don’t you go and get it and show me?”
She ran off, and he turned to Maisey and rolled his eyes. “What a handful.”
“She’s beautiful,” Maisey said with a smile. “You realize I’m going to call you Uncle Joss from now on?”
“That sounds pervy coming out of your mouth.”
“Better than Daddy though.”
He laughed and went into the kitchen. Hayley stood at the stove, stirring a pot with one hand and feeding a baby in a high chair with the other. Ethan sat at the kitchen table, building what looked like a robot with three arms out of Lego. There were Lego pieces all over the floor.
Hayley saw Joss and flashed him a quick smile. “Hiya.”
“Hey.” He bent and scooped up some of the Lego and put it back in the box on the table. “How are you doing?”
“Okay.” She saw Maisey and said, “Hey, Maisey,” but as she turned away, she sent Joss a look that said, What the hell are you doing bringing someone into the house? You know that means I’m going to kill you, right?
He walked up to her, kissed her on the cheek, and murmured, “Sorry.” He leaned down and kissed the baby’s head. “Watcha, Maggot.”
Maggot—technically, Maggie—banged her hand on the high chair in excitement, causing her spoon to flick its contents at his face. He stood and shot a giggling Maisey a wry look as he wiped off the puree. “Mmm,” he said, licking his finger. “Pear.”
“Put the Lego away, Ethan,” Hayley said. “Tea’s ready.” She spooned the hot baked beans onto the slice of toast she’d already laid on a plate and put it in front of Ethan, who continued to play with his Lego regardless. As Joss watched, Ethan picked up the robot and planted its feet squarely in the middle of the beans.
Hayley sighed and turned away. “I’m guessing you’re here for Liam?”
“Yep.” Joss hovered over Ethan, wondering whether he should say something to the boy. He hated the way her kids took no notice of her. He felt she ought to make more of an effort to discipline them, but he couldn’t brin
g himself to say anything. Who was he to criticize her? He didn’t have any kids of his own, and he certainly had never had to look after four children day in, day out, on his own.
“Is he ready?” he asked, watching Ethan mush up the beans. Giving in, he went over to the table and took the robot from Ethan. “Eat your tea,” he instructed, and carried the robot to the sink to wash its feet. Ethan wailed, but he ignored him, and after about ten seconds the noise stopped. When he turned back, the boy was eating his tea. Maisey smiled.
“Dunno,” Hayley said. She walked to the doorway and yelled up the corridor. “Liam!”
Sammy came around the corner on her scooter. “He’s getting dressed.” She sailed passed Maisey and circled Joss, nearly running her mother over in the process.
“Sammy! What have I told you about riding that indoors?”
“Sorry,” Joss said, “I told her to show me. Come on, Sammy, let’s go into the garden while we wait for Liam. You can show me how you ride it up the path.”
Giving Maisey an apologetic look, he led the way out of the kitchen toward the back door. As he approached it, however, Sammy tugged the sleeve of his jacket, stopping him.
“I lied,” she whispered. “Liam isn’t getting dressed. He’s crying in his room.”
Joss frowned. “What’s up?”
“Don’t know. Mum yelled at him. He’s always crying.” Sammy sailed past him, out of the door and down the path.
Joss sighed and turned back. The living room was in the same state as the rest of the house, littered with junk, toys, clothes, bibs, empty dishes, books, and pencils. It was difficult to find a place to step without treading on anything.
He crossed the room and turned toward the bedrooms. He knew which one was Liam’s, but even if he hadn’t, he would have been able to follow the sound of the sniffles.
Arriving at the door, he leaned against the jamb, hands in his pockets, and looked at the lad sitting on the bed. Liam was only ten, but as the oldest, he was also currently the man of the house. Clearly, the pressure was getting to him.
“Hey, dude.” Joss made his voice light. “Ready for swimming?”
Liam’s head snapped up, and he wiped his nose hurriedly on his sleeve. “I’m not going.”
Joss surveyed him, his heart aching for the boy. Liam idolized his father as every boy should idolize their dad, and his parents’ separation had been extra hard for him.
“What’s up?” Joss asked.
Liam shrugged.
“School okay?”
“Yeah.”
Joss smiled. “Your mother getting on at you a bit?”
Liam’s bottom lip trembled. “I couldn’t remember where I’d put my swimming shorts. She shouted at me. She’s always shouting at me.”
“She didn’t mean to, mate. She’s just stressed.” He sighed and sat on the bed beside the boy. “I know this has been harder on you than any of the others. And I know you’re sick of the whole ‘you’re the man of the house now’ thing. But it’s the truth. You’re big enough to understand your parents aren’t perfect. They try their best and they both love you, but when two people fight, they sometimes forget about other people.”
“I wish they’d get back together again,” Liam whispered.
“I know, mate, I know. It’s awful, and I really feel for you. But I don’t want to sit here and give you platitudes—do you know what a platitude is?”
Liam sniffed. “A lie?”
“Well, no, it means saying something that may not be true because you want to comfort the other person. I’m not going to say ‘everything’s going to be all right’ because I don’t think your mum and dad are going to get back together again, and that sucks for you. All I can say is you need to try and man up a bit, and understand that if she gets cross, it’s not necessarily with you. Your mum’s hurt and angry, and it will take a while for her to feel better. It’s like a storm. At the moment there are black clouds overhead, and it’s thundering and raining, and you’re expected to stand out there without an umbrella and get wet. But it will get better. The storm will pass, and you’ll learn to cope. And don’t forget, I’m always here if you need me.”
Liam wiped his nose again. “You always talk to me like I’m grown up. I hate being spoken to like a kid.”
