Beautifully Used (The Beaumont Brothers Book 2) Read online

  “Figured.”

  “How’d you know that anyway?”

  “Know what?”

  Oh God, this was going to be a very painful journey if his sentences remained three words or less. “About the Caramel Snickerdoodle Macchiato.”

  He shrugged. “Lucky guess.”

  I decided not to worry about how he knew. Besides, everybody loved the Caramel Snickerdoodle Macchiato, so I sipped the bit of heaven now warming my hands and closed my eyes as the taste of caramel, cinnamon and vanilla coated my throat. I couldn’t contain the “Mmmm” that escaped from deep inside me. “Thanks.”

  We rode in silence for a while until we hit some morning commuter traffic and Brodie swore under his breath and changed lanes, heading off the freeway onto some side road that I hoped he knew. I wasn’t in the mood to get lost, not with Brodie.

  I snuck a glance in his direction. The frown on his face showed his irritation and I wondered if it was the traffic or the fact that he had to pick me up from the airport so early in the morning that caused it. I secretly hoped it was the traffic, though I had my doubts.

  I finished the coffee, but I was still exhausted. The extra caffeine boost hardly scratched the surface of my brain. Normally, a double shot would have had me doing the jig and wiggle in the seat, but even the two shots of caffeine were no match for the loss of an entire night’s sleep. All I wanted to do was close my eyes. I rested my head against the window when all of a sudden a small pillow was shoved at me. “Here,” Brodie’s deep voice mumbled. “You didn’t sleep at all on that flight did you?”

  I shook my head and moaned something about snoring that I’m sure was incoherent as I wedged the pillow between my head and the window. I let the hum of the engine and the tires on the interstate lull me to sleep. Such a pleasure not to have that guy sawing logs in my ear.

  I woke up when our speed decreased and we turned onto the driveway leading up to the house Brodie owned and shared with his brother. Red and pink carpet roses graced each side of the lane, cheering up the eighth of a mile long gravel driveway. The old farmhouse sat on the largest piece of property I’d ever had the opportunity to stay on. Growing up in Southern California beach towns meant smaller yards, but great beach access, though lately, apartment living was more to my norm. There were no cars in the driveway, which meant Lena and Jackson were not there. Great. That meant more alone time with Brodie. How lucky for me.

  Brodie grabbed his empty coffee container before he got out, prompting me to pick up mine too so I could throw it away. I was stunned silent when he opened my door, and thankful once again that he didn’t stick around to watch me try to climb down in this dress. Trucks were murder on girls with short dresses. As he hoisted my bags from the back of the vehicle, a car came barreling up the driveway and stopped right behind the truck. Lena jumped out of the passenger side and came running at me. I was glad to see she had dyed her hair back to her beautiful natural color. Like me, she wore a cute little sundress, only hers was a pretty shade of lime green with tiny red-orange rose buds that matched perfectly with her auburn curls. Her hair seemed to have grown about six inches since I last saw her and hung down way past her shoulders.

  “Yay, you’re here,” she squealed embracing me in a huge hug. Then Jackson gave me a hug as Lena stepped back and eyed the empty Starbucks cup in my hand. “Good, Brodie remembered the coffee. Did he get you the Caramel Snickerdoodle Macchiato like I told him to?”

  I eyed Brodie suspiciously. He gave me a snide shrug and walked away. “Uh, yeah. Thanks,” I mumbled, disappointment coating my words as I realized he’d only pretended to know what I liked. I should have known.

  I smiled as I walked up the four wooden steps leading to the wrap-around porch and the two chairs with comfy looking green, blue, and yellow striped cushions covering the seats. Instantly, I had visions of Lena and me sitting out here sipping wine spritzers and making last minute wedding plans. I startled at the bark that came from the far end of the porch as Rufus jumped off of the large swing, causing it to sway and creek by itself. “Hey, Rufus,” I said, kneeling down and letting the huge hound dog lick my chin as I stroked his back. This place reminded me of the home I’d always wished we’d had. Not so much for its location or size, but because of the charm and the inviting way it made me feel at home.

