MANFAX (Winters Brothers Book 2) Read online

  “I’m coming too,” Larsen says before taking a deep pull from his beer bottle.

  I tip my chin toward Jack. “What about you?”

  “I’m not sure. I haven’t decided yet.”

  “What’s keeping you here?” Larsen asks.

  “The kids. I don’t really want to leave the house in their hands and go to New Hampshire. They’ll throw a party, for sure.”

  “Do your best to come with us. You could use the time away,” Rex tells him.

  “I’ll see what I can do.”

  I glance around at my brothers. “So, why isn’t anyone asking the important question?”

  “What would that be?” Jack asks.

  “How’s it going with Danika, bro?”

  Rex scowls. “That’s your question? Everything’s great.”

  “So, you’re hitting it on the regular now?” I prod.

  “Fuck off.” Is his only reply.

  “Shouldn’t you be in a better mood if you’re getting laid?” I tease, and he holds his middle finger up.

  “Are you guys serious?” Larsen raises an eyebrow questioningly. “You really like this one?”

  Rex nods. “I’ve never felt this way about anyone. And if you make some jackass comment right now, I’m gonna kick your ass.” He smirks and takes a sip of his beer.

  “I’m happy for you, bro,” Jack says. “You deserve it.”

  “That’s nice of you to say. I’ve never been so happy to get a parking ticket as I was the day I met Danika.”

  “Now you know someone who can fix them for you. Hey, that’s why you’re dating her,” Larsen jokes.

  “Yeah, it has nothing to do with the fact that she’s beautiful and puts up with him.” I shake my head.

  “Puts up with me?” Rex pats his own chest. “I’m a fucking joy to be around.”

  I tip the rim of my beer bottle his way. “Okay, if that’s the case, who’s the grouchy ass I work with every day?”

  Rex shrugs. “I can only take so much of your company.”

  I grin. “How did I know this would somehow be my fault?” I raise the bottle of beer to my lips, swallowing down the ice-cold liquid. “Not to mention, I’m the easiest going person you know.”

  “Yeah, Rex, you can’t blame Adam for your short fuse. Everything pisses you off,” Larsen chimes in. “You’ve always been that way.”

  “Who asked you, baby bro?” Rex growls. “Besides, I’m a changed man.”

  “So you say, Rex. I guess we’ll see how long it lasts,” Larsen challenges.

  “Old me would’ve punched you by now, but instead I’ll say fuck off.” Rex stares at Larsen. “Fuck off.”

  “Danika must have a top shelf pussy, that’s all I can say,” Larsen continues, as if Rex never spoke. “She got you whipped in record time.”

  A muscle flexes in Rex’s cheek, and I wait for him to explode. Dragging a deep breath into his lungs before exhaling slowly, he seems to be working on calming down.

  “Play nice, boys.” In typical oldest brother fashion, Jack steps in.

  I grin as I take in my siblings. Just an average night with the Winters brothers.

  Is there anything better?

  3

  Roxanne

  “The other bathing suit looks better,” I state.

  “But it barely covered my ass cheeks,” Violet argues.

  I throw my hands up in frustration. “How is that a bad thing? You have the ass of a twenty-year-old.”

  Violet plucks at the straps on the suit and turns sideways, checking out her profile. She grimaces. “And the boobs of a middle schooler.”

  “There are plenty of guys out there who’d take a juicy ass over tits any day.”

  “If you meet one, send him my way. Actually, forget that, because no guy would pass up the opportunity of being with you in the first place.”

  “Cut it out, Vi. You’re beautiful inside and out,” I say. And she really is. She’s a friend who’d volunteer to help me with any troubling situation and ask questions later.

  Violet stands with her hands perched on her hips. “If I didn’t love you so much, I could really hate you for how gorgeous you are. You’ve got beauty and brains.”

  “So do you,” I shoot back.

  “Roxanne Baker, you’ve got tits and ass,” she retorts, arching her brow knowingly.

  “Go get dressed. I’m starving,” I change the subject.

