by Jenika Snow
He took her mouth again in a bruising kiss and started really pounding into her body. Her orgasm was coming on strong and hard, and all she could do was hold onto him, riding it out. He broke the kiss and rested his forehead against her shoulder, panting as he pumped his hips in and out. Her climax washed through her, and she gasped at the intensity of it. Her mouth found his shoulder, and she bit the shirt-covered flesh. He grunted but soon followed her over the edge. The feel of his seed exploding out of him and coating her insides had another series of contractions clenching down hard on his dick.
“Yeah, Janey, that’s it.” His hand moved away from her leg, but she kept it firmly attached to his hips, arching into him more. He gripped her breast, massaged the globe, and when her nipple was erect, he started pinching the tissue. His hips were still moving back and forth, but it was languid and comforting. “I love you so much, sweetheart.”
Feeling this kind of intimacy was exhilarating, and Jane tightened her hold on him. Since she’d gotten on birth control at the town’s free clinic, there was no barriers between them. It made her feel closer to them, more loved. She just wished she could give them more. They did so much for her, for her mother. They were the most selfless people she knew, and her love for them grew every day. “I love you too, Will. God, I love you.”
Chapter 22
When Jane and Will came back to the party, the music was louder, and the alcohol was flowing even more freely. William grabbed her hand, and she looked down at it and then up at him. She didn’t stop the smile that spread across her face. His grin matched hers, and he gave her hand a light squeeze. Looking around at the people, she wondered if they knew what she and William had done. No one paid any attention to them. In fact, the majority greeted both of them, and some handed beers to them.
They made their way back to the circle of guys they left earlier. Although none of them mentioned they had been gone longer than what was needed to take a piss, Jane got a few smirks and raised eyebrows. The conversation started back up about construction and technical jargon that had her lost. Then she realized Rys was missing. Looking around, she saw him over by one of the kegs, with Christa Martine sidled up very close to him. Jane wasn’t a jealous person by nature, not she knew all about Christa.
It wasn’t hard to see Christa’s attraction. She stared up at Rys, who had his back to her as he talked with a few other guys. No, Jane had nothing to be jealous over, and just as she was about to turn around and put her petty feelings behind her, she watched Christa grip Rys’s arm, which caused him to turn and look down at her.
Even from this distance, she could see Rys’s confusion as he stared at Christa, but then he leaned down, and she whispered something in his ear. His face paled and then hardened. He shook his head a few times, his mouth moving quickly as he spoke. Christa’s mouth started moving as well, and her hand slid up his arm and stopped on his chest. His brows were knitted, and he shrugged her hold off of him, still shaking his head.
Jane’s heart pounded, and she found herself gripping William’s hand tighter. He was too engrossed in construction talk to realize her distress. She tried to keep her calm, keep her face smooth of reaction, but the longer she watched Christa touch Rys, and the fact that he wasn’t pushing her away, had Jane thinking all sorts of horrible things. Are they sleeping together? It wasn’t like they sat down and declared their exclusivity to one another, although Jane assumed as much after they told her how much they loved her.
Jane couldn’t hear what they were saying, and it wouldn’t have bothered her so much that he was talking to Christa if not for the fact that the two of them started walking toward the forest, her arm now wrapped around Rys’s bicep.
Chapter 23
The feel of Christa’s hand on him had his whole body tightening. Rys didn’t like it, but the bomb she dropped back at the keg had his brain malfunctioning. He couldn’t think straight, and now all he could think about was getting her away from the general population so they could really talk about it. Once they were far enough away, he ripped his arm out of her hold and spun around, glaring at her.
“There is no fucking way, Christa. No fucking way. I’ve never even fucking slept with you.” His voice was rising, but it wasn’t because he believed the bullshit she was spouting. Christa wasn’t known to be the most honest person, and her claiming he’d knocked her up was beyond ridiculous, especially since he’d never had his dick anywhere near her.
“Rys, it’s possible,” she whined.
