“Oh goodie,” she said sarcastically, but he caught the slight quiver in her voice. He might be freaking out over how she affected him, but the same could be said for her. Dana hardly seemed immune to his presence. He suspected that they were both in unchartered territory. Two people who didn’t do relationships or many repeat liaisons with the same partner. Yet here they were rushing for the nearest exit before they tore each other’s clothes off in a public place. And he knew with a certainty that this wouldn’t be the last time. He couldn’t seem to get her out of his system. He not only wanted her in his bed, but enjoyed spending time with her. He’d laughed more since they’d begun their pretend relationship than he had in ages, and he wasn’t ready to let that feeling go.
But he didn’t have a clue as to what to do about it. Sex was the easy part. He could do a bang-up job—pun intended—without even having to think about it. How did he go beyond that though and did he really want to? It was risky as hell. Dana might well laugh at him if he even suggested such a thing. Of course, why was it necessary to verbalize it? Only pussies talked about their feelings. No, better to ease into it and see where it took them. That way he wasn’t committing to something that would likely end in disaster. He knew better than to give someone else that kind of ammunition. And Dana more than most people certainly owed him a lot of payback. If he were her, he’d be tempted to do exactly that.
He rubbed the back of his neck as they made their way toward his car. This shit was already giving him a migraine. How in the world did people cope with things like complicated feelings day in and out? Dylan must be secretly taking Prozac by now. Maybe they could get a group rate for family therapy. He had a feeling they’d all need it if the women in their life had anything to do with it.
Eleven
They were moving well past the complicated point, Dana thought to herself uneasily as she lay sprawled across Ash’s chest. True to his words, they’d barely closed the door to his apartment before the clothes had once again been flying in all directions. Her thong had been ripped from her body and replaced with his mouth and oh so talented tongue. The things that man could do with no hands were mind blowing. He’d nipped, sucked, and literally driven her out of her mind. She’d come three times before he’d finally heeded her cries for mercy. She knew she should have probably returned the oral favor, but she’d been limp by that time and barely coherent. That had quickly changed when he’d held her up with one arm, sheathed himself in a condom with the other, and then arranged her facedown over the arm of his leather sofa before going balls deep inside her. She’d screamed his name loud enough for the restaurant patrons many floors below to hear her. He’d shown no mercy though. She could only brace herself for the ride of her life as he’d positioned himself to rub against her clit with each hard thrust. She hadn’t been lying earlier. He did have a big dick, and sweet Jesus, did he know how to use it. She was grateful he couldn’t see her face because she knew her eyes were rolling back in her head as the friction drove her insane. She came around him, screaming his name. But that wasn’t enough for him. He put an arm around her and pulled her back against his chest. She was surprised when he turned her head sideways and lowered his mouth to hers. His tongue mimicked the action of his hips as he claimed her in both ways. When she reached another orgasm, he shuddered against her back and gave a hoarse shout before stiffening. She felt him jerk as he found his release, then his body rested against hers.
They’d showered together afterward and he’d washed her almost tenderly before tucking her into bed. She knew she should at least make some token protest, but obviously he expected her to stay once again. Maybe this was the norm for him. She’d heard enough stories from Rosa to know that women did spend the night at his apartment on occasion. So she wouldn’t make the mistake of believing that she was special to him. That could be another reason he was so popular. Ash might very well be a cuddler. And hadn’t she had a relationship of sorts with Paul? She’d never been in love with him, but they had spent many nights together. An overnight didn’t have to have any significance; she knew that. But God, Ash made her long for things that she’d never given much thought to before. No doubt he’d laugh his ass off if he knew. He certainly wasn’t thinking in terms of being her boyfriend or whatever you called it when you were over the age of thirty.
His hand rubbed soothingly up and down her spine almost as if he was unaware of the movement. Then his fingers ran through her short hair, caressing her scalp. Tingles shot through her nerve endings as she bit back her moan of pleasure. What was he doing to her? If she didn’t know better, she’d think he was trying to woo her. Shit, that sounded like something straight out of a romance novel. Nobody really talked like that. She couldn’t read anything into this. That would be a huge mistake on her part. It was simply sex. The best of her life, but sex just the same.