  Vi smirks and whirls around, closing herself inside the dressing room.

  I scoop up the two bathing suits that fit my curves best and call out to Vi, “Which suit are you buying?”

  “None.”

  “Give them to me and I’ll hang them back on the rack.” I slip my hand inside the opening at the top of the door. She passes the hangers with the suits over. “I’m gonna check out. Meet me at the register.”

  “Okay,” Vi replies, but I’m already on my way to the front of the store. I hook the rejected swimwear back on the rack as I pass by. Fortunately, there’s no line, so I place my items on the counter, including two bikinis for Vi. She’ll never splurge on something for herself, and they looked fantastic on her, even though she can’t seem to see it herself.

  Everything is bagged and paid for when Violet joins me. “Where do you want to eat?” she asks as we step outside of the small boutique shop.

  A steady flow of slow moving cars passes by as we pause on the sidewalk. Newbury Street is busy this time of day. The air feels dense with the high humidity level and I’m tempted to run back inside the air conditioned shop we just left.

  “There’s that cafe we like.” I point in the other direction. “About a block up from here.”

  “Let’s do it,” she agrees as we merge with the other pedestrians.

  We both remain silent until we’re seated inside.

  “Holy hell, this air conditioning feels amazing. It’s hotter than sweaty balls out there.” I fan my face with my hand.

  Vi’s lip curls. “Eww, couldn’t you come up with a less offensive image?”

  “That would defeat the purpose.”

  “You can make your point without it being disgusting,” she explains.

  I shake my head. “Sometimes you’re so uptight.”

  “How is not wanting to think about sweaty balls being uptight?”

  “You must’ve felt up some sweaty balls at some point in your life.”

  Vi’s head falls back with an exaggerated groan. “Oh my God. Can we please not do this?”

  “Do what?” I pretend I don’t know what she’s about to say.

  Vi’s narrowed eyes study my expression of feigned innocence. “Turn this into a discussion about all the ways I need to loosen up.”

  “What makes you think that’s what’ll happen?”

  “History,” she scoffs.

  “I don’t need to tell you to loosen up. You’re well aware of the need already.”

  She holds her hand up in front of me. “Whatever.”

  The waitress stops by to take our food and drinks order, momentarily putting an end to our discussion.

  “Are you looking forward to our trip to New Hampshire?” I ask.

  “Yes and no.”

  “Do I even want to know why you’re having reservations?”

  “Who said anything about reservations?” Vi questions.

  “You did, in not so many words.”

  “I’m a little nervous about spending time with Rex and his brothers. What if it’s really awkward?”

  “What if it’s really awesome?” I counter. “Shouldn’t you hope for the best, instead of worrying about something you can’t control?”

  She shrugs. “I guess so.”

  A confident smile twists my lips. “You know I’m right.”

  “Fine. But I’m still going to worry. If I’m having a miserable time, do you promise to leave with me?”

  “You’re going to enjoy yourself,” I state.

  “I know I probably will, but on the off chance that I’m n
ot, will you take me home?”

  “Fine. If it’ll make you feel better to have my promise, then consider it given.”

  Vi smiles. “It does help. As long as I know I have an out, I can relax.”

  “I’m guessing you’re not going to want to leave when it’s time to.”

  “You could be right. I haven’t had a vacation in over a year. And if I’m having a good time, I’m sure it’ll fly by.”

  “You should come to work for me. How many times have I asked you?”

  “I know. I know. But I don’t want work coming between us. And if we saw each other at work all the time it might negatively impact our friendship.”

  “Come on. You love me. You could never get sick of me.”

  One of Vi’s brows leaps upward. “Are you sure about that?”

  “I’d pay you well enough that you wouldn’t care.”

  “I know you would, but it feels wrong to me. Let me see if I get the promotion I applied for. If I don’t, I may take you up on the job offer.”

  “Good.” Rifling through one of the plastic bags, I grab the bikinis I purchased for Violet. “These are for you.” I hand them over.

  “Rox, you shouldn’t have.”

