“What’s wrong, Layla?” She asked around a mouthful of dough, tomato sauce, and gooey cheese. “Aren’t you liking your new job?”
I shrugged, “The job is great. Emmie is the best boss I have ever had. I just…” I grimaced and shrugged my shoulders again. “…I don’t know.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You act like a girl who is crushing on someone who doesn’t know she’s alive. Is it one of those rockers?” Lana had a bigger thing about rockers and relationships than I did. That was probably my fault, because I had left her to deal with our mother’s shit alone when Lydia had kicked me out at sixteen. Poor Lana, who was only nine at the time, had to grow up fast because I wasn’t there anymore to take care of her like I had always done from the day she was born.
I had promised the girls when they moved in with me that I wouldn’t ever lie to them about anything, so I told Lana about Jesse and how I was feeling. It felt good to talk about it, and she helped me get it a little straighter in my head. I realized I needed to be extra careful because of the way I was feeling. I couldn’t start something with Jesse Thornton. Not only was it dangerous because I technically worked for him, but it was dangerous to my emotional wellbeing as well.
I had to keep my distance…
It was a complete surprise to wake up Saturday morning to him knocking on my apartment door. Emmie had promised me that she would have someone help us move, but I had thought she meant actual movers or something. Not the band!
But no, that wasn’t the case. Jesse Thornton was actually there with Drake Stevenson right behind him looking hung over. “Good morning, beautiful.” Jesse greeted me with a grin and an up and down appraisal of my shorts and tank top clad body. His eyes lingered on my legs a little longer, taking in the tattoo that wrapped around and around my right leg.
“Jesse, hey.” I was enjoying my own once over of his delicious body. The way his gray tee shirt stretched tightly over his broad chest and how his jeans hung low on his lean hips. His head was shaved smooth, and I ached to run my tongue over it. Fuck! I had to stop or I was going to have to find myself a dry pair of panties.
Drake cleared his throat. “Sometime today, Jess. Stop eye fucking the chick and let’s get this show started man.”
I couldn’t help the blush that crept into my cheeks, but I stepped back and let them enter my small apartment. “I wasn’t expecting you guys to help me.”
“Neither where we,” Drake grumbled as he dropped down on my old, worn couch.
Jesse grinned. “What Drake means is that he is here under duress. This is his punishment for pissing Emmie off last night.”
“I still don’t understand what I did. One minute she’s all smiles and the next she’s screaming at me.” He shook his dark head, causing his hair to fall in his face. “I hate pregnancy hormones. Cannot wait for that demon child to get out of her!”
I couldn’t help but laugh at him. “That isn’t going to help. After the baby is born she’s going to be worse. Take my word for it, sweetie. Postpartum is worse than the mood swings she’s having now.”
“Ah, hell,” both men muttered.
“Hey, Layla did you already pack the bathroom?” Lana came out of the bedroom with a frown on her face, not yet noticing the men standing in our living room. “I need…” She broke off when she spotted Jesse standing at the end of the couch. “Oh…”
Jesse’s brows rose when he saw her. I watched his eyes grow wide when he got his first look at my sister’s beauty. Her long midnight black hair was pulled back into a ponytail. Her eyes, an almost amber color were startlingly beautiful. Her nose was ever so slightly upturned at the tip, and her lips looked bee stung and plump. With her long and slender body and those boobs that I knew most girls would have paid thousands to have, she was what I had always wanted to look like. Seriously, I didn’t know how she had made it through school without a boyfriend, but I was sure it had something to do with her ability to freeze fire with her glare sometimes.
“Lana, this is Jesse.” I introduced with a smile. “And that’s Drake.” I pointed to the couch. “Guys this is my seventeen year old sister, Lana.”
I watched Jesse closely while I introduced them, but other than giving her a once over, he seemed to dismiss her beauty. “It’s nice to meet you, Lana.” He nodded.
“Yeah, you too.” There was a slight pink tinting in her cheeks. “Layla, can you help me with something in the bathroom?”
