Venus rising boxset, p.73
Venus Rising Boxset, page 73
“Not asking you to,” she retorted cheerfully, pulling into the neighborhood.
“Is this some kind of wild, rebound thing? Like, going crazy before you settle down?”
“Nope. I am settling down.”
“Jess, come on... wait...” He looked around as she slowed the car. “Where the hell are we?”
“Sea salt, sea salt, sea salt...” Justin muttered as he rifled through the spice cabinet. One of these days, he was going to figure out a better way to organize this space. He'd been telling himself that for over a year, but it never happened, and it seemed to be getting even less organized now that Jessica was sometimes cooking.
On the other hand, knowing she was messing up his spice cabinet put a smile on his face. It was nice having her around, knowing she felt comfortable enough to cook in his kitchen. Yeah, eventually, it might get annoying, especially if he couldn't find anything, but by then, hopefully, he'd have actually organized it.
Glancing at the clock, he wondered where she was. Chris said she had an errand to take care of. He'd gone for a run and had just come back to hit the shower while Justin had started preparing dinner. He was in the mood to cook something special for their girl, show her what she had to look forward to once she moved in with them.
The roast was out of the oven and resting on the counter, rubbed with a variety of spices that would go well with the spices he'd used in his couscous. The asparagus was blanched and ready to be sautéed as soon as Jessica got home, the oranges he was going to sauté it with peeled and ready to be added to the pan. All he needed was the damn sea salt, and he could sit down until everyone was home and ready to eat.
Nope, check that. He heard the front door open and shut just as he found the container of sea salt, which had somehow been shoved to the very back of the spice cabinet. Everyone was home, which meant everything was right with his world.
Except...
Frowning at the sound of conversation coming from the foyer, he set the salt down on the counter before walking to the entrance from the hallway into the kitchen. Jessica was standing there with a guy, tall and grumpy looking, arguing with her in a low voice. It only took one glance to know who he was, in fact, Justin was fairly sure he could have met him on the street and known exactly who he was. They just had that look which screamed 'we're related’.
He cleared his throat to announce his presence. Jessica turned, her face lighting up when she saw him. In contrast, her brother's scowl deepened. Justin tried to keep the smirk off of his face as Jessica ran down to him for a kiss; obviously, she didn't mind her brother seeing her being affectionate with him. So, he kissed her thoroughly but quickly, showing he didn't care her brother was watching while still respecting, he probably didn't want to see his sister making out with someone.
“Justin, this is my brother, Jay,” she said, gesturing with one hand back at her brother before placing it back on his chest. “Jay, this is my boyfriend, Justin.” She looked up at Justin again. “Sorry I didn't let you know I was inviting someone for dinner.” Her voice lowered to a whisper her brother wouldn't be able to hear as she leaned in. “I wasn't sure if I would be able to convince him to come. It was a spur-of-the-moment thing.”
“Not a problem.” He grinned down at her. “At least not right now, although I can't promise you won't be punished for it later.”
“Shh, not in front of Jay!”
“He can't hear me.”
In fact, he was practically hugging the door, glaring at both of them. Definitely not within hearing distance, although he didn't look very happy with what he was able to see.
“I'm going to go change,” Jessica announced, turning to give her brother a significant look. “Play nice. Both of you.”
She gave Justin one last peck before heading for the stairs. For a moment, he and Jay stared at each other across the hallway.
“Do you want something to drink?” he asked. “We've got beer, wine, water...”
With a sigh, Jay ran his hand through his hair and glanced up the stairs after the sister who had abandoned him.
“Yeah, a beer would be great.”
Turning, Justin headed back into the kitchen, hearing footsteps coming down the hall behind him. Reluctant, but it didn't seem like he was going to start shit. More like he was completely out of his element and didn't know what to do. Considering everything he'd put Jessica through, Justin wasn’t averse to letting him continue to squirm.
