4. Chapter Four
Chapter Four
Dallas
S unday afternoons are always spent at my parents’ house, and my mom expects your presence unless you’re on your deathbed. I walk into the house I grew up in, raucous noise echoing off the walls. I’m stunned still when I leave the entryway and bump into none other than Blaire fucking Hollis, princess of my nightmares. She’s wearing a cream-colored sweater that hangs slightly off one shoulder, exposing the expanse of her collarbone, and the memory of my hand wrapped around her throat on Friday night makes me flex my hands into fists at my sides.
“The hell are you doing here?”
Blaire’s face pales, which surprises me. It’s only a moment before she schools her expression and snaps back at me, “I was invited, dickhead. I don’t make it a habit of just showing up at people’s homes on a Sunday to crash their dinner.”
“That nickname is reserved for family,” I say, pointing my finger in her face, “and who the hell invited you?”
“I did,” Ivy chirps, coming up next to Blaire. “Problem? I ran into her yesterday at Bean Haven and Hannah and I were talking about dinner. Sawyer was thrilled I invited her and encouraged her to come. Don’t be rude.”
Blaire gives me one of her signature smug smiles and waltzes away with Ivy, arms linked together like they’re best pals. I’m fuming. This is my space, the last thing I need is her in it. She’s already taken over the distillery. I go on a hunt for my twin brother, ready to rip him a new one.
“Hi, my wild child. Hope you’re hungry,” my mom says as I lean in and kiss her cheek.
“Always hungry for your cooking, Mom. Where’s Sawyer?”
She stops stirring the pasta on the stove and looks at me, her eyes squinting in speculation.
“Don’t cause any mayhem. He’s in the living room. No roughhousing, Dal.”
I feign shock, pulling back like she slapped me and placing my hand over my heart.
“Me? I would never.”
“Mhm. Go. Just don’t be destructive.”
I drop a kiss to the top of her head and walk through the house and into the living room. Lucky for me, he’s sitting nice and relaxed on our parents’ couch with his back to me. I slink up behind him and hook my arm around his throat, squeezing tightly and restricting his airflow. His hands immediately rise up, one grabbing my forearm, the other reaching behind my head to grasp the back of my neck. I lean down to his ear and whisper through my teeth, “Why the fuck is Blaire here, shithead?” I pull back, forcing him to arch on the couch as he grunts. He plants his heels on the cushion and kicks off hard, sending us both flying over the back of it and onto the ground. The force of the fall and his weight on top of me knocks the wind out of my lungs. I’m quick to recover and don’t lose my hold around his neck right away, but the moment he loosens my arm, he flips us. I take a punch to the stomach before I clock him in the ribs twice, my free arm blocking a punch to my cheek. We grapple on the ground, rolling around and bouncing into the wall.
“Holy shit, is this normal for them?” I hear Blaire ask from not too far away while I work to overtake my asshole twin.
“Yep. They’ve been going at it like this since they shared a womb. Their poor mother is a saint,” Ivy tells her.
I grab a fistful of Sawyer’s hair and yank him back, throwing a fist to his stomach.
“Grow the fuck up, Dallas!” Sawyer yells.
“You first, fucker!”
We roll once more, tossing punches wildly at each other before Liam and Carter pull us apart.
“You two are animals. Mom wants us to throw you outside. Pull yourselves together!” Liam shouts at us. I shove out of Carter’s hold and shake out my arms, adjusting my clothes and running my hands through my hair.
Sawyer reaches for Ivy, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her flush against him. He drops a kiss to her temple and takes a deep breath. It’s clear she settles him. I find myself strangely jealous watching the interaction. Not of him and Ivy specifically, but the connection between them. He makes eye contact with me and points with his finger. “You’re a dickhead, Dallas.”
I throw my arms out to the sides. “Yeah. You’ve all said it. I get it. I’m a dick.” I shoot a glance at Blaire and narrow my eyes at her before walking into the lounge where my parents keep their bar. I pour a heavy-handed whiskey neat, not wanting to dilute the burn as it goes down. Gripping the counter, I toss it back and pour another. If I’m going to be forced to endure Sunday dinner with Blaire in attendance, I need to get a good buzz going.
“Dallas?”
“What, Blaire?” I snap, not bothering to look her way.
She walks up next to me, her voice low, almost insecure.
“Look, I’m sorry if I crossed a line by being here. Sawyer and Ivy invited me. I declined at first but . . .” Her voice trails off and I’m forced to look at her. For the third time since we met, her composure has slipped. She’s unsure, hesitant, and wary. All traces of the headstrong, difficult, stubborn asshole are gone. I don’t understand it, but I don’t like what’s standing in front of me right now. I slide my glass of whiskey down the smooth grain of the bar, and she looks at it like she’s never seen one before.
