by Leigh, Mara
I ate several more bites, knowing I looked like a pig but not caring. “Seriously,” I said through an almost chewed mouthful. “You are an amazing cook.”
“It’s just eggs.”
“Perfect eggs.” Somehow she’d managed to get the white part solid without any color on the bottoms and leaving the yolk soft. I chewed another piece of the salty bacon. “Did you cook the bacon in the oven?”
“Yeah. Cooks more evenly that way.” She took a bite. Some of the egg yolk dripped onto her chin, and I nearly choked watching her tongue lap it up. “Plus, less splatter to clean up.”
I loved how she ate with relish, not like most girls. Another huge turn on. Jade couldn’t do anything that wasn’t sexy.
“There’s no jam.” Steam rose as she broke open one of her biscuits. “Want some butter on yours?”
Mouth full, I shook my head.
“I hate store-bought jam,” she said. “Full of preservatives and too much sugar. I usually have homemade, but I had to pick and choose what I brought with me. Jars of jam didn’t make the cut.”
“Not a problem.” I took a long draft of my beer. “This is the best fucking meal I’ve had in ages. Maybe ever.”
“You, my new friend, are very easy to please.” She grinned.
I grinned straight back. New friend. I’d take it. Although I wanted something entirely different from Jade.
I polished off my food, then got up to clear my plate. “You done?” I reached for hers.
Licking her fingers, she nodded, and I took both plates to the sink.
“Just leave them there,” she said. “I’ll wash them in the morning.”
I rinsed the bacon grease off my fingers and dried my hands on my jeans. When I turned back, she was rubbing her shoulder, her eyes closed and tipping her head to the side.
I stepped up behind her. “Let me.” My hands dropped to her shoulders, and she stiffened.
“Hey,” I said. “It’s just a shoulder rub.” I gently dug in my thumbs, and she groaned even louder than I’d groaned at the food.
“You don’t need to— Oh!” Her head tipped back as I hit a knot.
“Shh,” I said. “Relax.”
Ten
Jade
I was melting.
As Nick massaged my shoulders, my resolve oozed into the cheap-ass kitchen chair that had come with this place. His hands kneading away my stiffness was perhaps the best thing I’d felt in… forever. At first, the pressure was painful, but it hurt in a way my shoulders needed, and as I let him work, my muscles—tense and knotted from carrying the physical weight of the drink trays, not to mention the emotional weight of that humiliating outfit—uncoiled.
I grew more and more aware. Aware of him. Aware that I had this giant, very male man not only in my apartment, but right behind me, touching me, making me feel so fucking good.
My shoulders opened to his touch, and so did the rest of me. As tension flowed from my neck, the heat from Nick’s massage radiated throughout my body, melting my determination to keep him at arm’s length.
Nick carried himself with an aura of undeniable power and menace—especially when he was on the job at the club—but from everything I’d seen, that wasn’t who he was. Nick was more kind than mean, more gentle than brutish and—as funny as it seemed—he was sweet.
And this powerful, sweet man found me attractive. That was obvious.
While that often-present bulge in his jeans might not be irrefutable proof—the strip club provided plenty of stimulation—his eyes didn’t lie. The way he looked at me… I loved how his eyes watched me with so much heat. With indisputable lust.
A reciprocal lust built in me, clenching me from inside and rocking my pelvis as he worked on my neck and shoulders.
I argued with my body. Wanting this man was all kinds of stupid. In terms of power, Nick held every trump card. But on the other hand, while most men would have played the sex-favor card already, Nick hadn’t. Sure, he’d threatened to add sex to our deal. He’d dropped some innuendo, some pseudo threats, especially at the start, but they’d come off as playful and teasing. A bit of a joke between us.
What my body was feeling right now was no joke.
The air around me heated until I became sensitive to the slightest movement. I lifted my finger and it felt like I started a breeze that ruffled all the tiny hairs on my arms and tightened my nipples. I wiggled my toes and it created a wind that blew back my hair and brushed over the cotton between my legs. His hands might be eliminating one kind of ache from my body, but they were building another—the deep, dark, delicious ache of desire, of desperate need.