He looked pissed. “It’s not possible. The night you’re claiming it happened, we never even had sex. So tell me how the fuck you got pregnant by me.” He ran a hand through his hair, getting more and more pissed.
“Yeah, well…” She shrugged. “You were drunk, but not that drunk.”
Yeah, he’d been wasted, but shit, he hadn’t been so black-out drunk that he wouldn’t remember sleeping with someone.
But I had passed out. Shit, did we…? Did I? No, it felt so not right, the biggest fucking lie ever uttered, and God, what she said made him sick to his stomach.
She looked smug standing before him.
“You fuck so many guys, Christa.” He glared at her and crossed his arms over his chest.
She rolled her eyes. “What I do is my business.”
“Yeah, it is, but don’t even try pinning this on me when I know I didn’t sleep with you. I know for a fucking fact, and the guys at Rowdy’s talk, Christa. They aren’t shy about bragging about the pussy they score.”
At least she looked uncomfortable at his statement. She shook her head adamantly and said, “No, Rys, this baby is yours.”
“I don’t believe you, Christa.”
Her shoulders cocked back. “You fucked me, and now I’m pregnant. You will help me take care of this baby one way or another, Rys.” She took a step forward and smiled. “Just think, now, you can fuck me all you want. No condoms, no nothing. It’ll be so good, baby.” She moved closer and placed her hands on his chest.
He cured his lip in disgust.
“We can have a happy little family. You, me, and our baby.”
A gasp in the distance had him drawing his head up. His heart sank when he saw Jane standing a few feet away. He had been so caught up in Christa’s shit that he hadn’t even heard her approach. His Jane covered her mouth, and fat tears fell down her cheeks. He pushed Christa away and took a step toward Jane, his hand outstretched.
“Jane, baby.” She held her hand up to stop him. “No, let me explain.” He could see her eyes darting from him to Christa and the horror and sadness in them. She turned and ran from him, and instead of going after her, all he could do was stare at her retreating form.
“You don’t need her anyway, Rys. I can give you everything she can.” There was distaste lacing Christa’s voice, and it pissed him the fuck off.
After turning and giving her a glare, he took a deep breath to calm down. “I don’t know what kind of shit you’re pulling, Christa, but it’s fucked up.” She had the audacity to look hurt at his words, but he couldn’t find any sympathy for her. “If you’ve fucked up my relationship with Jane….” He breathed out roughly. “Let’s just say you better not have fucked it up, Christa.”
Her eyes narrowed, and she crossed her arms again. “What in the hell is so damn special about Jane Silver? You and Will are so enamored with her, and half the town can’t figure out why. She’s just white tra—”
“Don’t.” His voice was dangerously low, and he projected all his rage in that one word. Her eyes widened marginally. “You don’t fucking say one thing about Jane. Not. One. Fucking. Thing.”
He turned and left, praying he could fix this.
Chapter 24
William finished his beer and tossed the glass in the trash. Jane had wandered off toward the keg after assuring him she’d be right back. He wasn’t a paranoid asshole who wanted to control her every move and be right by her side, but he knew that when guys got drunk, they got touchy-feely, and he wasn’t
having any of that.
Once again, for what seemed like the millionth time since Janey had told him about what her father had done, William couldn’t get it out of his head. He wasn’t a violent man by nature, but at that moment, he could picture himself doing all kinds of violent things to Charles Silver.
Ten minutes maybe passed before he saw Janey running toward him, tears streaming down her face. Instantly, he strode toward her and took her into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her head in his chest. Her wracking sobs shook her whole body, and he held her tighter.
“Did someone hurt you?” He didn’t bother keeping the rage out of his voice. Jaxx and Brooklyn came up beside him, since they were the only two guys left who hadn’t wandered. When she didn’t answer, he gently pulled her away and stared down into her tear-streaked face. He brushed his thumbs under her eyes, wiping the tears away. Seeing her so upset broke his heart, but God help the person who hurt her.
“Sweetheart, talk to me. Tell me who upset you, and I’ll kick his ass.”
“We all will,” Jaxx and Brooklyn said in unison.
