The Vincent Brothers 2 (6 page)

              He buried his face in my hair and inhaled loudly, “Damn, you smell good,” he murmured. One of his hands slipped around my waist and his hand spread out across the front of my bare stomach while his other hand wrapped a strand of my hair around his finger.

              “Feels like silk,” he whispered and ran my hair across his lips. After my initial shock, my heart started racing. This was the closest I’d ever gotten to a boy and the fact it was Sawyer— terrified and excited me all at once.

              His nose trailed up my shoulder and then he began nuzzling my neck. I couldn’t help the shiver that ran through me when his warm breath tickled my ear. The hand on my stomach inched up a tiny bit and he turned me so that I was facing him.

              “You feel real good, Lana. Makes me forget everything else,” he murmured as his hand cupped the back of my head and gently guided my mouth to his.

              The same intense hunger I’d felt the last time we’d done this overtook me. His tongue darted out and licked at my bottom lip and he groaned. Sawyer Vincent
groaned
as he licked and tasted my mouth. I pressed closer to him and ran my hands into his dark locks hoping this kiss didn’t end as abruptly as the last one had.

              When his tongue swept into my mouth, I was the one to groan. He tasted like something dark and dangerous. Cautiously, I touched my tongue to his. Both his hands gripped my waist and picked me up to straddle him before he ran his hands up my back pulling me tighter against his chest. His mouth left mine and I started to protest until he began trailing kisses across my jawline and softly nipped my earlobe before kissing a trail down my neck. I wiggled anxiously as heat pooled in my belly and a strange tingling began between my legs.

              “Yo Saw, get a room, man,” a loud voice called out breaking through my foggy brain and I stiffened, jerking back out of the warmth of Sawyer’s embrace. I’d completely forgotten that we were in the living room! Other people were around us. My face was on fire. I chanced a peek at Sawyer who was watching me with an amused grin.

              “Don’t go getting all shy on me now, Lana,” he drawled, squeezing my sides with his hands.

              “Sawyer! What are you
doing
?” Ashton demanded from behind me and I scrambled out of his lap like I’d been doing something wrong.

              “Well, Ash, I’m doin’ exactly what it looks like I’m doin’,” Sawyer replied.

              “You were all over Lana!”

              “Yeah, baby, I was. Your cousin is a sweet little thing. And she wasn’t fighting me. I’m pretty damn sure she was enjoying herself too.”

              Hoots and whistles came from somewhere around us. I couldn’t seem to do anything but stare at Sawyer in shock.

              “She’s off limits. Do you hear me? Don’t you dare use her--”

              “Use her? Really, Ash? You think that’s what this was about? Because baby, it ain’t. I can be attracted to other girls. It
is
possible,” the pleased tone in his voice was unmistakable. Why was he so pleased?

              “That’s not what I meant,” Ashton all but yelled.

              Sawyer raised his eyebrows in disbelief, “Really? Cause that’s sure what it sounds and looks like from here, sweetheart.”

              “That’s enough, Sawyer,” Beau’s voice startled me and I turned to see him walking into the room. Oh, good Lord, he was mad.

              “It ain’t me this time bro. She started it,” Sawyer didn’t sound worried at all about the fact Beau looked ready to hurt someone.

              “And if you don’t shut your drunk ass mouth I’m going to end it,” Beau’s voice was cold and even.

              Sawyer wasn’t drunk, was he? I stared at him and he just looked relaxed. When my dad had come home drunk he’d been loud and mean. Sawyer was sweet and gentle or he had been before we’d been interrupted.

              “Lana just come on, we need to go,” Ashton demanded from her spot beside Beau.

              Sawyer’s hand reached over and grabbed mine, “Don’t leave,” he said in a pleading whisper. That was all I needed. I’d come here for one reason, to get Sawyer Vincent to notice me. I wasn’t about to leave now that I had his attention.

              “I want to stay here awhile longer, if that’s okay,” I replied, hoping Ashton didn’t get angry. Not that she really had a reason to be.