His thumbs stretched down my shoulder blades and fanned out, making me groan as my sex clenched. There shouldn’t be anything remotely sexual about this almost clinical massage, but Oh… My… God.
Would it be so bad if I fucked him? If I did, how would it impact our deal?
What if the sex wasn’t good? Or what if it was great and he wanted more from me than just sex? Would things get awkward? Would he retaliate by wanting me out of the apartment, away from my high-paying job or—much, much worse—would he renege on Crystal’s tuition and Dad’s protection in prison?
With Nick’s huge fingers at my neck and my literal life in his hands, I came up with a plan. I could tame my lust without risking our deal. I had a tool at my disposal that would give me some temporary power over Nick. One that, if I was careful, would keep me in control. Three cheers for the all-powerful BJ.
“Thanks for the back rub,” I said, rotating my shoulders and signaling I’d had enough, even though I’d be happy if he kept the massage going for the rest of my life.
His hands stilled but remained heavy, resting on my shoulders. I looked up at him and almost gasped at the intensity in his eyes. Further proof he’d want what I planned to give.
“I thought it was me who was supposed to be doing nice things for you,” I said softly.
“Breakfast?” he nodded toward the stove.
“That was no biggie. I needed to eat, too.” I swiveled around in the chair, putting my gaze directly in line with his bulge. “Is there something else I can do for you?”
My gaze on the impossibly big erection straining against his jeans, and my palms resting on the back of the chair, I lifted my index fingers, lightly stroking his upper thighs, close to his package but not touching it.
His hips shifted back. My fingers lost contact.
“What are you doing?” he asked, his voice hoarse.
“Like you don’t know.” I brushed his hard shaft.
“Fuck, Jade. I’m going to come in my pants.”
“Then let’s do something about that zipper.”
He shook his head. “You don’t have to...”
If he wasn’t so obviously turned on, I might have been hurt, but I didn’t hurt easily. Plus, now I really wanted his dick. The idea of holding him prisoner to my lips and tongue and teeth, the thought of controlling his huge body with my mouth and hands consumed me.
“I want to.”
Staggering back, he looked down at his watch. “I’ve gotta go. Gotta sleep. Got an early meeting tomorrow.”
He dashed away, then turned back at the door. “Thanks again. For breakfast, I mean.” He shook his head, like he was trying to get his foot out of his mouth, then he left.
He left me. Left me horny and, I was shocked to discover, a little hurt.
I’d never heard of a man turning down a blow job. Was such a thing possible? What the fuck had just happened?
Eleven
Nick
At two o’clock, Keagan’s door was ajar, so I went in without knocking. Everyone was already there except Shane. Mac was perched on the back of the sofa, feet on the cushions, watching Dillon play some kind of video game, and Keagan was piling slices of ham onto what was already an inch-high sandwich.
“Hey, Brute Squad!” Keagan called out. “Hungry?”
“Always.” I walked past Mac and Dillon, heading straig
ht for the food. It had been less than ten hours since I’d left Jade in her apartment, and even after jerking off—twice—it had been hard to get any sleep.
That woman. Shit. There was something about her that drove me fucking crazy. And it wasn’t just because she’d fed me.
It had taken every ounce of my strength to leave her place last night. I’d never wanted a woman so badly, but the thing was, I was pretty sure I couldn’t just fuck her once. I was certain once I got a taste, I’d want to fuck her again—and again and again—and it didn’t feel right to start something with this lie between us.
The first day, I’d been able to argue that it was a simple misunderstanding, or payback for her rudeness, but at this point there was no way to claim I hadn’t misled her. I wasn’t the Nick she thought I was.
Mac and Dillon cheered as something exploded on the screen, then Mac jumped off the sofa to join me at the table, clapping me on the back. “So, I hear you’ve been holding out on us, little brother.”
“How’s that?” I slathered a thick slice of sourdough with bright yellow mustard.
“Your sex slave?” Mac grabbed a plate.