  Chapter 3

  Brodie

  So much for trying to impress the girl and make her think I knew what kind of coffee she liked. Thanks a whole hell of a lot for revealing that little secret for me, Lena. Now, Gabrielle not only hated me for my poor attempt at a kiss last year but must also consider me a liar.

  Jackson and I left the women with their ooohing and ahhing at each other and carried Gabrielle’s bags in the house. It looked like the girl was planning to stay for a year with all the crap that must be inside. They had to weigh at least fifty pounds each, easy.

  I had to give myself kudos for not ogling her legs when she got in the truck this morning. God, that short skirt was enough to make me forget I didn’t like her much. I had to mentally slap myself from thinking about how silky her thighs might feel under my hands.

  “Thanks for picking Gabby up this morning, Brodie,” Jackson said after we put the bags in the spare bedroom and headed for the kitchen. “It was a good thing I went with Lena to see the caterer. They had a mix up with the entrees. They were all chicken and no steak because the price option Lena had chosen only included the chicken. I’m not sure Lena would have caught that since she’s so used to juggling her expenses to make ends meet. ”

  “Well, soon she won’t have that to worry about.”

  “She doesn’t really have to worry now, but she’s rather stubborn about wanting to pay her own way and all.”

  “Could be worse. You’re lucky she’s not one of those women who expects you to pay for everything.”

  “I suppose. Have you seen the pictures of the house since they added the sunroom onto the back?”

  “No.”

  Jackson walked over to the counter in the kitchen, opened the laptop and pushed a few buttons. Up popped a slideshow of pictures of their new house they’d be moving into right after they got married. The three-bedroom house was right down the street, with a backyard equal to the size of the one here so Rufus would still have plenty of room to roam around. I was looking forward to them finally moving into it. I liked the idea of having my brother close, just not under the same roof anymore. I liked Lena, but I’d been feeling a little guilty lately about having women over as much as I’d been. That’s why I’d been spending most of my nights away; out of respect for her.

  “We’re going to have a spa built into the ground right outside the back door after we move in.”

  “Sounds like a great idea. Maybe I should have one put in here, too. I like the idea of putting it in the ground rather than having to step over a wall to get into one of those portable ones. Makes total sense.”

  “It was Lena’s idea.”

  “That girl’s pretty smart. Hey, maybe you should marry her.” I slapped Jackson lightly on the back, and he laughed, nodding in agreement.

  “Hey, everything set for tonight?” he asked.

  “Brother, don’t you worry about a thing. Doc and I have it all under control.”

  “I don’t suppose you’re going to tell me what we’re doing.”

  “Nope,” I supplied rather smugly and opened the door to the refrigerator to grab an apple. My stomach was rumbling and I didn’t have time for much else.

  “Figured. Just keep it clean. I don’t want any strippers trying to get into my pants,” he said before guzzling down half a carton of milk.

  I stepped toward the door to head to my room and ran smack into Gabrielle, knocking a pile of clothes she was carrying right out of her arms. “Sorry,” I said, bending down to help her pick them up and realizing the garments were all lacy and delicate pieces of underwear. Why was she carrying her underwear around? I picked up something lacy and cream colored with a string o
f pearls attached to it that I assumed made up the thong part of the delicate panties, and watched her cheeks turn crimson right before she snatched them from my fingertips.

  “I uh … didn’t know you were in here,” she said, sounding a bit flustered. “I thought Lena was in here, and I wanted to show her … never mind.” She started pulling all the stuff toward her, wadding it up into a pile as she kept her eyes glued to the floor.

  I finished gathering up the rest of her underwear and handed them to her. She took them and hugged them to her chest, as though that could hide the fact that they were all very risqué and sexy. I walked away, leaving her there all pink-cheeked and flustered. I almost knocked Lena down in my haste to get away. “Shit. Sorry,” I said.

  “It’s okay. Is Gabby in there?” she asked, pointing toward the kitchen. “She said she bought some goodies and wanted to show me.”

