Being With the Brothers Next Door (4 page)

Sasha chuckled because Jonas was so right, and she loved that he still spoke his mind. “Yeah, when she came over with her tits almost hanging out I decided it was time for a bathroom break.”

Jonas laughed and grabbed her hand. For a moment he didn’t do anything but stare down at her, and sparks of electricity coursed through her veins at the innocent gesture of him holding her hand. “Join me for a beer? Maybe we can catch up?”

Her heart slammed in her chest fast and hard, and beads of sweat settled along the length of her spine. Sasha smiled, knowing that they were adults, and she needed to be in his life, because in all honesty she had been so damn lonely. This was Jonas Ashbury, one of her best friends who just happened to be the man she had been in love with years ago. But had her love really gone away? The kindling in her belly told her maybe her feelings for Jonas hadn’t dissipated, especially when she had this kind of physical reaction to him from a simple touching of hands.

“Okay, I’d like that.” He gave her a little squeeze and led her over to Rian. Her brother looked up, did a double-take when he saw
them
holding hands, grinned, and stood. Michelle huffed in annoyance at the fact she had been dismissed so quickly.

“Damn, I haven’t seen the two of you together in too fucking long.”

Sasha felt her cheeks heat because although Rian’s comment meant something innocent, she was thinking completely inappropriate thoughts.

“Dude, shouldn’t you be building the McCain house?”
Rian
went on. He and Jonas embraced quickly, and they all took their seats.

“You’re a damn slave-driver, man,” Jonas said, and the guys started laughing. Sasha looked between them in confusion. Michelle came back with their beers. “I’ll take whatever you have on draft, thanks,” Jonas ordered and looked at her. She ordered a bottle of beer, and silence fell over the table.

“Am I missing something?” she asked.

 
They both looked at her. “Well, I like the flavor of a draft beer as opposed to a bottle or can.” Jonas smirked from his clear sarcasm, and she narrowed her eyes.

“I mean, what’s with calling Rian a slave-driver. It almost sounds like he’s your boss.” Neither said anything, and it clicked into place. “Rian’s your boss?” She was confused as hell.

“If you ever asked about the shit that was going on back home I would have told you I hired Jonas as my foreman.” She knew she got redder at Rian’s words, because he was right. She had avoided any and all subject matter when it came to
Hayven
Hill because she connected home with the Ashbury twins.

“So, Master’s degree, yeah?” Thank God for Jonas and his unparalleled ability to change the subject.

Sasha took a drink of her beer and set the bottle back on the table.
“Yeah.
It took a lot of work, but I’m glad it’s behind me and I can actually start helping people.”

Jonas nodded, and Rian’s gaze was back on Michelle, who was currently bent over the bar. Her skirt was ridiculously short, so tiny that Sasha would see the crease where the cheeks of her ass met her thighs.

“Foreman, huh?”

Jonas leaned back in the chair and threw his arm over the back of it. God, she had forgotten how attractive he was, well, not really, but he was older now, matured and rough around the edges. The first few buttons of his shirt were undone, and the tanned, smooth flesh of his chest was visible. His muscular biceps strained against his shirt, and the arousal she thought had been buried deep inside of her rose to the surface.

“Yeah.
Graduated with a degree in business, so when this asshole asked me to work part-time as his foreman and the rest of the time keeping his books, I decided to grace him with my expertise.”

Rian flipped him off, but it was all in good humor. It really was like old times with the two of them messing around with each other. The only thing missing was Tanner. The urge to ask about Tanner was poised at the tip of her tongue.

Instead, she said, “That is really great.” She looked down at her bottle and started pulling at the label. It came off easily enough due to the condensation, but now she had a little pile of moist paper in front of her. A glance up showed Rian still otherwise occupied staring at Michelle’s ass, but Jonas’s sole focus was on her. It wasn’t just any look. It was an expression she remembered Tanner giving her all those years ago as he pressed her against the side of his house. It was heated and filled with longing. Sasha shifted in her seat, wondering if it was just her imagination and the insane arousal she had for Jonas that was making her see things. The longer she stared at him, the more she realized it wasn’t just her imagination.

Jonas lifted his eyes to something behind her, and the hair on the back of her neck prickled with awareness. She knew, without even looking, who approached. Because she couldn’t seem to help herself, or maybe she was just a masochist, Sasha looked over her shoulder. A busty blonde wearing a tight dress was all but wrapped around Tanner. His head was bent, and he whispered something in her ear that made her giggle loudly. Tanner was bigger than she remembered, more muscular, just like his twin. The t-shirt he wore molded to his hard body, and the loose fitting jeans hung low on his hips. He looked good and was coming right their way. She turned forward again and found her beer bottle very interesting.

“
Yo
, Jonas and
Ria
—” Tanner’s words cut off, and she felt him step beside her.

Lifting her head so she was looking right at him, she found Tanner staring down at her. His expression wasn’t one she could read, but shock had definitely passed across his face.

“Sasha.” The way he said her name was deep, low, and had her toes curling.

“Baby?”
The blonde whined, and Tanner tore his eyes from Sasha and looked at the girl. “I’m thirsty.” She did a little jig against him. The movement caused her huge, obviously fake breasts to shake obscenely.

