His Old-Fashioned Love
By
Laylah Roberts
Laylah Roberts
His Old-Fashioned Love
© 2013, Laylah Roberts
[email protected]
[email protected]
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author / publisher.
This story contains domestic discipline, spanking and BDSM. R18
Cover Design by: ebookcoverdesignsbycarey.com
Chapter One
“Why can’t I find a man like you?” Holly glanced down at her brother-in-law as he tightened the last nut on her spare tire. He had driven up as she’d been trying to work out how to use the jack. Just as well, because she had no idea what she was doing.
“If you had a man like me, you would be about to get your butt spanked for trying to change this tire by yourself,” he told her, a wicked grin on his face. Despite having lived in the US for the last twelve years he still had a faint British accent.
She grinned, rolling her eyes. Like she hadn’t heard that one before. Derrick Ashdown had been telling her she needed a spanking for years, much to her ex-husband, Matt’s disgust. Matt had never understood his older brother. He had often apologized to Holly for what he’d seen as Derrick’s caveman, sexist remarks.
But Holly and Derrick understood each other. She liked that Derrick wasn’t afraid to be exactly who he was. She hated subterfuge, detested people who said one thing but meant another.
Besides, she kind of liked Derrick’s caveman side. He’d often looked out for her in ways Matt never had.
Sometimes she wondered what her life would have been like if she’d married Derrick rather than Matt. She damn sure knew she wouldn’t be divorced right now. Derrick would take his wedding vows seriously. He would never cheat on his wife.
Not like Matt.
She was young and naïve when she first met Matt. She fell for his sweet tongue and gorgeous looks. Once they were married, though, he changed. She guessed she had been a challenge for him—the virgin who refused to sleep with him until their wedding night.
Once he’d had her the challenge was gone. She didn’t know exactly when he started cheating. He may have been cheating on her all along. God, when she looked back now she realized how trusting she’d been. How stupid.
Matt had traveled a lot for work. When he was at home, he’d had little time for her. Their sex life had dried up before it had barely started and Holly had blamed herself for that for years, thinking she was too inexperienced for him. She’d never realized that he was so busy sleeping around on her that he used to come home for a break. Asshole.
“Besides, they broke the mold after they made me,” Derrick told her.
She attempted a smile, shaking off the bitter emotions and memories as Derrick rose to stand beside her. As gorgeous and wonderful as Derrick was, he was like a brother to her. There just wasn’t any sexual attraction between them at all.
“You’re so good to me, Derrick. You’re always there for me, no matter what. I shouldn’t rely on you so much.”
After Matt left her, Derrick had been there to pick up the pieces. Like everything he did, Matt had selfishly chosen the worst possible moment in her life to announce he wanted a divorce.
She could still remember lying in the hospital bed, having just gone through the second of many painful operations on her leg. He’d looked down at her coldly as he’d told her that he hadn’t been attracted to her for years, how their marriage had been a mistake. That she was frigid and boring and not woman enough to hold him.
Holly could only lie there and gape at him. She’d known things weren’t perfect. But she’d believed in her vows. She’d believed that he’d stick by her even though her right leg was a mangled mess from a car accident.
Her beliefs had crashed and died.
If it hadn’t been for Derrick she didn’t know what she would have done. He’d stuck by her through her recovery, the physical therapy, the countless doctors’ visits. When she’d been well enough to leave the hospital he’d brought her to live with him, even going so far as to give her a job.
Never once had he let her down.
Derrick raised his eyebrows, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned back against her racy red Porsche. She had bought it for herself as soon as the money came through from her divorce. Derrick nearly had a fit, calling it a death trap. But she didn’t care. She loved the car.
“What do you mean you rely on me too much?”
“You keep bailing me out of situations and it’s not fair on you. You have your own life to live. I owe you so much and I don’t know how I can ever repay you.”
“Hey, we’re family. You don’t ever have to feel that you owe me anything.” Derrick reached out and brushed his thumb over her cheek. “You’re the sister I never had. I know I can be a bit overprotective—”
She snorted and he let a small grin slip.
“But I’m someone who needs to be needed. I love you, honey, and there are few people I have ever said that to. That can make me a bit overbearing when I don’t mean to be. So I apologize if I’ve been smothering you.”
Guilt stabbed her and she moved close, hugging him, burying her nose into his chest. “You’re not smothering me. You’re my best friend, my family. I love you, Derrick and, truth be told, it’s nice to have someone take care of me. I just…” She moved back, running her hand through her long, dark hair. He watched her as she paced.
“I feel like I lean on you too much. That I take without giving anything back in return.”
“That’s not the case at all. You do plenty for me as well. I prefer to think of us as a partnership. The dynamic duo.”
Holly groaned. “Or the terrible twosome.”
He grinned. “Exactly. So no more talk about what you owe me or vice versa. Family doesn’t keep tabs.”
Warmth filled her with his words. Her own parents were dead and she had no siblings. There’s might not be the most conventional family, but that’s what they were to each other.
“You know you could just ride in with me each day then neither of us would need to worry about you getting a flat tire or breaking down.”