Lucy was parked on the bed, still half asleep. I was glad that we were already packed up for the most part, but there were still a few things that needed put in boxes. “Hey, Lucy. Go introduce yourself to Jesse and Drake,” I told her and she climbed off the bed slowly to go do as I asked.
“What’s wrong?” I asked as I entered the bathroom behind Lana.
Her cheeks were still pink, but she just needed for me to unpack a few girl things for her. By the time I returned to the living room, Lucy was on the sofa between Jesse and Drake, talking animatedly to them. That surprised me because the little girl was normally reserved around men. But there she was, asking them all kinds of questions about the new house she was going to be living in.
“That’s so awesome!” she said now. “Will you build a sandcastle with me, Mr. Drake?”
“Um…Sure.” He seemed a little out of his element, but I was touched that he was at least making an effort with her. “We will have to go shopping for some toys though, I think. I’m not sure we have the right tools for sandcastle building.”
“Not today, Lucy,” I interrupted them. “We have a lot to do today, baby.”
“Tomorrow?”
Before I could say anything Drake was already nodding his head. “Tomorrow. It’s a date, okay?”
Lucy’s eyes were huge in her little face. “Promise?”
“Promise.” He stood, a smile on his handsome face. “Now, let’s get you ladies moved.”
Jesse
I didn’t realize three females would have so much stuff. Emmie had spoiled me because she always packed so light when we traveled. But between Layla, Lana, and Lucy’s clothes, and countless other things, the back of the truck that we had rented for the day was pretty full.
I drove the truck back to Malibu with Layla and her sisters following behind. Drake, who had been half dead on the ride out, was now more alive than I had seen him in…Months? Years? I couldn’t honestly remember the last time I had seen him really smile like he had been for the last two hours. I couldn’t tell if it was because of the way little Lucy had seemed to take one look at him and attach herself to him, or… But I wasn’t going to think those thoughts. Drake would never—I mean never, ever—touch Lana. If there was anyone the teen was safe with it would be Drake.
But I couldn’t get over how at ease he seemed despite the headache he had been bitching about just hours before. It was good to see him like that, because Drake was just so messed up in the head the majority of the time.
When we reached the beach house, he jumped out of the moving truck and got right into helping unload it. Shane and Nik came out to help and it didn’t take as long to unload as it had to fill it up. By the time we had all of their things in the guest house, it was after noon and we were all hungry and thirsty.
Emmie had the patio already set with beers, iced tea, sodas, and several boxes of pizzas for us. I steered clear of the box that had bacon written on top and dived into the one that was loaded down with everything else. Lana and Lucy were already being welcomed by the other guys with good-natured teasing, and I saw that Lucy seemed to be invading more than just Drake’s heart as the afternoon went by.
I knew what they saw when they looked at Lucy. I saw the exact same thing. We all saw Emmie who had only been a little younger when she had moved into the trailer park beside of Nik. But there was a huge difference between Emmie then and Lucy now. Emmie had been a neglected, abused, lost little girl that was skittish of the four teens we had been when we first attempted to take her under our wings. Lucy was a healthy, loved l
ittle girl.
Lucy was what Emmie should have been.
“There must be a place around here where we can buy all the things we need to make the perfect sandcastle,” Drake said to Lucy, who was still munching on pretzels after the three slices of cheese pizza she had already devoured. “Want to go with me to find it?”
I felt Layla tense beside of me. I didn’t know if it was because she felt like Lucy was bothering Drake, or if she was worried about Lucy being alone with the rocker. Without thinking about it, I captured her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “That sounds like a really fun idea,” I agreed before anyone else could say anything. “Then Layla can get some unpacking done without having to worry about Lucy.”
She seemed to relax a little after that. It made my chest tight that she took my opinion on the idea to heart and was confident in it. Lucy shot Layla a look. “Can I go, Layla? Please?”
“Sure. As long as you are on your best behavior, baby.”