I glared at Keagan as I piled roast beef, sliced cheese, and tomatoes onto my bread. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Sure, sure.” Mac tossed two slices of bread onto his plate. “Be like that. Keep your sex slave all to yourself.”
“She’s not— It’s not like that.”
Keagan chuckled, then took a huge bite of his sandwich.
“Then tell me. How is it?” Mac set his plate down. “Pass the mayo?” He grabbed it from me. “What is it like having a sex slave?”
I took a huge bite of my sandwich. I didn’t want to dignify his question with a response.
“What’s she like?” Mac kept prodding. “Seriously. What’s the deal, Brute Squad?”
I dropped my plate onto the counter and got the three of us beers from Keagan’s fridge.
“She’s the new girl in 311.” I handed out the beers. “She thinks she owes me for setting up some deal.”
“She thinks she owes you?” Almost choking on his sandwich, Keagan opened his beer.
“Yeah. And she thinks if she doesn’t show me gratitude, I’ll ruin both her and her family, or some shit.”
“Wow.” Mac looked up from his partially built sandwich. “What did you do for this chick? Or are all women this grateful after a taste of your fat salami?” With a grin, he waggled a slice of meat at me before slapping it onto his sandwich.
“Fuck off!” I finished chewing another bite, already planning what I’d pile on sandwich number two. “She thought she owed me something before we even met. Or, I think it’s more like her dad owes me something?” I shook my head. “I don’t even know who her dad is, but among other things, she thinks I arranged for her to live here.”
Keagan started laughing, almost spitting out a mouthful of beer. “Wait. You didn’t tell me that part.” He wiped his mouth with his sleeve. “Don’t you get it?”
“Get what?” I swallowed some beer.
“Little brother, she thinks you’re that Nick. The other Nick.” He took a bite of sandwich, and Mac started chuckling too.
“What other Nick? What the hell are you talking about?”
“You know,” Mac said. “The one who decides who lives here, how much they pay, when they have to leave. You know, the woman who collects your rent? Nicola.”
Chewing another bite of sandwich, I shook my head. I had absolutely no idea what seemed so freaking obvious to my brothers. “You guys got me this place when I was released from juvie, remember? And my rent? Every month I put it through that slot near the gate. How should I fucking know who collects it from there?”
“This is hilarious,” Mac said, laughing with Keagan. “What else did Nicola do for this girl? I mean, the apartment’s not that great.”
“There’s other stuff.” I grabbed a dill pickle and chomped a huge bite.
“Like what?” Mac asked. “I wanna know what it takes to make a girl grateful.”
I started laughing with my brothers. Just thinking of Jade made me grin. “Based on the bits and pieces, her dad brokered a deal for Jade and her sister.”
“Dibs on the sister!” Mac tipped this beer bottle toward me. “I want a sex slave, too.”
“I fucking told you. She’s not—” I realized Cormac was joking.
Dillon turned off his video game and headed for the food. “Can you make your sex slave do stuff for us, too?”
“Shut up.” I tried to focus on the food and ignore my immature older brothers.
“Careful with the sex slave talk,” Mac said. “Nicky prefers the term sex servant. It’s more PC.”
“Potato, potawto,” Dillon turned to me, eyebrows raised. “But seriously. Can you get your sex servant to suck my cock?”
“Suck your own cock, asshole.”
“Now, don’t be greedy, Nick,” Keagan said. “Don’t we Downey brothers always share? Where’s your loyalty? Seems to me, the least you could do is ask her—”
“Fuck off,” I said. “All of you.”
“Okay, chill.” Keagan held up a hand in surrender. “Keep her all to yourself then, but please tell me you’re at least taking advantage of the situation.” Keagan’s dimples deepened. “I mean, the chick thinks she has to keep you happy. She’s a little on the tough-girl side for me, too many muscles, too much snarly attitude, but the way you were eyeing her last night… Tell me you at least fucked her.”
I kept my gaze down, willing my cheeks not to heat.
“Just blow jobs then?” Keagan and Mac chuckled.
