“Whoa. I didn’t say or do anything. I asked her why she came here and she got really fidgety and bolted. She said she’ll call you later in the week.” I say that last part to my brother. I finish off my drink and drop the can into the bin. I’m in no hurry for the rest of the day. I’ve finished my appointments, so now I’ll deal with any walk-insweget.
“I thought she was here to talk about finishing her tat,” I saytothem.
“She was, but we got the vibe that she wanted to speak to you in private. That's why I dragged this big lug back here. I really thought she liked you, Jay,”Addyadds.
“Maybe she does but got nervous. You know how some girls can bearoundhim.”
“What, bitches? Time wasting slags?” Addy throws at us. Fuck, she’s talking about Rachel. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. Her face flashes through my head and my chest aches, but not as much as it did. Does this mean I’m getting over her? I know we weren't a fully-fledged couple - her fault, not mine - but I did think that we could have a futuretogether.
“Pussy,” I mutter under mybreath.
“What was that?” Dex asks, smirking at me. Yeah, the fuckerheardme.
“I get that you didn’t like Rachel, Ads, but fuck. Lay off the bitching about her, yeah. I’m trying my best to move on but fuck, give me abreak.”
“Move on! Jay, that bitch has been gone long enough for you to move on. She didn’t deserve you, and that’s a fact. Now out there was a perfectly good girl. Sexy as hell in her nerdy kinda way, but fuck me does she suit you. Go get her.” Addy says her piece and starts cleaning up around the little kitchen we havebackhere.
“And I know just the way for you to see her.” Dex winks at me and takes out his phone. He leaves the room, talking to someone on the other end. I watch as Addy goes into mother mode. It’s amazing to see here this way. Her getting together with Dex and having Phoebe has made me so proud of her. She just needs to get Dex to set a date for the wedding, to make things extra solid now. I know Dex said he would never marry again, but being with Addy has changed him. Plus, Fiona would want him to move on. Dex walks back into the room, breaking my thoughts of my brother marryingagain.
“Okay, it’s sorted. Deuce is booked in tomorrow at Cassie’s Cuts. You, my dear brother, are dropping him off. That will give you the chance to have a talk to Cass and get in her knickers.” He wiggles his eyebrowsatme.
“Dex!” Addy screeches from acrosstheroom.
“What?” He looks at her with an innocent expression on his face. I burst out laughing, because even when we were kids, Dex could never look or actinnocent.
“You know well that Cassie isn’t that type of girl. Bloody hell. What are you going to do when boys are trying to get into Phoebe’s knickers when she’s older?” Addy smirks at my brother as his face turns from fake-innocent to pissed off daddy-style.
“Breaking some fucking kneecaps, that’s what I’ll be doing. No fuck-head is touching my baby girl, I can tell you that muchrightnow.”
“And I’ll be right there with you, brother. But I agree with Ads: Cassie isn’t that type of girl. I’ll need to win her over before I try anything, but I think Cassie Dawson is a forever-girl. She isn’t a get in, get off and get out kinda girl,” Iexplain.
“Oh, shut up, Jay,” Addy scoffs. “We get it. Bloody hell. You need to woo her, Jay. She’s a sweet girl. She likes tattoos - obviously. She likes reading, she always has her Kindle in her bag, I’ve seen ittwicenow.”
“Plus, she fucking loves films, bro. She’s a huge action movie type of girl. You know,Transformers,and all that superhero shit. You speak nerd, so do herthatway.”
“Do her that way?” Addy repeats hiswords.
“Yeah. Baby, I’m trying to get my brother laid. He needs it after...” He stops, but I know he was going to say Rachel’s name. He gives me a smile as if to say, ‘sorry bro’, and I nodmyhead.
“Jesus, you Castle boys only think with that head betweenyourlegs.”
“I ain’t complaining. Your head isalwaysbetween my legs, and you do most of the thinking in our relationship.” He winks at her and she shakesherhead.
Addy turns back to me and speaks, “Jay, Cassie needs sweet. She isn’t hard like us. Just be you tomorrow. She’ll like you as you are. You’re an amazing man; you dote on Phoebe, and that alone will make any woman swoon. Fuck, they’ll drop their knickers if you walk around carrying the baby. But Cassie doesn’t need that,youdon’t need that with her. Take Deuce tomorrow and just go with the flow. Don’t force anything, okay?” I nod my head in agreement. Addy’s right: I just need tobeme.
“Yeah, go shopping and get her some flowers, chocolates, and some condoms. Surely she’ll get the hint that you want in her little nerdy knickers.” My brother winks at me and Addy throws a tea towel at him. “What? I’m only saying what he should do. Damn, woman, worked with you,didn’tit?”
“Really? You went there?” Addy snipes back. I can see how pissed off she’s getting. The thing is, Dex loves to wind Addy up, get her all mad, and then he shags her senseless. He’s told me on many occasions that when she’s fired up, she is wild in bed. And yes, I told him it was way too much fucking information, but the bastard kept talking. No more Vodkaforhim.
“Yeah, I went there. And you know it worked, so don’t act all high and mighty around me. Baby, I know what you sound like when you come, because only I get to make you sound like that. Now, Jay knows his way around a woman, and he’ll have Cassie screaming his name in no time. I taught him everything heknows.”
“So, he had to watch a lot of porn, then? To make up all the details that you didn’t know.” Addy winks at me and Dexgrunts.
“Whatever. You love how I make you feel. You love when I…” He prowls towards her. This is how Dexter Castle got his girls. He has this way about him that makes the ladies melt around him. But if he did it now… Addy would cut hisdickoff.
“Stop right there,” she says with a warning tone. Dex closes the distance between them and Addy melts against him, just like always. He grips her hips and slams his mouth down on hers. They kiss, and then the hands start getting touchy. And that’smedone.
“And that’s my cue to leave. I am not into watching you two devour each other. Shag at home, not here.” I turn and walk towards the door, when Dex callsmyname.