They worked together and lived together—well, she lived in his guest house—so Holly figured they could both use a bit of space, even if it was just during the drive to and from work.
“I like to drive. Besides, what would happen when you wanted to work until ten? You know I’m no good for anything but my PJs and some hot chocolate at that time at night.”
“Easy. Robert would come get you.”
“Robert has better things to do.” Derrick didn’t hire a lot of house staff, just someone to clean once a week and Robert who took care of the grounds and acted as a chauffeur when Derrick needed one.
“You’re welcome to start coming in with me,” she suggested, holding back her grin as he shuddered.
“No, thanks. Even if I managed to squeeze myself into that tin can, I’d never get back out again. I’m not a contortionist.”
“It’s not that small!”
“I’m afraid it is, Holly. You’re just so small that everything looks large to you. Now, you’re going to tell me what has brought on all this ‘I need to be independent’ stuff.”
Holly looked down at her feet.
“No reason. I just figured you might be getting sick of me.”
Derrick leaned over and placed his fingers beneath her chin, raising her face so she had to look directly into his dark brown eyes. He really was a gorgeous man, with tawny-colored hair and a body that didn’t quit.
“I am not my brother. I don’t throw away my gifts. I will never get sick of you. We’re family, you and I. We stick together. Understand?”
Her shoulders slumped with relief. “I don’t know what I would have done without you over these last few years.”
“Ditto.”
“I don’t know what I’d do without you, and there are times when that terrifies me. You’re all I have left. What if you leave me too?”
Like Matt did. The words remained unspoken; they didn’t need to be vocalized. Derrick understood.
He drew her into his arms, rocking slowly. “You don’t ever have to worry about that. I will never leave you.”
She sighed. “You know sometimes I feel like I’m a dinosaur stuck in the twenty-first century.”
“You’re thirty-four, love. Hardly ancient. Try being close to forty.”
“Not my age,” she said, waving her hand. “You know, it’s getting late and we’re standing here on the side of the road when we should be eating dinner.”
Derrick reached out and grabbed her hand. “Holly, what’s going on?”
Tears welled in her eyes.
“Hey, hey,” he crooned.
“Just feeling sorry for myself.”
She leaned back. “It just seems that I’m a square peg trying to fit into a round hole. Apparently I’m old-fashioned and frigid because I won’t sleep with a man on the first date.”
“What?” He looked at her in shock. “Who said that to you? Did someone try to force you to sleep with them?”
“No, no, nothing so bad. But everyone I’ve tried dating lately,” an ordeal she’d forced herself to go through, “well, they just want to move so fast. It was like speed dating. ‘What do you do for a living? Where do you see yourself in five years? Who is your family? Let’s go home and sleep together’.”
She had no idea where she’d be in five years and couldn’t fathom sleeping with someone she barely knew. “I know it’s been a while since I dated; but when did men become such, such…”
“Assholes?” Derrick supplied.
“I wouldn’t go that far.” Although some of them…
“So what if those jerks can’t appreciate you? There are men out there who will. You’ve only dated four men since Matt left. None of them were worthy of you. Maybe you just haven’t been looking in the right places.”
She stared at him thoughtfully. “How do you know none of them were worthy of me?”
A flash of emotion crossed his face. Not quite guilt.
“Derrick!” she said sharply. “You ran background checks on them, didn’t you?”
“Of course I did,” he told her unrepentantly. “You’re my sister-in-law; I’m not going to let just anyone take you out.”
She sighed. She should protest, but truthfully she liked that he was looking out for her.
“What if I can’t trust anyone again, Derrick? What if I can’t ever let a man close again?”
“You will,” he said with conviction. “You know that not all men are like Matt.”
She knew that, of course. Derrick was a prime example. But knowing it didn’t mean she could actually manage to put her trust in a man again. But if she gave up then Matt won. She couldn’t allow that. She straightened her shoulders. She would find someone. Holly didn’t want to be alone for the rest of her life. She simply had to find the right man.
“Where do I find a guy who won’t expect me to put out on the first night? Who won’t care that I don’t look like a supermodel, who won’t be disappointed that I’m broken?”
“You are not broken,” he replied fiercely. “And you are beautiful. Is this why you and Jon broke up?” Derrick hadn’t liked Jon, a man she had dated for about three weeks.
Holly shrugged. There were multiple reasons why she and Jon had broken up, not the least being that he’d been using her to get closer to Derrick.
But she wasn’t about to tell Derrick that. And she wouldn’t be telling him the way Jon had delighted in putting her down, telling her how to dress, how to act. She liked strong men but she didn’t want a bully.
“I’d rather not talk about Jon. We have to get up at five a.m. to catch our flight. We should get home.”
Derrick looked at his watch. “Right as usual, love. I’ll follow you.”
A sense of safety stole over her. Even if he was like an over-protective big brother, she couldn’t ask for a better friend.
*****
Brax stared down at the small bundle in his arms. He couldn’t believe that his baby sister was now a mother. He glanced over at the other baby in his brother-in-law, Tom’s arms. Twice over.