My dick twitched, and I stuffed the final bites of my sandwich into my mouth, so much I could barely chew.
“Come on, Brute Squad,” Keagan said. “Don’t be a pussy.”
Shane walked through the door, slamming it behind him. “Nicky was born a pussy.” He bounded over, caught me off guard with my head down, and put me into a chokehold. The others laughed.
I was transported to childhood—for about a second—until I remembered that the days of my brothers picking on the smallest Downey had passed years ago. By age fifteen I’d outgrown every one of them, in height and muscle, and since then it’d been easy to turn the tables on my four older brothers. At least when I was facing one at a time. If Shane hadn’t caught me off guard, he wouldn’t have gotten the jump on me.
Straightening, I pulled his arm off my neck and twisted it behind his back.
“Ow!” he yelled. “Shit, Brute Squad. You’re breaking my fucking arm.”
I let him go.
He rubbed his shoulder. “Can’t you take a joke?”
“I’m a pussy. Great joke. I’m laughing my ass off.” I moved toward him, chest out, chin up. Of all my brothers, Shane was the only one who could instantly piss me off, even though he’d been my best friend when we were kids and he was also the one I owed the most to.
I owed them all, but Shane the most. But that didn’t stop me from wanting to pound his face at the moment.
I turned to my brothers. “Anyone else think Shane is funny?”
Mac the peacemaker stepped in between us. “Shane thinking he could put Brute Squad in a choke hold was hilarious.” He grinned at Shane. “Feeling nostalgic, are you? Or maybe suicidal?”
“We all good here?” Keagan asked. “’Cause if you girls are gonna have a catfight, at least let me clear the furniture out of the way. Maybe crack open another beer.”
“And popcorn!” Mac added, a grin on his face. “Can’t have a show without popcorn.”
“Maybe Jesse can arrange a proper venue for the fight,” Keagan said, referring to the big guy with a dark past who lived in the corner of the downstairs hall.
I took a step back. “Ha, ha, very funny.” Relaxing, I realized I’d had my fists clenched since Shane’s sneak attack. Maybe even before that. I hadn’t struck one of my brothers since I was a kid, but it was crazy how easily Shane could take me
there.
I stepped to the table to make another sandwich. Maybe I was just hangry.
“So, Shane.” Keagan grabbed a beer for him. “What did you want to talk about?”
Taking the beer, Shane walked over to the love seat, and the other three followed. Keagan and Mac plopped down in the two chairs, and Dillon stretched out on the sofa, leaving no place for me. Unless I squished into the love seat with Shane, and there was no way.
I stared down at Dillon. “You mind?”
“Mind what?” He grinned up at me.
“Mind if I use you as a cushion?” As I sat, he quickly pulled up his legs and nudged my ass away with his foot. We settled into opposite ends of the sofa.
Shane’s leg was bouncing like usual, and I took a closer look at his eyes. Was he high?
“So my connect down at the docks…” Shane leaned forward sharply, then back again, his fingers digging into his knees. “You aren’t going to believe how great this is. When the container comes in, we might have to move on it right away, though. I mean, like, lightning fast.”
“How great what is?” Keagan asked. “What’s in this container? What the fuck are you talking about?”
Shane’s gaze darted around the room, and the leg bouncing accelerated. “I can’t share all the deets. Not yet. I won’t even know them all until I confirm we’re in, but I know the most important thing—the payoff’s gonna be huge.”
Mac shook his head. “How the hell am I supposed to find buyers if I don’t know what’s in it?”
“And I need to develop a plan,” Keagan added.
Like a rock from a slingshot, Shane bounced out of the love seat. “I’ll take care of the plan, Keag. Don’t worry so much.” He paced across the room and back. “Unloading this stuff won’t be a problem, Mac. Trust me. This is going to be huge. Like a hundred grand for each of us.”
Dillon’s head popped up from where it had been buried in his phone. “That much? Really?” He whistled softly. “Shit.”
“Yeah.” Shane started pacing again. “I keep telling you guys. You need to believe me. This is going to be huge. Our chance at the big time.”