Beautiful Brute (Court University 3)

“Just fine.”

“Mmm. Fabulous. And Kit!” She grabbed her, making my best friend giggle. “So happy you could come.”

“Me too, Ms. Fairchild. Me too.” Kit pulled back. “And thank you so much for inviting me.”

“Of course. It’s going to be fabulous, and you both look outstanding! School going well?”

We gave her a little mini update as she looped arms between ours, but I made sure to leave out anything having to do with my stepbrother. Kit did too as she’d been warned. This weekend wasn’t the time or place, and what did my grumpy ole stepbrother have to do with anything anyway now that we were here? This place was simply paradise, and I was ready for a good time.

“So I’m thinking mani and pedicures first,” Mom immediately came in with after our updates. “Then lunch on the beach? That sound good?”

Kit shared a glance with me like she thought my mom was joking, and laughing, I let Mom know that was fine. All that sounded simply like heaven.

And a whole weekend away from Jax?

Even better.

He couldn’t affect me here, not with the sun, the beach, my mom, and my bestie. No, here was safe, easy.

Mom secured a room for Kit and me connected to hers, a massive suite with an actual living room and kitchen area. There, Kit and I quickly got changed, then we were off for the first leg of our relaxing weekend. Mom met us down at the nail salon, and we ate hors d’oeuves and sipped more champagne. We got the all-star treatment the whole time, and by the end, I literally hadn’t thought about anything stressful, hard to any other way. This place was literally paradise, and the nail salon actually opened out to the beach with extraordinary views. I got a hot stone massage while they did my pedicure so I was completely limber by the time our nail appointment finished. Mom mentioned a beachside restaurant for lunch, and we were just heading there when Mom suddenly let go of me, waving her hand.

“Oh, you’re here!” she said, flailing her arms. She sprinted across the resort lobby in her sundress. We’d all gotten dressed before lunch.

It took me a second to realize exactly where she was going and to whom she was going to. But when I saw my adoptive father, Rick, in a powder blue golf polo and trousers the smile immediately overtook my face. Mom mentioned he’d been busy, so I obviously hadn’t expected him.

Kit hooked my arm. “Your dad? I thought he was busy.”

I did too and started to go toward them.

Until I saw him.

My stepbrother followed up from behind my adoptive father, and he was flanked by like three, to put it bluntly, ridiculously hot dudes.

Coming up on Jaxen’s sides appeared to be cover models who muscled their way off GQ’s latest issue, all of them wearing golf polos and pressed pants that hemmed perfectly above their golf shoes. The one with the dark hair had thighs that looked like as big as my waist while the blonds stalked massive in height. Especially the one with the man bun. He towered above the rest like a building. Meanwhile, in the center, my stepbrother Jaxen sauntered like a point to their hot guy flying V. He too had a golf polo on that flashed his golden chest and hugged smoothly over every hard curve he had. A golf club in his hands, he had his hair swept back today too. Like he tried to look good.

I hated that he didn’t have to.

I hated that my breath actually stalled for reasons only partially of fear. Meanwhile, on my side, was Kit who’d said nothing but “Damn” in my ear at the sight of the lot, but when I jerked her arm in the direction of my stepbrother, she froze too.

“Shit. What’s he doing here?” she edged out, but maintained her smile when my parents brought the group over. It appeared Dad had found my mother because currently, he had his arm wrapped around her while she hugged his waist. Dad grinned. “Told you she’d be surprised, honey.”

Oh God. More surprises.

My smile no doubt looked fake as hell as my dad left my mother to hug me, but not because I didn’t want to see him. I was too busy trying to mask the complete and utter dread at seeing Jaxen, my tormentor and relentless nightmare, during the very weekend that was supposed to be free of him.

He studied me from behind my dad’s shoulder, but normally, where he’d appear smug at getting one over me, the look was replaced with something far darker.

Nothing but anger blazed from behind my dad, tried and true. In fact, it was so harsh I think even whoever he was with had noticed.

The blond with the short hair placed a hand on his shoulder, but Jaxen didn’t twitch or even flinch.

It was like he hadn’t noticed the touch at all.

Jax just stared at me, me with my adoptive father and the expression only loosened a little when my mom came over to greet him. He put on a little smile for her as he took her hand, but nothing could remove the red that crept up from his golf shirt. The entire side of his neck raised in color, his temple pulsing and stiff despite his smile. Mom opened her hands up to the guys beside him, and Jaxen backed up.

“My friends,” he said, “LJ, Knight.” He pointed to the guy with the man bun, then the guy with the massive legs. Like legit, that last guy looked like he lifted semis for a living. Jaxen worked his chin to the last guy. “And my buddy Royal.”

The one who’d touched him, his smile wide, legitimately, when he lifted a hand to my mom.