Tame This (The McCallans, Book Two) (14 page)

“Do you have names picked out?”

“No.”

“Liar.”

Melanie glanced at his smug smile again but couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah I have names picked out, but I haven’t even told my own sister yet.”

“Well hell, I can’t step to the front of the line then,” he said
lightly.

Melanie was about to respond, but she heard the back door open and Jay stepped through it. She hadn’t even heard him pull into the driveway, and even though it was after six and she expected him to be tired and hungry, he looked pissed instead.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming here?” he asked as soon as he laid eyes on her.

His anger
took her by surprise and she had no response at first. But when he entered the kitchen and glared at Tyse next, Melanie stepped between them and answered, “I was only dropping off food for you. I don’t require your time and attention, so don’t worry. I’ll be leaving, I guess. I bought some fried chicken, it’s in the fridge along with some other stuff.”

“Stop bringing me food,” Jay told her, still with an annoyed scowl on his face. “I can feed myself, you know.”

“Oh can you?” Melanie retorted sarcastically. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize sharing food with someone was considered offensive. My bad, Jay. You’re right on my way home from work and it’s just nice to see you once in a while. I guess that’s a one-way street,” she muttered.

She turned for the exit but he took her wrist to stop her. “Wait, don’t leave,” he sighed. Then he looked at Tyse, who was still standing in the kitchen just watching the scene in front of him. “Do you fucking mind?” Jay asked.

“Where do you want me to go?” Tyse laughed, holding his arms out. “I’m only allowed to touch the couch, toilet, and kitchen, so where would you prefer me to be so I can pretend I can’t hear what a dick you’re being.”

Melanie couldn’t help it. She laughed. And ohhhh that was not the right thing to do around Jay, but it was too funny. Whoever this guy was, he was obviously not afraid to stand up to Jay.

But…that was also grounds to cause her to worry.

“Jay,” she grabbed his shoulder and shoved him as hard as she could toward
the hall for his bedroom. She could tell the alpha in him was about to resist, but Jay went along with her for some reason, only glancing back to the kitchen once with a not-so-subtle glare. But Melanie moved him along until she shut the bedroom door behind them.

“You listen to me,” she growled at him, jabbing a finger into his chest. He was obviously surprised, but she didn’t care. “I’m here because I
want
to be here, got it? If I want to bring you food, then I’m going to do it. And if you don’t want it, then throw it in the damn garbage. And by the way, you had no right to put money in my bank account,” she shoved him in the chest with both hands for good measure.

“You sure as fuck will not buy furniture for my house and not expect me to pay for it,” he growled back.
He invaded her space and walked her backward until she bumped into the wall, and then he placed his hands against it on both sides of her head. “And the next time you refuse money when I try to pay you back, I will spank you, Melanie Jacobs.”

She paused as she took in his words, his closeness, and everything that was Jay McCallan. His presence was her strength
and
her weakness, and even though his lack of availability tortured her daily, she was grateful for anything and everything he was willing to give her. No, she didn’t put up with his shit. But there were things about Jay that Melanie understood when no one else did.

“I would love it if you spanked me,” she
replied, not even caring that he was being a smartass.

He made her so breathless she wasn’t even sure she said the words out loud, but that damn cocked eyebrow of his told her otherwise. She wasn’t trying to be coy or flir
tatious…it was just the truth. And she could tell that Jay knew it too. She had never forgotten the way he touched her that night and she never would. But it was bittersweet; like getting a taste of perfection, knowing you could never have it again.

She stared at his lips for a few seconds, and then made eye contact. It was all she could do to relay her desires, and even though her mind was chanting
kiss me, kiss me, kiss me
…it was something she would never say out loud. Not with Jay. She couldn’t risk it.

As expected, h
e pushed away from the wall abruptly and said, “I gotta deal with my brother. Please stay though because I need to talk to you about something.”

He was almost out the door when Melanie fin
ally caught her breath. “Wait. Your
brother
?”

Jay
glanced over his shoulder, looking less than pleased. “Yeah. Yay me, I have a secret half-brother. My fucking life just keeps getting better and better…”

Chapter Twelve

When Jay returned to the kitchen, Tyse was still in the same position. He most likely hadn’t been at his house for long, since as of an hour ago, Jay knew he’d still been at his grandpa’s house.

“So how was the family reunion and all that,” Jay stated dryly.

He found the chicken right at the front of the fridge. That girl was going to undo him one of these days with the things she did for him. He was undeserving of it and he knew it plain as day. He hadn’t meant to treat her like shit, but every time he was around her lately he lost his cool. He wished he could turn back the clock and been in his right mind the night they’d fooled around. Then things would be back to normal and he wouldn’t have to act like a fucking prick.

Scratch that. He’d be acting like one anyway…

“Do you really want to know or are you trying to ignore the fact that you just wiped the floor with your girlfriend,” Tyse retorted back.

Jay turned around and slammed the refrigerator door, practically throwing the food dish onto the counter. “Don’t go there, asshole. You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Well I don’t give a shit about the facts, but I know better than to treat a lady like garbage. That was ridiculous,” he pointed toward the hall. “She brings you dinner and you get pissed over it? What the hell is wrong with you?”

