by Chase, Nikki
Emma nods. “There’s something else I’ve been wondering about, if you don’t mind .”
“Hit me .”
I don’t have anything to hide. If anything, knowing my dark side only gets a girl more interested, most of the time. They don’t always admit it, but there’s nothing that gets a girl going like being with a bad boy .
“Well, over the few days I’ve worked with you and your brothers, I notice they’ve mentioned certain rules and how they were made for you. And when I first met you in front of the house, you also mentioned some kind of a probation .”
From the way the words flow freely from her mouth, it seems like she’s given this question some thought. Maybe she’s trying to avoid offending me. Cute .
“Yeah, well . . . After college, my brothers got jobs and became productive members of society, as people often say. I, on the other hand, met these guys in college, who were . . . well, not so productive .”
Emma nods, but the adorable little line on her forehead tells me she doesn’t get it .
“What I mean is, they were junkies. And so was I.” I pull on my sleeve to show her the needle marks from those fun times. “Long story short, a friend of mine overdosed and it scared the shit out of me, enough that I decided to go to rehab .”
“Oh.” Emma’s jaw slackens and she raises a hand to cover her mouth. “Sorry about your friend .”
“Eh, he wasn’t so much of a friend as he was a fellow junkie. You see, all junkies ever do together is get high and get lost in our own private thoughts. It wasn’t like we were best friends,” I explain. “But I knew what happened to him could’ve happened to me, too. I’ve cleaned up my act now. But after wearing away my family’s trust in me for years, it takes time for them to start believing in me again .”
“Sounds like you’ve been through a lot,” she says. “I’m sorry. I hope you don’t think I’m being nosy. It’s really none of my business .”
“I don’t mind.” I shrug. “We work together and we live together. It’s only natural that you get curious about someone you spend so much time with . . . although that’s debatable since as you mentioned I don’t spend much time being awake at home .”
Hudson
"H ey! Glad you guys made it," I say to Ian and Emma .
She looks cute as usual. I ignore Ian's dirty look—I'll bet he's not happy I'm intruding on his little seduction game .
I'd give him more time alone with her, except it won’t be long until the twins find me. Right now, I've got the bassist of my band distracting them with some shit paperwork .
"Where are the others?" I look around, scanning the venue for my three brothers .
"Oh, they couldn't make it," Emma says, the edge of her mouth quirking up in an apologetic half-smile. "Fraser managed to get an appointment with a VC guy, so Austin and Sandy had to go to make a presentation, too. It was really last minute ."
"Oh."
"I'm sorry." Emma grimaces, as if it's her fault my brothers can't be here .
"Don't worry about it," I tell her. "The business comes first. This music thing is what I do to keep myself sane, but it doesn't bring in any money ."
"I think it's really cool that you're doing this on top of working on the business," Emma says sweetly .
"Thank you. It's not as glamorous as it sounds, being in a band, especially when you're my age." I give her a grin. "But at least I get to see people having a good time while they're listening to me. I like knowing that I'm doing something to give people a moment of happiness, a few fleeting minutes to escape from their problems and just enjoy being alive . . . you know ?"
"Yeah."
"He gets dramatic about his job sometimes," Ian says. "He just says all that stuff because he thinks girls dig it ."
"Hey. It's all true," I protest .
"I believe you," Emma says, giggling. "You're really creative. I've seen the toys you make at home. I can't wait to hear your music, too ."
"Thank you." Turning to Ian, I say, "See? Someone gets it ."
Ian shrugs .
"I especially like the little music boxes, the ones with the little dancing ballerinas inside. I think they're really well-made. The wood grains, the joints . . . I can see you really put a lot of thought into those toys ."
"Yeah. I just think that toys these days are too . . . plastic. Too obviously factory-made. I believe there's a market for toys that will stand the test of time and look good on the display shelves, too ."
As Emma nods, the rays from the low winter sun hit her hair from different angles, making it seem like a mini light display .
"You look beautiful today," I tell her .
Emma laughs nervously. "Thank you. But you don't have to say that. This is pretty much how I look at home most days ."
"I mean it, though. I haven't seen you a lot at home because I've been practicing for this event. I feel like I should start staying home a lot more now ."
"You think you're being smooth, but you're just being weird, man." Ian chuckles .
"No, he's not," Emma says. "No, really. I don't think you're being weird ."
"Thank you." From the corner of my eye, I notice two girls approaching us, wearing identical clothes, as usual. They've got their hair up in high buns and they're wearing these weird, colorful capes over their dresses—those outfits make them easy to spot. "I have to go now. I hope you enjoy the show ."
"Hudson," Nina whines. "We've been looking for you all over ."
"Sorry. I was just . . . saying hi to my fans." I give the twins a grin, even as I catch Ian smirking at my little predicament .
"We're the only fans you need to worry about." Lina grabs my arm and presses it against her chest .
Jesus. If I were a girl and they were powerful, male music executives, this would be sexual harassment. But since I'm a guy, I'm supposed to be grateful for the attention .
I glance over my shoulder at Ian. For an evil moment, I wonder if I should introduce him to these girls. Maybe they'll like him and pester him instead. But, as annoying as my brother can be, I can't do that to him. I wouldn't wish these two girls on my worst enemy .
