The Blame Game_A Brook Brothers Novel

by Tracie Delaney

  Phil pointed to his watch, a sign that meant she’d no doubt be hearing from him soon. Her mood took a downward spiral. She inwardly cursed the untimely arrival of her brother, which had spoiled the most fun she could remember having—ever. Since the age of eight, her life had been one long depressing tale of poverty, hunger, beatings, lies, and betrayal. She’d allowed herself one moment. Just one. But Phil had even taken that away from her.

  Resentment stole across her skin, settling like a heavy weight on her chest. Why her? Why had she been dealt this hand? She’d found a man with whom she could be happy. But that wasn’t to be her story. No, hers was a much more brutal affair.

  Jax playfully bumped her shoulder. “Where’d you go?”

  “Sorry.” She forced a grin. “My mind wandered. Here, help me get these skates off.”

  After they’d warmed up with hot chocolates—and whipped cream—they caught a cab back to her place, but worry that Phil would be waiting for her made her feign tiredness and the need for an early start the next day.

  She climbed under the covers, exhausted, numb, and drained. She wanted to cry but had no tears left. There were no other options, no place to run. It was time to resign herself to her fate.

  Chapter Fourteen

  The next few weeks went by in a flash. Indie’s happiness grew with every minute she spent in Jax’s company. Then despair would crash over her when Phil would turn up to ask how things were going. She knew the date was drawing near when he’d want to put his plan into action. However, as Jax hadn’t even come close to saying he loved her, Phil had refrained from pushing Indie into ripping out the heart of the man who’d become the meaning to her entire existence.

  Jax might not have said those three words, but Indie had said them to him—in her mind—every single day, all the while aware that she’d fallen for the very man who could never be hers. Jax’s heart wasn’t the only one that would be torn apart in order to deliver the revenge her brother demanded.

  As Indie left work the week before Thanksgiving, her cell rang. When the display showed Jax as the caller, her pulse began to race with excitement. She hadn’t seen him all week because he’d been maxed out with the build. It was only six weeks until opening night, and he needed every spare minute to work on making sure the place was ready for the guests who had already booked in. If he had to cancel, it would ruin the hotel’s reputation before it had even begun, and a disaster like that would be the kiss of death to a new business in a town where competition was fierce.

  “Hey, you,” she said as she walked down Sixth Avenue toward her apartment building. “I wasn’t expecting to hear from you. How’s it going?”

  “Did you have any plans tonight?”

  She couldn’t contain her grin. There was only one reason he’d ask her such a question. “No. Why?”

  “Come on over. I’ve got a surprise for you.”

  “A surprise? For me?”

  “Yep.”

  “I’m on my way.”

  She was about to hang up when he called out. “Indie?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I’ve missed you.”

  Her heart bumped against her ribcage. “I’ve missed you too, Jax.”

  She flagged down a cab because walking would take too long, and she couldn’t wait to see him, to hold him in her arms, to kiss him. The last week had felt like a lifetime, and she could barely remember how she’d occupied herself before she’d known him. One thing was certain: he’d filled her life with a joy she hadn’t thought possible.

  The cab pulled up outside the hotel, and as she stepped onto the sidewalk, the front door swung open. He must have been keeping a lookout for her. Her heart leaped. He looked tired, his face drawn, dark circles beneath his eyes, but that didn’t detract from his beauty or her sheer excitement at seeing him.

  He ushered her in from the cold. The moment the heavy door closed, his mouth was on hers. His hands knitted into her hair as he tilted her head to give him the angle he wanted. His tongue ravaged her mouth, and his erection nudged against her belly. Clearly, he was as excited to see her as she was to see him.

  A low moan eased from her throat. In response, he leaned into her until her back hit the wall. His hands fell to her ass, and he squeezed. She reciprocated. Jax had a very squeezable ass.

  “Come to bed,” he said, his voice rasping with need as he kissed her again.