It took her a moment to catch her breath, and then she looked around. No one paid them any mind, and when she realized that, she relaxed marginally. “I…” She glanced down and hiccupped before bringing her face back to his. “I just have to leave. Please.” The desperation in her voice had him pushing back his need to know what the hell happened. It was clear she wasn’t going to be forthcoming about what was wrong until she was away from this place. When he hesitated, she whispered, “Please, Will.”
He pulled her back into his body and wrapped his arms around her. Keeping his cool took everything inside him. His anger was a burning force, coiling his muscles and tightening his skin. He looked over at Jaxx and Brooklyn, and although he hadn’t meant to sound harsh, the barked order came out that way anyway. “I don’t have time to search for Rys. Can one of you find him and bring him back to our place?” Both of them nodded, and he didn’t miss how their worried expressions kept going to Jane. He pulled her in tighter, knowing they wouldn’t hurt her, but he needed to be the one who took care of her. Where in the hell is Rys?
“Come on, sweetheart.” He pulled her toward his truck. He had to walk fast just to keep up with her, which was saying something, since she was so much smaller with shorter legs. He helped her into the truck just as he heard Rys’s raised voice calling out to stop.
“Let’s go, please, William.” He hesitated as he saw Rys sprint toward them. “Please.” Her tears tracked down her face faster, and rage exploded inside him. Had Rys hurt her? He knew his brother wasn’t capable of it, but he was rough, more aggressive. Maybe he had inadvertently harmed Janey. Regardless if he did it or not, William’s fists clenched, and he held his ground, ready to beat the shit out of his brother.
When Rys was close enough, he pleaded, “I’m so sorry. Please, baby. Please.” There was desperation in his brother’s voice. William didn’t think. He just acted.
William’s knuckles connected with Rys chin, and he heard Jane cry out for him to stop, but he couldn’t see or comprehend anything but Rys in front of him. The punch sent his twin stumbling back. Rys grabbed his jaw, casting a shocked look at William that then turned furious.
“What the fuck, dude?”
“Stay away from her, Rys. I don’t know what the fuck you did to her, but it’s clear you hurt her in some way.” Rys took a step forward, his eyes flickering back to Jane. Will turned around, saw Jane had gotten out of the truck, and immediately went to her. She was crying harder, her eyes red and swollen as she stared at Rys.
“He didn’t hurt me—not in the way you think, at least.”
Will wrapped his arms around her, and she molded into his side. “He hurt you somehow, sweetheart. Tell me.” She looked up at his face and smiled sadly. When her mouth opened, a commotion had the three of them turning and watching Christa Martine march toward them.
“Fuck,” muttered Rys. He ran a hand through his hair as he looked back at Jane. “It’s not true, baby. I swear to God it’s not true.”
Before Will could demand what the hell Rys was talking about, his twin continued speaking.
“You have it all wrong, Will.” Rys’s voice was soft, distant. It was so unlike his normally hard-edged brother.
Jane buried her head in Will’s side and sobbed. Hearing Jane cry had him feeling so helpless. Christa marched up to Rys and looked around his shoulder to give a narrow-eyed look to Jane.
“Just leave, Christa. I have nothing more to say to you.” Rys sounded defeated, and a thought flitted through Will’s head, but he shook it off. No, Rys wouldn’t have cheated on Jane. He loved her so much. They both did.
“Everyone already knows, and I think your little slut should know too.”
Rys took a menacing step toward Christa, and if William hadn’t known his brother would never hurt a female, he would have been right there holding him back. “You don’t call her that. She isn’t the one who spreads her legs to half the town.”
Christa snorted loudly. “What-the-fuck-ever.” When Rys didn’t respond, Christa’s eyes grew large. “You know, everyone has heard the rumors about the three of you fucking around, but I was hoping that was all they were, rumors. It’s clear everyone was right about Jane Silver being a little white-trash slut.”
No one insulted their girl. No one.
