“I thought men liked simple,” she shot at him, holding her hands in front of her to ward him off. “Why complicate things? I like my life the way it is, and I don’t intend to blow things up. I’m sure you can appreciate that. Plus, I have a daughter to think of, and she comes first. You should love this new setup.”
“I hate it.”
“But why?” Frustration nipped at her tone. “Isn’t this what you always wanted? Low maintenance and no strings? You can have it all this way!”
He grabbed her hands and pulled her in. She stumbled off balance and fell against his chest. He took the opportunity to hold her tight, his hand gripping the back of her head so she was forced to look up at him. “I don’t want it all,” he growled against her lips. “I just want you. I want a second chance at your heart. I know you’re scared shitless because of what happened in the past, but we’ve both changed and grown, and I refuse to blow this because it’s easier to pretend it’s all about sex.”
“But—”
He slammed his mouth over hers, kissing her with a fierce desperation he didn’t want to hide any longer. He kissed her until she was bent over, her fingers in his hair, her lips soft and yielding, her body pressed against him, already begging for more.
Finally he broke away. “Do you want me?” he demanded.
She shuddered. “Yes.”
He smiled and slid her hand down to his pulsing erection. “Good. But the only way you’re going to get more of this is by agreeing to one thing.” He whispered the words against her swollen lips. “You’re gonna have to take me to dinner.”
She blinked. “What?”
“You heard me. I refuse to be used and abused without getting fed properly and treated like more than a body. I’m a person.” He grabbed his shirt, which she’d draped on a hanger, and put it on. Retrieved his pants, buckled his belt, and stepped into his shoes. “Oh, and I want Becca to join us, too. She’s part of you, and it’s a package deal. It’s time we date, sweetheart. I won’t take no for an answer.” He shrugged into his jacket, tucked his tie in his pocket, and grinned. “Thanks for breakfast. I’ll call you later.”
She was still staring at him in shock when he shut the door behind him.
He headed to his car, determined to show her it was possible to have a second chance. He’d finally changed the rules of the game so they could both win. But he needed to talk it over with someone he trusted so he didn’t make any mistakes in pursuing Syd.
There were two people he trusted more than anybody else.
His brothers.
When he arrived home, they were drinking their coffee on the porch. He grinned and walked up the stairs. “Oh, good. I wanted to talk to you both.”
They took one look at him and shared a meaningful glance at the large safety pin hanging from the center of his shirt where the jacket gaped open.
“Walk of fame, bro,” Dalton said. “Damn, your buttons got ripped off? That’s one serious night. Probably not a lot of talking going on, then, huh?”
Tristan shook his head and grabbed his brother’s coffee. At least he also took it black. “Real clever. Hey, I thought you were both heading to the new house today. Is it almost ready?”
Cal nodded. “We’re closing in a few days. It’s official. Dalton finished up the table last night, so we’re indulging in a lazy morning. Raven and Morgan are in the kitchen, but I wouldn’t go in there, ’cause they’re talking about the wedding. Who’re you banging?”
He shifted his feet. Great. He wanted to talk seriously, and they wanted the sex details. “Dating,” he corrected. “Not banging.”
“Sure. Did she pull those buttons off with her teeth? I always wondered if that could actually be done,” Dalton said.
“It can,” Cal offered.
Tristan held back a groan. Sometimes they were so damn juvenile. But this was bigger than the usual sibling banter, and he needed his brothers to help him navigate brand-new territory. For so long, he’d been alone, not trusting either of his brothers. Now he had his family back, and he wasn’t ashamed to ask for help. “I need some advice,” he said quietly.
Immediately their faces grew serious. Cal nodded. “We’re listening.”
“It’s Sydney. I’m dating Sydney.”
Cal choked on his coffee. Dalton just whistled.
“Whoa. Been waiting for that announcement, but I gotta say, I wasn’t prepared. You two have been ignoring each other for so long, I got used to it,” Dalton said.
“You’re banging Sydney!” Cal shouted.
“Dating, asshole, not banging!”
“Same thing! Are you ready for this? She is not someone you just pick up and leave on a whim. She’s got a kid. Do you really know what you’re getting into?”
He fumed. As the oldest, Cal always liked to boss them around, and age hadn’t softened his ways. “Yes. Not that it’s your business. I just wanted you both to know I’m trying to pursue this on an honorable level.”
Dalton spurted out a laugh. “Umm, I have a feeling last night had nothing to do with honor. Your shirt looks like you were on a strip-club stage.”
Tristan glowered. “Forget it. I’m done. I’ll figure it out myself. I don’t need your approval, I just figured you should know.” He turned to stomp off, but Cal called out his name, forcing him to stop.
His brother blew out a breath. “All right, calm down. You just caught me by surprise. I know the two of you share a history. Sit down for a minute.”
Tristan regarded them both, then plunked himself on the wicker chair. “Anything is better than dealing with wedding talk,” he muttered. Dalton snatched his coffee back. “This is a fucking big deal to me, too, you know. I don’t need any more crap from you boneheads.”
Dalton patted him on the back. “You are real touchy, bro. We’re here for you. Just tell us the whole story. We all knew you were sleeping together, but when Mom died, things got a bit out of control.”
Tristan stretched his feet out, remembering that vulnerable time when they all scrambled to piece their lives back together. “It was tough,” he admitted. He’d kept the secret from his brothers so long, his voice came out a bit rusty. “I was so pissed at both of you, I never shared what was really going on between me and Syd. Telling you we were having an affair was bad enough.”
“Yeah, we all lost our way back then. But now is a good time to tell us everything,” Cal said. He motioned over to Dalton, who grumbled but gave up his coffee mug for the greater good of gossip. Tristan nodded his thanks and took a sip.
“We began sleeping together and kept it quiet over the summer. You two were away most of the time, so it was easier. But then we were still together, so we figured you’d find out eventually. Sydney insisted we tell you together.”
Dalton snorted. “I remember that scene. I gave you a black eye.”
“That was me,” Cal said. “Tris gave you a broken nose.”
Dalton glared. “Did not.”
“Can we get back to the subject?” Tris interrupted. “You agreed not to tell Dad, and that was my main concern. I knew he’d use it as some sick leverage against me, or completely lose his shit.”
“Smart,” Cal commented. “Did Mom know?”
Tristan’s face softened. “I think so. She loved Syd like a daughter, but she never confronted me about our relationship. Once, when we were in the kitchen, she told me not to break Sydney’s heart. That’s all she said—just dropped that bomb on me and walked away. I think she figured we’d work it out on our own, and then she was gone, and things blew up.”
They all pondered that dark time in quiet. Tristan was still grateful their relationship had healed and they were now a real family. He had no idea how truly lonely he’d been in New York until he came back to Harrington and claimed his place again.
“I fell apart. I couldn’t deal with my feelings for Sydney because I was so enraged at Dad, and all I wanted to do was get out of Harrington. I began pulling away from her, and we ended up fighting a lot. All I could think about was getting out on my own to see what I could accomplish.”