Eight Days a Week (14 page)

Sitting to her left was Ian. And next to him was Tess.

Danger. Danger. What would Tony Danza do
here
?

It should have occurred to me Ian would be playing tonight. Of
course
Tess was there. I ran a hand through my hair and yanked on the ends, making them stand up. I must have looked like I’d stuck my finger in a socket.

Taking a deep breath, I decided to deal with family first. I walked over to the bar and stood just out of Xander’s view. Gwen followed me, biting her nails.

“You’re not going to cause a scene, are you?” Her forehead was creased with anxiety.

“No. I just don’t want to walk up like everything’s okay. Why don’t you go talk to Cece?” I gestured toward her.

Gwen smiled and shook her head. “I want to be here for you.”

Xander caught sight of us and, once he realized we weren’t just a couple of regular customers, his demeanor turned cold. He swerved around the other bartender and stopped in front of us.
 

“Gwen, nice to see you.” His smile was tight when faced me. “Is this a pleasant visit?”

I rolled my eyes and planted my hands on the counter. “I’m not coming in here to start shit with you. I’d like to talk, if you have a minute.”

He leaned in to the other bartender and told him he was taking a short break. The guy nodded, and Xander came around to the front of the bar. Standing just a bit shorter than me, his stance was defiant, and I had to stop myself from punching him in the nipple.

“I thought maybe it was time we had a talk.”

Xander crossed his arms and took a deep breath.

“I’m glad Cece had you while I was gone.”

His mouth fell open.

“It sucks that you couldn’t, or wouldn’t, tell me. I trust you more than my own family, man. And you’ve been with her for a year. Off and on, I don’t care. She’s still my sister. And whether or not you think I care about her doesn’t matter. You lied to me and hid shit, and I’m pissed. But I want her to be happy. And if you make her happy, then I’m okay with this.” I waved my hand in my sister’s direction.

“You left for two years, and the only time you called her was when you came back and needed a place to stay,” he said, his jaw stiff.

“Right, but I called
you
.”

He looked away for a second and then back up at me. “Yeah.”

“You could have told me, and then
I’d have had time to get used to the idea that my best friend was
sleeping
with my
sister
before I came home. Instead, I got attitude from the two of you like I didn’t deserve to know. I’m not as selfish as you think I am. I’m learning that. And the fact that you treated me like I didn’t even matter in the equation? It made me feel . . .” I took a deep breath and rubbed my hands over my face.
 

I leaned in and pointed a finger at his chest. “You make her cry and I’ll hurt you, got it?”

He knocked my hand off his chest. “I’m not the one who makes her cry.”

I nodded. Then I gave in and twisted his nipple until he screamed. “Shut it, asshole. I’m working on it.”
 

“Don’t touch him!”
 

Cece seemed to come out of nowhere and yanked my hand away from her boyfriend. She pummeled my chest with her fists until I grabbed them both in one hand and held her back.

“Take a pill. I gave him a titty twister. No big deal.”

She scrunched up her face and wriggled out of my grasp. “Are you ever going to grow up?”

“No. And I’m okay with that.” I looked over at Gwen. “Some people need a person like me to make them feel more . . . adult.”

Gwen’s eyes widened, and she pressed her lips together to stop from laughing.

I smiled at Cece and ruffled her hair. “I was just giving Xander my blessing to date my sister.”

“Like he needs that.”

“Oh, he did. Trust me.” I bent down to meet her at eye level. “Because if he ever hurts you, I will put him in a full-body cast.”

She slapped my forehead and pushed my head away. “Stop acting like you care.”

I pulled her closer to my chest and held her wrist in my hand. “Stop acting like I
don’t
.”

She stopped struggling, and then her eyes welled up with tears as she looked into my face. “Since when?”

“Since always, I guess. So if I can stop being an asshole and you can stop being so bitchy, maybe we can sit down one day and talk. Get stuff out. Work through it.”

Cece took a small step forward. “You’re so resentful, and I don’t even know why.”

“You’ll never know until we talk, right?”

Gwen brushed her hand against mine, and my fingers twitched. She made me want to be a better person, and it was killing me.

“You should come home for your birthday,” Cece said. It was a challenge.

Gwen shifted next to me. “When’s his birthday?”

“Weekend after next,” Cece said, never dropping her eyes from mine.

Gwen nodded. “That would be perfect.”

Did she just agree for me?
 

“I’ll think about it,” I said.

“Gwen!” Tess shouted, finally noticing us, and Ian craned his neck around. “What are you doing here? Why aren’t you with Kyle?”

I opened my mouth, but Gwen was a second ahead of me.
 

“He stood me up.”

Tess narrowed her eyes. “Impossible. Kyle would never.” She pulled out her phone and pressed a few buttons. “He didn’t call or leave any messages. No texts. Are you sure? How long did you wait?”

Gwen shrugged. “Thirty minutes?”

Tess’ face grew grim. “I’m calling him to find out what happened.”

She dialed his number, then plugged her ear and listened as the phone rang. Her lips were moving, but her voice was too low to hear in the loud bar. Finally she dropped her phone back into her purse.

This was it. I was going to get busted for dangling my dick in front of another guy.

“He said he’s sorry for bailing but he’s ‘confused about his situation.’ ” She shook her head. “I have no idea what that means.”