“Awesome.” Lucy pumped a fist in the air and I came to the conclusion that ‘awesome’ was Lucy’s favorite word.
“Awesome.” Drake pushed back his chair and stood. Lucy put her little hand in his bigger one. Before they turned to leave, Drake glanced down at Lana who was frowning out at the ocean. “Want to join us, Lana?”
She seemed startled that he asked her. A blush crept into her cheeks, making her face glow. She licked her lips like she was nervous and glanced at Layla. “I…I should stay and help Layla unpack.”
“If you want to go, then go.” Layla was gathering her trash. “I can handle unpacking.” She shooed them away with a smile. “Go. Have fun.”
Lana was already up before her sister had finished speaking. She grasped Drake’s free hand and started tugging him into the house. The look on my friend’s face was priceless, and for the second time I wondered…but no! Drake would never…
When they had disappeared inside, I glanced over at Emmie who was still gazing after the three. Her eyes were wide, but there was more wonder in those pretty green eyes than worry. A smile teased her lips, and I let my worry fade away. If Emmie wasn’t worried, then I wasn’t going to be either.
“Thanks for lunch, guys.” Layla had her trash as well as Lana's, Lucy's, and Drake's. She stood, “And thank you for helping us move in. Today has been fun.”
“Don’t run off,” I told her. “Stay. Unpacking can wait a little longer.” I didn’t want her to go in yet.
“Yes, Layla,” Emmie agreed. “Sit and relax. Or go change into a bikini and let’s hang out by the pool. I’ve really enjoyed this afternoon, and I’m not ready for it to be over.”
The thought of Layla in a bikini made my dick twitch. I had to bite my cheek to keep from groaning out loud. “I don’t know.” She looked tempted and I wanted to tempt her more.
I leaned closer and murmured in her ear. “There’s a hot tub.”
Her chocolate eyes met mine, and I watched as her mouth opened ever so slightly. Her wicked little tongue sneaked out to moisten her bottom lip, and I wanted to suck it into my mouth. “A hot tub?” Her voice came out a little breathless, and I grinned as I nodded.
“Come on, Em,” Nik said as he stood and helped Emmie to her feet. “Let’s go try on your new bikini. I feel like a dip in the pool myself. Shane, you going to join us?”
“Nah. I’m going into the Hills. Axton is having a party, and I think I’m going to head over and drink up all his Scotch.” He stood slowly. “See you later, Layla.”
“Oh…Bye Shane.”
“Shane, are you staying over?” Emmie called after him.
He shrugged. “Depends. But don’t expect me home until tomorrow.”
I knew it was coming even before it left her mouth. “Don’t drive, Shane. Please don’t drive.”
He stopped and turned back to her. She pouted at him and Shane was just as much a sucker as the rest of us when it came to that pout. He pulled her close, his hand automatically going to that damned bump and caressing it. “I swear I won’t drink and drive, Em.” He kissed her cheek.
She hugged him tight then pushed him toward the door. “I’m calling Axton and making sure he gets your keys as soon as you walk through the door.”
“Love you, Em,” he called as he entered the house.
“Love you, Shane.” As soon as he was out of sight, she pulled her phone out and started dialing. Nik looked at me and rolled his eyes, before following her into the house while she bitched at Axton about not letting Shane drink and drive.
I watched them go before I turned back to the goddess sitting beside of me. “Do you have a bikini?”
She nodded. “It’s a few years old, but yeah, I have one.” I could see the anticipation in her eyes. Gods, I loved looking into those eyes! “But it’s a little warm for the hot tub. I think I’ll stick to the pool.”
“I guess we will just have to wait to try it out then.” I stood and took the paper plates from her before she could protest. “Go change, Layla. I need to see you in that bikini.” I was dying to see her in nothing at all, but right now a bikini would do.
Chapter 7
Layla
By the time I found my bikini and changed into it, twenty minutes had gone by. I grabbed a towel and headed out of the guest house. There was a small grassy yard that separated the guest house from the main house, and I loved the feel of the thick green grass under my bare feet.
