Play Fair (The Devil's Share Book 3) (12 page)

As soon as we got home I headed upstairs to check on Landry. She was still sound asleep in her pile of stuffed animals and blankets. Her dark thick eyelashes resting against her beautiful skin. I shut her door a little more and then crossed the hall to my room. I was nervous. And scared. Crossing this line with Bryan? It was intense; it was important. And I didn’t want to fuck it up. I wasn’t sure I knew how to give her the relationship she deserved. And apparently she might not know how to stick around after three months. It’d been so long since I was with someone I actually cared about. I sat on the edge of my bed, my head in my hands. What kind of example was I to my kid? I vowed right then and there to change my ways, change the way I saw and talked about women. I’d be damned if my little girl grew up thinking that it was okay to be treated like anything less than royalty. And I’d start with Bryan. I’d treat her so damn good that she’d never want to leave.

I looked up when I felt her walk in. I could always feel her when she entered a room. It was like she caused a shift in the air around me. “Hey, doll.”

Her smile was cautious, like she was nervous too. “Hey.”

I stood and closed the door softly. I’d open it later, just in case Landry needed us.
Us
. I stepped back and placed my hands on Bryan’s face. “You looked gorgeous tonight, although I might be biased because I think you look gorgeous every night.” I let one hand move to her hair, grabbing the dark silky strands in my fingers. “I couldn’t see anyone but you. You are all I ever see, baby doll.”

“Jacks…” She said my name in that soft way again.

“I want you. If I’m being honest, I’ve wanted you since the moment I fucking met you. I haven’t wanted to go out, haven’t wanted to miss your call. Talking to you is the highlight of my day. You are the best friend I’ve ever had, I couldn’t have made it these last few days without you. But having you here, holding you while you sleep and seeing you across the dinner table… I want more than your friendship. I want all of you. And I’m done pretending like I don’t.” I held my breath, it was all out there now. There was no taking it back. I told her how I felt, what I wanted. And now it was up to her. I should take a step back and give her room to think, but I couldn’t. “Talk to me, baby doll.”

She sat down across from me at the desk chair. Her mouth opened and closed a few times. Like she was trying to find the right words. Was she trying to find a way to let me down gently? For a brief moment in time I got a glimpse of what heartbreak felt like. And it fucking sucked. “I think I want more too.”

I raised an eyebrow. “You think?”

She took a deep breath and pulled her lower lip through her perfect teeth. “No. I know I want more. I just— Jacks, this can all become really complicated.” She stood and started pacing the room. “For starters my sister is dating your bandmate and friend. Not to mention the fact that I’m here for the whole summer to help you with Landry.” She paused long enough to gesture across the hall. “And Landry…that poor girl. I mean what if things so south with us, what would that do to her? Dylan isn’t wrong, Jacks. I get bored. I leave. I can’t explain why or what happens, but it does. There are just a lot of variables here. And as much as I would love to just throw caution to the wind and mount you right now, there are people we love at stake.”

See? That right there was why Bryan and I were perfect together; I was ready to dive in head first and she was being slightly cautious and hilariously sexy. She said she wanted to mount me. We were soul mates. I reached out and grabbed her hands, making her stand still. “I completely agree with you on Landry. The last thing I want to do is harm her or make her feel sad or abandoned. As far as your cock-blocking sister goes, she will just have to deal with us being together. And I promise you, doll, you’ll never get bored with me, so don’t even worry about that.” I wasn’t like any other guy she’d ever dated, she’d see. I was the one she’d been waiting on, I was the reason she always left before.

That got a smile out of her. “Jacks, what happens when this ends badly?”

“This will not end badly, baby doll.” I pulled her toward me, looking up into her eyes. “You and me? There is only happily ever after.”

She snorted out a giggle. “That was incredibly sappy. But also very sweet.” She climbed into my lap and rested her head on top of mine. “Can we go slow? One step at a time?”

“Go slow…? Like how…?” Did that mean I was going to have to wait a long time to get inside her? That would suck. It’d be worth it, but it’d suck.

“Like one date at a time? One base at a time?”

“Base? You mean sex?” My dick was frowning.