  Pleasure rushed through her. She needed—craved—this connection they had. Once he knew the truth, she’d lose him forever. Even though it pained her, she was going to make every moment count and store up these precious memories for when she was cold and alone—as she would deserve to be.

  “Is that my surprise?” she said as he drew back.

  He gave her a panty-melting stare. “No, but I’m sure I can come up with something inappropriate that’ll dazzle you.”

  Butterflies swarmed her belly. Jax was nothing if not adventurous between the sheets. He led her downstairs, through the living room, and into the familiar space of his bedroom. He tugged the comforter from the bed and tossed it on the floor.

  He turned back around and gestured to her. She obeyed his command, walking toward him on shaky legs. The thought of sex with Jax always made her as unstable as a toddler trying out walking for the first time. He knew the precise moves that made her beg him to never stop.

  With slow, steady movements, he took off her clothing until she stood before him completely naked. Jax, though, remained fully clothed. It was something he did regularly, as though he knew it excited her.

  “You, on the bed,” he said, jerking his head backward.

  She did as he asked, almost panting before he’d even touched her.

  “Arms out to the side. Legs spread.”

  A tidal wave of desire built within her, making her mouth fill with saliva. After she’d followed his instructions, he walked around the bed, his gait assured. He pulled open the nightstand drawer and took out four lengths of satin ribbon. Oh, she knew what he was going to do. Over the last few weeks, their lovemaking had become more and more adventurous, and she loved it. She couldn’t tear her eyes away as he fed the ribbon through his fingers.

  “Do you want me to stop?”

  Unable to speak, she shook her head violently.

  “Does the idea of this excite you, Indie?”

  She gave a vigorous nod.

  “Good, me too. Now, give me your wrist.”

  He secured her right hand to the bed, followed by her left. Her ankles were next. He stood back to admire his handiwork.

  “If you become uncomfortable at any time, you must tell me, and we’ll stop.”

  She still couldn’t find her voice, so like a mute, she gave him another nod.

  He removed his clothes until he, too, was naked. Jax’s body wasn’t a new sight to her, but it was definitely one she’d never tire of. Every time she saw him naked, the sheer perfection of tight muscles over broad shoulders and chest that tapered to a narrow waist caused a tidal wave of desire that almost drowned her. As though it had been replaced with spaghetti, her brain turned to mush. She couldn’t think straight.

  He straddled her and began stroking her skin with the very tips of his fingers. Softly. Unhurried. He was careful not to touch her breasts, which was both frustrating and hellishly exciting. He caused every single nerve ending to light with fire as he paid attention to her entire body except the parts most men would dive straight for. Jax’s approach to sex was off-the-charts exhilarating.

  When he kissed her, she was more than ready for him. His tongue surged inside her mouth, taking, owning every single inch of her. Then he began the same journey with his mouth that he’d taken with his hands. No breasts. Definitely no pussy.

  Unintelligible moans fell from her mouth. If this wasn’t actually happening to her, she wouldn’t have believed it possible for a man to turn her on to this level without touching any of the main erogenous zones. But Jax managed it effortlessly.

  “Are you hot for m
e, Indie?” His mouth at the shell of her ear made her jump.

  Her eyes sprang open. “God, yes.”

  “What do you want me to do to you?”

  “Fuck me.”

  He shook his head. “I’ve told you before—I’ll never fuck you. I’ll worship you. I’ll make love to you. But never just fuck you. You’re too special, too beautiful. Too mine.”

  Her heart almost burst with love for him. “Then make love to me, Jax. I need you.”

  He smiled as he caressed the satin around her wrist. “On or removed?”

  “On.”

  A smile stole across his face as he scooched down the bed and untied her feet. He bent her knees until her ankles were tight against her buttocks.

  “Let your knees fall to the sides.”

  She did as he asked, even though her cheeks burned with embarrassment. Her awkwardness increased when his eyes went to the apex of her thighs.

