CHAPTER FIVE
Mason
Inurse a beer, pretending to listen while my best friend, Kai, complains about our boss, Livvy, my gaze locked on the pool behind him. Or more specifically, my brother’s shiny new toy. He’s like a kid on Christmas. If emoji came to life, he’d have goddamn heart eyes.
Kai scoffs louder than necessary, drawing my attention and I frown, nodding my head in solidarity, though I have no idea what he said.
He’s been trying to win Livvy over since I got him the bartending job at my work three years ago.
But she’s never once wavered from her “I don’t fuck my employees” rule. Until now. And it wasn’t Kai.
“What does Chris have that I don’t?” he asks when I’m finally looking his way, and I huff out a laugh.
“You mean, other than the fact that he has model good looks and the reputation of a sex god?”
“The fuck, Mase?”
I chuckle as his face contorts. “I’m kidding. They’ve known each other since high school. It’s possible she already had a thing for him when she hired him.”
“How the hell do you know that?”
“Livvy.”
“You talk to her?”
“You don’t?”
“Not really.”
“Then how… You know what? It doesn’t matter.” I hold back an incredulous laugh, stopping short of shaking my head. Other than Livvy, Kai usually has his pick of the ladies—his words, not mine. And yet, he’s clueless when it comes to women. It constantly blows my mind.
“What do you think of your brother’s new girl?” He changes the subject, leering at Jenna when she sashays past. “She looks familiar.” He squints as though that will ignite something in his brain, and I give him a shove so he’ll stop staring.
“She’s not my brother’s girl,” I grate, moving in front of him, forcing him to look at me instead of the Brazilian-style bikini riding up her ass.
“Are you sure?” Kai nods his head toward my brother who is practically drooling from the edge of the pool.
“She’s the pen pal.”
“No. Fucking. Way. That’s where I know her.
I binged that superhero series.” Kai shoves me aside to perve on her again, and I spin to watch as she grabs another drink, shaking her hips to the music.
With the way she’s dancing, you’d think she’d known everyone for years, but we’re lucky if it’s been three hours. She’s that confident in herself.
“I can’t believe she’s here,” Kai continues. “I was sure he was making her up.”
“Ha. Same.” Not really, but I never once expected her to turn up on our doorstep. Jack must have asked me a million times if I could believe it. And the truth is, I can’t.
Jenna waltzes back to Jack, her smile flirtatious as she lowers herself to the edge of the water. She takes a sip of her drink, and the second she puts it aside, Jack pulls her into the pool, eliciting a squeal that makes me cringe.
“They’re definitely going to fuck,” Kai puts his two cents in, and the urge to punch him is strong. He can be an annoying motherfucker, but I don’t usually want to hurt him.
What the fuck is going on? And when will this party be over?
Needing a reprieve, I make myself comfortable in our cabana, lying back on a lounge chair farthest from the pool. Then I adjust my position, making sure the obnoxious half-naked mermaid sculpture—that Jack insisted on buying—blocks my view.
As the afternoon sun peaks, the conversation turns to Christmas, with our cousin Roxy reminding everyone it’s her turn to host our annual Boxing Day celebration. Excitement fills the air but I’m not feeling it, despite usually being all in for this tradition.
I’m sure once we all grow the fuck up—and some of us have kids—it’ll fizzle out, but for now, it’s the only celebration Jack and I get.
We spend Christmas day together if one of us isn’t working, and we always exchange gifts, but it’s not the big deal it was when we were kids. When our parents were around.
And I love Christmas.
I tried hard to keep our personal traditions going for the first few years after we lost Mum and Dad, but when Jack made it clear he didn’t want that, I gave up the fight.
“The drinks will be flowing and the food will be five star,” Roxy announces, changing things up from our usual BBQ and beer.
“I’m going for a Hawaiian theme, so you better be ready for fruity cocktails and seafood galore.
And Santa. Christmas wouldn’t be the same if we didn’t have photos on Santa’s lap.
A more traditional one than last year. Thanks, Kai. ”
Kai raises his beer in the air. “Anytime. You all loved it.”