I heard music. It wasn’t turned up loud, just enough to provide some background noise. Jesse must have turned it on, because he was the only one sitting by the pool. Apparently, Nik and Emmie were still trying on Emmie’s new bikini. The realization that I was alone with the sexy rocker in nothing more than a bikini should have made me nervous. Really, it should have, but it didn’t.
I tossed my towel on a lounger and dropped down on the edge of the huge pool beside of Jesse. He was sticking his bare feet in the water. His eyes were on the ocean in the horizon, but I knew that he had known I was there from the instant I had stepped out onto the deck. His entire body had tensed, just as mine had. There was some unknown force that kept drawing me to this man, and it scared the hell out of me even while it excited me.
“I’m trying not to look,” he murmured, keeping his eyes on the horizon. “Because I know the instant I do I won’t be able to keep my dick under control.”
He might be trying to keep his eyes off of me, but I had no problem letting mine drink in the sight of his bare chest and back. My fingers actually itched to trace over every hard angle of his sculpted muscles. My mouth was full of saliva from wanting to run my tongue over every fine detail of his many tattoos. And that head! Fuck, I wanted to rub his head to see if it felt as smooth as it looked.
His trunks hung low on him and as my gaze traveled over his flat stomach, I saw that he was already having trouble controlling his dick. Without thinking, I raised my hand and was about to touch it when the sliding French doors opened onto the patio, and Nik came out with an ice chest full of beers.
My hand dropped back to my side, my heart racing as I tried to get my desire under control. It was not smart to start something with Jesse Thornton. I was not going to start anything with Jesse Thornton… I really wanted to start something with Jesse Thornton!
“If you make fun of me, I’m going to kick you in the balls,” Emmie said as she came out of the house and started up the few steps that lead from the patio to the deck. I thought she looked beautiful with her baby bump sticking out. Her boobs looked full and firm, her ass perfect. From behind no one would even know she was pregnant.
“I think you look beautiful,” I assured her as I slipped into the water.
Emmie beamed down at me. “Thanks. I wasn’t sure if I should wear a bikini, but then I figured I don’t give a fuck.” She pulled her long auburn hair into a pony tail and turned around. The tattoo on her back caught my attention. I instantly wanted one.
The way the demons wings looked like they were actually a part of her instead of a tattoo. Whoev
er had done the art work was really freaking talented. Every single scale was precise and well defined, the shadowing done in a way to give it a 3D look. The Goth style words underneath, ‘Property of Demon’s Wings,’ was just as beautiful.
“Who did your ink?” I asked, unable to take my eyes off of her back.
“Drake designed it, but I can’t remember the guy who put it on.” She shrugged. “I got it when I was eighteen in Miami.”
“Drake designed it? God, what talent!”
“That’s Drake.” Emmie stopped beside of Jesse who helped her sit down. The way he was so careful with her made something ache inside of me. All of the guys were so careful around Emmie. I didn’t think it was just because she was pregnant either. It was as if they treated her like fragile glass. To see those big, bad ass rockers being so gentle around her was something to behold.
“Layla, you want a beer?” Nik asked as he popped the top off of a Corona and offered it to me.
I accepted without hesitation. I didn’t drink often, but then again, I found myself doing things lately that I never thought I would ever be doing… Like hanging out with rock stars in their swimming pool.
But it was so much fun! For the next hour we swam and splashed around, and I couldn’t ever remember having more fun than I had with those three. It felt as if we had been friends for years. I had only known these people for less than a week. I worked for them, but they were treating me as if I belonged to them. It was another new experience for me.
Emmie sat on the edge of the pool again. Water streamed out of her ponytail and dripped down her body. She was still laughing at Nik’s attempt to dunk Jesse, which was no easy thing to do even considering Nik’s muscles and height. “Ha, ha,” she taunted. “I knew you couldn’t do it.”
Nik swam over to her and pushed her thighs wide so that he could step between them. “You’re supposed to be on my side.”