“Can you believe our baby sister has twins?” Cam asked as he sat beside him and ran his finger down the soft cheek of their gorgeous niece, Charlotte. Her twin brother, Zeke, let out a cry from across the room.
Frankie turned, moving to her husband to rub her hand over her son’s back. The look of happiness and contentment on his sister’s face made Brax smile.
“No, I still see the little girl who used to run around after us,” he answered. “But then I can hardly believe you and Kent are fathers either.”
He looked over at Cam and Kent’s son, Joshua, who was sitting on a blanket playing with blocks. It was his second birthday today. Cam and Kent shared their wife, Bryony, a sweet woman who had brought happiness into his brothers’ lives. They were visiting so that Joshua could celebrate his birthday with their whole family.
“You’ve got it good, man,” Brax told him, trying to keep the longing from his voice. He looked out at his family: Tom and Frankie, with their newborn babies; Bryony, Cam and Kent with their boy Joshua; and finally, his oldest brother Heath with his lovely wife Ava. They now had two children—Jaron, who was from Ava’s first marriage, and Ryder, who was two-and-a-half. Brax was grateful for his family, yet the tiniest bit jealous that they were all so happy.
Cam glanced over at his wife who stood talking to Heath. “I know. Believe me, I know.” He turned back to Brax. “So how is Laurel?” he asked casually.
Brax narrowed his gaze. “We broke up. With my hours at work I couldn’t give her the attention she deserved. Plus, we wanted different things.”
She had wanted someone richer, more sophisticated. Someone who wasn’t an old-fashioned cowboy at heart. Laurel hadn’t been able to handle his dominance outside of their sex life.
Heath wandered over to sit on his other side.
“Stop hogging my niece,” Heath grumbled, reaching over to pluck Charlotte from Brax’s arms. “Come see your favorite uncle, precious girl,” he crooned.
Brax rolled his eyes. “Who are you talking about? She was just with her favorite uncle.”
“Stop fighting over her, you two. I’m going to be her favorite uncle,” Cam boasted.
“Can you believe Frankie has a little girl? What’s she going to do around all these boy cousins of hers?” Brax asked.
“Give them hell, hopefully,” Frankie said with a grin as she walked up and scooped Charlotte out of Heath’s arms. “Won’t you, Charlie-girl?” Frankie said softly to Charlotte, running her thumb over the little girl’s tiny hands. “You won’t let your uncles or cousins get the best of you. You’re going to have them tied around your little finger, aren’t you?”
“She already does,” Heath said wryly, picking up his own son, Ryder, as he toddled over, putting him on his lap.
“So, no Laurel?” Frankie asked Brax.
“No, you’ll be glad to hear we broke things off,” he said, well aware that Frankie had never liked Laurel.
Frankie sighed. “I’m not happy that you’re upset by it. But am I glad that she’s out of your life? Yes. I can’t lie, Brax. She wasn’t the one for yo
u. Laurel was a—”
“Bitch, bitch,” Ryder said happily. Everyone stilled and looked down at the little dark-haired boy, the spitting image of his large father.
“Now I wonder where he would have heard that?” Heath asked quietly, glancing up at Frankie who flushed guiltily and stepped away.
“Now, Heath, there’s no reason to blame me.”
“Bitch,” Ryder continued before he started chewing happily on his father’s shirt button.
Heath calmly extracted his shirt from his son’s mouth and stood. “Come on, kiddo, time for a nap.”
“I’ll take Joshua up as well,” Bryony said hastily, scooping up her son.
“Umm, the twins could use a nap as well; I’ll just…” Frankie tried to scoot from the room as Brax glared at her. Brat.
“I think that’s a very good idea,” Tom said in a stern voice, giving his wife a look that had her biting her lip. “I think we could all use a rest. Come on, Frankie.”
With a sigh, Frankie followed Tom who was cradling Zeke in his arms, out of the room.
Cam snorted as Kent came over and joined them. “Someone’s going to find it hard to sit at dinner,” Cam commented.
“Well deserved, too,” Kent replied.
Brax sighed. “Laurel always said that Frankie disliked her.” He felt bad now for not listening to her.
“Frankie tried to get along with her,” Ava told them as she picked up the kids toys. “But Laurel didn’t make it easy to get to know her.”
Brax looked at his sister-in-law in surprise. Ava was the quietest of the bunch. Sweet and serene, she normally got along with everyone.
“What are you talking about, Ava?” he asked.
Ava chewed her lip, looking slightly nervous. A knot formed in Brax’s stomach.
“It’s just that, well, whenever you left her with us, the sweet, lovely Laurel would disappear and sarcastic, snooty Laurel would come out.”
Ava glanced up at him apologetically. “Laurel was very ambitious, smart and beautiful. “I’m sure she is an amazing lawyer. However, she kind of looked down on us. Nothing we did or said was good enough. Apparently my clothing is prehistoric and Frankie talks like a trucker. She seemed to think that staying home with children was a fate worse than death.”
His Old-Fashioned Love (Old-Fashioned Series) Page 1