Every year, the girls hire some gorgeous model to be Santa, and he always happens to forget his shirt, turning up in an open jacket. But last year, it was Kai’s turn to host and Santa was replaced with Mrs. Claus. The late twenties version. And God, was she smoking hot.
Someone wolf whistles and I lean forward, turning toward the sound, finding Jack laughing while Jenna smiles uncomfortably beside him.
She forces a giggle at something he says before jumping up and heading inside, returning with a full bottle of vodka in hand—and no glasses.
My stomach knots as she whispers to Jack, a lopsided grin lighting up his face.
And it pisses me off. Can’t he see that something’s wrong? She’s clearly upset, and I’m going to go out on a limb and say she’s about to drink herself stupid because of it.
After spending the next hour not watching Jack and Jenna knock back shots directly from the bottle, I jump up, needing to escape.
Jenna’s not my problem, and Jack’s a grown-ass man—he can take care of himself. I don’t need to worry about either of them.
And I’m not. I’m fine.
The second I leave the lounge chair, Roxy pounces on it, poking her tongue out when I raise an eyebrow in question. “What? You haven’t moved for hours,” she whines, “and Kai’s got the other one. Stevie and I need to sit down.”
“Good luck with that.” I chuckle, gesturing to Kai asleep on the lounge. That guy can sleep anywhere, and he worked the night shift last night. He’s not budging.
Roxy’s eyes sparkle with mischief and before I know it, she’s pushing Kai off the lounge, thankfully in the direction of the grass.
“What the fuck, Rox?” Kai glares as he jumps up until his eyes lock on Roxy’s friend, Stevie, and his anger instantly dissipates. “Hello, Red.” He bounces his eyebrows. “I don’t think we’ve officially met.”
Stevie brushes her red hair behind her ear and playfully rolls her eyes. “Red? How original.”
I scoff under my breath and leave them to it, ducking around Roxy as she crosses her arms over her chest, ready to protect her friend. Kai’s a good guy, but he’s the definition of a playboy, and from what Roxy’s told me about Stevie, he’s not her type.
But at least he’s forgotten about Livvy. For the time being anyway.
If only I could forget about my current fixation.
As if reading my mind, Jenna laughs as I pass her and Jack on my way to the kitchen, and I internally groan.
But when the tightness in my chest eases, I’m forced to admit I may have been a little more worried than I realized.
As I’m sure she expected—since she grabbed the bottle of vodka herself—the alcohol seems to have worked to erase whatever was troubling her.
And while I’m not condoning drinking your issues away, I’m relieved to see her happy again. Either that, or she’s numb.
Is she numb? Is that it? I pause—God knows why—but thankfully catch myself without drawing attention. Keep walking, Mason. They don’t need you. She doesn’t need you.
Smiling at no one in particular, I continue on my way, grabbing a glass from the cabinet in the kitchen, filling it with water. Cloud cover momentarily darkens the sky as I stare out the window, my drink forgotten while I search the yard. For what? I don’t know.
Kai cannonballs into the pool, drenching Rox and Stevie, and while I feel bad for them, an uncontrollable burst of laughter escapes me.
I’m going to guess he did not get Stevie’s number. He’s—
“I think that’s the first time I’ve heard you genuinely laugh. It always has an edge to it.” I jolt at Jenna’s sudden appearance but recover quickly, spinning around to face her.
“Always?” I scoff. “In the five hours you’ve known me?”
“That’s right. You can tell a lot about a person the first time you meet them.”
“Is that so?”
“Yep. Which reminds me.” She raises her hands like she’s under arrest, and her tiny bikini top shifts, the base of her tits peeking out from below.
My traitorous cock twitches.
“What are you doing?” I rush out, keeping my eyes on her face. I’m not blind; she’s fucking gorgeous, but she’s also sassy and annoying. Not to mention she’s off-limits. Reserved for my baby brother. And what baby bro wants, baby bro gets.
Jenna bites her lips mockingly before batting her eyelids. “Don’t arrest me, fun police. I promise I’m bored out of my mind right now. Nothing to see here.” She puts on an innocent tone that sounds a lot like Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz and I huff under my breath.
