Page 29 of Shared By Her Brother's Best Friends

“And then what? We just sit around waiting for Kane to make his move?” Jax replies. “Look, I don’t like this plan any more than you do, but it’s the only one we’ve got.”

“Emma’s tougher than you think,” Ty says quietly.

The sounds of laughter drift down from upstairs as the women bond. I don’t know how to feel about Emma and Bess meeting each other. I’ve never introduced a woman I’ve dated to Bess before. Not that Emma and I are dating, but to say the situation between us is simple would be a lie. It wasn’t just sex, and she’s not just our Prez’s sister who I’m tasked to protect. As much as I might want to convince myself that’s all this is.

“Worried they might be hitting it off a little too well?” Jax teases, waggling his eyebrows.

I roll my eyes at him. I should never have told him about Bess and me. When I was younger, I thought I was in love with Bess. We were each other's first time. I was her last man. She realized pretty quickly that she was attracted to the fairer sex. These days it feels crazy to me to think of Bess as anything other than a sister. We love each other, but it’s totally platonic. But that doesn’t stop Jax from winding me up about it constantly.

When the girls finally come back downstairs, my jaw hits the floor. Emma looks drop-dead gorgeous.

I have to hand it to Bess, she’s been creative in dressing Emma, given the fact she’s several inches taller and far more curvaceous. Emma’s wearing an oversized band-tee as a dress belted with peekaboo cutouts that show off her sharp collarbones, and thigh-high fuck-me boots. Bess has spiked Emma’s hair into a punk-rock-fairy style and lined her eyes with kohl, making her already strikingly blue eyes pop. Her lips are enhanced with bright red lipstick.

Jesus Christ, she looks like sex on a stick.

There’s no way this plan is going to end well. The way Emma looks tonight is going to start a war. Our very own Helen of Troy.

Chapter 15

Emma

“Man, you had all three of the guys drooling! Their faces were priceless!” Bess chuckles, shaking her head and grinning, as we drive toward the Hell Riders’ clubhouse.

It was decided that Bess and I would turn up in her Mustang. Jax and Ty would follow in her other car and Mason on his bike, keeping their distance and parking nearby, where they’re still within range of the mics to hear us and come to help quickly, should anything go wrong.

I laugh too, Bess’ good mood is infectious. “I have to admit, it did make me feel good.”

“Damn right, it should, three hotties like that all fawning over you. Does wonders for the ego. It’s clear they’re all smitten with you, how do you feel about them?” she asks curiously with no trace of jealousy or malice in her voice.

“They’re so not. They’re just being guys,” I say dismissively, deliberately avoiding her question.

I’m not sure I even know the answer.

“They’re definitely not,” Bess says adamantly. “I don’t know Jax and Ty as well, but Mason and I practically grew up together. We were in the same foster home when we were thirteen, he’s like a brother to me. Trust me, I know it when he likes someone.”

“Oh, I thought maybe that you two were…” I trail off, not knowing exactly what I thought. Maybe she was an ex, or perhaps a casual partner since they get along so well. “... A thing,” I land on.

Bess smiles indulgently. “When we were young, we thought maybe, but after a disastrous encounter where we took each other's virginity, we realized we were definitely not meant to be. Not least because I realized that men aren’t my thing. Mason’s like a brother to me.”

“Oh, I see,” I reply, feeling more relieved than I have a right to be.

I don’t have any claim on Mason, if he and Bess were a thing that’s none of my business and it shouldn’t bother me. Yet I know it would.

“Mason’s never introduced me to a girl before,” Bess adds, grinning at me.

I shake my head, “It’s not like that. He and the guys are just helping my brother out. That’s all.”

“Sure it is…” Bess replies, her tone laced with sarcasm. “For what it’s worth, I know he can be a stubborn, rude, insensitive asshole, but he’s only acting that way because he cares about you. Even if he doesn’t know it yet.”

I don’t know how to respond to that, so I just nod and stay silent, mulling over her words.

Before long, we arrive at the club. Bess flashes a smile at the doorman, “Hey Chuck, long time no see.”

“Alright, Bess, I see you’ve got yourself another damn fine lady friend,” he replies, his eyes roaming over me shamelessly before he steps aside to let us in.

Bess blows him a kiss and leads the way inside, taking hold of my hand as we weave through the crowd. It’s dark and smoky inside, clearly, no one cares to abide by the smoking ban, and rock music blares from the speakers. Tatted bikers and scantily clad women gyrate against each other, the bar is crammed with men trying to one-up each other, and in one corner I notice a group happily playing strip poker, one woman sitting in just a thong, unconcerned that she’s in public.

Bess sashays in front of me, her jeans slung low on her hips. She’s wearing a skintight leather bustier that displays her ample chest and flat stomach. Several pairs of eyes watch us as we make our way to the bar.

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