Play Fair (The Devil's Share Book 3)(16)

“Have you met me? And we are JUST FRIENDS! I won’t be doing anything dirty with your little sister.”

She sighed, clearly irritated. “Yeah, I have met you. I spent the past few months of my life living with you. Which is why I can see that you like my sister and that you are trying your damnedest not to fall for her.” She put her hands on my shoulders. “Don’t cross that line, Jacks, because I can promise you, you won’t like what’s on the other side. Bryan has a line of broken hearts behind her.” Then she walked out.

I scrubbed my hands down my face. Everything about my life was different than it had been yesterday. I’d been terrified when I’d walked in the living room and seen Landry. I’d wanted to run. But the more time I spent with Landry, the more times I made her smile or laugh… She was so perfect; she was so good. She deserved so much better than she’d had in this life. And I wanted to give it to her. Bryan made me feel like I could too. She made me feel like I was a good man, a man who had something to offer. Granted I had no f*cking clue what I was doing, and I’d probably screw up a thousand times…but I was going to do my best. And I was going to stick around. So, I was already doing better than her mom.

As far as Bryan was concerned, Dylan’s worries were wholly unnecessary. I didn’t know how many more times I would have to stress the fact that we were only friends. Only friends for that very reason: we didn’t want to hurt each other or the people around us.





Chapter Eight


Bryan


I was somewhat glad to escape Jacks’s bed. I woke up smiling, with his huge hard-on poking me in the back. I wasn’t shy, and I wasn’t some blushing virgin. But holy hell. The rumors about Jackson Cole were true. I shook my head, trying to clear the images out of my brain. I made scrambled eggs for breakfast, two dozen scrambled eggs to be exact. It seemed that if someone smelled food in this house, it was game on. And these boys (plus Lexi) could eat. Landry helped me crack the eggs and she set the table again. She was such a good kid. Why anyone would want to leave her was beyond me. Why anyone would abandon their kid, good or not, was baffling. After breakfast the guys headed down to the studio to work on their new album. Dylan went to work. I didn’t know what she would do once they all moved to the compound they were building in Texas, but for now she’d kept her job as physician’s assistant at the ob/gyn office. Lexi was sitting in the recliner, flipping through a baby furniture magazine. Landry and I were on the couch, watching Animal Planet. We’d been sitting here for over an hour. There wasn’t really anything else for her to do here. She didn’t have any toys or games. No books…. “Hey, sweet girl, you want to go to a toy store?”

Her eyes lit up. “Really?”

I nodded. “Really. We can spend more of Jacks’s black card money.” I didn’t really figure that he would mind. He wanted to take care of her, and she needed something else to do around here besides watch documentaries.

Lexi looked over at us. “I want to get in on that.”

I clapped my hands together. “That settles it, we’re going shopping.” I made a mental note to stop by the grocery store as well; this house needed more kid-friendly food. I stood and held my hand out for Landry. “Let’s go get that card.”

Landry smiled and put her hand in mine, and the three of us girls—well, four if you counted the baby girl in Lexi’s tummy—headed to the studio. When we walked in, we were greeted with the wail of a guitar. Jacks was standing in the center of the room, his eyes closed and his fingers flying. My mouth became dry, and my heart did that little flutter thing again. Holy hell. My best friend looked hot. I’d seen him play before, in New Orleans, but damn. The way his tongue darted out to wet his lips, the way his hands on the strings seemed to mimic his hands on his cock. Not that I’d ever seen his hands on his package, but still…it was almost too much. He opened his eyes and winked when he caught me watching.

Dash held his hand out and pulled Lexi down to his lap. “What are you girls up to?”

Jacks quieted the strings and then sat his guitar on a stand, taking a few steps in our direction. It was nothing, a causal movement. But I couldn’t help but feel that there was purpose in his steps. That he was stalking toward me.

“We are going shopping.” Landry’s hand was still in mine. I gave it a little squeeze when she leaned her head against my hip. I was surprised by the gesture; it was so natural.

Jacks got down eye level with her. “You need some black card money?”

Landry nodded shyly.

Jacks stood and took his wallet out of his back pocket. He removed the card and handed it to her. “Here you go, Buttercup.” Then he looked at me, a cocky smile on his face. “Get yourself something pretty.” Damn. He was too cute for his own, as well as my, good.

I smirked. “Oh, don’t you worry, I intend to.” I held my hand out. “I need car keys.”

Jacks’s smile fell. “You want to drive the Tesla?”

“What else am I supposed to drive?” I played it nonchalant, casual. But hell f*cking yeah I wanted to drive the Tesla. I had a need, a need for speed.

“It’s a really fast car, and if you aren’t used to driving it…” He was trying to think of a reason not to give me the keys.

Luke expertly twirled his drumsticks around, one in each hand. “You know, Jacks, you really need to get a more family-friendly car.”