She was so deep into her thoughts that she almost jumped out of bed when he said, “I have another family dinner on Sunday. Do you feel brave enough to go with me? I would imagine that Claudia will be on good behavior for the most part. Bart has no doubt warned her about it. I’ll keep an eye on her as well.”
“You really do like to stir shit up, don’t you?” She laughed softly. “I didn’t think you’d ever take me back there again after the whole chair exploding backwards thing.”
“Are you kidding?” He chuckled. “That was the highlight of my year. It was like watching the wicked witch in The Wizard of Oz get the house dropped on her. I swear, I wouldn’t have been surprised to hear her crying, ‘I’m meltinggg.’ ”
Dana’s body shook in hysterics as he did a perfect imitation of the witch’s voice. The movie had always creeped her out, but he’d definitely put a comedic spin on it. “Stop,” she cried, while trying to catch her breath. “I’ll never be able to keep a straight face when I see her now.”
“So you’re saying you’ll go?” He sounded surprised. “I wouldn’t have held it against you if you’d said no. After all, she did spit coffee on you.”
Dana shrugged. “Sundays are pretty slow so I could use the entertainment. And Zoe will be there, right?”
“Unless Dylan can manage to get out of it, which isn’t likely,” Ash confirmed. “Rhett will probably join us as well. As I remember, you two hit it off quite well earlier.”
“You sound jealous,” Dana teased, then instantly regretted it.
Such emotions would indicate that feelings were involved. She was trying to figure out how to do some damage control when Ash shocked her by admitting, “I am, which is new for me, especially where my brother is concerned.” He appeared puzzled by his own behavior, and she didn’t quite know what to make of that fact.
She wasn’t sure how to respond, but sensed that she should tread carefully. Ash was no more used to this type of thing than she was. What could she say to keep from sending them both into a panic? Finally, she settled on changing the subject altogether. “What time is dinner on Sunday?”
“Oh, it’s at six,” he replied right before a yawn escaped him. “I’ll pick you up on the way. If you need a new outfit, you know the drill. It should be casual so wear whatever you’d like.”
Dana didn’t intend to bother dressing up this time. It wasn’t as if it had worked that well before. Plus, she’d rather be comfortable. Claudia had already seen her in her work uniform, so really, what was the use? She wasn’t intimidated by the brat. She could hold her own regardless of what she wore.
As she drifted off to sleep nestled securely within the circle of Ash’s arms, Dana was hit by one last fleeting thought: that this couldn’t possibly end well for her.
Twelve
I think we’ve landed in some alternate reality setting,” Zoe murmured softly as Claudia beamed at them from across the room. The younger woman had indeed been on her best behavior, even going so far as to toss out a few compliments. Dana didn’t believe a single kind word she said, but it had been a relief not to be sl
ugging it out on the expensive dining room table.
“Look at her eye twitching,” Dana whispered back. “This is killing her. I’ll bet you twenty bucks that Bart threatened to cut off her allowance if she didn’t kiss our asses. That must royally suck for her.”
“She’s certainly never been this pleasant to me,” Zoe agreed. “Whatever Ash said must have really made an impression. Even Bart has been like a different person. Meanwhile Charlotte looks as amused as Dylan and Ash do.”
“I think she gets off on a little smackdown.” Dana nodded. “She puts up with a load of crap from him for some reason and you know she can’t stand Claudia. I bet she’s been looking forward to this show all week. For the life of me, I can’t figure that woman out. I’d rather be alone than with such a pompous man. How much entertainment could he possibly provide? Surely it’s not a bedroom thing because that would be just gross.”
Zoe shuddered. “Yuck, no way. I bet she has to do all the work there as well. He’s too self-centered to care about anyone other than himself. They probably don’t even do anything like that. For her sake, I hope she has someone else on the side. That would explain her being able to stomach his terrible attitude.”