I did. It was the power of the Don. I resisted the urge to pat him like a good puppy for doing his job. But he was mad at me anyway for playing more games of solitaire that morning.

Xander and Ian looked at me with raised eyebrows, and I pursed my lips to keep from smiling.
 

Tess hugged Gwen and patted her back. “I’m sorry. But I have plenty of guy friends to set you up with.”

Not if I had anything to do with it.

Cece, Gwen, and Tess grabbed their drinks and moved further down the bar, huddled up and talking about who-knows-what, but I smiled when Gwen looked back and gave me a wave.

Xander leaned in and yelled in my ear. “Jimmy hooked up with one of the waitresses—that girl, Rae?—like, the day after he took Gwen out. Apparently he told Rae about their date. She’s got one hell of a jealous streak. Gwen might need to watch out for the claws.”

“Did you hear about the kids drenching Jimmy with water balloons?”

Xander pressed his fist to his mouth and laughed. “No. You’ll have to fill me in on that. How’s it going, anyway?”

“I’m good with kids, go figure. They make me responsible.”

Ian laughed and clapped a hand onto my shoulder. “The guy who took the manny job to get his inheritance—and get in his boss’ pants—is claiming to be responsible now?”

I widened my eyes. “Would you keep your voice down?” I hissed and looked around frantically, but the only person I saw who might have been within earshot was Rae the waitress, who was rinsing out some glasses at the end of the bar. Her hair hung covering the side of her face like a curtain, and she gave no sign of having overheard, so I turned back to Ian. “How do you know about that anyway?”

Ian waved a dismissive hand. “Our friend Xander here is a Gossip Girl.”

“Do you actually watch that show?” I asked.

He averted his eyes and took a swig of beer. “No . . .”

“Well, lock it up, both of you,” I said, my voice low. “Besides, it’s not like that anymore.”

“Relax,” Ian said, grinning. “I was just messing with you, man.”

Xander smiled and patted my back. “I think this job has been good for you.
They’re
good for you.”

I watched as Gwen and Tess swayed to Ian’s music. An okay-looking blond guy approached Gwen and spoke into her ear, but she shook her head and he walked away, dejected.
 

“Yeah, I think you’re right,” I said.

Jimmy’s voice filtered through the speakers, announcing Ian’s set, and Ian left us to go take his spot on stage. Tess meandered up front, pulling Gwen and Cece with her. I gave Xander a grin and patted him on the back before I joined Gwen in front of the stage.

She smiled as I stepped next to her, and then she jerked her head, beckoning me closer. I dropped my head to lean in to hear her over the music.
 

“Why do you say Cece the way you do?” she asked. “You know, you draw out that first
S
sound. It’s cute.”

I shook my head ruefully. “I had a lisp like Brady. That’s why I understood when he wanted to call me Dee.”

Her eyes softened. “There are so many layers to you, Andrew Lyons.”

I stared at her lips and bit my cheek. “Want to peel back one or two later tonight?”

Her lips parted and she inhaled sharply. “Stop it. We’re being good from here on out. We already decided on that. Remember the kids.”

“Suit yourself.” I turned toward Ian and smiled as she stared at me, clearly questioning her moral decision.

Gwen was quiet on the drive home, listening to the radio and smiling out the window into the darkness.

I glanced over at her as the lights of the street bounced across the glass and illuminated her face in the darkness. It was becoming more apparent that I was falling for her and falling fast.
 

I wanted her, and I didn’t want anyone else to have her. Now that she was backing off, I wanted her even more. I was frustrated, and it hadn’t even been twenty-four hours since I’d last tasted her lips. I itched to kiss them again.

A part of me wished I could be the selfish prick I’d pretended to be for so many years—that I could use her for my own physical release, like I’d always done. But there was something about Gwen—and the kids—that made me think twice about all my actions.

I pulled the car into the garage, cloaking us in darkness and silence. Once again, the pull was there. I wanted to take her hand and lead her down to my bedroom. I wanted to have her beneath me, calling my name and begging me. Only me.

That was where things weren’t lining up.

So I exited the car and, instead of giving her a chance to stall in the garage again, I went ahead and opened the door to the house. She thanked me and walked inside.

“Thanks for getting me out of the house,” she said when we cleared the entryway. “I hope you didn’t feel like you had to bring me along.”

I shook my head and pocketed the car keys. “I don’t do anything I don’t want to do, Gwen. You’ll figure that out soon enough.”

She smiled and tilted her head, thoughtful. Then she opened her arms and pulled me into a hug. I wrapped my arms around her and inhaled before leaning away.
 

She kissed me on the cheek. “Good night, Andrew.”

I stepped all the way back and blinked, trying to clear my head of the haze her body heat had created.
 

“Good night, Gwen.”

I turned slowly and walked to the stairs.

“Oh,” she said, “and for the record?”

I twisted to see her over my shoulder.

“I think you did the right thing tonight. You should be proud. You’re a good brother, Dee.” She smiled again and nodded for emphasis before walking upstairs.
 

Chapter 17

Don’t Let Me Down

Gwen called in the morning asking if I could bring her badge to her at work. She’d left it at home and had had to wait on someone to let her into the building. After getting the kids off to school, I did as she asked.