Chapter 8
Brycen
Christ on a crutch,she felt perfect in my arms. Her subtle scent of woman and pears was intoxicating, and the warmth of her body against mine was more than enough to lull me into a restless slumber on her sofa. I found myself chasing unseen dangers, thwarting the evils that haunted Jana—things and shadows that threatened her life.
“What the fuck are you doing with my sister?” had me jolting. Had Jana not been mostly on top of me, she’d have been thrown to the floor in my attempt to stand at attention like some prepubescent male getting caught with his virgin hand up his first girlfriend’s shirt.
Instead, Jana simply pushed me back into the cushions, slumberous eyes peering down at me, a lazy smile splayed across her lips. Of course, my dick chose that exact moment to make his attraction known, causing my sleepy partner’s eyes to go wide with my mortifying realization.
“I asked a question,” Jason stressed.
Blushing slightly, Jana was careful about her escape, ensuring she twisted the couch throw enough, so when she’d liberated herself from our current position, my tenting pants remained concealed.
“J-Jace,” Jana started, but that’s as far as she got.
“Are you fucking kidding me, Matthews?” Jason’s eyes glared daggers in my direction. “Should have known you’d try something with?—”
Jana didn’t allow his words to progress any further. Shooting to her feet, she put a hand against his chest, stopping him from moving toward me. “That’s enough!”
The man looked down at his sister, eyebrows furrowed. “That sonofabitch was?—”
“What am I, sixteen?” She snorted. Jason took a step back, but she matched his retreat with a step forward. “I get the big brother routine, I do but, Jace, I’m a grown-assed woman.” She poked her index finger into his chest. “I can take care of myself.” The man turned bright red, and his face morphed into a sheepish expression demonstrating his embarrassment.
“But, sis, he had his hands—” he attempted to no avail.
“Shut up,” Jana calmly ordered. “I had a horrible night last night. Brycen was kind enough to stay instead of spending the night outside at his post.”
Jason’s gaze strayed from his sister’s to mine, then back again. The domineering older brother emerged once more. “What. Happened?”
Morning wood well-handled—there was nothing better than a relative walking into a room to quell biological responses—I folded the couch throw, draping it over the back of the piece of furniture, and reallocated the decorative pillows to their former placement before I explained.
“Your sister received a package from that whack job is what happened,” I grumbled. “I told her not to open it until either me or one of the guys was there, but?—”
Jason’s eyes studied his sister, and I could feel his mounting frustration. “But she didn’t listen, did she?”
“Got it in one.”
Jana sucked her bottom lip between her teeth, a sign I’d discovered that denoted her regret, but also guilt.
“Detective Peters has everything, and it’s been sent to the labs for analysis. As it was, it’s safe to say your sister was freaked the hell out. I brought her home, but the night’s festivities were too much for her.” My gaze momentarily trailed to Jana, noting the tension in her shoulders, her eyes narrowing on me as I continued, “She passed out right before Cade left.”
“You passed out?” Jason’s eyes threw daggers at his kin before his gaze strayed back to mine. “She passed out?”
I gave him a single nod. “Cade helped me get her settled on the couch, then I sent him home.”
“And he took care of me, and in my delirium, I fell asleep on top of him. The end! End of story. Nothing more, nothing less,” Jana interrupted our back-and-forth with an irritated tone. “You two are talking like I’m not even in the room. I can speak for my fucking self, dammit!”
A smirk spread over my face when Jason’s eyes met mine, his expression mirroring mine.
“Oh, Good Lord.” She threw her arms up in exasperation. “Save me from overbearing, protective men! It’s too early for this bullshit. Who wants coffee?”
“In a thermos, sis,” Jason responded as she stormed toward the kitchen. “I’m headed to the gym.”
“Humph,” came from the kitchen as Jana’s banging ensued.
Jason chuckled when I reached for the back of my neck, rubbing the leftover stiffness from our night on the couch, all the while attempting to figure out if Jana was really that upset with us—with me.
“So, tell me, what am I in for if I go in there when you leave?” I asked him.
All humor left his face. “Anything else I should know about that’s going on that my baby sister isn’t entirely forthcoming with? In case you didn’t know, she’s blind when it comes to men and their interest. And I know there’s something there.” His eyes bored into mine as he said the last words.
My brows furrowed at that statement. “Look—” I started, but Jana stomped back in, shoving a thermos into her brother’s hands.
“You’re welcome…asshat,” she stated, giving me a cursory glance as she turned and headed toward the kitchen once more. “You’re still here?” I felt my jaw drop and simply nodded like some hapless idiot.
“Later, Matthews,” Jason said as he made his exit, leaving me feeling much like a lamb awaiting slaughter.
The sound of the lock in the front door’s tumbler mixed with Jana’s heavy sigh. “Coffee’s ready,” she called out.
I shuffled toward the kitchen, expecting a whole lot of apologizing, because even though she seemed pissed at Jason, I was sure she was at least slightly annoyed with me.
Jana
Damn infuriating men!It’s a miracle I could freely fend for myself, what with the abundance of testosterone swirling around me in that living room.
To be honest, I was surprised Brycen had taken over explaining all of what had happened last night. Sure, it took the pressure off me to expound, and I’d have probably butchered things enough that I’d provided far too much information, causing my brother to freak the hell out. No thanks. But as thankful as I was for my protector having been the one to explain, I felt like the ever-delicate flower that would wilt if simply looked at the wrong way. And that I couldn’t tolerate.
I could speak for myself, and Brycen needed to know this straight out of the gate, unlike my brother. Jason never seemed to clue in. I suppose, had the roles been reversed and he had some psycho after him, I’d be just as diligent in protecting my family as he’d been thus far. It’s what we did for one another in this family.
I first heard shuffling of feet, then Brycen’s throat cleared. It had taken him all but a minute from the time the front door had been locked with Jason’s departure for him to muster up the cojones to face me.
Not bad.
“Look, Jana,” he started from behind me. My back was toward the entryway as I sat at one of the island’s barstools. “I’m sorry for speaking on your behalf.”
Major points!The man knew where he’d gone wrong. Then again, I’d helped him out in that department. But he didn’t have to apologize and did so straightaway. That said a lot about the kind of man Brycen Matthews was.
Seconds trickled by before I felt more than heard his approach, spotting him from my peripheral. I’d poured him a cup of coffee when I’d readied mine, and it sat in front of one of the empty barstools. I’d left cream, milk, and sugar for him, as I had no idea how he doctored his morning drink.
“Is that for me?” he asked cautiously. I offered him a curt nod. “May I sit?” Another nod.
The man proceeded to mix a hell of a lot more sugar than I’d believed a man of his fitness level would drink with the hot java.
His chuckling had my eyes aiming high up to meet his, and he had that adorable self-deprecating grin on his face again. It had my lips inching upward ever so slightly.
Would you like some coffee with that sugar?
His chuckle turned into a full-blown belly laugh.
Had I said that aloud? My face heated instantly.
“Listen,” he said, the feel of his thumb and forefinger under my chin, tilting it upward, forced my gaze to his, “I really am sorry, Jana. I should have let you explain. He’s your brother, and I’m sure you know how to handle him a lot better than I can.” He took a sip of his coffee, closing his eyes in enjoyment of the brew.
It reminded me of the sleepy-eyed Brycen I’d fallen asleep cuddled against from last night; the same man who’d held and taken care of me to ensure I slept through the night—no nightmares I might add—and the same one I’d felt against the juncture of my thighs upon our rude awakening a mere half hour ago.
“I’m sorry too,” I mumbled after a short moment. He’d never know what for, however.