“Yuengling or Sam Adam's? We've got some of the Oktoberfest left.”
“Sam's, please.”
When Justin turned away from the refrigerator, Jay was standing in the area between the kitchen and the living room, looking around with a stunned expression. Justin hid a smile, wondering what he’d been expecting—some kind of den of iniquity, maybe, something which would reveal Justin as a pervert who was taking advantage of Jessica. Instead, there were the dark grey granite kitchen countertops, the blue curtains which matched the blue area rug in the television room, a nice leather couch, and a coffee table with a Bon Appétit magazine on it. No funny stains, porno magazines, or anything looking out of the ordinary.
The clatter of glass on marble as Justin set the beer down on the kitchen island got Jay's attention, and he turned around.
“Thanks.”
“No problem.”
Silence reigned as Justin put poured oil and squeezed orange juice into a flat pan. Jay settled down at the island to watch him. Tossing in the asparagus, he sprinkled in the rosemary, then a minute later, the oranges. For all intents and purposes, he ignored Jay's presence completely, letting him take in the homey atmosphere.
“Smells good,” Jay finally said, his voice low. He was playing with his beer bottle more than he was drinking from it.
“Thanks. I've got a roast in the oven, couscous, and the asparagus,” Justin said as he tested a stalk of the latter and decided it was done. Flicking off the heat on the stove, he went to fill some glasses of water. Upstairs, the sounds of the shower ceased, so Chris should be down any minute. He wondered how Jay would react.
Clattering footsteps descended the stairs, and a moment later, Jessica bounded into the kitchen. “Mmm, smells amazing. What can I do to help?”
Justin grinned at her, well aware his expression softened the moment he laid eyes on her and also knew he was under heavy observation from her brother. It was a bit of an effort to be himself in front of a stranger, especially one who was judging him, but Jay needed to see there were emotions involved, and this thing with Jessica was a real relationship.
“If you can set the table, that'd be great.”
Silently, Jay got up and helped his sister, winning a point of approval from Justin. It was obvious, he felt protective of his big sister. Too bad he'd made such a fuck up of the situation with Sean.
Chris came into the kitchen as Justin was carving the roast, just in time to avoid actually helping with anything.
“Hey there, beautiful,” he said, wrapping one arm around Jessica and landing a kiss on her mouth. She leaned into the kiss, just as she had with Justin, aware her brother was watching and not caring. In front of her parents, she knew she would probably be more circumspect, but with her brother, it was somehow easier to try to force him to accept her new way of life—whether or not he approved.
With his usual easy-going grin, Chris turned his attention to Jay, one arm still wrapped around Jessica. She almost giggled at the expression on her brother's face—his head was swinging back and forth between Justin and Chris, taking in their reactions. Justin was watching them, an indulgent, pleased expression on his face, ignoring Jay entirely. It was nice to be amused by someone's reaction to their relationship, rather than seeing it as a life or death kind of situation. With her brother, she felt sure she could get him to come around.
Springing him on Chris and Justin might not have been very nice, but she’d figured it would be better if Jay could see they weren't prepared for him either, make it obvious this was who they really were. There was no way Jay could think they were just play-acting or had cleaned up for him when he obviously hadn't been expected.
“Hi, I'm Chris, you must be Jay. Nice to meet you.”
Almost tentatively, Jay reached out and shook Chris' hand. The stubborn expression on his face said he wasn’t happy about being faced with both of his sister's boyfriends. Which is why she'd kidnapped him and taken her car, so he couldn't leave unless he wanted to call a friend or walk.
“Nice to meet you,” Jay mumbled.
“What would you like with dinner Jess?” Justin asked, turning toward the fridge.
“White wine, please.”
Jessica stayed on the other side of the kitchen island, knowing she'd be scolded if she started to pile food onto her own plate. While Justin didn't follow high BDSM protocol as she understood it, he was adamant about certain things, such as not allowing her to lift a finger when he cooked. Jay watched with narrowed eyes as Justin poured her a glass of wine, then made up a plate for her as Chris took the glasses of water to the table.