  “Oh, stop. I wanted to. You looked amazing in both of them, and they better be packed in your suitcase for our trip.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” she jokes. “Thank you so much. You’re so good to me.”

  “I know I am.” I smile. “I’m really excited about getting away with you and Danika for a girl’s weekend. Forget about the guys being there. The three of us will have a fantastic time, no matter what.”

  “You’re right. It’ll be terrific to have a change of pace and scenery with my best friends.”

  The drive to the cabin in New Hampshire passes quicker than I anticipated. Violet naps while I drive, my new dark blue BMW smoothly eating up the highway miles like Pac-Man vigorously gobbling dots.

  I turn onto the final road that will lead us directly to the cabin. “Violet, wake up.” Reaching over, I shake her arm.

  “What’s up?” she mutters, sitting up straight.

  “We’re almost there.”

  “Oh, shit. I need to brush my hair.” She frantically searches through her purse before pulling out a brush.

  My eyes scan the heavily wooded area running on both sides of the road, expecting a deer or Bigfoot to jump out at any moment. Vi is busy neatening her appearance when the forest in front of me opens up, revealing a stunning view of the White Mountains.

  Gasping when the cabin comes into sight, Violet’s eyes dart from the mirror to the place we’ll be staying for the weekend.

  “Holy moly,” Vi whispers in awe of the large structure in front of us. “Calling this a cabin is kind of misleading.”

  “Ya think?” I retort. The two-story log cabin stretches out, taking up way more square footage than a “cabin” has a right to. The number of windows is mind boggling, and I can’t wait to see the view from the second story balcony that runs the length of the home.

  Parking to the right side of the house behind Rex’s truck, I place my sandal covered feet onto the pavement, slipping from the leather seat with a relieved sigh. Drawing a deep breath of the fresh mountain air into my lungs, I close my eyes, savoring the cleansing feeling.

  “Are you sure we’re at the correct address?” Vi interrupts.

  My eyelids snap open, my zen moment now ruined. “I’m positive. I used my GPS. Come on. Let’s unload the trunk.”

  We grab our bags and ring the doorbell. Danika yanks the door open with an excited squeal, ushering us inside. We both drop our bags onto the tiled floor in the foyer to exchange hugs with our dear friend.

  “Jesus, Dani. You didn’t tell us we were staying in a freaking log mansion,” I say.

  “I didn’t know it was like this. When Rex said they had a cabin, I had a different picture in my head.”

  “It’s gorgeous,” Violet states.

  “It really is,” I agree, glancing around at the impressive interior.

  “Come say hi to Rex,” Dani directs, leading us to the large, open living room.

  He rises from a deep leather couch and hugs Violet and me. “I want you both to meet my brothers. This is Larsen, my youngest brother.” He gestures to a handsome guy who greets us with a wide smile. “And this is Adam, who also happens to be my business partner.”

  My eyeballs bulge from their sockets when I gaze at his gorgeous face. “You,” I croak. Oh my freaking God. It’s the frequent flyer Manfax guy—in the flesh.

  Adam smirks. “I see you've heard of me, darlin’.”

  I narrow my eyes, shooting daggers at him. Clamping my lips together, I don’t utter a single syllable. And I probably couldn’t even if I wanted to. I’m too shocked and frazzled to think straight. This is the first time I’ve met someone that we’ve investigated, and to say it’s thrown me is an understatement. Or maybe seeing his gorgeous face in person is what has me so off balance. Regardless of the cause, I don’t like this feeling at all.

  Danika, sensing my distress, hooks her arm through one of mine and then one of Vi’s, escorting us back to the foyer.

  We grab our bags and she shows us around the house, ending the tour with the bedrooms we’ll be staying in.

  “I’m so happy you guys are here. We’re going to have so much fun.”

  “The ride wasn’t too bad either,” Violet states, falling backward on her bed. “I thought it would take more time.”

  I laugh. “How would you know? You slept as soon as we hit the highway and didn’t wake up until we were here.”

  “Exactly. It went by really quickly.” She smiles.