“I don’t want to rush this. I don’t want to complicate it right away with sex.” She bit her lower lip again. “And to be honest? Your cock kind of scares me. I need to work up to it.”

Couldn’t argue with her there. She was petite, we would definitely need to ease into it, pun intended. I kissed her chest. “Does that mean that tonight was our first date?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, get up.” I scooted her off my lap and walked her back toward my bedroom door. “Pretend like I’m walking you to your door after our date.”

“This is
your
door.”

“You are on so much crack if you think I’m sleeping without you next to me ever again. Now, come on, play along.” I waited until she nodded before continuing, “I had a really great time tonight.”

She shook her head, laughing quietly. “I did too. Thanks for finally asking me out.”

I looked down at my shoes. “Would you, um, maybe, like want to go out again some time?”

“Uh…I don’t know. Maybe.” She shrugged.

I stomped my foot. “You are supposed to act all giddy and excited that I want to see you again.”

“Okay, I’m sorry, ask me again.”

“No. You lost your chance. You hurt my ego, now I’m probably going to try to bang your roommate.”

She narrowed her eyes. “My roommate would never go for you. She likes really beefy muscular guys—”

I didn’t let her finish her joke; I tackled her on the bed. When we locked eyes, all the laughter faded away. I was looking at the girl I was falling in love with, the only girl I’d ever fallen for. I put my hand on her cheek and brought my mouth down to hers. When our lips touched, I swear I felt that kiss from my head to my toes and everywhere in between. We lay side by side on the bed, our body a tangle of mouths and limbs. I grabbed her leg and hitched it up higher on my hip. I was hard as hell, and the friction against her core was making it difficult to breathe. I ran my hand up the inside of her shirt, rubbing her nipple through the rough lace of her bra. I let out a groan when she started to move underneath me, seeking the same release I needed.

“Jacks?”

I dipped down and licked at the wild pulse in her throat. “Hmmmm?”

She arched into me, grinding her hips against mine and running her nails down my back. “What are we doing?”

“Looks like dry humping to me.” We both froze and turned our heads to the open doorway. Smith was leaning against the frame, wearing a shit-eating grin.

I let out a sigh and lay back on the bed. “Is there something I can help you with, bro? And can’t you knock?”

Smith was still smiling. “I was just on my way to bed, and I assumed you two would be doing something nerdy like watching a movie or playing a video game.”

My eyebrows arched. “Your room isn’t on this floor.”

He nodded. “Very true.” He tossed my cell phone on the bed. “You left this downstairs.”

When I didn’t say anything Bryan used the leg she had still tangled between mine to
softly
nudge me in the balls. “Say thank you.”

“Thank you, Smith.”

“You’re welcome, Jacks. You two have a good night.” He winked and then headed off down the hall. I was almost positive that was payback for the time I puked and he ended up with blue balls.

Much to my dismay Bryan sat up. “Jacks, I don’t think sex on a first date counts as taking it slow.”

I nodded in agreement, although my hormones were adamantly shaking their head. “We can take this as slow as you want, doll. No rush.” We had all the time in the world, because I never planned on letting her leave. Did my mental statement of love sound borderline serial killer?

“Okay, thanks.” She used the rubber band on her wrist to pile her hair up in that adorable messy way I loved. “Look, I totally understand if you want me to go sleep in the other room.” She pointed at my dick.

I glanced down. Yeah, it was pointing straight out like a divining rod. The memo of no sex hadn’t made it from my brain that far south yet. I reached out and grabbed her hands in mine. “I don’t want to fall asleep without you next to me. And I don’t want to wake up that way either.”

She tickled my palm with her fingernails. “Have you always been this cheesy? Do you write all the love songs on y’all’s albums?”

“No. I’ve never uttered a romantic phrase in my life. You just bring out that side of me.” Damn. I did it again.

Bryan giggled. “All right, Shakespeare, I’m going to go shower off all the bar smell.” She pointed down at my dick again. “And I think you should go take care of that in Luke’s bathroom.”

“Are you telling me to go jack off?” Was that normal?

She shrugged. “I only hit second base on a first date. And if you don’t get rid of that thing I’m afraid it’ll end up pushing me off the bed.”