“Thank you,” she said sunnily as she headed over to the table. Justin made up a plate for Jay as well, handing it to him in return for a rather grudging thanks, but she didn't miss the way Jay was sniffing the food.
If the way to a man's heart was through his stomach, there was a good chance Justin could win over her brother with nothing more than his culinary skills—considering Jay's relationship with food, that seemed highly likely.
Justin followed them to the table as Chris made up his own plate, each of them with a beer to go with their dinner. Taking his lead from his sister, Jay waited for the other two men, even though she could tell he wanted to start eating. But the manners their mother had hammered into them held greater sway than his disgruntlement with the situation.
With Jay to her right, Justin to her left, directly across from her brother, and Chris across from her, it was a table full of awkwardness. Fortunately, unlike Justin, Chris wasn't one to let the silence drag out.
“So, Jay, your sister told me you're working as a paralegal. Are you thinking about going to law school, eventually?”
Jay stopped mid-cut through his slice of roast, obviously surprised to be the focus of attention. And to be being grilled by one of his sister's two boyfriends.
“Uh, maybe. I haven't really decided if that's what I want to do. I've been thinking about going into law enforcement.”
He shot a guilty look at Jessica, who scowled at him. While she had the utmost respect for anyone who worked in law enforcement, she didn't like the idea of her little brother putting himself in danger. Neither did her parents, which was why they'd convinced Jay to get his paralegal certification first to see if he'd enjoy enforcing the law in a safer environment.
“That's cool,” said Chris easily, ignoring the glares between the siblings. “At least you basically know what you want to do.”
“What do you do?” asked Jay a little belligerently, turning the tables. The challenging expression on his face was undercut when he shoved a piece of roast in his mouth and almost went cross-eyed. Covering her laugh with a cough, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Justin's lips twitch in amusement as Jay stared down at the plate in front of him with something like awe.
Although their mother had been a pretty good cook growing up, it was nothing compared to what Justin could do when he was feeling motivated. The roast was melt-in-your-mouth tender, perfectly cooked with plenty of pink, no red, and the spices rubbed on the outside were an explosion of flavors with just a hint of sweetness. Obviously not what Jay had been expecting, despite how good it smelled.
His head swiveled back up to stare across the table at Justin, who calmly continued eating without looking up.
“Justin and I both work in social media,” said Chris, pretending he didn't notice Jay's reaction to the food. Eyeing his plate more speculatively, Jay went for some asparagus with an orange wedge next. “All three of us were working at Boyds until this asshole left me to be head of social media at our friend's company. Now, I've got his position and all the headaches.” He used his elbow to gesture at Justin.
Her brother was starting to look a little shell-shocked, not just at the food, but because Chris was his usual charming self, probably not at all how Jay had pictured the dangerous pervert who had corrupted his sister. Justin's quieter, more brooding personality might fit the image a little better but not much—especially since he had obviously been the one to cook the amazing dinner.
The asparagus was crisp and sweet, balancing perfectly with the oranges, and the couscous had been spiced with flavors that were in both the roast and the asparagus, tying everything together. Jessica savored every bite, smiling happily at Justin as she moaned. His eyes sparkled as he smiled back at her, enjoying her enjoyment.
“How's Melissa working out?” Justin asked when it was clear Jay wasn't going to say anything, looking rather blissful as he shoved another chunk of roast in his mouth.
“Melissa's my replacement,” Chris said to Jay by way of explanation before turning back to Justin. “She's fine. Wanted to know how you're doing.” He winked at Justin, and Jessica felt her stomach twinge with a bit of jealousy. Obviously, neither Chris nor Justin—going by his rolling his eyes—took it seriously, but she couldn't help but still feel a small kernel of jealousy.