I wrangle my arm out of Lina's hold and put my arms around their shoulders. At least, this way I don't have to make contact with any . . . sensitive body parts .
I hope our toy business takes off soon. Then, I won't have to worry about money, and I'll be able to ditch these girls .
It sucks that Austin, Fraser, and Sandy can't make it here, but it's good news that they've managed to get an appointment with some people who could potentially fund our business. I know they've got it covered, so I can focus on putting on a good show for Emma and the rest of my audience .
The twins can say whatever they want. But really, they're the least of my concern. It's not like they care about my music .
Emma, on the other hand, seems like she appreciates the things I create. And as for the rest of my audience—except for Ian—who knows if there's a serious producer in their midst ?
Emma
I watch as Hudson walks away, his arms around the two girls’ shoulders. I feel bad for Hudson for having to entertain them .
“Those girls are total brats,” Ian says, as if he can read my mind. “I feel bad for him sometimes .”
“Only sometimes?” I ask .
“Well, he’s suffering for his art like so many other people have before him.” A half-grin works its way across Ian’s face, drawing my eyes to the shadowy black scruff on his strong jaw .
“I think it’s great that Hudson finds ways to channel his creativity .”
“Well, sure.” Ian shrugs. “But, he’s my brother. I can’t say weird, cheesy things like that about him .”
I laugh
.
“He’s just like our parents. They’re some kind of hippies, too, like him,” he says .
“I heard they were traveling across the country in an RV .”
“Yeah. It always seems like they come alive when they’re exploring a new, strange place,” Ian says, chuckling. “In a strange way, our staying put together is some kind of a rebellion. We’re doing the exact opposite of what they’re doing .”
“That kind of makes sense. You moved around so much when you were kids .”
I look up at the stage as a guy in a puffy jacket climbs up and grabs the mic. He announces the line-up for tonight, and both Ian and I cheer when he mentions Hudson’s band .
“So, there’s another thing I’ve been wondering about,” I say as the opening band takes its place on stage .
“Uh-oh. What is it this time?” Ian teases .
I laugh. Raising my voice to be heard over the music, I say, “Your names. They’re all based on places, except for yours .”
"That's where you're wrong, babe.” Ian cocks a crooked grin my way. No doubt that practiced smirk has dropped a lot of panties .
"Am I now?" I raise an eyebrow .
"Yeah." He shrugs his broad shoulders .
"Okay. Let's see. Austin is a city, obviously. Sandy—Santiago—is another city. Hudson and Fraser are rivers. What are you ?"
"Runt of the litter ."
I laugh. "Come on. Is there an obscure town called Sebastian in the middle of nowhere ?"
"No. And it's really not that interesting ."
"Don't tell me what I'll find interesting or not. Just tell me this long, boring story," I insist .
"Okay, okay." Ian chuckles. "You're right. There's a small town in Turkey called Sivas. It used to be called Sebastian .”
"Interesting."
"It's not." Ian laughs. "My parents are weird nerds ."
"Weird, hippie nerds, huh? They sound interesting." I feel a sudden urge to get to know the couple who has given birth and raised these five gorgeous men. I want to know everything there is to know about the Archer brothers .
This is not how employees usually feel about their bosses, right? I feel like I'm reverting to my high school self, who had a huge crush on the Archer brothers .
Maybe I still do .
How can I not ?
After the make-out session with Sandy and Fraser on Monday, neither one of them has mentioned it again. I guess they're giving me space, or maybe they don't want to make things awkward .
I haven't stopped thinking about it, though. How can I when I see their handsome faces every day ?
I've even been wondering about their offer to ask Ian to join in. Were they serious? Was Ian really going to do it, had I wanted him to ?
Do I want him to ?
If my dreams were anything to go by, then I guess I want them—all of them. Maybe it's because I've been sleeping under the same roof as the five brothers, but I've been having these dirty, absolutely filthy dreams about them—all five of them and me .
The six of us, in bed, together. Our bodies intertwined and stacked on top of one another, writhing and moaning and grunting as we kiss and . . . well, do other things .
Last night, for example, I had this dream. A continuation of what happened on Monday .
Fraser and Sandy leave the door open and once Ian appears in the doorway, I ask him to come inside. The three of them feast on my body—Fraser and Sandy attached to my nipples like they were in real life, and Ian kissing up my thighs to reach the top as I arch my back and squirm in delicious, anticipatory agony .
Then, Austin comes home and starts French-kissing me. I hear the distinct sound of his fly being unzipped and I swear my mouth starts salivating as I think about taking his cock between my lips. And then . . .
"There's Hudson," Ian suddenly says .
"Huh?" I turn to stare at Ian .
He couldn't possibly have . . . There's no way he knows what I was fantasizing about, right ?
Ian points at the stage, and my gaze follows his finger .
Oh. Right. Hudson's band. That's what we came here for .
I clap my hands and yell out, "Woo! Hudson !"
All the way from the stage, Hudson grins. He takes one hand off his guitar and waves at me .