“Yeah, all right.”
Tanner said it almost absently. “You guys good?” Sasha didn’t miss how he purposefully avoided her, but that was okay because the moment was uncomfortable as hell. Tanner and the woman headed to the bar.

“That Tanner’s flavor of the week?”
Rian asked Jonas, and Sasha looked between them, finding herself on the edge of her seat waiting for the answer. She had heard the stories Rian told his buddies when he thought she wasn’t listening. She knew Tanner slept around. In fact, the three guys had been whorish to a point all through high school. It bothered her back then, and of course after she had given herself to Tanner it had cut a lot deeper inside of her.

“Nah, he actually has been with Brianna for like a month. I think things are getting serious,” Jonas said while keeping his eyes on her.

She snorted, which was a bizarre reaction for her to have since she found this whole situation anything but amusing. Maybe it was a defense mechanism? Rian and Tanner both raised their eyebrows at her. Fortunately, they didn’t question her reaction and continued talking.

“Well, compared to the random one-night stands he is used to having, I’d say a month is like a freaking lifetime.” Jonas lifted his glass to his mouth and took a long drink. The way his forearms flexed with unrestrained strength was a visual reminder of his masculinity. She forced herself not to look behind her at Tanner and
all his
male prowess. The two of them together, in the same room, was ruining her panties.

“There room for two more here?” Tanner said as he stood by the table.

“Of course, man.” Rian stood and grabbed two more chairs. Sasha moved so she was positioned closer to Jonas. Tanner took the chair closest to her. Sweat popped out along her neck at being sandwiched between the twins. The scent of their combined cologne swirled around her, and she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. How could she have ever thought she was over them?

For the next hour Sasha was exposed to the extremely obnoxious flirting Brianna did with Tanner. She refused to look at him, although with Jonas brushing his forearm along hers and the side of Tanner’s knee sliding against hers, it was hard to focus on anything. She went through the same line of questioning with Tanner as she had with Jonas, but there was no relaxing around Tanner. He was equally surprised at her sudden arrival, despite Rian telling him she was moving back to town. That had been the extent of their conversation, though. She learned Tanner also worked for Rian’s construction company as their head architect. It wasn’t a surprise that the twins were intelligent and successful.

“Hey, handsome.”
A girl with a bad blonde dye job slinked up to Jonas. She cocked her hip out and leaned against their table, which caused their bottles to tip. Jonas glanced up at her and grinned. His smile clearly implied he was interested, which Sasha found annoying.

Stop it. You have no claim over them. In fact, you’ve done everything in your power to push them away and avoid them at all costs.

“Hey.” His grinned widened, and all she saw was straight, white teeth. He tilted his glass to his lips and drank while he kept his eyes still trained on the blonde. With Brianna all but dry humping Tanner, and Jonas finding the tramp interesting, Sasha felt extremely uncomfortable. Yeah, it was about time for her to go home, but then again Rian seemed preoccupied with their waitress.

“Come on, baby.” Even over the music Sasha heard the seductive note in Brianna’s voice. “I’m ready to go back to your place and try out those new crotches-
less
panties.”

Oh. My.
Fucking.
God.
Sasha had to be in a new level of hell.

“You busy tonight, Jonas?” The white trash blonde leaned in, and her breasts nearly spilled out of the lacy top she wore. “I have been known to get a guy off in less than a minute with my mouth.” She made a point of licking her lips, and Sasha crinkled her nose in distaste. She was surrounded by whores of the worst kind. If this was what Shake’s had turned into she’d make sure to get drunk somewhere else next time. Speaking of getting drunk, she totally wasn’t, so at the moment she prayed it rained strong liquor to get her through the next five minutes.

She was so ready to go, and snagged Rian’s attention before Michelle could seduce her brother further. “I think I’m ready to go. I’m a bit tired.”

Her brother nodded, but before he could stand Michelle wrapped her arms around his neck.

“I’m off for the night.” She leaned in and whispered something in his ear. Rian leaned back and raised his brows at whatever she said. She nodded enthusiastically.

“I’ve got to drop my sister off first, but can swing by and pick you up afterwards.” Michelle pouted, but before she could complain, or agree, or whatever the hell she was about to
do
, Jonas spoke up.

“I can take Sasha home. Besides, it’ll give us a little time to catch up.”

Her heart threatened to explode from her chest. Being confined in a vehicle with Jonas sounded like a new form of torture, one she didn’t know if she’d survive.

“Yeah?
As long as it’s all good with Sasha.”

Jonas nodded. Rian looked over at her.
“That okay, sis?”

Well, no, but she wouldn’t be rude. The thought of being enclosed in such small quarters with Jonas, even if it was for only a short time, had every part of her body tingling.

“Um, yeah.
Sure.” She gave them both a smile and hoped it came across as genuine. Because she felt Tanner’s gaze, she looked over at him. His hazel eyes watched her intently, and even though his date said no so quiet dirty things in his ear, his focus was only on her. For a moment she could imagine this wasn’t an awkward situation. She could picture them just hanging out, like they used to. But that was then, and this was now. Things were grossly different, and it was all because of her. Maybe one day things could go back to the way they were. One could only hope. Sasha had run as soon as the fall semester had started and hadn’t looked back.