              “But he’s—”

              “Not your business,” Sawyer said, interrupting Ashton.

              Anger flared in Ashton’s green eyes and Beau pulled her up tight against his side and whispered something to her. She seemed to relax a little then nodded.

              “Okay, fine. Stay. But do not let Sawyer drive you home. Beau and I’ll come back and get you when you’re ready. Just call.”

              I nodded. Sawyer hadn’t promised to take me home anyway. That sounded like a good plan.

              “Glad you two are leaving. Lana and I needed a room,” Sawyer announced, standing up rather unsteadily then tugging me up beside him. Laughter from the audience we’d gathered was the wake-up call I needed.

              Jerking my hand out of his grasp, I mentally cursed my fair skin and the blush I knew was covering my face and neck. Maybe Sawyer was drunk. I hoped he was because insinuating to everyone around us that we were going to go do something in a bedroom was
not
something the Sawyer I knew would do.

              “You know, I think I will leave with Ash and Beau,” I replied, hoping I’d masked the humiliation in my voice.

              “Wait. No. What’d I do?” Sawyer’s hurt little boy voice almost stopped me. But his words insinuating we were going to go up to a bedroom and do -God knows what- while a room full of people listened kept me moving toward Ashton.

              “Come on,” Ashton whispered, pulling me to her side and leading me out the door.

              “Someone sober drive him home or call me to come get him,” Beau said in parting before he turned and followed us outside.

              “I’m not drunk!” Sawyer declared loudly.

              Then the door closed and I had to fight back the tears.

Chapter Six

Sawyer

             
I was drunk. I’d only been drunk one other time in my life and that had been the day I’d found out about Beau and Ashton.  I was almost positive that I was even more drunk now than I had been then. My stomach rolled and I bent over for the third time and hurled into the bushes in the front of Kayla’s yard. Cold sweat trickled down my face and I rested my hands on my knees and closed my eyes praying I didn’t pass out in my own vomit. What the hell had I drunk? All I could remember was pouring some rum into a few or more of my cokes. Maybe I’d stopped adding the coke after awhile and just went with straight rum... No wait, I’d switched to vodka. We’d run out of rum. My stomach heaved again but there was nothing left to come out. Backing up, I leaned against the cool brick wall and let the fresh air cool me down.

              “Drink this, you stupid fucker.”

              I peeled my eyes open to see Beau’s annoyed expression before he pressed a cold plastic bottle into my hand. Dropping my gaze, I saw he’d brought me water. The aftertaste of my regurgitated liquor wasn’t appealing. I should thank him for coming to the rescue but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.

              Opening the bottle, I took a long swig and instantly felt better.

              “Get a few more drinks, then come on, I’m taking you home.”

              His bossy attitude was beginning to get on my nerves. He wasn’t suddenly the good brother, or cousin as far as everyone else knew. Just because he had Ash didn’t make him the smart one.

              “Back off, Beau,” I snarled and took another drink of my water.

              “I promised Ash I wouldn’t knock some sense into you tonight. Don’t make me break that promise.”

              Rolling my eyes, I pushed off from the side of the house where I’d been resting and walked past Beau toward my truck. I wasn’t drunk anymore. I’d just expelled every drop of alcohol from my body in the Jenkins’ shrubbery.

              “Don’t do this, Sawyer. You’ve had too much to drink and you’re ready to pass out. Let me take you home.”

              Stopping, I turned around and glared at him. “Why? All I do is piss off Ash. I can’t stop looking at her. Wanting her. Why the fuck do you want to help me so bad?”

              Beau let out a sigh and returned my glare. “Because you’re my brother.”

              That was the crux of it all. Sure hadn’t mattered to him that I was his brother when he’d taken my girl. Technically, he’d thought I was his cousin but we’d always been as close as brothers.

              “I thought we’d gotten our closure on this, Sawyer. You gave me your blessing. You gave Ash your blessing and you walked away. What’s wrong?”

              What was wrong? Everything was wrong. He got my girl. He got the college I wanted to attend. He got every fucking damn thing I wanted in life.