“That does make more sense,” Dana mused. “But if that’s the case, then why doesn’t she boot his ass out the door? According to what I’ve heard, he brings absolutely nothing to the table. She provides everything. I mean, sure, she said he was always there for her, but how long does she have to show her gratitude? You would think that debt has been paid by now many times over. Maybe he’s blackmailing her?”
“Wow, I never thought of that,” Zoe said, looking intrigued. “I should ask Dylan and see what he thinks. Oh crap,” Zoe hissed, “she’s coming over here. Quick, what do we do? I’ve never had to hold a conversation with her before.”
Dana forced herself to relax as Claudia glided across the floor toward them. She saw Ash frown and knew he was wondering what was going on as well. “Hey, girls.” Claudia smiled as she reached them. “I hope you don’t mind me joining you. I simply had to escape from my dad for a while. I swear, the man is constantly worrying about me. I’ve already told him I was fine in three different languages, but still he says I look pale.” Flipping a well-manicured hand toward her face, she added, “It’s probably this cheap makeup I was forced to buy since he cut back on my allowance.”
“Yeah, I hate it when that happens,” Dana deadpanned. She doubted that the younger woman had ever lowered herself to buy products from the local pharmacy or chain store. That reminded her of one of the things she loved about Zoe. Even though she was technically wealthy now that she was married to Dylan, she still got excited about sales and bragged about finding bargains.
“So how’s school going?” Zoe asked, her voice sounding a bit strained. “Any idea what you want to do when you graduate?”
Claudia made a dismissive gesture with her hand before saying, “Oh, you know, I’ll probably do something at the resort. No use finding employment elsewhere when there’s a perfectly good family business. I’m sure Dylan and Ash would be happy to have me.”
The younger woman was giving them an innocent smile, but Dana was almost certain there was a double meaning behind her words. She could tell by the way Zoe’s frame went tense that she was of the same mind-set. Refusing to let the little hussy get to her, Dana reached out and patted her shoulder. “Don’t sell yourself short. I bet there are plenty of opportunities out there for someone with your—talents. You don’t want to be forced to rely on the charity of family forever, do you? After all, you’ll have a perfectly good college degree soon. What’s your major?”
The cracks in the younger woman’s demeanor were beginning to show. Obviously it was a challenge to remain pleasant for an extended length of time. Although to be fair, Dana was making it difficult by baiting her. But dammit, it was so much fun she couldn’t resist. “It’s a general degree,” she said defensively. “Meaning I can do a lot of different things. I didn’t want to be stuck in only one area.”
“Oh sure, that’s smart.” Zoe nodded, clearly trying to hold back her laughter.
“What about you, Dana?” Claudia asked. “Did you always want to serve coffee or did you dream of bigger and better things?”
Her particular fantasy right then involved sticking her foot up the insolent troublemaker’s ass, but she managed to restrain herself. Instead, she smiled broadly, which appeared to confuse the hell out of Claudia. You really had to love the young, dumb crowd. Dana tossed her arm around the bimbo’s shoulders and lowered her voice. “Well, my passion has always been to make those little hearts and smiley faces in the foam of a cappuccino. But then I met your brother and now all of my goals have changed. I want to be his wife and the mother to five children. You see, when other girls I knew coveted sports cars, I was drooling over minivans. And don’t even get me started on those McDonald’s playdates with the other mothers and summer vacations to Disney World. I figure that Zoe and I can time things right and end up pregnant at the same time. Then this house will be filled with little Jacksons running around. And hey, we’ll have a built-in babysitter. I bet you were born to change diapers. You’ll have to come along to a few of those mommy and me classes with us just to get the hang of everything.”
“Oh, absolutely,” Zoe chimed in. “You could even be in the delivery room. You know it’s common to include the whole family now. How do you feel about cutting the cord? Dylan has a sensitive stomach, so I might need you to fill in.”