“Stay out of my fucking business, Tyse,” Jay warned, stepping closer to him. Tyse didn’t budge, which Jay already predicted. All this damn McCallan testosterone was going to leave a room in ruins one of these days.

“I’m not in your business,” Tyse replied coolly. “I just don’t like seeing women get treated like doormats. I see shit like that, it
is
my business.”

Melanie entered the kitchen
just then, shaking her head. “Oh my, I never thought I’d live to see the day where there were two of you in one room.”

Jay took a step back from Tyse, even though he wanted to lay him flat. “Two of what?” he tried to ask calmly. It was probably a good thing she was in the room because his patience was
wearing thin.

“Two of
you
,” she pointed at him, shaking her head again. “Look at him, Jay,” she added, motioning to Tyse. “That is so you, standing up for people and not caring what trouble it gets you in.” She looked at Tyse and said, “I appreciate your concern, but for the record, Jay doesn’t treat me like a doormat. He’s one of my best friends and we’re mean to each other in equal measure.”

“You don’t
owe him an explanation,” Jay told her. “He spends one day in the family and thinks he has the right to offer opinions.”

“
A day in the McCallan family?” Melanie raised her eyebrows, smiling at Tyse. “Ooh, do tell. This could be good.”

She literally pulled Tyse by the arm into the
front room, leaving Jay in the kitchen to be tormented by their conversation. He tried to tune them out while he ate, but Melanie’s cheerful laughter and genuine intrigue was hard to ignore.

This was getting ridiculous.

Finally he headed for the shower after Teague and Camryn stopped by. Teague had been the first one Jay called to share the news with about Tyse and he knew he was coming over. But when Jay returned to the living room, he figured he wasn’t going out to work in his shop that night. Kellie was just entering the house, and she was speechless as she stared at Tyse sitting on the couch. When Tyse stood to face her, Kellie actually started to cry. Jay rarely ever saw his sister cry so he wasn’t sure what to do. It was Melanie that got up, took Kellie by the wrist, and pulled her Tyse’s direction.

“Kellie, Tyse; Tyse, Kellie.”

“He told me it was true, but…” Kellie paused and continued to examine Tyse’s face. “Wow, I didn’t doubt it coming from Jay, but to actually see you in person… Oh my God, this is so unreal right now…”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Tyse told her. “To be honest, when I heard I had a brother and a sister, I was more stoked to have a
sister
.”

Jay caught the smirk intended for him, but so did everyone else.

“Oh come on,” Teague joked. “Jay has always wanted a shitload of siblings to share his feelings with.”

“Jay wishes he had more sisters,” Kellie smiled. “He loves dealing with all those girly hormones and stuff.”

“And he’s super patient,” Melanie added, sliding her arm around Jay’s waist to give him a playful hug. “He likes to talk shopping, makeup and hairstyles, and most of all, how to look skinny in a swimsuit.”

The entire room was laughing at Jay’s expense, but he didn’t care. What was most distracting was Melanie’s arm around him and the sweet scent of vanilla that came with it.
She was literally spinning his world upside down. This rollercoaster with her had to stop, but the ridiculous part was that it had almost become a necessary evil in his life.

With a shrug he replied, “Make fun all you want. I’m still a guy and nothing will change that.”

“Ooh, you know that’s a country song, right?” Melanie teased him.

“I don’t fucking care,” he half chuckled, but he had no doubt that she was going to make him listen to it
someday.

She gave him one last squeeze, but before she returned to the couch she whispered, “And you smell really good.”

And I want to taste you again
is what he could have said but didn’t.

He watched her drop onto the couch next to Camryn and ease right into a conversation about dysfunctional families, which was a t
opic that they could all relate to without thought. Tyse was slowly appearing to be more comfortable around the group, but with three women to hold his complete attention, Jay could understand why.

Teague was somewhat on the ou
tskirts of the gathering like Jay was, but all it took was a silent conversation from across the room and the two headed out back for the shop.

“Good God, how many more surprises does
this family have left?” Teague stated as they entered the garage. “To be honest, I keep waiting for more of my own half-siblings to show up on my doorstep one of these days.”

“No shit,” Jay chuckled. “Not gonna lie, I figured you’d have more than just Max to deal with by now. But fuck
my dad… Why the hell didn’t he just ditch me and Kell like my mom claims he threatened to do all the time? He did Tyse a fucking favor. I don’t understand what the hell he’s doing here if his mom warned him to stay away from my dad.”

“
I’m sure it’s not about your dad,” Teague answered matter-of-factly. “Seriously, if you found out you had a brother and sister, and an entire half of family that you never knew you had… Wouldn’t you want to explore it a bit? Meet them?”

“Fuck no. I’d be happy I didn’t have a second side of the family. Less shit to deal with.”

Teague laughed and shook his head. “I saw that coming.”

“Then don’t ask
obvious questions,” Jay laughed. “And why the hell would anyone want to get into the McCallan family if it wasn’t for the money and status?”

