Down and Dirty, page 14
“Wow,” Jess whispered.
“Yeah, wow.” Tony hadn’t thought of that fight in years. He recalled how much it had hurt at the time, but now it was nothing more than a memory, one that evoked none of the piercing pain that accompanied that first broken heart.
Of course, the anger was still there, but that fire had been stoked by the history of their families and by Nonno’s fierce bitterness over losing his business to the Russos’ corruption.
“You can give me that twenty in the morning,” Rhys joked. The three of them laughed, and then they sat in companionable silence for a few minutes. Tony thought perhaps Jess had drifted to sleep. He was surprised when she spoke again.
“How come you guys don’t go out on dates?” she asked.
“We do,” Rhys responded, his words the truth. Or at least, they had been until Jess moved in. Since then, neither of them had asked a woman out.
“Not while I’ve been here,” she pointed out. “Is it because of my second job? If it’s cutting into your social life—”
“It’s not,” Tony reassured her. She’d consulted with them before taking the job, asking if it would work for them and their schedules. They’d insisted it would be fine to leave Jasper in their care, that between the two of them and Aunt Berta, there would always be someone home to look after the little boy. Because she put him to bed before she left, watching Jasper essentially required zero work, as he’d never once woken up while she was gone.
“Why don’t you have girlfriends?” she asked.
Tony chuckled. “Are you trying to figure out what’s wrong with us?”
She grinned. “Oh, Tony. I can make that list all by myself without any help.”
“Minx,” he said, tickling her.
She batted his hands away, giggling.
Rhys rolled his eyes at their antics. “I think it’s safe to say we’re both workaholics. Besides, marriage and a family…they aren’t really in the cards for me.”
“Penny mentioned you felt that way, but I’m curious why not?” Jess asked.
“I’m committed to my practice, my patients. I’m on call twenty-four seven. You’ve seen that. It wouldn’t be fair to ask a wife to spend so much time on her own.”
It wasn’t unusual for Rhys to receive a phone call or several each night from patients, and he spent at least two or three nights at the hospital after office hours, making the rounds of his patients there.
“I think that’s a shame,” Jess said. “You’d be a great dad. You both would.”
Over the past month or so, Tony had come to acknowledge the pull he felt whenever he and Jess were in the same room. He was drawn to her like a moth to a flame, helpless to hold back when it came to touching her, either to offer a hand to help her stand, his palm on the small of her back when they walked beside each other, or a hug before bed. Or like right now…as he held her in his arms. She felt good there. Right.
He’d never been much for those casual, affectionate touches in the past.
Of course, like Rhys, he hadn’t been looking for a serious relationship either, preferring to keep the women he went out with firmly in the “just dating” category. He’d jokingly declared the hunt for a wife a forty-year-old man’s game, likening himself to George Clooney, claiming he had too many wild oats left to sow.
He was committed to putting Moretti Brothers Restorations on the map, working overtime to see the business’s continued success, but lately—since Jess—he was questioning whether or not that should be his life’s number one priority.
Before moving in together, he and Rhys discussed their future plans, in regards to relationships and women. It would have been impractical not to, since they were not only buying real estate together but a home as well. Both of them had stated outright that marriage wasn’t in their immediate plans, and overnights spent with women wouldn’t be unheard of, but it also wouldn’t be a common occurrence. They’d decided to revisit the discussion when one of them renounced their single status. That hadn’t happened.
They’d both brought lovers home from time to time, but it was always a one- or two-night thing. None of the women had ever stayed beyond breakfast on the second day.
Tony glanced at Rhys as he massaged Jess’s feet and acknowledged he wasn’t the only one who’d changed with Jess in their apartment. Rhys was upstairs for dinner much earlier than normal, typically coming up shortly after Jess returned home from the diner.
When neither of them replied to her assertion that they’d make good fathers, Jess let the subject drop, stirring in his arms and sighing contentedly once more. “You guys are spoiling me.”