“You’re hilarious,” I deadpan. “I hope you found a parking spot.”
“I did, thank you. It’s just a short fifteen-minute walk from here.” She smiles, but the annoyance in her expression warms my heart.
“Good.”
“Good?” She huffs like I did, although hers is more cheerful than mine. “You’re really something.”
“That I am.”
Her smile returns as she shakes her head, and when I spin to empty the water I never drank, she falls quiet, drawing my gaze in the window reflection.
“You have a nice house,” she says softly, surprising me. “It’s so clean and inviting.”
“Clean and inviting?” I bite back a sarcastic laugh and glance over my shoulder. She’s a little tipsy so I'll let that one slide.
“Yes, clean and inviting. Not at all what I expected for Jack, and after spending the last few hours getting reacquainted, that opinion hasn’t changed.”
“Oh-kay.” What’s she getting at?
“This is all you. Isn’t it?”
“What?” My brows raise of their own accord, though she’s not far off base.
My dad may have designed this place—he was a renowned architect—and my mum may have furnished it, but for the past eight years, I’ve made it a home.
How Jenna could possibly know that after spending five minutes in my presence is beyond me.
“Am I wrong?”
“We share the house.” I shrug, not knowing how else to respond.
“Oh, I know. But I’m willing to bet you don’t share responsibilities."
“Do you need something?” I change the subject, not at all interested in a deep and meaningful conversation.
“Another bottle?” Jenna points to the empty bottle of vodka on the bench beside her and I cringe, biting back a remark.
She’s not my problem, I remind myself. She doesn’t need me telling her what she can and can’t do, though my head is screaming at me to beg her to slow down.
To be careful. She doesn't know these people. Hell, she doesn’t know me. Or Jack. Outside of his letters.
“Do…you…know where I can find one?” she enunciates slowly when I don’t respond. “Jack mentioned—”
“Yep. Above the fridge.”
“Thanks.” Her smile brightens and she reaches up again, but this time I turn away, avoiding the peep show, refusing to look back until she’s gone.
When the party dies down a few hours later, I’m already inside when Jack stumbles in, his arm wrapped around Jenna’s shoulder as she whispers in his ear. Giggling.
She pauses when she spots me, her deep brown eyes raking over me, her bottom lip trapped between her teeth. It’s so goddamn seductive that I bite back a groan.
“I’m taking Jenna to bed,” Jack tells me, oblivious to her ogling. “She’ll be in the room across from mine.”
I nod, sucking in a breath as he guides her up the stairs, and it’s not until he returns a few minutes later that I finally relax.
Thank fuck. He didn’t take advantage of her.
I shouldn’t have doubted him. He’s a better guy than I give him credit for.
But still… If that had been Kai…I wouldn’t have held back from kicking his ass.
“I’m going to get her some painkillers and water,” he says, heading toward the kitchen. “Jenna’s going to have the mother of all hangovers when she wakes in the morning.” He laughs, while my insides churn.
“Aren’t you worried about her?” She wasn’t drinking that much until the conversation turned to Christmas. And she loves Christmas. At least that’s what I was led to believe.
Jack frowns, tossing his head in nonchalance. “She’s always been the life of the party. Remember she told me about that festival back home in Vermont? She was so drunk, she woke up in the sleigh from a Christmas display.” He laughs again, and the knot in my stomach tightens.
What do both events have in common? Christmas. My eyes flash to the stairs and I school my features, hiding my concern.
“You’re probably right. I don’t know her like you do.”
“Not even close, big bro.” He winks and I force a half-assed smile. “I’m gonna grab Jenna’s stuff and head off to bed. I need my beauty sleep for the big day I have planned tomorrow.”
“Big day?”
“Yep. I’m taking Jenna out. Showing her the sights Sydney has to offer.”
“It’s going well then?”
“So fucking good. It’s like old times. You’d think no time had passed.”
I clench my teeth as I hold my grin. “Good to hear, man. Good to hear.”
He walks away and my chest burns, but I refuse to acknowledge what that means. She’s Jenna. Jack’s Jenna. And that’s all she’ll ever be.