Play for Keeps (The Devil's Share #6)(5)

“The gala for the charity for abused women and children. The one Harlow’s mom is involved in. We got the invitation to it over a month ago. We were all sitting here, on the back patio. Remember? Landry liked the gold embossed writing and she asked Lexi if that was what her wedding invitations would look like?” I shook my head and she rolled her eyes. “Then Lexi and Dash got into that argument because Lexi forgot that they needed to send out wedding invitations?”

I nodded. “Oh yeah. I remember that night. Everyone left early and Landry went to spend the night at Luke and Harlow’s house.” I patted the countertop in front of us. “I fucked you right here.” I tapped the side of my head. “I’m a steel trap.”

B snorted. “You’re a steel trap when it comes to drama and sex. Everything else goes in one ear and out the other.” She got up and walked over to the hall closet. “Which is why I took the liberty of getting your tux dry-cleaned for you.” She tossed it to me.

“And who the hell forgets to send out wedding invitations?” Lexi was not the bride we all expected her to be. This wedding was for sure not a priority for her. And we could all tell how bummed Dash was about it.

“A women who is helping run a music label, with an artist about to launch a new tour? A women who has a baby and a fiancé and a million things on her mind daily that have nothing to do with frilly details like gold embossed wedding invitations?”

I held my hands up, defense style. “Hey, all I’m saying is that it’s odd to forget wedding invitations. I know Lexi is busy, we’re all busy. Why am I getting the devil doll tone?” I smiled when B rolled her eyes at the term. I’d coined it one night on the promo tour when a groupie asked if she could see my massive cock. Bryan. Went. Off. So, baby doll turned into devil doll. I thought it was cute. She didn’t.

“You want to see devil doll come out, love?” Her hands were on her hips.

I shook my head. “No ma’am.”

She nodded once. “Didn’t think so.” She turned on her heel and headed up the stairs.

“Where are you going? I thought maybe we could, you know, get in the hot tub and—”

She called over her shoulder, not bothering to slow her stride. “This morning you promised Landry you would watch the second Harry Potter movie with her. Remember?”

I jumped to my feet, running after her. “Yeah. Of course I remember.”

Apparently my mind was less steel trap and more sand shifter.





Chapter Four





Bryan

I smiled, leaning against Landry’s bedroom door while I watched Jacks tuck her in under her pink polka dot sheets and then sweetly tap her adorable little button nose. He patted the bed. “Come on, Crash.”

Crash climbed on, one long limb at a time and then curled into a ball at the foot of her bed. Her king-sized bed. We had to get one large enough for Crash to fit on too.

When we moved into the Texas house, Landry had nightmares for a bit. Her therapist said it was normal, she was just reacting to yet another change of location in her life. We’d asked her if she would feel safer having Crash in bed with her. Six months later? That dog crawled in beside her when she got in and didn’t move until she woke up in the morning. It was literally the only time he was still.

I crossed the room and kissed her forehead. “’Night, sweet girl.”

“’Night, Momma.”

I melted. I melted every time she chose to call me Momma. Which wasn’t all the time. She was more comfortable saying it when we were alone. Hey, I’d take it when I could get it.

Landry’s bio mom, Emily, had completed rehab and was living in a whole new town in a halfway house. We still got letters from her every week, but the phone calls were getting farther apart. She hadn’t asked to visit Landry yet either.

Jacks put his arm around my neck and walked with me out of Landry’s room, down the stairs to our master suite on the bottom floor.

“So. Doll. About that hot tub…”

I snorted. “Fine. Fire it up.” He clapped his hands together like a little kid and walked out the large folding glass doors that led to our private courtyard. It wasn’t on the house plans originally; Jacks added it as a surprise for me after we moved in. It was crazy how creative you had to be to have sex when you had kids in your house nonstop. Four ten-foot concrete walls, an outdoor shower, an in-ground hot tub, and Japanese serenity garden. I loved it. I pulled my hair up on the top of my head and tossed my clothes on the floor.

“Come here, baby.” Jacks held his hand out, helping me step in and positioning himself behind me. “Hey, you want to tell me the reason you got so defensive earlier?”

I shrugged and leaned my head back against his shoulder while he ran his hands all over my body. “I don’t know. I guess I just don’t want you to think that just because someone isn’t a crazy involved bride it means the wedding doesn’t matter. I’m not super girly. I doubt I’ll lose my shit over flower arrangements.”

He kissed my neck and then put his lips against my ear. “Are you saying you want to get married, B?”

I laughed. “Not exactly. Why?”

“I love you more than anything, well, except for Landry of course.”

I smiled. “Of course.”