by Jodi Redford
Lacey’s irritability vanished. Big boy or not, Bram had been forced into an untenable situation. He couldn’t very well make a scene in front of everyone, and Olivia damn well knew that.
Anger roiling in her stomach, Lacey crossed the room. As she neared, Bram looked her way and caught her eye. Relief scuttled across his gorgeous face. Elbowing her way to his side, she plunked her hands on her hips. “I’ve been looking all over for you. Did you forget you were supposed to help me look for the extra case of pilsner glasses?”
Bram took his cue in stride and, with an overabundance of exuberance, slapped his hand on his forehead and grimaced. “Damn, I did. Sorry.”
Holy crap that was some bad acting. No wonder he was kicked out of the drama club. And here she’d always assumed it was because he’d been caught buck-ass naked in the costume changing room with Allison Reedy.
She wagged a finger at him. “Sorry’s not going to cut it, Colton. I’m getting a little tired of constantly covering your butt.”
Bram’s eyes widened. Apparently he’d read between the lines. Good. He needed to either learn how to handle his bimbettes better, or keep his dick in his pants once in a while.
Olivia’s smile should have come with a frostbite warning. “Bram and I were in the middle of a conversation. He’ll have to help you later.”
Lacey blinked before narrowing her eyes. Oh hell no. The bitch did not just undermine me in my own damn restaurant. “No, I need him now.” Amazingly, she managed to keep her voice level and calm.
Flicking one long, platinum strand of hair over her shoulder, Olivia swept Lacey with a disdainful glance. “Please. We both know why you really came trotting over here.”
It was on the tip of Lacey’s tongue to say, Yeah, to save my best friend from Stalkerella. Frankly, she didn’t care if the truth pissed off Olivia, but like Bram, she didn’t want to draw any more attention than they had to. “I’m afraid you’ll have to enlighten me there.”
“We’ve all seen the way you drool over Bram. And Ryan.” Olivia’s high-pitched laugh was more headache inducing than a kennel full of yipping Pomeranians. “As if you’d have the slightest chance, honey. You couldn’t even keep your fiancé’s attention for long, could you?”
Lacey’s face went hot as fire before becoming icy cold. It was a strange sensation. She dimly heard Bram’s low, furious baritone reprimanding Olivia, but the damning words were already out there, hovering in the air like poisoned darts.
“You know why Dan left, don’t you? Because you’re boring. A goody-goody who doesn’t know the first thing about how to please a man. Or keep him happy.” Olivia’s obnoxious, tinkling laugh floated free. “Or should we say keep him period?”
Lacey didn’t bother correcting the misstatement about Dan being the one who left. It didn’t matter, and Olivia sure as hell didn’t care. Bitter acid sloshed in Lacey’s tummy, burning her esophagus. She swallowed, desperate to keep it down.
“I told you to shut. The. Fuck. Up.” Bram’s rugged, handsome features held a wealth of rage as his fingers dug into the powder blue cashmere covering Olivia’s arms. The woman’s heavily made-up eyes widened. Obviously she’d never experienced the full scope of Bram’s temper.
That made two of them. In the fifteen years she’d known Bram, Lacey hadn’t seen him lose it like this either. He’d always been the eternal goodtime boy. Full of light and laughter. In every way Bram was the polar opposite of Ry. He was a jokester and all-around ham, whereas Ry exuded quiet intensity. Even in looks the two men would never be mistaken for twins. Besides standing a good three inches taller than Ry’s solid six foot one, Bram had the sun-kissed, blond surfer-god vibe working for him in spades. Ry, on the other hand, looked more suited to a Harley than board shorts. Though God knows, he filled those out mighty fine too on the rare occasions he donned a pair.
But now Bram appeared to be getting in touch with his inner alpha. “If I ever hear you talk to Lacey that way again, so help me, I can’t be held responsible for my actions. Comprende?”
Olivia gulped before nodding vigorously.
“Glad we have that clear. Now how about you leave before I have the bouncers escort you out?”
Her full, bottom lip turning down in a pout, Olivia curled her fingers around Bram’s forearms. “But I drove here specifically to see you. I’ve missed you, Brammy Bear.”
Brammy Bear? Oh barf.