              “Nothing,” I muttered and turned around and headed for my truck again.

              “Sawyer, I will literally force you into my truck if I have to,” Beau didn’t sound angry, just sincere.

              Tonight, I wasn’t up to handling a one-on-one with him. I was more than positive I’d lose and possibly have a few bruises to show for it.

              “Fine. Drive me home.”

              After Beau dropped me off, I’d taken a long hot shower and then crawled into bed. Luckily, neither of my parents got up to check on me. Once I pulled the sheets up over my waist, I stared at the ceiling and replayed the fit Ashton had pitched tonight in my head. She’d been angry. Why? Because I’d been making out with Lana in public? All we’d done was kiss. Granted, it was one really hot kiss and that girl’s skin was incredible to touch. Her hair smelled like some sort of soft flower and before we’d been interrupted by Jake’s stupid demand that we get a room, I’d been thinking about how I wanted to taste the skin in the curve of her neck. Her pulse had been racing under my lips and it had been intoxicating. Like nothing I’d ever experienced before.

              Ashton had put a quick stop to things though. She’d been spitting mad. Almost a little too mad. Was she... jealous? Could she be? I hadn’t really dated anyone since our breakup. She’d never seen me with any girls and certainly not making out like that. But... jealous... maybe.  A small smile tugged at the corner of my mouth and I reached for my cell phone.

             
Me: Please tell Lana I’m sorry I got drunk and was a jerk.

              I pressed send and waited to see what Ashton’s reply was. Almost immediately, it dinged. Grinning, I sat up and read-

             
Ashton: Yes you were. I’ll tell her. Just stay away from her Sawyer.

              She
was
jealous. She didn’t like me being interested in someone else. Ashton wanted both Vincent brothers enthralled with her. Well, this could turn out to be fun as hell.

              Me:  Can’t do that Ash. I really like her.

              I almost thought she wasn’t going to reply when the phone lit up and I read her text,

             
Ashton:  I don’t want her hurt.

              I laughed to myself; I knew better. She didn’t want to share my affection. Stingy little brat.

             
Me: I wouldn’t hurt her. I want to spend some time with her. Can I have her number?

              Ashton: Not tonight

              I lay back in bed grinning, thinking that Ash had just made this game too fun to walk away.

Lana

             
“Lana?” Ashton’s voice broke into my internal battle of staying here or just giving up and going back home.

              “Yeah,” I replied, wishing I could successfully fake sleep.

              Ashton opened the door to the guest bedroom where my aunt had insisted I sleep instead of the extra mattress on the floor of Ashton’s room where I normally slept.  I sat up and watched as she walked over to me wringing her hands. That one small nervous mannerism of hers told me that this was about Sawyer. Not something I wanted to talk about. At least not tonight.

              “Um... do you, uh, do you like Sawyer?”

              How blind could one person be? Ashton had always been clueless to the world around her. She had her little small bubble and she worried about what affected her and nothing more. Now, I was invading her bubble and she was noticing things that she should have picked up years ago.

              “Yes, a little.”

              Her bare perfectly tanned shoulders lifted with a sigh and she nodded. “I thought so.”

              She sat down cautiously on the edge of the bed. I studied her face and wondered if the concern was for me or herself or possibly Sawyer.

              “Sawyer wasn’t himself tonight. You know that,” she lifted her eyes to meet mine and I only saw sadness. No jealousy or anxiety. She was just sad.

              “I know. I didn’t even realize he drank. I thought that was Beau’s MO.”

              “He normally doesn’t. Tonight was a side of Sawyer I’d never seen before. He was very... Beau-like. Or at least the way Beau used to be.”

              Her words made everything click. The puzzle that Sawyer had created tonight all fell into place. He had acted like Beau back when Beau wanted Ashton and didn’t have her. A small ache in my chest started and unfortunately, it was all too familiar. It was the same ache I felt when I’d seen the tender, completely devoted look Sawyer would bestow on Ashton every time he glanced her way. Which had been often.