  “There’s never been anyone like you, Indie, and there never will be again.”

  Before she could even take a breath, let alone come up with a suitable response, he leaned his arms on either side of her head and, with one sharp thrust, pushed himself inside.

  She gasped as he began to move, every forward movement bringing her closer to the edge. He laved her nipples with his tongue as his hips continued to drive his cock into her. Her mind shut down to everything except the feel of him inside her, on top of her, all around her. Nothing else existed. Nothing else mattered.

  She climaxed, a loud groan tumbling from her lips as Jax thrust into her harder, faster. Then his forehead fell to her shoulder as his cock jerked. “Jesus, Indie,” he muttered as he poured himself into her.

  She waited for his breathing to even out. “Untie me, Jax.”

  He released her bonds, but as he went to move away, she hugged him to her, taking note of the scent of him, the broadness of his back, the way his damp hair curled at the nape of his neck. She took a mental picture and stored it away in her special album.

  “I’m so lucky to have found you,” he said.

  Guilt crashed against her chest like a boulder pushed down a hill and coming to a hard stop at the bottom. And the pain… God, she couldn’t stand it. He didn’t deserve this. Any of it. She might not be able to tell him one truth, but she could certainly tell him another.

  “Indie?” Concern laced his voice.

  She blinked back tears and looked up at him. “I think I might love you, Jaxon Brook.”

  His eyes bored into hers, those dark emerald-green irises making her heart sing with joy. He touched his lips to hers. “I think I might feel the same.”

  * * *

  “Do you want your surprise?”

  Indie sat up in bed and rubbed her hands together. “Do I ever. You distracted me with your sexy moves.”

  Jax burst out laughing. “My sexy moves? Love it.” He flung back the covers and went over to the door. “Wait there.”

  He disappeared into the living room, returning with a shallow oblong gold box that had been tied with a silver bow.

  “I hope you like this, because, well, it’s more for me than you really. In fact, I think I’ve probably oversold it by calling it a surprise.”

  She held out her hand. “Stop rambling, and just give me the box.”

  He grinned and handed it over.

  She tugged on the ribbon and unfastened it from around the box. Opening it slowly, she peered inside, a broad smile extending across her face.

  “Knicks tickets,” she said, laughing at the tentative expression on Jax’s face. “Awesome.”

  “Are you sure?” he said, biting his lip in a very un-Jax way. “I know sports aren’t really your thing, but you did say a few weeks ago you’d like to go to a game.”

  “I’m totally sure.” She leaned over and kissed him. “Thank you. I love it. When are we going?”

  “Wednesday.”

  She frowned. “That’s the night before Thanksgiving. Are you sure you won’t be too busy with family?”

  “Oh yeah, that’s another thing. I want you to come to Thanksgiving dinner. That is, unless you’re spending it with your brother?”

  Indie couldn’t help but notice the tightening of the skin around Jax’s mouth, and her pulse jumped. It had been weeks since their fight over Phil harming her, and stupidly, she’d begun to think Jax had forgotten. If the clenched jaw and closed lips were anything to go by, he hadn’t forgotten a thing.

  “No, I’m not spending it with him, but wouldn’t you rather it was just family?”

  He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. “You are family. Besides,” he said, completely unaware of how his throwaway comment made her heart soar—and then crash and burn. “My best friend Paul is coming with his wife, Alana, so it won’t be a complete testosterone zone. Calum’s invited his buddy Zane. I’m not sure who Cole’s bringing, and whether Nate will turn up is anyone’s guess.” His head tilted to one side. “So it’s either leave Alana to deal with us punks on her own, or you help a sister out.”

  She chuckled, his light demeanor making the waves of guilt in her chest recede. “What’s she like?”

  “Alana? She’s great, although how she puts up with Paul is beyond me. You’ll like her, and no doubt, she’d really appreciate you being there.”

  “Then I’d love to come.”