“I’m not telling you this again. We’re no longer together. Don’t waste your time or mine anymore.” Not waiting for Olivia’s reply, Bram shouldered past her and grabbed Lacey by the elbow. He hauled her toward his and Ry’s office, his pace brisk. With her shorter legs, it took two steps to his one to keep up with him. He shoved open his door and followed her inside the cramped space before securing the lock to guarantee their privacy. The overwhelming, pungent smell of plastic greenery and cinnamon-spiked pinecones floated around them. Bram tunneled a hand through his spiky hair. “Shit. Lace, I’m sorry. Olivia’s an idiot.”
“It’s not your fault she’s a moron.” They both knew that wasn’t what he’d been apologizing for, but she couldn’t bring herself to acknowledge the real reason his expression looked agonized and uncomfortable.
Unfortunately, Bram didn’t feel so inclined. “She doesn’t know what the hell she’s talking about. You’re not boring. Or a goody-goody. Dan was—is—a damn fool for what he did.”
“I know that.”
Bram stared into her eyes, apparently not completely buying her assertion. “Lace, you’re a desirable woman. Any man with half a brain wouldn’t do anything to fuck up his future with you.”
She gave a crooked smile. “Well there you go. Dan did have half a brain. Too bad he carted it around in the wrong head.” Not giving Bram an opportunity to voice any further pearls of wisdom, she turned toward the door and wrestled the lock open. She had to get out of there before she gave in to the tears prickling at the backs of her eyelids.
“Lace—”
She escaped the office and sealed off the remainder of Bram’s words by shutting the door behind her. Praying no one noticed her fierce trembling, she dashed toward the restrooms.
Chapter Two
“I’m going to kill that damn Olivia.”
Ry rubbed the grogginess from his eyes as Bram snicked Lacey’s office door shut. It was a miracle Bram hadn’t slammed it, judging from the way he white-knuckled the knob. Ry cracked a yawn. “What’d psycho Barbie do now?”
“She brought up Dan. In front of Lacey.”
Ry stopped in mid-stretch. A growl slipped past his throat. “She did what?”
“She insinuated that the engagement ended because Lace was boring.”
“You’ve got to be shittin’ me.” He gave his head a shake. “Jesus, Olivia is one stupid broad.” It was beyond him what Bram had seen in her. Well, other than the obvious—enormous tits and legs that didn’t know the meaning of the word shut.
“You’ll get no argument from me there. I kicked her ass out and told her to stay gone. For good.”
Ry nodded. “Where’s Lace?”
“She ducked into the women’s restroom.” Bram’s eyes clouded. “She looked like she was seconds away from crying when she hightailed it away from me.”
Ry swore beneath his breath. It was a damn good thing Olivia had heeded Bram’s advice and not stuck around. Because she sure as shit didn’t want to cross Ry’s path right now.
Bram parked his butt on the arm of the couch. “Do you think we should send one of the waitresses to check on Lace?”
He met the agonized uncertainty in Bram’s eyes. No doubt it was a mirror of Ry’s own expression. Desperate as he was to ensure that she was okay, he remembered the pain Lacey went through following her decision to break her engagement. Most folks had been kind and sympathetic to the situation. But there’d been those who’d whispered and snickered behind her back. She’d tried her best to hold her head high and pretend those gossiping fuckers meant nothing to her. But he’d k
nown better.
“No, we’ll give her a minute.” He wouldn’t draw any nosy attention to Lacey’s predicament if he could help it.
Bram nodded solemnly. They were silent for a long stretch, the tension slowly escalating with each tick of the wall clock situated near the Elvis painting. The uneasiness percolated in Ry’s gut. What if Lacey had taken off? She was in no condition to drive, not as upset as she likely was. He glanced toward her desk and noticed her purse was still on the floor. Okay, one problem solved. She couldn’t go anywhere without her keys.
Even as he processed the thought, the door swung open and Lacey walked inside the office. Her eyes looked red and puffy. Motherfucker. His chest vising, he leapt to his feet and wrapped her in his arms. He sensed her struggle to hold in more tears but eventually a soft sob escaped, nearly muffled by his shirt. Running his palms in soothing circles along her back, he kissed the top of her head. Bram stepped to the other side of Lacey and rubbed her trembling shoulders before also ducking and kissing her temple.