“Just drink it, Blaire.”
She looks up at me with those big blue doe eyes, and I’m immediately lost in them. The dark blue of her irises is so stormy and uniquely her, it would be impossible to recreate the color. My anger dissipates, leaving nothing but frustration behind. She picks up the glass and takes a hesitant sip. I watch as she swallows and then immediately starts coughing.
“Holy shit. Fire,” she gasps. “How do you drink that?”
I shrug. “You get used to it.”
A beat of silence passes between us as Blaire shifts on her feet.
“I can leave if you want me to.”
I turn to face her and instantly regret it. She’s so fucking pretty.
“Don’t go soft on me now, princess. Let my family see what a feral creature you are.”
She nods, but at least she’s smiling again. She places my drink in front of me and walks back into the other room, leaving me alone for a few precious moments before dinner is served and I’m forced to embrace the chaos. I don’t know what it is about this girl that drives me fucking wild. Her sad eyes awaken a protective side that I have no control over. No matter how frustrated I am with her, I can’t fight these feelings she brings out of me.
“Dinner, heathens!” my mom’s voice bellows through the house. I grab the glass, studying the mark Blaire’s luscious lips left behind. I swipe my tongue over the spot before tossing the remainder back. After pouring another, I walk into the dining room and take a seat at the table as everyone else does the same.
“Here, Blaire, make yourself comfortable,” Sawyer says, taking a play out of my book, being the little shit-stirrer as he pulls out a chair for her directly across from me. I wait for her to look down before giving him the finger.
We all take turns passing around the chicken, eggplant, pasta, and red sauce. It’s hard to keep my focus off Blaire as she interacts with my family.
“You know I’m gonna ask, so tell me how work is,” our dad says with a bit of a slur. Last year he suffered a few strokes that left him with some physical and cognitive challenges. He never complains and he doesn’t let anything hold him down. Because of it though, he did step away from his position as CEO of the distillery way before he was ready to. The four of us know he likes to be kept in the loop, so we do our best to fill him in and let him be a part of as much as possible. He’s enjoying early retirement at home with my mom, where they’re happiest.
“Actually, I’ve got news,” Liam says while trying to wrangle Charlotte into the seat between him and Hannah.
“Let’s hear it, son.”
“I’m workin’ on something new. It’s gonna be long-term and may take a bit to get it right since the rules are stupid specific, but hopefully, in two years we’ll be tasting our first straight bourbon whiskey.”
“Are we really?” my mom asks.
“I mean, we gotta make sure we do it right, which I’m confident we can. The fermented corn has to be distilled to no more than 160 proof and aged in new charred oak barrels, which we can do. There’s more to it, but I’m damn excited about it.”
“Seriously, it’s all I’ve heard about for weeks now. He hasn’t stopped researching and talking about it, even though I don’t understand half of what he just said,” Hannah chimes in.
Hannah and Liam have been best friends since they could walk. One is never far from the other, and we all thought they’d end up together someday. Little Charlotte came unexpectedly, courtesy of Hannah’s piece of shit boyfriend, Levi. He’s in and out of both of their lives, but Liam stays put. Whether any of them admit it or not, Liam’s been a surrogate father to Charlie since the day she was born. She may have been a surprise, but that little girl is an honorary Hayes, and we all love her so much.
“It sounds great, Liam. Blaire, we have loved seeing what you’ve done in such a short amount of time. The event went so well, and all the changes are such a beautiful addition.”
Blaire replies to my mom with a smile on her face, “Thank you. That means so much to me, coming from you. It’s been such a pleasure.” Her voice takes on a happy, enthusiastic tone reminiscent of Tinkerbell rather than the vile Maleficent she reserves just for me.
I choke on a bite of pasta, coughing into a quick laugh. “Sorry, sorry. Please, Blaire, continue,” I say while taking a swig of my whiskey.
“How do you like working at the distillery?” my mom asks her.
“Honestly, it’s been incredible. I’m thankful for the opportunity to create this additional business for you all. I love the event aspect, and Sawyer, Carter, and I have a meeting after the new year to discuss hosting larger events like weddings. Sawyer and Ivy’s will be the first, and while it’s very small and intimate, it’s going to give me a great?—”
“You’re not serious, right?”
“Dallas,” my mom admonishes.
“Mom, you guys can’t be on board with this. Weddings? Why not just call in a damn circus. Hell, a petting zoo would bring in more business, too, if we’re just fuckin’ off with any idea. Let’s do that. Liam! We know anyone who’s got livestock for sale?” I yell down the table.
My sister, Kinsey, slaps me on the back of my head. “Dallas, stop being such a dickhead! Can you seriously not be nice?”
Kinsey is the youngest of us five, and with four older brothers, she’s a perfect mix of feminine and take-no-shit. While she doesn’t ever box with us and is half our size at least, I’d bet good money she could kick our asses.