Joss could remember that feeling of resentment, of feeling more mature than he was, of wanting to be one of the grown-ups, but being stuck in a child’s body. And of course Liam was about to enter puberty—he’d be getting those conflicting boy versus man emotions on a regular basis. Joss didn’t envy him that.
He put his arm around the boy. “Time for a manly hug, and then I’ll take you swimming.”
To his surprise, Liam turned and put his arms around him almost as enthusiastically as Sammy had when he’d knocked on the door. He returned the hug, patting his nephew reassuringly on the back.
Relationships were hard, and he had no plans to enter into one anytime soon. If only he could find someone who would be happy to take things easy, to go out with occasionally, and for some hot, uncomplicated sex.
The memory of a whisper filtered into his head. Come play with me, Joss.
He thought of Maisey, and smiled.
Chapter Eight
Maisey stood awkwardly in the kitchen, wishing she’d stayed in the car. “Anything I can do?” She directed the question to Hayley, who was moving between the baby, the stove, the boy at the table, and the girl now sitting opposite him banging her knife and fork loudly, obviously hoping for some dinner.
Hayley stopped and blew out a breath. She looked on the verge of refusing, but gave a relieved sigh. “If you wouldn’t mind keeping an eye on babs, I’ll finish Sammy’s dinner.”
“Sure.” Maisey took the spoon from her and stood awkwardly for a moment. It was ages since she’d been around a baby. She wasn’t even sure how old the girl was—six months? A year? Did that constitute her being called a toddler? She wished someone close to her had kids. But most of her friends were still single, and as happy as Kole and Tasha were, she couldn’t imagine them having children any time soon.
She pulled out a chair and sat in front of the baby as Hayley poured more baked beans over toast for Sammy. Was that all the kids were having for dinner? It didn’t seem like much. She wouldn’t have dreamed of saying anything, though, knowing she was no authority on bringing up children. Maybe the kids were fussy eaters, or Ben wasn’t paying Hayley the allowance he should be yet.
Maisey slipped the spoon into the vaguely green puree and held it toward the girl in the chair. “Open up!” she said brightly.
The baby’s face crumpled, and she burst into tears.
Maisey looked helplessly at Hayley. “I’m so sorry. It must be my face.”
Hayley laughed and stopped to unclip the baby from the chair. “Don’t worry. She was pretty much done anyway.” She lifted her out and put her over her shoulder. Her gaze fell on Maisey’s arm. “What happened to your wrist?”
“I fell over a dog.”
“Nice. Is it broken?”
“I don’t think so. Just sprained.”
Hayley nodded, bouncing from side to side. For the first time, her harassed look disappeared, and she grinned mischievously. “So are you and Joss a thing now?”
Maisey’s eyes widened. “Goodness, no. Just friends.”
“Yeah, yeah. I’ve heard that one before.” Hayley’s lips twisted, and Maisey remembered that Ben had left her for someone else.
Although it took two to tango, Maisey couldn’t help but feel pity for the poor woman. She was older than Joss by a couple of years, but it still only put her at around thirty. Thirty and alone with four kids to bring up. Even if Ben did the dutiful dad thing and looked after them alternate weekends or something, it still sucked.
Wanting to take her mind off it, Maisey gave her an impish look. “I swear, we’re just friends. Although…I admit, if he asked, I wouldn’t say no. He is rather hot.”
She’d forgotten the kids were in
the room. Sammy frowned at her. “If he’s hot, why doesn’t he take off his jacket?”
Maisey winked at her. “I mean he’s sexy,” she said in a mock whisper.
Seven-year-old Ethan snorted, Sammy giggled, and Hayley chuckled. “He does wear a suit well, I’ll grant you that.”
“He’s not seeing anyone at the moment?” Maisey was sure the answer was no, but she didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes.
“Not that I know of. I don’t think there’s been anyone since Ana.” Hayley sighed as the doorbell rang. “Jesus.”
Maisey cursed the bell for interrupting at that moment. Who was Ana? The cause of the ‘ex troubles’ that Kole had fleetingly mentioned? “Do you want me to get it?”
Hayley shook her head and held out the baby. “Can you hold her for a second?” She turned the baby to rest in Maisey’s good arm and put a pacifier in Maisey’s hand. “I’ll be back in a sec.”
Maisey cradled the baby in her left arm as Hayley disappeared. Panic rose within her. She felt all fingers and thumbs.
The baby girl looked up at her. Her eyes were wide and blue, a little alarmed, and as Maisey watched, her nose scrunched up and her mouth turned down.
“Here,” she murmured, brushing the teat of the pacifier against the baby’s lips. Maggie opened them automatically and sucked it in, and the ring on the front bobbed up and down as the baby considered her. Obviously thinking that if she had her pacifier, the lady couldn’t be too bad, she settled, dark lashes lowering over her big blue eyes.
Relieved she wasn’t bawling her eyes out, Maisey relaxed back into the chair. The tiny bundle was warm against her chest, contented and snuffly. She’d thought all babies smelled of sick and nappies, but this one smelled sweet, of baby powder and milk.
Would she ever hold her own baby? She stroked the girl’s downy head lightly. She hadn’t given it much thought before. Ever since Harry died, she’d promised herself—promised him—she’d live every day as if it were her last, enjoying the moment without worrying about the future. Deep down, she’d assumed one day she’d meet a guy, fall in love, get married, have kids, but it seemed like such a long way off she didn’t fantasize about it like some of her friends did.
Treat her Right: A New Zealand Sexy Beach Romance (Treats to Tempt You Book 2) Page 5