Chapter Five
Paige was stuffed. She was lying on their big leather couch, her feet resting on Jack’s lap as she leaned against Dean’s shoulder.
“Pay up,” she demanded, wiggling her toes. “I crushed you, and now you owe me a foot massage.”
Jack grumbled good-naturedly, but he took off her shoes and tickled her instep.
“Stop,” she said, rearing her foot back and kicking him gently in the leg. “Don’t be a sore loser.”
“He can’t help it,” Dean said, easing the recliner that was built into the sofa back so she toppled off his shoulder. Now, her head was in his lap. And so much for her resolution to keep tonight free of sexy thoughts.
“Relax,” he said when she would have sat back up. “We’ve all been working our asses off. Let’s just lay here and enjoy the moment.”
Relax? That was easy for him to say. Jack was making goo-goo eyes at her over her feet, and she wanted to turn her cheek to feel the hard muscle of Dean’s thigh against her lips. She forced herself to take deep, calming breaths. They couldn’t read minds, so as long as she played this cool, they’d never have to know about her fantasies. Jack took his foot massages seriously and rubbed his thumb along the center of her foot and pulled her toes. Dean slung his arm around over her, just under her breasts. She closed her eyes against the yearning inside her.
Just enjoy the moment.
Then her cell phone rang. The ring tone was set to Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats.”
“Ignore it,” she said. “Don’t stop rubbing my feet. It’s just Fred.”
“You’re so bossy,” Jack said.
It stopped ringing and her voicemail notification came on.
“What does that asshole want?” Dean grumbled.
“Probably wondering why I haven’t answered his emails. Or maybe he found out I sold the Long Island house last year without giving him a chance to buy it first. Or he’s wondering if I received his wedding announcement.”
“What?” Dean said at the same time Jack said, “Are you fucking kidding me?”
“Yeah. So if one of you or both of you could be my date for the wedding, that would be freaking awesome.”
They exchanged a look over her head and Paige immediately backtracked. “I’m just kidding, of course. I’m not going to go.”
“We’ll go with you,” Dean said.
“Or one of us will,” Jack countered. “But only if it’s what you want to do. You don’t owe that asshole anything.”
“I know,” Paige said. “It just seems like I’m a coward if I don’t pay my respects to the happy couple.”
“They didn’t respect you when they were sneaking around a dirty no-tell motel.”
“It was the Waldorf Astoria.” She peered up at him.
“It’s seen better days,” he assured her, and rubbed her arm.
She could cut glass with her nipples. Fuck. How could she get out of here without rubbing against either of them like a cat in heat? This was such a mistake. She was like Pavlov’s dog. She was lonely and needed a man and her ex-husband used to have sex with her…that had to be the reason she was so out of her mind with lust.
Paige sighed. Who was she kidding? The reason she was so horny had nothing to do with dull Fred. It was because she was cuddling with sexy, muscled men on their couch.
“No,” Jack said, squeezing her feet comfortingly. “You’re the bravest person I know.”
She scoffed.
“I mean it. You left your marriage.”
“He didn’t give me much choice.”
“You sank everything you had into the bed and breakfast and are starting a new life. That’s pretty courageous,” Jack said.
“I don’t feel very courageous most days,” she admitted.
“Well, you are.” Dean leaned down and dropped a kiss on her forehead.
Paige almost cooed in delight. It didn’t help that Jack’s magic fingers were making her drowsy and tingly all at the same time. She stifled a yawn with the back of her hand. “I should get going before the last ferry leaves.” Or before my clothes accidentally fall off and I beg you to take me against the wall.
“You’ve got some time,” Dean said.
“Besides, you could always stay here,” Jack added.
She smiled. What a recipe for disaster that would be. “No, I’ve got to get back. But this has been fun. I always like beating the snot out of you two in whatever game we play.”
“Yeah, if you’re so confident, we should play strip poker,” Jack blurted out.
Paige caught Dean shaking his head at him and giggled. That was so like them. Jack letting his mouth say shit before his brain caught up with him, and Dean scolding him for it. They were her two best friends in all the world. If she lost them, it would be more devastating than her divorce had been. She needed to pull on her big girl panties and stop with the pathetic little fantasies. It was an impossible situation. She couldn’t sleep with a married man, even if he wasn’t married to a guy. She wouldn’t be a homewrecker.
“Besides, if you miss the ferry we can always take you in the boat.”
She looked at Jack. “What?” Paige couldn’t have just heard what she thought she did. It was her hormones messing up her hearing.
“Take you back in the boat,” Dean said, with another glare at Jack.
“Oh.”
Her phone rang again. This time the ringing was Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Going to Take It.”
“Who’s that?” Dean asked.
“My parents. I’m ignoring them, too. Are you sure you don’t want to rethink the courageous part?”
Jack’s lips twisted into a smile. “No. I know how toxic parents can be.”
“I’m sorry,” she said.