  “Yeah, she uh … yeah.” I stuck the apple in my mouth to avoid saying anything more about the underwear.

  Damn. I wouldn’t have thought Gabrielle Demeres would have had a clue as to what sexy was. Not that she wasn’t sexy, I just didn’t think she realized it. I guess I was wrong about that, and half wondered if those panties were for her, or Lena.

  Inside my room, I stripped down for a shower. I hadn’t had a chance to clean up this morning before rushing out of that girl’s room. Well, her cousin’s room as she’d informed me when she told me she was just visiting. Lucky for me her cousin was out for the night. From the looks of the room, I’d guess her cousin was a girl, and one who loved the colors purple and pink. I glanced around my own room. I didn’t think I’d be sleeping here tonight either, especially if I had a good time at the bachelor party. I looked at the time on my phone. Doc would be at the bar in thirty minutes to meet me to go over the night’s activities. I hurried into the shower, trying to think about all the stuff I still needed to do for the party tonight, but only managed to think about silky white thighs and sexy, lacy pearl-thong underwear.

  Chapter 4

  Gabrielle

  Lena came into the kitchen and laughed at the way I stood clutching all the underwear to my chest. “Why are your cheeks so red?”

  “Are they?” Great. I absentmindedly reached up and palmed my face while juggling the pile of panties tighter in the other arm.

  “Yeah. Here let me help with those,” she said and grabbed the pile of clothes from me, placing them on top of the table.

  “As interesting as this all looks, you ladies will have to excuse me. I’ll leave you two to your … whatever it is you’re going to do here, but it looks like fun.” Jackson gave me a smirk and kissed Lena on the lips before strolling out of the kitchen.

  “What was he smirking about?” she asked.

  “Nothing,” I quipped. Just Brodie, going out of his way to embarrass the hell out of me and make me look like a fool, I thought to myself. Of all the pieces of underwear I had dropped, why did he need to pick up the lacy pearl thong?

  “Oooh, Gabby, these are so very pretty. Thank you so much for getting these for me. One thing I do miss about living here is the lack of department stores, and shopping online just isn’t the same as being able to touch things.” She held up the thong with the pearls. “Wow. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like these before. Will I be able to feel these when I sit down?”

  “How should I know? But the saleslady assured me that you won’t mind the sensation if you do.” We both giggled at that.

  “Sounds interesting.”

  “Yeah, they might make walking down the aisle a challenge.”

  “Not to mention the first dance.”

  “Lena, I am so happy for the two of you. How are you anyway? I mean after the ordeal with Troy. Are you okay?”

  “As okay as one can be after killing her ex-husband. It’s been getting easier as the year has gone by, but I’m afraid the memory will never completely go away. Tea?” she asked, tea kettle in hand and already filling it with water from the tap.

  “Sure,” I said as she placed the kettle on the stove. “I’m so sorry. I can’t even imagine.”

  “Yeah. I’ve had a few nightmares about it all, but Jackson’s been there to help. And, as they say, time heals. I do need to work at not feeling so guilty about taking the life of another human being. I know Troy was a terrible person and I didn’t have a choice, but that part is very difficult.”

  “He was a scum-of-the-earth human being that was going to kill Jackson and then probably you too, so you don’t have anything to feel guilty about. Nobody thinks otherwise. Nobody.”

  “Thanks for that. Jackson says the same thing.”

  I put two cups on the table and plopped a tea bag into each one. “Good. I knew I liked him, but I’m glad you two didn’t rush into getting married like you did with Troy.”

  “I think I’ve learned my lesson on that one.” The teakettle whistled and Lena poured the water into the cups as steam rose between our faces. “But Jackson is nothing like Troy in any way.”

  “I know. Anybody can see that. There was always something about Troy that bothered me, but I could never put my finger on it. He was always just so …”

  “Cocky?”

