Chapter 8
Chase
I might have been a bit too cocky.
For one, the house was a fucking mansion. I felt intimidated by the length of the driveway alone.
And second, the man who met me at the door was like a gladiator.
I was tall and broad, and I worked out for a living. But this dude was a powerhouse. The shaved head, full beard, and tattoos weren’t helping to make him look approachable. How were Jay and this alpha even related?
I stuck out my hand, grateful to whatever higher power watching over me that it wasn’t shaking.
“Hi. I’m Chase.”
Measuring me coldly, Hugh squeezed my hand a bit harder than necessary and muttered, “Come on in.”
Knowing Jay was already inside, I entered the house and took off my sneakers. I put them on the shoe rack and straightened…and almost fell on my ass.
Because I knew the slender, tall omega smirking at me from behind Hugh’s massive form.
“Hello, handsome,” he purred.
Fuck me sideways.
Jay had said that his brother-in-law’s name was Kirby. He forgot to mention that his brother-in-law was Kirby Matthews. As in the omega porn star whom I’d seen naked and yes, even jerked off to in the past.
I’d heard that Kirby had gotten married to a co-star, but that meant Hugh was…
Holy shit!
I looked from the omega to the alpha and back.
I’d seen them both naked! I’d masturbated, watching these people breed during heat. Of course, I hadn’t recognized Hugh’s face because, while watching Kirby Matthews heat porn, I hadn’t really been focusing on the alpha, but now I remembered…
Fuck. Fucking fuck.
And now they knew I knew, because I’d been quiet and unmoving for way too long.
Hugh was staring back at me with narrowed eyes, his mouth pinched. Kirby was still smiling, his gaze soft, almost compassionate.
“Close your mouth, Chase, and come on in,” Jay called cheerily from somewhere inside the house.
I clamped my mouth shut. I hadn’t realized it had been hanging open.
Hugh let me pass but barely, and Kirby offered me his hand.
“Hi, Jay told me about you. I’m Kirby. It’s so nice to meet you.”
“Hi, Kirby. It’s nice to meet you too. I’m… Uh…” I almost blurted that I was a fan before I bit my tongue. That would have been so embarrassing.
Why the hell didn’t Jay tell me anything?
“Jay didn’t prepare you, did he?” Kirby whispered.
I let out a strangled laugh. “No. He did not.”
Kirby squeezed my upper arm. “That was mean of him, but you’re doing fine. Hugh, close the door before we freeze to death.”
The door thudded behind me, and Kirby led me to what turned out to be the fanciest kitchen I’d ever been in.
The countertops were dark marble, and the island in the middle was ginormous, holding an extra sink and a sleek ceramic stove with a French-style cast-iron pan on top. The air smelled of garlic and herbs.
“Wow,” I breathed.
Warm hands slid around my middle, and I turned to hug Jay and kiss his cheek.
“Hi,” he murmured.
“You sneaky thing. Why?” I whispered.
Jay only giggled as I lingered with my lips on his temple.
The unsubtle clearing of a throat made us step away from each other. Hugh loomed behind us, observing me coldly.
“This kitchen is amazing,” I tried.
“Chase likes cooking,” Jay said.
Hugh grunted and turned to the stove.
“Would you like a drink? A glass of red or beer?” Kirby asked me.
“Beer. Lager if you have it. Thank you.”
“Coming right up.”
“So, this part of the house is Kirby and Hugh’s apartment,” Jay explained. “Monty and I have a separate entrance on the other side.”
Looking around the space, I felt a chill run up my spine. I’d never thought of Jay’s circumstances. Since he was a nurse, I’d just assumed he’d be…normal. Like me. I had enough money to keep a roof over my head and food on my table, plus some meager savings—nothing to brag about, but I did okay.
This place, though, was so over-the-top. Was this Hugh’s and Kirby’s porn money? Or was Jay rich? That would be so weird.
“Where’s Monty?” I was glad to find a question that had nothing to do with either porn or property.
Hugh flashed me an almost threatening look that I deemed best to ignore. Kirby handed me an open beer bottle, and I thanked him before taking a gulp.
“Monty’s with his uncles for the weekend,” Jay replied. “Richard and Carter live in Ellis Beach.”
“You have another brother?” Hopefully, I hadn’t seen that one’s dick on my laptop screen.
“We’re not actually related. They’re our friends. I think I told you about them. They have a golden retriever and a house on the beach, so they’re currently very high on Monty’s list of favorite uncles.”
I chuckled. “Noodle. I remember.”
“The weirdest dog name ever,” Jay confirmed, grinning. He grabbed a knife and began chopping a bouquet of parsley.
“How did they come up with it?” I asked.
“I think it was Richard’s ex who named the dog.”
“Leonard.” Kirby wrinkled his nose. This Leonard person obviously wasn’t a favorite.