Ian laughs like I’ve just done something infinitely funny .
“What?” I ask, looking around. “Plenty of people were yelling .”
“I wasn’t laughing at you .”
“Then, what was so funny?” I ask .
Ian raises his chin to point at the stage. “See those girls, standing just by the curtains ?”
I don’t know how I missed them before, with their identical, colorful outfits. “The twins ?”
“Yeah. They were glaring at you.” Ian laughs again, a deep and husky sound that shakes his shoulders. Even at his most jovial, Ian exudes an intense, alpha quality I can’t quite describe .
I don’t get to see Ian like this too often. He folds one arm across his chest, resting his other elbow on it while his fingers rub the shadowy black scruff on his chin .
As I watch his twinkling eyes, he says, “I’ll bet they’re going to make Hudson’s life harder for waving at a girl .”
“Really? How?” Feeling bad, I turn my attention back to the stage where Hudson’s starting to strum his guitar .
Ian shrugs. “Who knows? A jealous woman is a scary thing. Two jealous women?” He laughs again and throws his head back, making his thick, dark hair tumble in the crisp wind .
“I shouldn’t have done that,” I say .
“I know how to fix this.” Ian’s tone is serious, but his smirk and the gleam in his eyes tell me there’s trouble brewing .
“How?”
“Like this.” Ian reaches out and tucks stray strands of blonde hair behind my ear .
Before I realize what he’s doing, he grabs my arm and yanks me to him. When he crushes his lips against mine, all I can do is stand there, dumbfounded .
Ian pulls back just enough to say, “The twins will think you’re with me—not Hudson .”
I don’t get a chance to respond before he claims my mouth again, overpowering me. It occurs to me that maybe the first kiss was enough to convince the twins that I wasn’t interested in Hudson (not true, by the way ).
For a moment, I try to resist, putting my palms on Ian’s chest to push him away. But I can’t deny it. I want this. And so does Ian. I can tell he’s not just doing this for show from the way his hand slides down my back and cups my ass .
A small voice in my head is questioning my decision. Seriously? Kissing a third brother ?
But I can’t pay attention to that voice, not with Hudson’s music blaring from the speakers and my own blood rushing in my ears .
Instinctively, I grab onto Ian’s arms, feeling their muscles over his leather jacket .
“Your lips look sexy like this,” Ian says, panting. “All red and wet from my kiss .”
I’m panting, frantically dragging air into my deprived lungs. “We should, uh, watch Hudson,” I say lamely, my head still spinning from Ian’s hot kiss .
“Yeah. Good call. We’ve probably convinced the twins already.” Ian gives me a wink as he slings his arm around my shoulders and pulls me close against his side. “They just have no idea how good we are at sharing .”
I try to focus on Hudson’s band, which is really playing some amazing tunes. It’s magical, seeing someone I know working a crowd into a frenzy. People are dancing and singing along to the music. It looks like they have some dedicated fans .
But I have to talk about this with someone or I’m going to explode .
“So, uh . . . You mentioned sharing . . . Do you know about . . . Um . . .” I hesitate, but Ian’s piercing gaze is on me, and I can’t stop now. “Fraser and Sandy . . . We, uh, kind of kissed, too . .
.”
And we did some other stuff, too. But it’s taken all I’ve got to come out with the kissing. I can’t bring myself to say how far we’ve gotten. Besides, I don’t usually kiss and tell, but this is . . . different, to say the least .
“Sandy, too? Damn it, he moves more quickly than I thought he would .”
“You knew about Fraser?” I ask .
“Baby, I saw him hopping out of your bedroom, half-naked .”
Fair point .
“And that’s . . . okay . . . with you? With all of you? It’s not going to cause any problems?” My heart thumps in my chest .
I’ve never liked anyone the way I like Sandy, but I also like Fraser the same way. Given the chance to spend more time with Ian, Hudson, and Austin, I’m pretty sure I’ll want them, too .
I can’t decide. Not now, at least .
But at the same time, I don’t want to disrupt the relationship between the five brothers. The last thing I want is some kind of a territorial feud between them .
They’re all such kind souls, and they get along better than any set of siblings I know. It would be a shame to see them in conflict .
“Not at all,” Ian says confidently .
“Has this . . . um . . . Has something similar ever happened before?” I ask as my heart races nervously, waiting for the answer .
“Something like that .”
I fall silent as my chest squeezes .
What is this? Am I seriously getting jealous ?
I’m the one who has kissed three of the Archer brothers. Ever since Ian met me in front of what’s now our shared home, I haven’t seen them with any other girl. Not one .
So what’s there to be jealous about ?
As I flick my gaze toward the stage, I realize the twins are gone and Hudson’s band has stopped playing .
“When did Hudson . . .?”
“About the time you told me about Sandy,” Ian says .
I scan the grassy clearing, looking for Hudson. I want to congratulate him for a successful performance .
But instead, I see a completely unexpected face. A familiar one .
He’s holding a cigarette between his two fingers, sticking them into his mouth, which is already filled with yellowed teeth. Greasy, unwashed hair. Protruding belly. A pair of too-small jeans, held up by a leather belt .