Landry

When I woke up the house was silent. It must be too early because this house was never silent. There were so many people who lived here, and there was always music and laughter. It was a nice house. There were lots of bedrooms and bathrooms, and Jacks’s studio in the bottom with the weird-looking walls. I liked hearing his guitar when we went down there. I wanted to ask him if I could listen to him play some more, but I was afraid he’d say no. I didn’t know why I was scared; the adults around here always said yes when I gathered enough courage to ask them to spend time with me. It was nice. It was different from my other life.

Over the past few days, where things had been good and I felt safe and happy, I started thinking of life with my mom as my other life. I didn’t want to go back there. Ever. I knew little girls were supposed to love their moms, but I’m pretty sure she never really gave me a reason to. I climbed out of bed, bringing Ello with me. I thought I was too old to be carting around a stuffed animal but I liked the soft elephant. I opened my door and then peered across the hall to Jacks’s room. My dad’s room… I didn’t know if he wanted me to call him Dad. It wasn’t really his choice to be my dad, and he’d just found out I was his kid.

Jacks and B were both in his bed and they were hugging. I’d seen my mom hug lots of men, but never like that. They looked so…comfy. I took a step outside my door, and the floorboard creaked under my foot. I froze, afraid that I would get in trouble for waking them up. Jacks opened his eyes and lifted his head, and then he smiled. I smiled back. Good, I wasn’t in trouble. He scooted away from Bryan and lifted the covers. “Wanna watch some cartoons?”

Now I smiled bigger. I’d been doing that lately, smiling so big my face hurt. I nodded and ran across the hall and jumped into his bed. When I landed, Bryan woke up, laughing. “Good morning, sweet girl.” She looked over my head at Jacks. Her smile looked like mine. Jacks turned on the TV and asked me what I wanted to watch. Then for the first time in my life, I lay between two happy adults and watched Saturday morning cartoons. Yeah, I never wanted to leave.

Chapter Fourteen

Bryan

Landry, Jacks, and I lay in bed for over an hour watching TV, laughing, and talking before we were reminded that this was a house
full
of people. Luke came walking by the open door, still wearing the same clothes I’d seen him in yesterday. This seemed to be a pattern for Luke. I didn’t doubt that it was easy for him to find a bed for the night. He was sexy in this very boy-next-door kind of way. His hair was a little longer than the first time I’d met him, and he always looked like he was in need of a shave. But the guys were all attractive as hell.

He stopped and leaned against the wall. “Good morning, little Cole Family.”

I wondered if Landry had Jacks’s last name or if her mom had used her maiden name. There were a lot of things I didn’t know about Landry, mainly because none of it mattered. She was Jacks’s daughter; I loved her instantly.

Jacks reached over and tickled Landry’s ribs, making her squirm and giggle. “Buttercup, why don’t you run across the hall and get dressed? We’ll go get some breakfast.”

She jumped up and did what Jacks asked. Luke moved to the side so she could get past him, ruffling her hair as she did. Then he crossed his arms over his chest and resumed his post on the wall. “You three looked adorable all piled in that bed.”

“Well, we are all very adorable people.” Jacks threw back the covers and got up. His tight ass looked good in those shorts. An image of my hands digging into his flesh flashed across my mind. Last night was the start of something, and even though I wanted to go slow, I was more than ready to get to the good stuff. So far so good; I definitely wasn’t feeling bored. “You stay out all night again, Lukey?”

Luke glanced down at what he was wearing. “Looks that way, Jackson.”

What was this tension between them? What did Jacks care if Luke whored his way down 30A from Destin to Panama?

Jacks grabbed a tee from his closet, pulling it over his head and then slipping on some flip-flops. “You want to tell me what is going on with you? What’s causing you to stay out all night, then come home looking like death warmed over?”

Luke’s jaw tightened. “Just picking up where you left off, brother.”

Jacks nodded, his hands on his hips. “If you don’t want to talk about what’s bothering you, that’s fine. Just make sure that none of your new
activities
happen in front of my kid.”

Jacks had gone from the life of the party to a protective father in under a week. In my opinion people had been underestimating him for most of his life. Jacks had always been capable of being this man: this responsible, loving, kind man. He just didn’t have a reason, or anyone to believe in him. Now he had both.