Tony liked the idea of that, aware that he would pamper her a hell of a lot more if she’d let him. “You’re easy to spoil.”
She glanced up at him, smiling so sweetly, she took his breath away. Before he could think about his actions, Tony placed a soft kiss on her forehead before letting his lips drift lower, drawing them over her cheek slowly, seductively. Tony felt Rhys’s gaze on them, but he didn’t stop. He couldn’t.
The lack of surprise on Jess’s face told him he wasn’t alone in feeling this…connection. And it wasn’t a connection just to Jess. Rhys was part of it as well.
He would have thought that idea completely ludicrous a few years earlier, but since then, he’d watched his sister Layla meet and fall in love with two men. He’d been a witness to just how strong and true that relationship was.
When he’d first learned his sister was dating Finn and Miguel, he’d been fully prepared to kick the guys’ asses, certain they were just using her for some sort of kinky threesome sex. Then he’d gotten to know them, seen the way they adored Layla, cared for her—and each other—and he couldn’t hold on to his belief that what they were doing was wrong.
Because it wasn’t.
For them, it was…perfect.
It was that thought that drove him forward.
Tony cupped Jess’s cheek and placed his lips on hers.
Their first kiss.
And it packed a punch.
Jess’s lips parted on a gasp, and he took advantage, running his tongue along the line of her mouth. Her tongue darted out to touch his, the two of them sharing each other’s taste. She was delicious, and he wanted more. So fucking much more.
His hands drifted to her hair, his fingers closing around her long dark tresses. Typically she wore it up in a ponytail, but tonight it was down, loose. Jess didn’t resist when he deepened the kiss even more, her own hands rising, mimicking his as her grip tightened around his hair.
He’d had long hair since high school, something he’d taken a lot of good-natured ribbing for from his dad and brothers. Not that he cared. He was used to it being long, and he was perfectly aware that a lot of women found it sexy.
He’d never been so fucking turned on by a kiss in his life. His cock thickened. There was no way Jess couldn’t feel the hard length of it pressing against her ass.
Then Tony felt a shift lower down on the couch. He hadn’t forgotten Rhys’s presence. Not at all. Having his friend there was spurring him on, driving Tony to move them forward to where he knew they both wanted to be.
With Jess.
Tony broke the kiss, drawing the backs of his fingers along the soft skin of her face. He held Jess’s gaze for a second, then looked over at Rhys.
Jess followed the direction of his stare, both of them recognizing the burning need in Rhys’s expression. Jess sucked in a sharp intake of air.
Rhys still held her feet in his hands, so when their attention turned to him, he used that grip to his advantage, tugging at her feet with just enough force. Jess slid down the couch, losing her balance and falling to her back, her head resting on the cushion between Tony’s outstretched knees.
Tony sat still as Rhys shifted, kneeling over Jess, caging her beneath him. Rhys lowered his head and stole his own kiss. The three of them were close, intimately close, as the temperature in the living room quickly rose.
Rhys remained above Jess, supporting his weight with his elbows and knees, holding himself above her. Jess’s hands found their way to his shoulders, her fingers bunching into the material of his T-shirt.
Tony watched as the two of them kissed, his cock thickening even more as his best friend kissed her. He fought to clamor his way through the barrage of emotions sweeping through him. He’d kissed hundreds of women in his life, but none of them had ever moved him like Jess.
While he’d known of Rhys’s shared interest in the woman, Tony had still been concerned that once they reached this place, once they crossed the line, he’d feel jealous.
What he hadn’t anticipated was finding pleasure in observing his friend kiss the woman he wanted. Needed. Cared for.
Loved?
He was too old for such a romantic sentiment, love an emotion he’d never managed to perfect. He shook that thought away, focusing instead on the here and now.
Tony was a dominant, demanding son of a bitch, who preferred to control the play in the bedroom. Unable to remain apart, he placed his hand on Rhys’s shoulder, pressing his friend back and up, wanting to join in.
