Chapter 28
Jackson
Ethan stands at the foot of the bed, arms crossed over his chest. “This is fucking bullshit.”
I mirror his stance and shake my head. “Un-fucking-believable.”
We’re both in matching designer boxer briefs, which he hasn’t realized I bought for him. Either that, or he likes them and doesn’t want to admit it.
“He’s created a barrier to keep us out.”
“Mission accomplished.”
We stare at the scene before us. Reece sleeps in his usual spot closest to the door, curled protectively around Aurora, her back to his chest. She hugs the body pillow on her other side, cocooned in an impenetrable fortress.
I bump shoulders with Ethan. “Tactical genius or a cockblock? What do you think?”
“Threatened.” He drums his fingers on his bulging bicep, gaze fixed on the bed. “Claiming his territory. Hopefully, he doesn’t piss on her next.”
“True.” I stifle a laugh—barely. “You should teach him better ways to mark his property. Piss is not my kink.”
Ethan releases an exaggerated growly sigh. “What should we do?”
“Don’t know.” I shrug. “Fuck?”
“I was thinking more along the lines of tossing him a bone, giving him something to soothe his possessiveness. Like ask Rocco to add him to the contract—with Aurora’s permission, of course.”
I highly doubt putting Reece’s name on a piece of paper will lessen his grudge, even though a marriage certificate is only a piece of paper—anyone can get divorced.
I shoot Ethan a sidelong glance. “Or we could just fuck.”
“Sex is what made him this way.”
My lips curl into a smirk. “Sorry. I can’t help it if my dick is magic.”
He skewers me with a blank stare that’s anything but.
“What? Don’t give me that look. It converted you, didn’t it?”
“You did not convert me.” Those steel-gray eyes narrow. “There will be no converting.”
“Was it my mouth? Love at first blow job?” My smirk erupts into a full-blown grin.
“I loved you before the blow job.” He tilts his head and finally smiles. “Although that definitely solidified a few things in my mind.”
I can’t pretend to keep quiet any longer—a bark of laughter bursts from my chest. How did we even get here?
“Jesus fuck.” Reece’s exasperated voice cuts through our fun. “You two realize I can hear every word you’re saying, right?”
“You’ve been listening this whole time?” As if we didn’t know. “That’s creepy.”
His eyes open and pin me with an ice-blue glare. “Hard not to when you’re standing five feet away.”
My goal isn’t to make him snap anymore—though if he did, it’d be okay. I’d laugh it off. Now, I intend to desensitize him, nudge his boundaries a bit, ease his discomfort with humor.
It probably won’t work, but I’m going to annoy him until he likes me.
Friends tease each other. Brothers tease and annoy each other. I don’t have siblings, but I Googled it: teasing is healthy as long as it’s not malicious, and it goes both ways. He can tease me; I can take it. The problem is, he doesn’t feel like an equal, which we need to work on.
Aurora stirs, burrowing deeper into the pillow, her dark hair spilling across her face.
“Descansa,” he whispers—something in Spanish—and kisses her temple.
“Suck-up,” I mouth, my nose scrunched.
He props himself up on the headboard and combs his fingers through his floppy faux-hawk. The soft light filtering through the window glints off his nipple piercings. “Your kids are going to be bilingual. You might want to learn.”
I’ll admit, he has a valid point. I hadn’t thought of that. But still…
“Our kids,” I correct. “Our kids will be bilingual.” Then, just to be an ass, I lift a hand to shield my eyes. “And please put your nipples away; they’re blinding me.”
“Jackson,” Aurora warns, her tone making it clear she’s had enough of my shit. “Get over here.”
I don’t need to be told twice. “Yes, babe.” I dive onto the mattress, aiming for the body pillow. “My turn.” I grab it and toss it unceremoniously to the floor with a dramatic flourish.
Despite her irritation with me, she giggles and snuggles into my chest.
“Ethan,” she murmurs, her eyes still heavy-lidded with sleep. “You, too.”
He takes a step toward the bed but hesitates. “We’re supposed to go to Rocco’s—it was Jackson’s idea. We need to eat, shower, and pack. I’m scheduled to meet the staff at the arena the day after tomorrow. We only have today, and if we don’t leave early, traffic will be nasty.”
Aurora lifts her head and peeks up at him. “We’re staying the night?”
“Maybe. Rocco says there’s plenty of room, but it depends on the weather and how long we’re there. It’s a two-hour drive, so staying might be better than returning in the snow or getting stuck in traffic.”
I cock a brow. “Are you driving?” I know the answer, but I ask him anyway.
“No, the twins are.”
“So you’re the passenger princess and still the one making all the plans? Yeah, that tracks.” I flash him a teasing grin in an attempt to lure him closer—close enough to drag him back to bed.
Instead, he turns and strides toward the bathroom. “We need to go, Jackson. Get up.”
“Come on, Coach,” I call after him. “We can grab breakfast on the way. Just five minutes in bed with our girl.”
He pauses in the doorway. “Nothing with you is ever just five minutes.”
I give him my best pleading eyes and a pouty lip. “I’ll be quick, I promise.”
Reece scoffs. “That’s not the selling point you think it is.”
His words are muffled. I glance down, and he’s kissing Aurora’s throat. He caresses her stomach, lifting her shirt as he inches toward her breasts. She moans softly, and her eyelids flutter shut.
My cock thickens instantly. I meet Ethan’s gaze. “Draw the curtain on your way over.”
I couldn’t care less about the sunlight or who sees whose ass, but Reece might, and we don’t have time to deal with his insecurities. Ethan will be counting down the minutes while we fuck.
“Goddammit,” he mutters, but he does as I say, and the room goes dark. Clothes rustle. The nightstand drawer opens and closes. The mattress dips, and he crawls up behind me. “A quickie. That’s it. Then we shower.”
“How are we doing this?” I ask, already stripping off my boxers and kicking them away.
“Don’t care,” Reece mumbles. “Up to Aurora.”
Either the threat of losing her finally loosened his inhibitions, or my dick really is magic.