  “So.” Danika rubs her hands together. “Are we going to address the elephant in the room?”

  “If by elephant you mean Rex’s brother, Adam, then yes. I couldn’t help my reaction when Rex introduced us.” I hold up a hand to keep her from jumping in. “Let me explain why I was so surprised and then you guys will understand.” I glance between my two friends, making sure I have their attention. “In the past few months, I’ve had numerous Manfax requests for Adam.” My friends giggle.

  “You’re kidding,” Danika says.

  “Nope. It’s absolutely true. He has a very colorful dating history. If you can call what he does dating,” I scoff. “And he’s a complete commitment phobe. I’m sorry I never made the connection that he’s Rex’s brother. Am I a bad friend for not knowing your boyfriend’s last name?”

  “Not at all. I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned it. At least not since our first date, so why would you make the connection? And I don’t doubt his commitment issues. I’ve heard his brothers give him shit about it, and Rex has told me a few stories. I’ve even witnessed Adam in action myself on more than one occasion. Women are drawn to him like ants to sugar, and he knows it.”

  “He is adorable, though,” Violet states.

  “Okay, enough about work. I’m here for a break.” I’m not about to admit I agree with Vi. “Where’s this pool you were telling us about?”

  4

  Adam

  “What was that all about?” Rex questions.

  I shrug. “Honestly, I have no idea. But she seems to hate me for some reason. I know I never banged her. I’d never forget that face or rack.”

  “Jesus, dude. Don’t be so crass,” Rex scolds.

  “Okay, Mr. Lover. Remember when you used to not have a girlfriend and you made the same bad jokes as us?”

  “Vaguely.”

  “Well, let me remind you how you absolutely did.”

  “All I know is neither of them hated me, so my weekend is shaping up nicely,” Larsen states, a smug grin on his lips.

  I scowl. “Fuck that. She hates me now, but that doesn’t mean anything. I can change her mind like this.” I snap my fingers. “I work fast.”

  Larsen sniggers. “That’s what she said.”

  “Why don’t you guys change into your suits and we’ll hang out by the po
ol,” Rex suggests, shaking his head.

  “Good idea.” Larsen punches Rex’s arm. “Then we can see the girls in their bikinis.”

  “Finally something we can agree on.” I bump fists with Larsen.

  Rex clears his throat and aims a stern look between Larsen and me. “By girls, you better not be including Danika.”

  My little brother spreads his hands, preparing to poke the bear. “Hey, we can look.”

  I clap him on the shoulder. “Don’t fire him up, Lars. We don’t need him getting arrested and ruining our weekend.” I’m joking—sort of. I know Rex has turned over a new, much calmer leaf since he’s been with Danika, but that doesn’t mean we should provoke him. At least not about Danika. She’s a hot button for his temper.

  Rex flips us off before he heads upstairs.

  “Marco,” I call out.

  “Polo,” a variety of voices reply. With my eyes closed, my hearing is working overtime, and I know for certain none of my opponents are behind me. Edging forward slowly, I listen for the sound of anyone moving or shifting in the water. I’ve always been good at this game, so I don’t plan to be it for long.

  I feel rippling near my calves, as if someone’s continuously kicking their legs while treading water. Turning my head away, I pretend to not notice. I wait a few seconds and then I spin around and dive through the air. My hands are the first thing to make contact with a soft body. The shrill squeal I hear has my eyes popping open. I find Roxanne in front of me and one of my hands is holding onto one of her large tits and the other is cupping an ample ass cheek.

  I smile, my lips stretching to capacity until I resemble the Cheshire Cat. I can’t help but give a squeeze with both of my hands as I point out the obvious. “I win.”

  “Let me go.” Roxanne shoves both her hands against my chest. Instantly, I release her.

  “I didn’t do that on purpose, and I’d like to say I’m sorry, but it would be a lie.”

  “I’m sure it wouldn’t be the first one you’ve told,” she spits out the reply, as if she believes it to be true.

  “I wouldn’t want our relationship to get off on the wrong foot.” I smirk.