She sighed, accepting their comfort. Her hand clutched his waist, the other reaching for Bram. She snuggled close, her breasts pillowing against Ry’s chest. The delicious floral scent she always wore clung to every inch of her. Even her honey-blonde hair seemed to be infused with the luscious essence that was Lacey. The aroma invaded his senses, adding its own brand of torment as he reeled under the heady intoxication of her.
Christ, would there ever be a woman who affected him the same way as Lacey? Doubtful. God knows he’d searched all these years to find another to cure him of his obsession with the woman in his arms. He’d found plenty of willing participants more than happy to warm his sheets, but not one of them made his heart beat faster or left him woozy with punch-drunk love. A million times he’d wanted to make Lacey his, stake his claim. But he couldn’t.
Because of the man across from him. Bram.
Almost from the moment they’d both laid eyes on Lacey, they’d fallen hard. There’d only been one time he and Bram ever raised fists to each other. It happened the day they finally came clean about their feelings regarding Lacey. Being young and arrogant, Ry had fully expected to kick Bram’s ass, even though his best friend clearly held the advantage of additional height and muscle. But Bram hadn’t backed down. It’d infuriated Ry, until he realized the reason for Bram’s stubbornness. Bram was just as crazy about Lacey—he would have fought to the death for her. The knowledge had acted like a kick to the balls. For them both.
There was no way either of them could be the bigger man and step aside. Which left them only one alternative.
Neither one of them could have Lacey. Not if their friendship held any hope of surviving.
So for the past fifteen years Ry and Bram kept their hands to themselves. And suffered the biggest case of blue balls known to mankind. Something that Ry was all too familiar with at the moment. He angled his hips away from Lacey, not wanting her to notice the rising state of his erection.
Son of a bitch. He felt like a giant dick—no pun intended. Here she was devastated and crying her eyes out over that fucktard ex of hers. Definitely not an ideal time for Ry to be sporting the mother of all boners. He glanced at Bram and noticed that his best friend was wearing a wry grin. No doubt he was dealing with a similar predicament and could empathize with Ry.
Lacey sniffled and swiped a hand over her cheeks. Juvenile as it was, Ry couldn’t help the flash of satisfaction that streaked through him over the knowledge that she’d let go of Bram but not him. She looked up at Ry, those beautiful blue eyes swimming with the remnants of her tears. It took every ounce of his control not to lean down and kiss her. Properly. No chaste peck of his lips on the crown of her head, but a full-on devouring of her mouth. That luscious mouth he’d imagined wrapped around his cock countless times.
Somehow he snuffed his groan before it could give him away. He was without a doubt the biggest asshole alive to be lusting over Lacey like this. She needed friendship and a healthy dose of comforting. His damn dick would just have to stay the hell out of the equation.
She patted his waist before shuffling out from between him and Bram. “Okay, I have no idea why I let any of this upset me. Dan is ancient history, for Pete’s sake.”
Thank God for that too. When he and Bram had found out about what that motherfucker did, they’d paid Dan a visit and gave him a good ass kicking. The shithead was lucky they didn’t do more than break his nose and bruise a few of his ribs, as well as his ego. It’d been mighty tempting to shatter the bastard’s kneecaps for making Lacey cry. It was beyond incomprehensible to Ry why any man would cheat on her. Christ, Lacey was a walking wet dream. All she had to do was smile—hell, breathe—and he was close to busting a nut. She’d starred in thousands of his raunchiest and sweetest late-night fantasies while he was lying in bed, his dick so hard it could hammer nails. Half the time he didn’t even need to stroke his cock for it to shoot off like a cannon. The mental image of Lacey riding him, her wet pussy gliding along his length, was always enough to do the trick.
It wasn’t strictly a sexual thing either. Hell, he could handle that, even if it made him crazy and turned on more often than he cared to be. No, the really damnable part was how fucking in love he was with her. Other than Bram, there wasn’t anyone in this world that he felt as close to as he did Lacey. Unlike his two best friends, he hadn’t been raised in a traditional household. An abusive dad forced him to run away from home at a young age. Child protective services had stepped in and shuttled him off to various foster parents until an estranged uncle took him in when he was ten. Life became relatively normal after that, but it wasn’t until he met Bram and Lacey that he truly felt a part of a family. Their family. Yeah, it was probably weird to look at his two best friends in that light, but so be it. Becoming business partners and going in together on the purchase of the Dockside cemented their bond as the three amigos. The only possible way his life could be happier was if Lacey’s heart belonged to him.
