Now twenty-four, Connor was the oldest of four brothers. His mother worked numerous jobs to support the family after his dad became disabled in a car accident when he was seventeen. He took construction work all through high school and during the entire time I was in college to help support his family. Quiet, pensive, fiercely loyal and protective of his younger brothers, Connor became a master carpenter so they could focus on academics and get into good colleges. It also freed his mom to tend to his dad’s health needs.
Naturally pretty, strong, outdoorsy, and extraordinarily handy, Jen broke gender barriers as one of Seattle’s only female contractors. She met Connor at a jobsite for a multi-million-dollar mansion on Lake Washington. Within weeks, she had brought him home to meet my parents, and he and I bonded over our shared love of hard rock. We played music together and he became my best friend and honorary brother.
Despite how young they were, Connor and Jen’s devotion to each other mirrored my parents’ strong marriage. Jen knew that Connor built homes only out of financial necessity and that he really wanted to be a professional musician. She was the one who helped convince him to pursue his bass wizardry and devote his spare time to join LTZ with me.
As much as we wanted the big ginger to be a permanent member of the band, his family obligations had always been something we had to work around. So, we were thrilled last year when his dad’s recovery enabled him to return to work and Connor was free to commit to the band—and all that it entailed—fully.
Meanwhile, Jen actually loved her work as a contractor, and she was going places in her chosen field. I’d never known anyone more secure with themselves than my sister. As one of the only women on the labor side of construction, she didn’t allow anyone to fuck with her. Her talent and professionalism allowed her to rise through the ranks, and she had just been promoted to foreman at one of the largest construction companies in Seattle. Driven, focused, and confident, my sister was the complete opposite of Cassie, who didn’t seem to have any ambition beyond bartending at the latest hot spot.
I honestly wasn’t sure why Jen and Cassie were even still friends.
The second Jen vacated her seat to cuddle with Connor, Cassie launched herself into it and scooted into the chair closer to me.
“Hey, handsome.” Her red curls shone against the fire, reminding me of the fire-woman from Game of Thrones. “You look good enough to eat.”
“I’m not in the mood, Cass.” I barely glanced over at her.
“Oh, I can get you there.” She purred.
“No thank you.” I hated to be a dick, but . . .
“J-bird, we only have a few weeks until you’re gone for six looong months. Can you blame a girl for wanting your thick cock inside her as much as possible before you leave?” Cassie lowered her eyelids and looked up from under her eyelashes, licking her lips in a supposed-to-be seductive sort of way.
“Jesus,” I muttered to myself, knowing that the standard Seattle passive-aggressive route wasn’t going to cut it with her.
As I contemplated how to handle things, my mind inexplicably wandered to the natural, blonde beauty who had just left in her green Beetle. The differences between the women were vast, age difference aside. Alex was, quite possibly, the sexiest woman I’d ever encountered. She was clearly inexperienced. Pure, even. Her sensuousness was innate, she didn’t try at all. I knew she couldn’t be mine, but it opened my mind to new possibilities.
Cassie’s aggressive sexuality simply didn’t do it for me anymore. I felt nothing for her but annoyance. At this point, we had nothing in common but the fucking. It made me feel gross. Plus, it wasn’t fair to her. Jen’s lecture had an impact on me. In a family of amazing sisters, I wasn’t going to disrespect her or any woman again.
So, yeah. It was time to man up. Own my shit. Time to end the dysfunctional “relationship” with Cassie for good.
“Cass, let’s go have a talk.” I got up and held my hand out to her, which she gleefully grasped, mistaking what was about to happen.
Without speaking, I led her back into the house to catcalls from the peanut gallery teasing us with a million euphemisms of “having a talk.” All I could do was roll my eyes. Once inside, I sat on Carter’s plush, corduroy couch and patted the seat next to me. Cassie sat and without a beat pressed her body against mine as she leaned in and kissed my neck.
“Let’s go back to Zane’s room, baby.” She put her hand on my thigh, her long, pink, acrylic nails stroking suggestively up toward my package.
Gripping her hand to prevent her from reaching the intended destination, I gritted my teeth and began. “Cassie, you need to know that it’s completely over between us. I don’t want this anymore.”
“What do you mean?” Her eyebrows knit in confusion. “You’re breaking up with me?”
“Stop. We aren’t together, Cassie. I’m not your boyfriend. You know that.” I leaned back, pinching the bridge of my nose.
“Oh, Jace. You’re so funny. Let me fuck all of this tension out of you.” Cassie tucked a long strand of her shiny red hair behind her ear and leaned in again, stroking my nape and brushing her breast against my arm in the process.
Standing up abruptly, I moved to the big stone fireplace and turned to face her.
“Please, Cass. Don’t do that. I don’t want this, and I sound like such a dick, but there is no ‘we.’ It isn’t going to happen with us again. It can’t.” I kept eye contact and tried to make my voice seem firm and decisive.
“Who was