I rub the back of my head when Blaire speaks up, my eyes shooting to hers.
“Kinsey, it’s okay, really. Dallas didn’t get his way, and like most toddlers, is struggling with having big feelings right now. Aren’t you, little man?” she says in a condescending, mocking tone that is all her.
The room goes silent for a split second before they all erupt into raucous laughter. I’ve never seen Blaire smile so big and bright that it lights up her entire face. I clap my hands slowly.
“Well done, princess. I knew you could show them,” I say directly to her with a wink before finishing off my drink.
“Alright, alright,” Sawyer says, getting everyone’s attention. “So, Ivy and I wanted to talk to you all ahead of the wedding next weekend.” I look over at my mom, whose eyes are already glassy, as she covers her mouth with her hands. Everyone here knows what he’s about to share. The two of them have been talking about it since we were teenagers, and we’ve all been waiting for the announcement since Ivy returned. “Ivy’s pregnant. We’re having a baby!” he yells before leaning down and kissing her head.
The table erupts into cheers as everyone clambers out of their seats to get to Sawyer and Ivy. I lean back in my chair and look at my twin brother. We all knew that as long as Carter didn’t accidentally knock someone up, and Ivy found her way back to Sawyer, he’d be the first to be a dad. He’s wanted to put a baby in her from the moment she got back into town, and based on the timeline, he did just that.
“My niece or nephew is in there?” Kinsey asks, her palm on Ivy’s tiny stomach.
“Yes! I want to say that it doesn’t feel real, but the constant morning sickness would make me a liar.”
I wait for everyone to give their congratulations before I get up and move toward my twin. I pull him into a big hug, slapping his back. I’ve never seen him so happy, and after everything he went through losing Ivy and then getting her back, he deserves every bit of the happiness.
“Didn’t waste any time, huh?”
“Fuck no. We lost ten years, I’m not waiting another second. I’m going to breed her until she can’t take it anymore.”
I laugh as Ivy slaps him on the chest, which causes me to laugh some more. Making room for my mom to hug him again, I step back, ready to return to my seat, when I catch Blaire’s heated stare in my direction. I don’t know what she sees, but there’s no mistaking the look in her eyes. My dick wakes up just from the look on her face. Fuck, why am I so attracted to her? She scoots back out of her chair and excuses herself quietly. I watch her head for the bathroom, and since everyone else is occupied with the love birds, their baby news, and their upcoming wedding, I follow her. I blame the alcohol flowing through my veins because just as she starts to close the door, I stick my foot in, stopping her.
“What the?—”
Pushing open the door, she steps back just as I’m stepping in.
“Somethin’ on your mind, princess?”
“What are you rambling about now, Dallas?”
“You think I didn’t notice the way you were looking at me back there?”
She sucks her bottom lip into her mouth, and I have to use my palm to press down on my thickening cock to readjust it behind my zipper. Her eyes track my movements, widening in shock before meeting mine in a challenge. Fuck does she get under my skin. I take a step forward, closing the distance between us. Her chest rises and falls, and I can’t take my eyes away, so jealous of the creamy ivory sweater that gets to rest over her full breasts. My resolve is slowly chipping away, the alcohol muddling the restraint I know I need. She’s just so goddamn tempting. She places her hands on her hips, and I let my eyes roam over her perfect hourglass figure.
She’s so sexy.
So seductive.
So tempting.
I want to tie her up, wrists and ankles bound so I can bury my face between those gorgeous legs, spread that pussy open wide, and fuck her mercilessly with my tongue until she squirts all over me. I want to fucking drown in her. Death by Blaire’s sweet cunt is a fate I’d accept.
“Dallas.”
Her voice brings me out of my fantasy, forcing me to look into her eyes, pupils blown wide over the stormy blue. She has the same dirty thoughts as me.
Shit.
What the fuck am I doing? I run my hand over the scruff on my jaw and walk out of the bathroom. Once again leaving a stunned, confused, Blaire behind.
I stumble into Carter on my way to the lounge for another drink when an idea strikes me.
“Hey, lover boy, want to bail? My style?”
“You’re speaking my language, brother. I’ll drive since you’ve been pregaming.”
Carter and I kiss our mom and say bye to our dad before putting on our jackets to head out.
“Where are you two heading? Celebrate with us here!” Ivy coos.
“We love you, Iv, but the night calls! Congratulations, you two. We’ll celebrate next weekend at the wedding.”
An hour in the car later, Carter and I are walking into Temptations, an invitation-only, high-end sex club. Our other brothers are aware I’m a member and frequent it from time to time. I vouched for Carter last year and got him an invitation, but this is the first time we’ve come here together. Not that either of us are shy about what we like, we just try to stay clear of having public sex while the other is in the room.