Sure, they loved her, but sometimes, she wondered if they could really be content sharing her. What was so special about her, after all? But then she would stomp down on the self-doubt because it was so obvious when either Justin or Chris looked at her, they saw something special. And she loved them. The other women of the world could just eat their hearts out.
Table talk devolved to the usual discussions about work and their day. Jessica told them a little about Hilary and Liam's Monday. Her brother laughed when she told them Liam would be meeting Mrs. Bryant on Saturday. Jay had seen her in action before, although not as often as Jessica had. By the end of the meal, everyone was conversing normally, although Jay would still tense up a little whenever Justin or Chris would say something couple-y to her or any reference was made to their relationship.
She could tell he was coming around. He'd unwound enough to make a few jokes and acting more like himself. In fact, he and Chris were getting along tremendously, which was no surprise. Even Justin was laughing as Chris coaxed childhood stories out of Jay. Embarrassing ones, of course. Which she would have stopped if she hadn't wanted them to get along so badly.
Justin reached out and covered her hand with his in support as Jay finished telling them about the time they'd gone to a nearby national park for kayaking camp, and the path from the parking lot down the hill to the lake had been covered in goose poop, which she managed to slip in. Unfortunately, the hill had been steep enough, it had created a bit of a slip-n-slide effect for about four feet, right in front of half the kids she'd been supposed to be attending the camp with. Instead, she'd had her mother take her home—after they'd spread a towel on the car seat so she wouldn't get the goose poop on the seat as well. Not a twelve-year-old's proudest moment.
Catching the movement, Chris grinned at her, his eyes sparkling with amusement. “Don't worry Jess, I bet you looked pretty even covered in goose poo.”
“I wouldn't bet on that,” Jay said, smiling. His eyes flicked down to where Justin's hand was covering hers, then over to Chris. The smile was a little strained, but it was genuine.
Jay helped Chris clean up the dishes while she and Justin cuddled on the couch watching the news o. The TV was situated so the people in the kitchen could also see the screen. Behind her, she could hear Chris laughing and joking with her brother. She rested her head on Justin's shoulder as he wrapped his arm around her, feeling content.
The drive back to Jay's apartment started out in silence. She felt remarkably calm. Tonight had gone so much better than she could have hoped. Maybe she should have kidnapped her Dad too, but their relationship dynamic was different. Kidnapping Jay and forcing him to have dinner with her boyfriends was one thing, doing so with her Dad was something else entirely.
“So, they really didn't know I was coming over?” Jay asked, finally breaking the silence.
“Nope.”
He mused over the information for a minute. “I think I interrupted something then, or does Justin cook like this every night?”
“We all cook, but yeah, he was definitely on top of his game tonight. He doesn't always go all out, but everything he makes is delicious.”
“Alright.” Blowing out a huff of air, Jay looked out the window, keeping his face turned away from her. “I mean, I can't say I like it, but... they seem like decent guys. They're not... they're pretty cool. Chris is a good guy, I liked him. And Justin... well, it's obvious he cares about you.”
“Thank you,” Jessica said gently, reaching out to put her hand on her brother's shoulder. To her surprise, tears sparked in her eyes. “You have no idea how much that means to me.”
Jay shrugged, obviously uncomfortable, but he patted her hand, and his eyes flicked to her face, then away again.
“I mean, I still wish you were dating just one of them, but I guess if I'd be okay with either one of them as your boyfriend, I'll have to just deal with both of them being your boyfriend. But whatever... I mean, you're right. It's your life, not mine.”
“Damn straight,” she said firmly, and he laughed. She eyed him. “Plus, neither of them has given me an STD, which isn't something you can say about your girlfriends.”
“Aw... come on,” he complained, squirming a little in embarrassment. “You weren't ever supposed to know about that!”
“Well, I think that went well,” said Chris cheerfully as he joined Justin on the couch. “Did she tell you she was bringing him over?”
“Nope.”
“I assume she's going to pay for surprising us when she gets home.”