He shrugged. “It is what it is. I’ve always been a disappointment to them. Tattoos, piercings, not going to college. Marrying a man was just the last straw for them. They disowned me. They didn’t want a faggot for a son.”
Anger swirled through her. No one should treat their son like that. “Fuck them.”
“It’s okay.”
“No, it damn well isn’t,” she said, scowling. She’d like to give them a piece of her mind and maybe a knuckle sandwich. How dare they hurt her Jack? And he was her Jack, even if he didn’t realize it.
“Easy tiger.” But Jack smiled, so she backed off. “I’ve got Dean’s parents. They handled it a lot better.”
“Well, not a lot better,” Dean snorted. “We still make them uncomfortable, and I’m pretty sure they pretend we’re just roommates, but at least we’re on the Christmas card list.”
Paige rubbed Dean’s thigh in sympathy. “If it’s any consolation, I’m a big disappointment, too. I didn’t used to be. I married well. But then, I didn’t overlook Fred’s little indiscretions and was vulgar enough to divorce him.”
“Your parents wanted you to stay with him after you caught him banging his secretary?”
It was also hard to hold on to righteous anger when Jack’s touch was so soothing. “It’s what my mother did.”
“Ouch.” Dean winced and stroked her cheek in sympathy.
Which would have been really sweet, but that meant that his upper arm brushed over her breast and Paige was so desperate for him that she enjoyed it like it was a deliberate caress.
“Barbie wasn’t Fred’s secretary. She works in IT. I guess she liked his hard drive,” Paige quipped to stop the raging feels flowing through her.
They smirked appreciatively.
“I thought I had buying the inn all figured out,” she said as the silence threatened to get heated again. “But I didn’t count on closing fees or little things, like you know, needing to eat. I’d relied on Fred’s income for so long I’d forgotten what it was like to not have money in my bank account.”
“Why didn’t you tell us this?” Dean asked.
“Because I’m twenty-eight years old and I should be able to do these things for myself. But in the end, I borrowed sixty grand from my parents to get me through until the bed and breakfast opens.” Paige crossed her fingers. “Hopefully.”
“We’ll get you ready in time.”
“I know you will.” She took the opportunity to stroke Dean’s arm. The hair tickled her palm as she caressed the curved muscles. “That’s why I want to go to Fred’s wedding. I want to show him how he did me a favor. That I’m happy and enjoying myself.”
“Are you?” Jack asked.
“I will be,” Paige said with more enthusiasm than she felt. “Will you be my date for the wedding?” She peered up at Dean.
“Sure.” He grinned. “As long as there’s an open bar.”
“If there’s not, drinks are on me.”
“Why him?” Jack asked.
“No offense, but my parents would take one look at your tattoos and I’d never hear the end of it. They’re extremely conservative.”
Jack and Dean exchanged another significant look Paige couldn’t interpret. She hoped she hadn’t hurt Jack’s feelings.
“Why would your parents go to dickhead’s wedding?” Jack asked, scowling.
“My father’s company and Fred’s company are very close, and they still consider him if not a son-in-law, then a personal family friend.”
“Now that’s bullshit,” Jack said.
It tickled her that he appeared just as protective of her as she was of him. “No, what’s bullshit is making the terms of my sixty grand loan be that I can take as long as I like to pay it back, as long as I do exactly what they say in regards to the inn. If I don’t, they can require the loan needs to be paid in full immediately.”
“Holy shit.” Jack dropped her feet. “You signed a contract allowing them those terms?”
“Not in those words, but that’s the gist.”
Dean asked, “Why?”
Paige reluctantly slid her feet to the floor and sat up as Dean removed his arm. “It’s not like I had a lot of choice in the matter. Besides, so what if they want to paint the shutters black?”
“But it gives them so much control over you.” Jack took a swig of his wine.
“That’s why I’m not answering their calls. If I don’t hear their demands, I’m not in breach of contract and owe them money I don’t have.”
“That sucks,” Dean said, sounding mournful.
She rubbed his knee and then pushed herself to her feet before she got too handsy. “It’s not that bad. I’ve only had to change the color of the bathrooms from beige to ecru.” Paige rolled her eyes. “I probably should get back home, though.”
They walked her to the ferry platform, timing it so she could just walk on. “I had a great night tonight. It was just what I needed. Thanks.” She stood up on tiptoe to kiss Dean’s cheek. He hugged her tight and she probably imagined it lasted longer than it normally did.
“I’ll see you in the morning.”
As she leaned up to buss Jack on the cheek, he turned his face and she got his lips. That kiss definitely lasted more than a quick brush. Blushing furiously, she swung around to protest that she didn’t mean it, and to apologize to Dean. But he kissed her on the mouth, too, and she felt a swipe of his tongue.
She was losing her mind. That was the only excuse.
“Sweet dreams,” Jack said in her ear.
“Good night,” Dean said in her other one.
Paige didn’t even remember the boat ride home.