I pull out my membership card and scan it on the second set of doors before they open. The music is blaring, base thumping, and the smell of sex is heavy in the air. Fuck yes. This is the outlet I need to get Blaire out of my mind. Carter and I walk through the main floor and head to the bar to order drinks. Taking a seat on the leather stool, I take a good look around, my eyes roaming across the open expanse of the main floor. Across from me, a beautiful woman lays back on a couch with her legs spread wide, a man massaging her breasts, sucking and pulling on her pert nipples, while another woman’s face is buried in her pussy. Her back arches as the man pulls her legs up, spreading her wider for the woman to eat her out. I’m too possessive to share, but fuck if my mind doesn’t conjure Blaire splayed out like that so I could direct someone else to lick her pussy and make her come apart at the seams. She’d writhe and squirm and I’d prolong it until she was begging to come. Fuck. Why can’t I get her out of my fucking head? Only now does my dick decide to come alive.
I turn back to the bar and accept the shot the bartender placed in front of me, clinking it with Carter’s. “To women and never being locked down by one!” he cheers as we toss back the liquid.
“Heading to the floor. Where you gonna be?” Carter asks.
Knowing exactly where I’m called to, I stand and smooth out my shirt.
“Red Room.”
He nods before heading into the crowd to find someone to play with for the evening. I walk through the floor, heading into a long corridor that lines the front of the voyeur room. The light is on, meaning there’s a show in progress. A few couples watch from the hallway, eagerly touching and groping each other, getting off to watching someone else so openly and intimately. I make my way to the end and relax into the shadows before a pretty, petite woman slinks up next to me, her hand lying flat on my chest, rubbing upward to my shoulder and back down again.
“You here alone?” she whispers. Her hand moves down, on a path to grab my junk. I clasp her wrist loosely and remove it from my body.
“Sorry, not interested.”
She nods and walks away with her head held high. Gotta give her props for shooting her shot, but she’s not my type nor what my dick seems to fucking want. I finally take in the scene in front of me. A female sits on her knees, her ass resting on her feet, legs slightly spread with her palms facing up on her thighs. She’s the perfect sub, waiting for instruction. Her Dom prowls her, circling around her slowly, dragging the top of a riding crop up and down her arms, the length of her spine, and over her breasts, before walking away and sitting relaxed in a large, tufted chair. He slings his arm around the back of it before tugging on his hard cock with his free hand.
“Crawl to me.” His voice plays over the speakers so the audience can hear everything. His sub doesn’t hesitate, she leans forward on all fours and slowly, seductively crawls to him until she’s right between his spread legs. Sitting back on her heels, she waits, never breaking eye contact with him. Fuck, what I would give to see Blaire crawl to me. Her gorgeous blue eyes trained on me, her large breasts swaying with each step. Goddamnit, she makes me crazy. My dick thickens in my pants, pushing painfully against the zipper.
I focus ahead, her head bobbing on his lap, his cock shoved down her throat while he pets her hair lovingly, his words of praise echoing through the hallway. I wonder how Blaire would respond. I know she loved my hand around her neck, so I’m going to bet she likes it rough. Fuck if I don’t want to see how she’d respond to me being dominant with her, if she’d like it. I’d love to break her. She’s so goddamn strong. Fuck if I don’t want to see her on her knees, putty in my hands for me to fucking mold. I’d make her feel so fucking good she’d crave me after, needing to come back for more because no one could satisfy her like I can. My cock throbs painfully and I rub my palm against it, hoping to alleviate some of the pressure. Normally, I’d have someone sucking me off already. I look around the hallway and find a woman pressed up against the wall, her thigh hiked up around a man’s waist while he finger fucks her and sucks on her neck.
“We can help you with that big problem you’ve got there. Want to join us?”
Running my hand through my hair, I give her a slight smile.
“You two enjoy yourselves.”
Turned on, I leave the dimly lit hallway and walk through the throngs of half-naked bodies, the sound of pleasure and music mingling, the smell of sex heady. I make my way to the bathroom, walking into one of the stalls and locking the door behind me. Unbuckling my pants, I groan as my stiff cock is freed, grabbing it tightly and running up the length, my piercings pulling and giving the sting of pain I live for. I close my eyes and Blaire appears, her wild red hair splayed out across my bed, her wrists tied above her head, her sweet pussy on display for me. That curvy, sexy-as-fuck body ready for me to ravish. I’d edge her until she was compliant, until she learned to listen and could hand over her pleasure to me. And boy would I come through for her. I’d turn her into a screaming, writhing mess under me, making her pussy weep, soaking the sheets under her. My orgasm hits me out of nowhere, my balls drawing up, my cock hardening further.
I come harder than I ever have in my life. And she was only in my head.
I’m fucked.