Teague didn’t reply at first as he walked ar
ound the Boss to look it over. He seemed deep in thought, like he was thinking of a response. Jay knew much of Teague’s life was spent resisting the McCallans after his mom died and he was forced to live with his dad at the age of four. A lot of things had happened over the years, but Teague was solid when it came to being his own man. And he’d always been there for Jay while he was dealing with all the shit from his own dad at the same time.

Through thick and thin.

Finally Teague looked at Jay and said, “Think about you and me, pal. And Kellie. And Camryn. And Melanie. We’re pretty fucking awesome, and I think Tyse could benefit from that, you know? There are parts of the McCallan family that have been redesigned, Jay.
We
did that, man. We stepped away from something we didn’t like, and blazed our own trails. There are other aspects of this family that don’t include lying and cheating and caring about how we look to the fucking public. Even grandpa has been more in-tune with this since everything came out about Chase. He’s actually been pretty cool to get to know again. And he and Blaire have been great for Melanie. She really—”

“What do you mean ‘great for Melanie’?” Jay interrupted, not even caring how
interested he sounded.

Teague shrugged. “She’s been going over there
two or three times a week to swim in the pool. Grandpa invited her after hearing that she wanted a different way to work out besides walking.”

Jay narrowed his eyes in thought. Melanie had never mentioned going over to the McCallan mansion. “How long has she been going there?” he asked, moving across the garage to unnecessarily put away a few tools. He needed the distraction while his thoughts developed.

“Uh, just the last few weeks, I guess. Camryn has even gone with her a couple of times. They like spending time with them, especially Blaire.”

Jay grunted his surprise. His grandfather’s wife was nice enough, but he’d never spent more than five minutes talking to her. Blaire was wife number…four? Hell, he wasn’t even sure.

“But back to what I was saying,” Teague continued. “You’ve got a brother, Jay. And…he seems pretty decent.”

“You’ve spent ten
fucking minutes with him.”

“True. But I talked to Grandpa for a bit after Tyse left
his house. He called me. He’s really kind of dazed by all of this, too.”

“Why?” Jay scoffed. “Stuff like this shouldn’t be a surprise to him. I mean he’s had our dads and all their issues to put up with over the years.”

“All I’m saying is give Tyse a damn chance, okay?” Teague replied firmly. “Grandpa ended up talking to your dad. Clint told him to fuck off because he wanted nothing to do with Tyse and his mom.”

Jay cocked an eyebrow, although he
shouldn’t have been surprised. His father was a world-class fucker in his opinion. But this really had nothing to do with his dad because he wasn’t going to allow it to be. As far as Jay was concerned, his dad could kiss his ass.

“Tyse knows all this, Jay,” Teague added. “He’s here because of you and Kellie. He might be a
year-and-a-half older than you, but he’s still the underdog here.”

“I get it, okay?” Jay answered, dropping his tools into a drawer with a loud
clank
.

He faced Teague from across the
garage and folded his arms over his chest. Neither of the two said anything for several long seconds, but for Jay, it was almost like reality was truly sinking in. He now had an older brother that he just knew was going to interfere with his life somehow.

It was one more fucking thing dumped into his life that seemed to be out of his control.

“Let’s go back inside,” Teague sighed, motioning to the house. “Cam and I are heading home and you can spend time with your brother.”

“
Half
brother,” Jay added smugly.

“Whatever, you shit,” Teague smiled at him.

As they entered the house, Jay could hear the girls sharing jokes about Melanie’s stupid parrot. Tyse was obviously amused by the phrases the bird could say because he was laughing too.

“I have to meet this bird,” Tyse said. “He sounds truly awesome.”

“You’re welcome to come over any time,” Camryn told him. “In fact, we have a spare bedroom you can stay in. It’s Jay’s old room, and since he doesn’t have anything but a couch here for you—”

“The couch is fine for him,” Jay interrupted.

All three girls looked up at him, but Tyse paused before he made eye contact. When he finally did look at Jay, it was with a smug smile.

“I wouldn’t want to inconvenience you,” Tyse told him.

“You don’t need to inconvenience them, either,” Jay replied with a level gaze. He hoped his message was received loud and clear because he wasn’t about to spell it out.

“He’s not inconveniencing
anyone
,” Melanie spoke up, obviously irritated with Jay. “He’s a guest and should be treated as one.”

“No, he’s right,” Tyse nodded. He looked at Camryn and said, “I appreciate the offer, but I’d rather stay here for now. With my brother,” he added as he glanced at Jay with a crooked smile.

Jay wasn’t feeling the brotherly love though, especially when Melanie and Camryn began offering Tyse invitations to dinners and shit. Even Kellie expressed that she wished she had room for Tyse in her tiny apartment. Jay really liked seeing his sister smile so much, but the circumstances were just not what he needed in his damn life right now.

After Teague and Cam l
eft, Kellie stayed another half-hour. She and Melanie continued to chat with Tyse while Jay sulked in the corner haphazardly flipping through his phone. When the girls left at eleven, the house became an eerie kind of silent.

Finally Tyse stood with a heavy exhale. “Well, I should get to my couch for the night.”

Jay stood too and watched him retrieve the blanket and pillow from the corner. He didn’t say anything for an entire minute as Tyse dropped onto his back to get comfortable.