“You gonna tell ’em or do you want me to?” By now, the whole party was at a standstill, everyone’s attention on them. A minute passed, and then Christa smirked cockily. “Fine.” Taking a step to the side, she glared at Jane, who was now no longer clinging to Will. “I’m going to have his baby.” Her grin widened, and she looked at Rys with an almost dreamy expression. “I’m nine weeks pregnant. I tried to tell Rys when I saw him at Rowdy’s the other day, but he brushed me off like I was some piece of shit on his shoe. Well, he can’t brush me off now, can he?” She looked smug, and it pissed Will the hell off.
It wasn’t like he didn’t believe Christa was knocked up. Hell, the whole damn town was just waiting for it. It was no secret she slept around, but now she was blaming it on Rys. The thing was that Rys never, and he meant never, fucked women without protection. His twin was a stickler for it, same as Will. They might not wear a condom with Jane, but she was Jane, their Jane.
“There is no fucking way that baby is mine.” Rys was staring intently at Jane, pleading with her. “I never even slept with her. She’d claiming it was at a party when I was drunk. I wasn’t that drunk I wouldn’t remember where I put my dick, and it certainly wasn’t in Christa.”
Christa snorted.
“Shut the hell up, Christa,” he growled at her. “I’ll say this one more time. That. Is. Not. My. Baby.”
Silence descended around them, and Will felt Jane’s gaze. He looked down at her and cupped her chin in his hand.
“Will, please, take me home.” She closed her eyes just as a big, fat tear slid out the corner of one. When she was in the truck and the door was shut behind her, Will made his way to Rys.
Speaking in a low tone, he said, “Get this shit sorted out, man. Janey doesn’t need this shit.”
Rys didn’t reply, wouldn’t even look at him. His entire gaze was on Jane. Will got in the truck and started it, knowing his brother would find a way home, but even if he didn’t have one, Will didn’t give a shit. All he cared about was getting Janey the hell out of there.
Chapter 25
Jane stared at her cup of coffee, the cream swirling through the dark liquid. It had been three weeks since the blowup at Brooklyn’s party. She had avoided Rys and William, not knowing how to feel about Christa’s confession. She wasn’t angry with Rys over Christa’s words. She was hurt. She knew the brothers had slept with people before their relationship started and that they had always been careful when it came to protecting themselves, but had Rys had a lack of judgment when it came to Christa?
She would like to think he hadn’t, but he had sl
ept with her without a condom, and he hadn’t seemed overly concerned about it. She couldn’t shake the image of Rys and Christa… together. Even after three weeks of successfully avoiding their phone calls and visits to the diner and her house, the ache in her chest hadn’t faded.
William hadn’t hurt her, but he was an exact replica of Rys, so when she looked at him, she saw his twin.
“Honey, you need to stop avoiding those boys.”
Jane didn’t bother turning around. She stirred her coffee, mixing the liquid until it was a creamy hue. “Mom, I told you I just can’t see them. I don’t know what to say.”
“I know, sweetie, but I can’t keep turning them away.” Her mom moved behind her and gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “Those boys love you, honey. I can see it in their eyes every time they beg me to let them come in and see you. It breaks my heart telling them no.”
Jane took a sip of her coffee and set it back on the counter. She looked out the window above the kitchen sink and watched as Rys walked back to his truck. This was a daily thing, sometimes twice a day. Sometimes, it was just Rys or William that stopped by, bearing flowers. Other days, it was both of them. Jane never answered the door, always having her mom do her dirty work. It broke her heart hearing them beg her to let them see Jane, but she just couldn’t, not yet.
It wasn’t even Rys’s fault, not really. So shit happened and he got a girl pregnant, supposedly. Why was she punishing all of them?
You know why, Jane, the damn little voice in her head decided to pipe in once again.
All she could think about was getting back with them, not letting this ruin the incredible thing they had, but then she saw Christa having her baby, a little baby that looked just like Rys and William. Rys would see the baby, fall in love with it, and leave to be with Christa to have a happy little family. If it were just the issue with the baby, maybe it wouldn’t have been such a big deal, but Jane had known Christa her whole damn life.