  He grinned. “And I can’t wait to show you off.”

  Indie’s stomach chose that moment to growl loudly. She cupped her hands across her middle and grinned. “I skipped lunch.”

  Jax got out of bed. “Stay there, and I’ll make you something.”

  Ignoring him, she flung back the covers. She grabbed her clothes. “I can’t stay tonight. I’ve got an early-morning meeting.”

  “Okay, but you’re still eating before you go.”

  She saluted him. “Yes, sir.”

  He came around her side, like a panther stalking its prey. He took her in his arms and pressed his lips to hers. “I kinda like it when you call me that.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Indie woke with a start. She held her breath, her ears straining. Was someone in the apartment, or were her pounding heart and clammy palms the result of the howling wind and an overactive imagination? She eased back the covers and pushed her feet into the pair of slippers by her bed. Padding softly across the room, she tentatively reached for the bedroom door handle. She eased it downward and, as carefully as she could, pulled the door toward her, hoping the hinges didn’t creak.

  And then she paused. Someone was there. She could hear a rustling sound, and unless it was a very big rat, she wasn’t alone in the apartment. Her skin began to tingle, and her heartbeat shot into overdrive. Oh God. She should have stayed at Jax’s, but after such an emotional night, she’d been desperate for some time alone. She needed to sort through things in her mind, to try to come up with a plan that didn’t end with her breaking the heart of the man she loved—and who she now knew loved her in return.

  Leaving the door ajar, she glanced around her bedroom. Her eyes fell on a vase on the window ledge. It was one of those ornamental types, so it didn’t have any flowers or water inside. She picked it up. It was heavy enough to at least buy her some time, giving her a chance to escape and run for help.

  She opened her closet and slipped her feet into a pair of sneakers, but as the rustling increased in volume, she decided there was no time to get changed. She picked up her makeshift weapon and gripped it tightly with both hands. After nudging the door open with her foot, she crept toward the figure crouching down in her kitchen. The intruder was rifling through the cabinet beneath her sink. She tiptoe’d across the never-ending space, which in reality was less than ten feet. She lifted the vase up high and was about to slam it over the dark-brown head when the prowler glanced over his shoulder.

  “Indie! What the fuck?”

  Phil covered his head with his arms as Indie froze, the vase still raised up high, ready for action.

  “You
damned idiot!” She set the vase on the kitchen countertop and slapped Phil on his arm. “I could have caved your head in.”

  He slowly got to his feet, his hands held out in front of him in a conciliatory fashion. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

  Her mouth fell open. “That’s all you’ve got to say? Jesus Christ. What the hell are you doing here? It’s the middle of the goddamn night.”

  “Chill, sis. I’ll be out of your hair in a minute. I just needed something, and I thought you might have it.”

  “Chill? Chill? You scared the shit out of me. This has got to stop, Phil—you sneaking in here. What if Jax had been here, huh?”

  He pulled a face. “Relax. He isn’t, so we’re all good.”

  Indie narrowed her eyes. “You’re taking too many risks.”

  Ignoring her, he bent down once more. Reaching into the cabinet, he picked out a bottle and tucked it into his pocket. Straightening, he patted her on the cheek like she was five years old and went to leave.

  Furious, Indie shot in front of him, her arms splayed wide against her front door. “What’s in your pocket?”

  “Nothing that needs to concern you.”

  She scowled at him. “What’s going on, Phil? Why the sneaking around?”

  He crossed his arms over his chest. “You let me worry about the details. All you need to do is carry on spreading your legs and letting Jax Brook gorge himself on your pussy until he can’t see straight.”

  Her stomach rolled, and bile burned in her throat. “You are disgusting.”

  He moved so quickly that she didn’t follow the motion. The next thing she knew, Phil had his hand around her throat. He shoved her against the wall, forcing the air out of her lungs with a whoosh. She clawed at his hand, but he was too strong.