“Nash, it’s been ten years; you’re more than ready for this.”

“So I keep being told,” I muttered.

Jamison chuckled, but wisely kept his mouth shut.

We were interrupted by Erika who yelled from outside, “Nash, Jamison, need your help!”

A moment later, we found her struggling with a huge pot plant just outside the front door. It was in a heavy terracotta pot and it looked like she was about to drop it.

I quickly grabbed it off her and scowled. “You should have come and gotten us rather than carrying it by yourself.”

“I thought I’d be able to manage,” she grumbled.

“Shit, Erika, you could have done your back in again.”

“Yeah well, I didn’t so it’s all good.”

I got the plant inside as we continued to argue back and forth. We’d spent our whole lives arguing; I was sure it was how we showed our love. When we got to the kitchen, Velvet was on her hands and knees reaching under the fridge for something. Her ass was up in the air facing us and I took a moment to admire it.

“What’s going on here?” I eventually asked as she continued to search for whatever it was.

Her head spun around and our eyes met. I raised my brows at her and shifted my eyes to her ass and then back to her face before grinning at her. She shook her head at me but she was smiling. “Your mum took her rings off to do the dishes and one of them fell on the floor and we think it rolled under the fridge so I’m trying to find it.”

I leant against the wall and folded my arms over my chest. “Take your time, darlin’.”

Erika groaned. “You have a one track mind, Nash.”

I smirked. “Velvet doesn’t mind, do you babe?”

She ignored me and continued her search while I settled in for the view. I particularly enjoyed it when she tried to extend her arm further because it meant her ass tilted even higher in the air. My dick jerked while I imagined that ass naked with my hands around it.

“Nash!”

I swung my gaze to my mother who was trying to get my attention. “What?”

“Stop ogling Velvet and get everyone a drink, please.”

Velvet finally stood up, having retrieved the ring. She passed it to mum and then glared at me.

I held my hands up defensively. “What, babe? A man has to take advantage of certain situations.”

She walked over to me, laid her hand on my chest and whispered, “You’ll pay for that later.”

“Don’t make promises unless you intend to keep them, sweet thing.”

“You should know by now, Nash, that I’m a woman of my word,” she kept her voice low so that only I could hear her.

Christ, this conversation had to come to an end or else I was going to bust a nut in my mother’s kitchen. “I look forward to it,” I said, and left her to go and get drinks for everyone.

***

My family loved Velvet. They fawned all over her during dinner while I sat back and took it all in. It had been a different story with Gabriella; they hadn’t liked her from the beginning so this was new to me. It was good; good in a way I never thought would happen in my life. And to say it scared the shit outta me was putting it mildly.

“What do you do for a living, Velvet?” Jamison asked.

She struggled to answer this question which was odd. Velvet loved what she did, she’d told me numerous times, so I didn’t understand why she had that deer in the headlights look on her face. “I’m a stripper at Indigo,” she finally said but there was hesitation in her voice.

Perception was one of Jamison’s gifts. He leant towards her and asked, “Does it pay your bills, gorgeous?”

She blinked, obviously not expecting what he’d said. “Yes.”

He nodded. “Well hold your head high because there’s a lot of fucking bludgers out there who bleed the government dry rather than get off their ass and work. You make an honest living and pay your own way; it doesn’t matter how you do it.”

Erika raised her wine glass. “Cheers to that,” she agreed and took a sip while giving Velvet a kind smile.

Velvet’s shoulders sagged and she seemed relieved. “Thank you.”

I jerked my chin at Jamison and he nodded in response. I’d thank him for that later. For now, I slid my arm around Velvet’s shoulders and pulled her close so I could whisper in her ear, “We need to eat dessert really fuckin’ quick.”

She placed her hand on my leg, close to my dick, and purred, “But, Nash, I think your mum has a story about your childhood to tell me. We can’t be rude now.” She moved her hand up and down my leg slowly, teasing me.

“I fuckin’ knew it,” I muttered.

She turned to me in genuine surprise. “What?”

“I knew you two together were a bad idea.”

Her head fell back slightly and she laughed, and my dick dug his own grave.

Chapter 18

Pornstar Dancing ~ My Darkest Days

Nash

Monday morning rolled around fast, and I dropped Velvet back at her house after she’d stayed with me last night. She had treated me to a long night of sex and was worn out this morning. I couldn’t wait to get my hands back on her tonight.

After I dropped her off, I headed over to Blade’s warehouse to meet Scott who was waiting for me there.

I surveyed the warehouse in front of us. “Shit, brother, what does Blade actually do? This joint is huge,” I said to Scott.