  “No. It was more than that. I can tolerate cocky. It was more that he was just too possessive of you. I remember thinking how mean he seemed that night we all went out right after you two tied the knot. He never took his eyes off you, but he was always frowning, and when you were out there dancing with Weezer, well, the fire brewing behind his eyes was scary. I should have known he was a bastard.”

  “Don’t beat yourself up about it, Gabby. I didn’t see it, and I was around him all the time, so how could anyone else?”

  “Well, love is blind, but I should have seen it.”

  She rolled her eyes and waved me off. “Not that blind.

  “I should have known when you suddenly quit the band that something was wrong. I knew how much you loved playing and singing with us. I should have checked on you more regularly. I’m sorry.”

  “Gabby, we’ve been over this before. You have nothing to be sorry for. I didn’t want you to know. I didn’t want anyone to know that I’d married such a horrible person. Oh, speaking of cocky, or maybe just plain ol’ conceited, how was your ride from the airport?”

  “Quiet.” When she flicked her gaze back to me in question, I added, “I slept most of the way. I’d been up all night, so …”

  “Well, at least he brought you the coffee I told him to get.”

  “Yeah.” I chuckled softly. “He pretended that he thought of it on his own, like he knew what kind of coffee I liked.”

  “He must like you. Sounds like he was trying to impress you.”

  “I doubt that.”

  “Why?”

  “Not after what happened.” I shook my head slightly.

  “What happened?”

  “I never told you because, well, it was just something that I wanted to keep to myself.”

  “And now? You’re gonna tell me, right?”

  I sighed. “It’s not a big deal.”

  “Big enough for you to think he doesn’t like you. Now tell me,” she begged as she drew her cup of tea to her lips and blew on the hot liquid before taking a sip.

  I lowered my voice to a whisper. “Last time I was here, Brodie kissed me.”

  Her eyes lit up, twinkling with a mixture of delight and surprise. I thought she was going to spew hot tea all over the place, but she managed to keep it all in and under control. “Well, I guess that really shouldn’t surprise me. Brodie has a certain charm that most can’t resist.”

  “Well, that’s not all.”

  “What do you mean?” She glanced quickly behind her at the kitchen door and leaned in close, whispering, “Did you sleep with him?”

  “God, no.”

  “Then, what?”

  Keeping the hushed voice thing going I said, “I slapped him.”

  “You hit him? Why?”

  “Oh, God, Lena. I
don’t know, he … he surprised me. He came on too strong. I was okay with the kiss. In fact, I enjoyed it.” The memory of that night filled my mind and I realized then that I had over-reacted. “But then he … his hands, he started fondling my breast and I just freaked out, I guess. It just all happened too quickly, and I wasn’t ready for that. So, I slapped him across the face, and I’ve regretted it ever since. He never approached me or even spoke to me again that entire weekend. Now he hates me.”

  “That explains so much,” Lena said.

  “What do you mean?

  “When Jackson asked Brodie to pick you up at the airport he frowned and didn’t answer right away.”

  “But he didn’t say no?”

  “No, he didn’t. But it took him several minutes to say yes. Jackson asked him if something was wrong, but Brodie just shook his head.”

  “So he never mentioned the slap?”

  “No. You may have struck him, but I don’t think he hates you. Chances are, you managed to put him in his place and teach him a lesson, that’s all. And rightly so. I don’t mean to sound like I’m sticking up for him, but from the little Jackson has shared about Brodie’s past, he hasn’t always been …”

  “A jerk?” I supplied for her when she paused.

  She chuckled. “The way he is. I’m not denying that he’s never had to work at getting women to sleep with him. They just seem to fall into bed with him. He doesn’t even have to try. I’ve seen it happen many times. And none of them cares if he never calls them again. They just want him for his body and he doesn’t care. I’m not defending him, but when he tried to feel you up, he was simply going with what he knows most women want from him.”

  “Well, I’m not most women, I guess.”

  “No, you’re not.” Lena wrapped her arms around me. “And I’m glad.”

  “Glad I didn’t sleep with Brodie?” I had to ask because the fantasy had haunted my dreams for the past year.