“I actually wondered about that,” Jay said. “I’ve never met the man, but I’ve heard a lot about him, and it sounds very out of character for him to name a dog Noodle. Maybe he does have some redeeming qualities you aren’t aware of.”
Hugh lifted his head from the pot he’d been stirring with unnecessary focus and gave Jay an incredulous look. “Because he gave his dog a weird name?”
“Yeah. It’s too quirky for a shallow sponger.”
“He wasn’t a sponger.” Kirby made a face as if it pained him to admit this. “He had his own money when he started dating Richard. Didn’t make him less of a harpy, though. And why are we talking about Leonard Chase?”
“It’s a good word,” Hugh said. “Sponger.” He glanced at me as he said it, and I blinked.
The temperature in the room seemed to drop.
What?
Did Hugh believe that I was dating Jay for financial gain?
The suggestion seemed so absurd; I didn’t know how to react. Hugh went back to his stirring.
I looked at Kirby, who was glaring at Hugh, and then at Jay, who seemed just as taken aback as me.
“What are you after?” Hugh asked without looking up from the pot.
“What the fuck, Urban?” Kirby exclaimed.
Jay walked up to the kitchen island and braced himself on the opposite edge from Hugh, facing him. He looked furious. And he was still holding a knife.
“Up until today, Chase had no idea about our situation. But even if he knew, you’re way over the line treating my boyfriend like shit right in front of me!”
My boyfriend. I loved hearing him say that.
I reached out to caress his shoulder. “I’m fine. I can deal with this.”
Hugh snorted derisively. “Really?”
“You’re just worried about Jay. I get that.”
Jay took a deep breath as if calming himself, but he didn’t say anything.
Putting the spoon aside, Hugh folded his massive arms across his chest and squinted at me. I could deal with him on my own, but I was still glad for the solid barrier of the kitchen island between us.
“Do you understand why I’m worried?” he bit out.
“Because you don’t know me and you’ve seen Jay get hurt before.”
My simple answer seemed to throw him off. He looked from me to Jay and back. Jay was still silently seething, his shoulder tense under my hand.
Would it be smart to tell Hugh he was indirectly insulting Jay, or would I just piss him off further? I didn’t get a chance to formulate that into a sentence because after a frigid pause, Hugh asked another question.
“How old are you anyway?”
This wouldn’t go over well. And my beer bottle was empty. “I’m twenty-five.”
Throwing his arms in the air, Hugh turned on Jay. “For fuck’s sake, Jaybird. He’s more than a decade younger than you!”
Kirby cleared his throat. “Do you remember my age, darling?”
“That’s different,” Hugh said confidently, and I almost laughed because there was no way he was winning the upcoming fight. Between Jay and Kirby, Hugh was toast, and I wouldn’t have to say a thing.
Kirby laughed merrily at Hugh’s reply as he must have come to the same conclusion.
Jay put his hands on his hips and glowered at his mountain of a brother. “How is it different?”
“You’re an…” Hugh pointed at Jay, then stopped himself. He gaped like a fish a couple of times.
“I’m a what? Finish your sentence, Hugh.”
“Yeah, baby, what were you going to say?” Kirby chirped in, grinning.
Hugh pushed off the island and went to the fridge. He opened himself a beer and took a deep swig.
“Omega,” he said, then exhaled through his nostrils. “And I am already aware how dumb that sounds, so can we change the subject?”
“No,” said Jay while Kirby exclaimed, “No way in hell.”
After another deep breath and another swig of beer, Hugh looked at me with an almost pleading expression on his rugged face. Was he expecting me to help him after he’d accused me of being a gold digger?
I did feel sorry for him. Kinda. But most importantly, I wanted this evening to go well for Jay’s sake.
So I said, “The food smells amazing. What is that anyway? And can I have another beer?”
Hugh looked so relieved that I thought he might hug me. He took out a bottle, opened it, and handed it to me. “Irish beef stew. And please don’t tell me you’re a vegetarian.”
I snickered. “No. I’m not.”
“Baby, where the hell did you forget your brain today?” Kirby said, shaking his head. But he stepped close to his husband and stood on tiptoes to kiss his cheek.
The food was great, and the mood slowly lifted. Jay sat beside me, and when we finished eating, he held my hand on the table. His brother’s eyes narrowed at that, but Jay lifted his chin as if daring him to say something. Hugh looked away, his face smoothing out.
Then Jay asked about their upcoming projects, and Hugh gaped, a little pale.
“Do you really think that’s a good conversation topic?” he hissed.
“Why not?” said Jay. “Chase’s seen some of your work, I’m sure.”
I wasn’t keen on discussing porn with them any more than Hugh was, though.
“Um. Actually, I was curious about the bar. My brother Perry has been there and said it’s a great place. You restored it yourself, didn’t you?”