Last year, Jackie had accomplished her only life goal—she’d met a Montana boy and decided to settle down. Collin seemed nice enough from the few times I’d met him, but he was hardly my idea of Prince Charming.
I wished Jackie and Collin nothing but the best, but I resented the hell out of the fact that their lives were constantly held up by my parents as the be-all, end-all of happiness. My sister had never tried to do anything more with her life than wait tables and marry, but somehow, they always seemed so much prouder of her than they ever had of me, even though I worked my butt off and had made a good career for myself in a competitive industry.
I almost tried to explain to them for the millionth time what exactly it was that I did, but what was the point? I used to show them the articles I’d written in the magazines, the pictures I’d taken to accompany them, but I always felt like a grade-schooler bringing home a prized noodle art project. They’d all but patted me on the head and asked me when I was moving home.
With me gone, they had one less pawn in their never-ending battle to hurt one another. I’d learned long ago that if I showed any upset, it was used as ammunition. One parent accused the other of making me feel bad. Yeah, no more. I was done with that. I was done with relationships. No way was I sinking into the fucked-up world of marriage if I had to live a day like my parents.
I sighed, but quietly, afraid even my exhale would be used as a basis for more arguing.
My father chose that moment to criticize the way my mom cut the carrots. Apparently, she knew he liked them julienned but she’d had the audacity to slice them into chunks.
Looking away, I rolled my eyes. I sat there and munched on my diced carrot, trying to pretend that watching them tear each other apart no longer affected me. I was a grown woman, dammit. It didn’t matter that my parents were unhappy, or that they should have gotten a divorce decades ago.
I tried to keep it from affecting my emotions, but it was hard. Sitting here, I could feel all happiness draining from me. Any eagerness to find a guy of my own just slipping away. I’d felt guilty about leaving Dash and Jackson in the hotel room, but no longer. It had been a fun night. Nothing more.
As my parents continued, I mentally stuck my fingers in my ears. La la la, I can’t hear you. They were like Dementors in the Harry Potter books, sucking the goodness from me.
When the doorbell rang, I sprang from my seat. I took that as my cue to run the hell out of there before my parents upped their game and started throwing silverware instead of barbs.
After opening front door, I froze. The sudden appearance of Jackson and Dash on my doorstep left me reeling. The cold air that blasted me did nothing to cool my heated cheeks—and other parts of me. I wanted to blame the arctic blast on the way my nipples hardened, but I’d be lying. In heavy winter coats, they looked even bigger than I remembered—and I remembered an awful lot about them. From the silky feel of their hair to the way their big cocks moved deep inside me. Their clean male scents filled my nose and I wanted to go on my tiptoes and press my nose against their necks. Breathe them in.
I couldn’t bring myself to worry about how they’d fo
und me or why they’d shown up. As I heard my parents arguing from the kitchen about floral centerpieces for my sister’s wedding reception, I didn’t care. They were here, and they were my out!
Barely pausing to take a breath, I grabbed my winter jacket from the coat rack beside the door and turned to face my parents who’d finally come into the hall. When they saw the men at the door, they stopped talking.
“Uh, I’ve got to go.”
I watched as my mom’s brows pulled together in confusion and my father straightened to his full height, a frown forming. Questions. I was about to be bombarded with questions I couldn’t answer.
Yes, it was Jackson Wray and Dash McPherson. Yes, I didn’t know they’d be stopping by. No, I didn’t know why. Well, I did, but I wasn’t going to tell my parents they’d kept me well occupied while I was stuck in Minneapolis.
Whoever had coined the term the best defense is offense had clearly been raised in a family like mine.
I didn’t even invite them in or introduce them, both of which would have been the polite thing to do. But this was my family and little did Dash and Jackson know I was being polite keeping them outside in the cold and snow. I stepped into my snow boots resting on a rubber mat by the door, not lacing them up and shoved the guys further out onto the freezing porch. They stepped back without a word. Heck, they hadn’t even said hello yet, but I hadn’t really given them a chance. I called out my goodbyes over my shoulder.
“Where are you going?” my mother asked. She still had the knife in her hand and a dishcloth over her shoulder.
“Wow, I forgot to tell you I have a date. You wouldn’t want me to bail on a date with two Bridgewater men, now would you?”
They gaped at me as I tugged the door closed behind me. “Goodnight, love you, see you later!” I called, even though I doubted they heard me.
I turned around to see two startled hotties staring at me. Startled, but amused, unlike my parents.
“Happy to see us?” Jackson drawled, rubbing a gloved hand over his beard. I remembered how that short hair felt against my skin. I clenched my thighs together because the whisker burn had just faded. There.
I couldn’t help it. My grin must have looked outrageously silly as I nodded. “You have no idea.”
But I was happy to see them. Weirded out a bit, maybe, but relieved beyond belief. I could practically feel the tension melting from my shoulders as I slipped my arms through theirs and tugged so the three of us were heading toward the curb—more importantly, far away from the house—like Dorothy with the Scarecrow and the Tin Man. Not that these guys weren’t human—they were as manly as two men could get. But the thought still made me giggle as we drew close to their truck.
With a hand on my elbow, Jackson helped me inside and I slid to the middle so I was firmly nestled between them as they clamored in on either side of me and slammed the doors. The cab was warm and with them pressed against me, I doubted I would be cold even if I hadn’t been wearing my coat.
Dash started the truck, but didn’t put it into gear. They turned to me and it wasn’t until right then that I fully realized I was with these two men, alone…again.
I glanced from one to the other, their dark gazes pinned on me. I could see the stubble on Dash’s jaw, the slight crook in Jackson’s nose from when it had been broken at some point. A hint of guy scent, like soap, mixed with wintergreen.
Shit. This had not been part of the plan. I’d just wanted out of the house and they’d been like a gift from god. Now? Now what was I going to do? I’d said I had a date and now I had to have one. With two hot guys who were incredible in bed. Our chemistry was off the charts and it was possible pheromones were pumping from their bodies stronger than the heater giving off warm air.