Room for Two (Breakfast in Bed 2)

“What in the hell did I miss?” Rhett demanded as he walked over with a beer in his hand. “I got stuck chatting with the landscaper and apparently missed the show of the century.”

“Well, let’s see,” Dylan began. “Dana and Zoe have decided to have kids, and Ash is going to hit on all the nannies. Oh wait, Dana asked Claudia to work for them in that capacity. Although I can’t imagine where that idea came from.”

“We were actually going to share her,” Zoe added helpfully. “But in giving that some thought, I’m fine with Dana having sole custody of your sister.”

Rhett scratched his chin as he stared at Ash. “I wasn’t aware things had progressed this far. You might want to think about giving her a ring first. I know that’s not a requirement, but it’s still a nice touch.”

Charlotte rubbed her forehead. “Why have these dinners gotten even more bizarre? It almost makes me wish for the tense, silent affairs we used to suffer through. At least they were predictable. I never know what’s coming anymore. Dana, dear, you’ve certainly livened things up around here.”

Dana wasn’t sure if that comment was actually intended as a compliment, but she murmured her thanks anyway. Ash put one arm around her, then patted her stomach with his hand. “We need to go ahead and feed you, sweet cheeks. You may already be with child.”

Dylan burst out laughing, while Rhett made a gagging noise. “I have no idea why I’ve stayed away this long,” he mused. “This is far more entertaining than I remembered. Is there any chance you’ll name the first brat after me?”

“Um—no.” Dana shook her head. “But if you’re nice, I’ll let you drive our new minivan.”

Rhett wrinkled his nose as if smelling something foul. “Dude, say it ain’t so. You can never come back from something like that. You’re aware that even Porsche makes an SUV now, aren’t you? There’s no reason at all to go with the ultimate manhood killer.”

“But it’s got that third-row seat,” Ash whined, “and the entertainment system. Dana and I could watch porn and make out while the kid was sleeping.”

“Asher Jackson.” Charlotte coughed. “You’re not supposed to say stuff like that in front of your mother. I’d rather remain ignorant to your heathen ways.”

“You must be deaf and blind if you’ve managed to do that.” Dylan smirked. “There are practically billboards all over the state about your son’s exploits. Be glad that it isn’t possible for Ash to get pregnant because no one would ever know who the other party involved was.”

“As if you were a saint before you married Zoe,” Ash mocked. “I seem to recall you doing your share of entertaining the masses. Out of respect for your lovely wife, I won’t go into the details, but we both know I can easily call bullshit here. And don’t even think of adding anything of your own, Rhett. I know all about those flight attendants and how you accumulated all the frequent flyer miles you’ve got. Hell, you could take a trip to China every other day for the next five years and still have plenty left over.”

“This is such a proud moment for me as a parent.” Charlotte sighed. “I swear, you got this from your father.”

Ash looked at his brothers in wry amusement. It wasn’t as if they could dispute her claim. Their father had always loved women, and he’d instilled a similar sort of appreciation for the opposite sex in his boys. “Where’d Bart go?” he asked once he noticed that the other man wasn’t in the room.

“There is a board meeting at the country club,” Charlotte said, before pointing toward the table. “He’ll eat at the club, so there’s no need for us to wait to sit down to dinner.”

Rhett kissed their mother’s cheek. “This is an unexpected treat. Both the brat and the bastard have left the building. Was it my presence, do you think?”

“If it is, how about moving here?” Ash joked. “I can’t remember the last time we’ve been rid of them. Oh, no offense, Mom.”

“Naturally,” Charlotte replied, not looking in the least offended. Ash had a feeling that she shared his sentiments.

He held out a chair for Dana, then took a seat next to her. He absently leaned over and brushed a kiss onto her lips, then froze. What in the hell just happened? She had paused with her glass of water halfway to her lips as if she was as stunned by his actions as he was. He needed to play this off carefully because that had clearly been an act of affection on his part. Something he never did. He winked at her, trying to look like he wasn’t freaking out inside and said, “Can I get my baby mama anything else?”

Across from them, Rhett made yet another gagging noise. “How about a case of condoms and some birth control pills? The last thing the world needs is an Ash Junior running around.”

Ash raised his middle finger and flipped his brother off, effectively ending the heightened scrutiny his unusual gesture had put him under. He’d need to be more careful in the future because Dana brought out a side of him that had been tucked safely away for years—and for both their sakes, it needed to remain that way. He could have a casual relationship with her without losing his heart and his head so long as he was careful. It just needed to be based on sex rather than affection and connection. Except the problem was that somewhere along the way, even he’d stopped believing his own bullshit.

“Tonight was fun,” Dana mused out loud as Ash shut the door to his apartment behind them. He hadn’t even bothered to ask her if she was going home. Instead, he’d driven them to his place like it was the most natural thing in the world. “It’s amazing how much more relaxed things are when Bart and Claudia are gone. Your mother is a lot of fun.”

Ash seemed to consider her words for a moment before nodding slowly. “Tonight she was. I can’t get over the difference in her since our talk the other evening. She reminds me of the woman I vaguely remember from when we were kids. Whereas all these years a part of me thought I had imagined that whole side of her.”

Dana perched on the sofa and removed her shoes. She’d worn heels with her jeans tonight for the added height and her feet were killing her. Ash dropped down next to her, and without thinking, she lifted her legs and placed them in his lap. “I’ll let you do almost anything to me if you rub my tootsies.”

He raised an amused brow and promptly got to work on her arches. “I don’t know a man alive who would turn that kind of offer down.”

“My ass is off limits,” Dana quickly added.

Ash rolled his eyes before huffing. “Why do you immediately have to assign restrictions to your offer? You know I’d make it good for you. After the first time, you’d never want it any other way again. You’d be all about the anal.”

Dana picked up a nearby pillow and tossed it at his head. “In your dreams, baby. You’ll just have to make do with the front area. I don’t know you well enough to let you explore my no fly zone.”

Ash paused and wiggled his brows. “So what you’re saying is that after we’re better acquainted, I’ll be granted back-door privileges. About how long does this ‘getting to know you’ phase generally last? I mean, are we talking in terms of days, weeks, or months? Do you have a specific time frame? I can set an alert on my watch so we don’t forget it.”

“I have no idea.” She giggled. “I’ve never done that before.”

Ash looked over at her in surprise. “Really? I thought that was pretty common now. I never figured you for a prude. You certainly haven’t been so far.”

Dana stuck out her tongue at him. “Listen, to me that requires considerable trust in a partner. A woman could easily be hurt by someone who doesn’t have any regard for her. And considering I’ve never been in a relationship other than Paul, it just hasn’t happened.”

“So why not with him?” Ash asked, sounding tense. “Clearly he’s still hung up on you.”

“Er—what does that have to do with it? And to answer your question, sex was never a big thing to him. He was more involved with his business and he enjoyed the companionship of having a girlfriend. He wasn’t one to push any sexual boundaries.”