Jake
The brunette was like a startled deer, her caramel eyes wide, almost quivering at the sight of me. He curls were riotous, streaming about her shoulders, and she was wearing a flannel dress. It was definitely her. The girl from the party, the one who I’d had the amazing sex with, was at this family dinner.
“Mom?” asked Jenna again, staring at an older woman sitting next to my dad. “What are you doing here?” she demanded in a rush, her eyebrows beetled as her face turned an unflattering shade of red.
The older woman was gracious and elegant, a genteel, older version of Jenna. Her blonde hair was swept back and she wore an expensive suit, laying one hand gently over my father’s.
“Jenna, I should ask the same thing,” she purred smoothly. “Harold was going to introduce me to his sons tonight … but evidently you already know one of them,” she said, nodding at me.
Before I could react, a familiar deep drawl interrupted from behind us. “Heya fam,” grinned Matt from behind us, his black hair damp, his smile disarmingly friendly though sharp as a razor. He stared blankly at Jenna before turning to the older woman.
“You must be Mary,” he growled before leaning over to give her a kiss on the cheek.
I was fucking stunned. This woman was my dad’s fiancée and also Jenna’s mother? Even more unreal, Tina was here for some reason … the brunette of my wet dreams making an appearance in the most unlikely of places. What the fuck? Seriously, what the fuck?
Jenna stuttered like a stuck lawn sprinkler before my father stood up, taking the reins. Harold wore an expensive suit, but fancy clothes can’t hide that he’s a bear of a man, a man who works with his hands as a successful general contractor. “Mary, Tina, Jenna,” he said courteously, nodding at the women. “Meet my rascal sons, Jake and Matt. Although it seems there’s some intra-family dating going on here,” he said with a deep chuckle.
Holy fucking shit. Tina was Jenna’s sister? The woman I’d fucked senseless at the party was going to be my sister-in-law? What the fuck was happening?
The brunette looked just as mystified, her eyes wide but observant, her lips trembling oh so slightly. Those luscious pink lips … their pale curve and slight glisten made me tremble, my body hardening immediately. How it felt to see those lips envelop my stiff cock …
But I was shaken out of my trance by Jenna, pouting and rattling at my arm. “Jakey,” she said. “My mom is evidently getting married to your dad … so we’ll be step-siblings,” she said with a sneer of disgust. “But whatever, it’s not like we’re related or anything. In fact, we’re all adults so no one can tell us what to do,” she tossed off breezily, shaking her blonde hair over a shoulder. “Jakey’s already bought me a five-carat stunner, you know … check it out,” she said, waving the ring beneath her mother’s nose.
Tina went completely still at the sight of the massive rock on my fiancee’s hand. Her expression betrayed nothing but a hot flush crept up her cheeks and her breathing quickened. Before I could interrupt, Mary murmured her approval.
“Well Jenna honey, it looks like you’ve done well for yourself. Jake and Matt, please take a seat,” she said graciously. “Harold, where are your younger sons? I’d love to get a look at them too … and see if they have my other daughters in tow,” she added mischievously. “The world is so small maybe Karina and Callie have flown out from New York, who knows? It’s already been a day of surprises,” the blonde said with a wry smile for the group.
“I’d say,” Harold growled in return, turning to the older woman with adoring eyes. “With social media and everyone traveling in such small circles, who knows what’ll happen next?” he shrugged.
“Hear, hear,” chimed Matt, raising a glass. “Here’s to coincidences … and new beginnings,” he said with a pointed glance at me.
What the fuck? What was my brother getting at? Obviously he knew I felt nothing for my so-called fiancée, but did he have any idea of who Tina was to me? Had he guessed? Suddenly, Matt’s intentions become clear. My fucking brother was gazing with silent appreciation at the brunette’s curves, letting his eyes trail over her ample cleavage, savoring the slim white hand that held a wine glass aloft. I was filled with a murderous, red-haze rage. “Mary, Harold, to you,” I said through gritted teeth. “And to the Sterlings,” I managed, shooting my brother a fuck-you look.
But Matt was oblivious. He’d sidled into the seat next to the curvy brunette and was already making small talk, chit-chatting about some bullshit, probably some touching story of growing up on a ranch, playing with lambs, girls love that shit. But I realized I knew almost nothing about my mystery brunette, my frustration and powerlessness overwhelming. I needed to stop this fucking farce from going any further.
“Jake,” said Mary as she settled a napkin in her lap, “tell us a little about yourself.”
“Oh Mother,” cried Jenna before I could speak, “Don’t you keep up with current events? Jake is the CEO of Sterling Pharmaceuticals, they IPO’d six months ago,” she said triumphantly. “The first unicorn to go public in a year,” she announced in a loud voice, as if hoping the restaurant would overhear.
“Harold,” said Mary, slapping my dad playfully on the arm. “You didn’t tell me that you were the Sterlings of Sterling Pharma. Of course I’ve heard of the company, I think my mother, Jenna and Tina’s grandmother, uses their diabetes drug.”
“Darling, I didn’t want to say anything,” rumbled my dad. “Sterling belongs to my boys. I’m just a plain old working man, rough around the edges,” he rumbled.
“Oh you!” flirted Mary shamelessly, giving his arm a warm squeeze. “You’re the most sought-after contractor in San Francisco, don’t play it down,” she said with a sweet smile.
Fuck, these aging lovebirds were so disgusting that I almost wanted to puke. But even more worrisome was Matt putting the moves on my curvy brunette. I could see him leaning close to her, his interest evident by his body language. What the fuck? We were all step-siblings here, didn’t he realize what a fucking incestuous lech he was?
Meanwhile, Tina’s body language looked receptive. She was laughing at his jokes, nodding in agreement with something he was saying and took a delicate sip of her water, her eyes meeting mine momentarily over the rim of the glass. Fuck … I needed her. Just the sight of those caramel eyes looking up at me … it reminded me of her on her knees in my bedroom, gazing sweetly up at me as she tasted my cock.
I adjusted myself uncomfortably in the chair, my body rock-hard and ready to spew at a moment’s notice. Unfortunately, Jenna noticed and slipped her hand provocatively onto my thigh, her fingers trailing my bulge under the tablecloth. “We wanted to let you know that we’ll be getting married at Memorial Chapel,” she announced before lowering her voice confidentially. “We’re going to have about three hundred guests, including Mark Zuckerberg and Larry Ellison. Because Zuck is one of Jake’s friends right? And Larry wants us to take his yacht for the honeymoon.”
I was annoyed. Sure, these were professional acquaintances but I wouldn’t say they were friends per se. I mean, let’s get real. Sometimes you’ve got to slash another man’s throat in business, and I knew both Zuck and Ellison wouldn’t hesitate to cut me under the right circumstances. Fuck, I’d beat their wives and children if it got me what I wanted.
But I must have growled something that made Jenna smile brightly and Tina flush, looking at her glass. The brunette got up hastily, mumbling some excuse, and made her way to the back of the restaurant.
“What’s gotten into her?” asked Jenna breezily. “Oh I know, we had finals and it’s been rough but she’ll be fine. Anyways, are you all free the first weekend in June? I’ve already reserved the chapel for that Saturday.”
I couldn’t take it anymore. Getting up, I too made my way to the back of the restaurant in pursuit of the beautiful brunette.