Rhys allowed it, lifting his head and looking at Tony curiously. Tony didn’t have a clue what kind of lover Rhys was in the bedroom, neither of them the type to fuck and tell. It occurred to Tony—belatedly—that they needed to have that conversation before they allowed things to go too far with Jess.
Shit, they needed to discuss a lot more than just the sexual mechanics.
Jess rose between them, her face flushed, her breathing shallow, rapid. Their kisses had just as powerful an impact on her.
“Jess.” Tony reached for her, intent on having those kiss-swollen lips once more, but Jess moved unexpectedly, rising from the couch before either he or Rhys could touch her again.
“I’m sorry,” she said.
“What?” Rhys asked. “Why?”
“I can’t…we can’t do this.”
Tony scowled. “Of course we can.”
She shook her head, backing away from the couch. Neither of them sought to pull her back, but Tony sensed Rhys wanted to do so as much as he did.
“No. We can’t…dammit.”
Jess dropped down on Tony’s recliner, her elbows on her knees, her frustration tangible.
“Tell us what you’re thinking, Jess.” Rhys, as always, managed a calm, reasonable tone, something that was beyond Tony’s abilities at the moment. All he could think about was dragging her back to the couch and kissing her for the rest of time.
“I’m attracted to you. Both of you.”
“Good,” Tony said, surprised when Rhys put a hand on his shoulder.
He shook his head subtly. “Let her talk.”
“And while that’s its own insane problem, and something I can’t even begin to wrap my head around, that’s actually not the reason we have to stop.”
Tony frowned. “It’s not?”
“I can’t risk losing this.” She lifted her hands, gesturing at the apartment. “Jasper is the most important thing in my life, and every decision I make impacts him. This is the first safe, good home he’s ever had. I would never—ever—do anything that would take this away from him.”
Tony opened his mouth to argue, to tell her she was wrong, but…she wasn’t. He’d kissed her impulsively without thinking beyond his own desires and needs. And Rhys had broken character and followed that lead. Something he could see his friend was now regretting.
“I understand, Jess,” Rhys said, reverting back to his practical, reasonable self.
She looked relieved, and she smiled at him gratefully. However, that look slipped when her gaze drifted to Tony.
He wanted to tell her he understood too. And he did. But understanding and accepting were two different beasts, and he wasn’t able to give her the same assurances. Because he didn’t want to.
Didn’t want to walk away from this.
From her.
No.
From them.
When the silence drifted too long, Jess looked away, then slowly stood. Rhys did the same, while Tony remained motionless on the couch.
“I’m going to go to bed.”
Rhys nodded. “Okay. Good night.”
“I…” she started. Tony suspected she wanted to apologize again, feeling sorry for something that wasn’t her fault, for something he’d initiated.
“Good night, Jess,” Tony said, letting her off the hook, even though it was the last thing he wanted to do.
She swallowed and nodded before leaving the room.
Rhys dropped back down on the couch heavily. “Not exactly our finest moment.”
“Would you have done it?” Tony asked.
Rhys didn’t respond immediately, which told Tony he was really thinking about the question, searching for the truthful answer. Tony respected the hell out of his friend for seeking to give him that, instead of firing off some knee-jerk response out of frustration.
Rhys rubbed his jaw. “Tony, I’ve never shared a woman with another man.”
“Neither have I.”
Rhys studied his face, then nodded. “I’ll admit I’ve wondered about it.”
His roommate knew Layla, Finn, and Miguel, knew about their relationship.
Tony grinned. “You think ménages are hereditary?”
Rhys chuckled. “No, I don’t. Listen…it’s been clear from the beginning that we’re both attracted to Jess. And having her here, living with us, it’s blurred some lines that might have remained in focus if we weren’t in such close quarters all the time.”
“My focus is crystal clear,” Tony asserted.