“That’s a great idea.” Dana clapped. “Ash would gladly step aside and let you do mine as well. Plus, don’t even get me started on all the barfing. Those little things can spew puke ten feet in the air. We’ll probably all have it in our hair and on our clothes. Hey, have you ever thought of being a nanny? Zoe and I could share you! We’d even throw in some hazard pay when you were dealing with stuff like potty training.”
“Ugh, no kidding. Picking up stray turds would certainly be worth more money.” Zoe shuddered. “I’m so glad we’re figuring this all out now. By the time our first kids arrive, we’ll have a plan of action firmly in place. You could even fill in at the coffee shop while we’re on maternity leave.”
Dana was hard pressed to hold in her laughter. She didn’t think she’d ever seen anyone look as repulsed as Claudia did at that moment. Ash gave Dana a questioning look from across the room and she made a discreet thumbs-up sign. She could tell by his expression that he knew she was torturing his stepsister, but fortunately he didn’t seem to care. Claudia shook her head slowly before backing away. “You’re both insane,” she choked out. “There’s no way I’m taking care of your brats. I hate kids. Ugh, I’ve gotta get out of here.” She gave them a look of total distaste before hurrying off.
“That was awesome.” Zoe giggled as she leaned a shoulder against Dana’s. “I thought her eyes were going to pop out of her head. I swear, that was a stroke of genius on your part. Where do you come up with this stuff?” Then her mouth fell open and she groaned, “Please don’t tell me that you actually think Ash is going to settle down and be a family man. I know you’re getting along better now, but that’s a far-fetched idea. I don’t even see Dylan wanting children for a while.”
Wrinkling her nose, Dana said, “Definitely not. It’s just all I had on such short notice.”
“Do I even want to know what you did to make my dear sister run like the hounds of hell were nipping at her heels?” Ash asked as he and Dylan joined them.
Dana batted her eyes up at him. “Oh, I was asking her to be our nanny, sweetheart. We don’t need to wait to start our family, do we? Zoe and I want to get knocked up as soon as possible, so you need to send a call to arms out to your swimmers. Wait, have you ever been tested? What if you have a low sperm count or lazy boys?” Clicking her tongue, she added, “This could cause all kinds of delays. I can’t believe this didn’t occur to me sooner. As much as you’ve bee
n spreading it around town, you’ve probably depleted your stockpiles. We need to get you in for a physical as soon as possible. I know you said you have regular STD checks, but how about other things? Most men don’t realize that their counts are off until it’s too late.”
“What is she talking about?” Dylan whispered loudly to Zoe. “Did you tell her we were having a baby or something? I mean, I’m not saying no outright, but don’t you think this is something we should maybe discuss privately before you go hiring a staff? And Claudia, really? I wouldn’t let her watch my dog, much less my kid.”
Ash put his hands on his hips as he glared down at Dana. “Yeah, where is your head? There’s no way in hell that nut would be responsible for little Ash Junior. Have you taken leave of your senses? When we decide to procreate, we’ll hire someone who’s actually qualified and doesn’t eat the young for breakfast. Have you forgotten that we might want a live-in nanny? Do you want to see Claudia sitting at our dinner table for the next eighteen years? I’m all for helping out family, but that seems a little extreme. Maybe she could be our cleaning lady instead. I’d rather hire someone hot to babysit.”
“Oh, you would, huh?” Dana snapped. “Well, guess what, slick? The only thing in your future is a Mrs. Doubtfire lookalike. And sadly I don’t think even that would stop you. We all know that you’re an equal opportunity man-whore. Of course, look on the bright side—you’re used to carrying on conversations with the simpleminded, so doing baby talk should be a breeze for you.”
“You’re pregnant?” a shocked voice from behind them asked in astonishment.
Dana swung around to see Ash’s mom gawking as if she’d just witnessed the second coming. “Not yet,” Ash answered smoothly. “We’re just trying to work out the logistics so we’ll be prepared. By the way, I bet you can’t wait to have someone call you ‘Granny.’ Doesn’t that have a nice ring to it?”