He might ache for something more, but he’d have to be content with her friendship. Even if it was all he’d ever have, he was still a damn lucky man to have that much. Yeah, Dan was a fool for destroying his future with Lacey. And all for a silicone-enhanced, easy lay. The reminder of the fucktard brought Ry’s thoughts back to Lacey’s recent meltdown. He hugged her close again and massaged the nape of her neck. “It’s only been a year, baby. Plenty of folks need more time than that to heal.”
“Sure, if they’re grieving the loss of someone.”
“Do…do you miss Dan?” Please God, let her say no. The idea of Lacey still carrying a torch for that asshole sat like an elephant on Ry’s chest.
Lacey’s face scrunched in an adorable way. “Absolutely not. He had his chance and blew it.”
My sentiments exactly. Frankly, he’d never thought Dan was good enough for her to begin with. Sure, the guy seemed decent at first glance, but there’d always been something that rubbed Ry the wrong way. He’d originally thought it was his jealousy over Dan having unfettered access to Lacey’s bed and her heart. Two things that should rightfully belong to Ry, damn it. But once the news of Dan’s unfaithfulness spread, Ry had figured out what had been poking at the edges of his conscience regarding Dan. The guy had never looked at Lacey with the light of love shining from his eyes, or like he’d die tomorrow if she were ever taken away from him. Even when he’d been getting his ass kicked by Ry and Bram, Dan hadn’t once stopped his pathetic whining to ask if Lacey was okay and somehow surviving the heartache he’d put her through. That was just wrong in Ry’s book. A man didn’t put the woman he loved through that kind of pain and turmoil. He was supposed to cherish her. Beat to a pulp anyone who dared to hurt her.
Lacey stepped away from him again and fidgeted with the charm bracelet hooked around her right wrist. It was a gift he and Bram had given her several Christmases ago. Every year they tried to outdo each other coming up with the perfect charm to add to the collection. Bram got the biggest ooh and ah last
year by popping for a sterling-silver turtle with emerald chips inset into its shell. Damn dickhead. This Christmas Ry would have to pull out all the stops if he didn’t want to get left in the dust.
Lacey stopped her fussing and offered them both a hesitant glance. “It isn’t so much about Dan as the possibility that I’ve…lost my mojo. If I even had it in the first place.”
He blinked at her. “What are you talking about?”
She swallowed, the muscles in her throat working. “M-maybe Olivia has a point. About me being boring.”
It took more willpower than he swore he possessed not to punch a hole in the wall. Or yank Lacey into his arms and slam his mouth over hers, proving without words precisely how damn ridiculous Olivia’s statement had been. “Baby, no way in hell are you the slightest bit boring.”
“You’re my friend. You’re supposed to say that.” She dropped her hands with a resigned exhale.
“No, I’m saying it because it’s true.”
She gave him her patented stare that always let him know when she thought he was being deliberately obtuse or stubborn. “I think we all know that I’ll never be mistaken for a stripper.”
Oh Jesus. Is that what this was about? “Please tell me you’re not comparing yourself to a stripper right now,” he growled, furious that Lacey’s confidence had been undermined to that degree.
“No. I know I’m not…sexy like that.”
He and Bram coughed at the same time, but Bram was the first to recover his voice. “Lace, you are.”
She rolled her eyes. “Hello. Did you not hear what I said about the friend thing?”
“Just because we’re friends doesn’t mean I don’t find you sexy.” There was no mistaking the slight huskiness underlying Bram’s confession.
Lacey’s cheeks turned pink and she averted her eyes. “Bram, please. We’ve all seen the women you’ve dated. They could be supermodels.” Her lips twitched into a mischievous smile. Just the sight of it was enough to give Ry wood. “Make that supermodel strippers in the case of Stalkerella Olivia. Regardless, I’m nowhere near their league.”