“Is it? Because I think we can both admit that kissing her like that was impulsive. We didn’t think it through, didn’t play it out.”
Tony appreciated Rhys’s willingness to share the blame for something he’d instigated. “We would never kick Jess out, never put her and Jasper back on the street. You know that.”
Rhys nodded. “I do. But Jess has lived her entire life being let down by people. Every single person.”
“We won’t let her down.”
Rhys sighed. “Those are just words. I’m afraid they don’t stack up against a lifetime of actions—she’s watched everyone walk away, and those scars run deep. Jasper will always—as he should—come first. There’s nothing she won’t do, nothing she won’t sacrifice for that kid. I respect the hell out of her for that.”
Tony ran his hand through his hair, hating every word Rhys spoke, even though he knew his friend was right. “I do too, but—”
“There can’t be a but, Tony,” Rhys interjected.
There couldn’t.
“Fuck,” he muttered.
“Yeah,” Rhys said. “Fuck.”
Chapter Twelve
“Goddamn Flyers,” Tony grumbled.
“Tell me about it,” his brother Joey concurred. “What a shit season.”
Tony’s phone pinged. He glanced at the text and groaned.
“Let me guess,” Luca said. “Gwendolyn Baxter.”
Tony grunted in response.
Gio, Luca’s twin, shook his head. “Not sure why you were so determined to take that job. You knew Gwendolyn Baxter was going to make your life a living hell.”
“We took it,” Tony made sure to stress the we part, “because she’s a big player in Philadelphia. If she likes our work, she’ll tell her other rich friends and it’ll put Moretti Brothers Restorations on the map.”
“You’re already on the map,” his cousin Aldo pointed out. “Hell, the business has been featured on HGTV a few times.”
Kayden upended the almost-empty Doritos bag into his mouth, shaking out the last few broken pieces. “Tony’s just looking to be a big shot like the Russos.”
Tony chucked a beer cap at Kayden’s head. “Asshole. As if I’d ever want to be like those uptight prigs.”
“You gonna text her back?” Gio asked.
Tony shook his head. “Fuck no. The second I answer, she knows she has me on the hook and sends me three hundred follow-up texts. We have a meeting first thing in the morning and there is nothing she needs to know now that won’t wait until then.”
Joey grinned. “I think we all know she’s less interested in the hammer you’re swinging in her house and more interested in the one between your legs. That woman is hot for you.”
Tony had spent the past month enduring Gwen’s flirting and constant sexual innuendoes, using his brothers as a buffer as much as possible. The woman would not take no for an answer.
“I’d take a job with the Russos before I’d ever sleep with Gwen Baxter,” Tony said, taking a swig of beer. He’d had plenty of experience with the Gwens of the world, women with money to blow, who believed it gave them access to whomever their heavily mascaraed eyes landed on.
Tony was aware that women were attracted to him and his brothers. Nonna insisted it was their good Italian genes, proclaiming them the most handsome men in Philadelphia. Even Finn’s mother, Riley, had dubbed them the Italian Stallions. He laughed whenever she called them that, but the truth was, women came on to him…a lot.
However, few had ever truly caught his eye, and even fewer had held his attention for very long.
Jess was the exception.
“Jess still working for the Russos?” Gio asked. His brothers had all taken a shine to Jess and Jasper, which ensured they didn’t like the fact she was working for the Russos any more than he did.
Tony scoffed. “Yeah. Bet it’s driving Matt crazy too, now that he knows she lives here.”
“How the hell did she even wind up working for the asshole?” Kayden asked.
That had been one of the first things he’d asked Jess after learning she’d gotten the job offer. “The Russos eat at Paulie’s too. Apparently Matt stops in at least once a week and grabs the daily special as takeout. He stopped in the week after Jess was attacked at the motel and asked about her bruises. Jess explained what happened, then said she was short a second job, and he offered her the cleaning gig.”
