Ashley's POV
"Yes!" I quietly hissed to myself from the crack in the door of Tinsley's room where I was watching. That smile. That carefree, the weight of the world is off my shoulders smile that was across B's face right now. I missed seeing it on the man I consider to be my brother's face. Pretty sure the only time I truly saw it was when he was on his bike riding with no certain direction in his mind. I had been leery at first when Eli had told me he thought something was going on between Brantley and his pretty tour manager. Had really been skeptical finding out how young she was. But I was seeing that maybe I shouldn't have been as worried as I had been.
"Don't you know better than to snoop woman," Eli whispered in my ear making me jump. I elbowed him in the side and kept watching as Korey and Tinsley tackled B.
"Do you see that look E?" I asked quietly as Brantley laughed and looked up at Korey with his eyes full of laughter. "Do you? I've never seen him that happy. Never."
"Now Ash," Eli rumbled in my ear slipping his arms around my waist. "Don't go making things out to be more than they are. Give the poor man some room to breathe before you mentally start planning a wedding for him. It was really bad babe. Not as bad as it could have been but he was hiding it from us."
"Don't you think I know that," I hissed glaring at him over my shoulder. "Good God E. We've both been around to pick up the pieces both times. Orange not being my color is the only reason she is still breathing let me tell you."
"Watch it sassy ass," Eli chuckled gripping my hips in his big hands. Oh, I knew where this was going. "Seems like you aren't the only one who can be that way though."
"Oh no he didn't!" I said in shock turning around with wide eyes. Jana was one thing. They had fought twenty-four seven once the camera wasn't on them. Amber had been different, too much up on a pedestal. I had argued with E that if she'd gotten a good swat now and then, she would have thought twice about ripping that man's heart out again.
"According to PJ he did," Eli said with a grin. Well I'll be. "They have been like fire and ice since the first day. Says you can see the sparks around them for days. He bows up and she sasses him right back. It happened after she jacked that big black truck to take it for a spin. This was the afternoon after she replaced his signature brass knuckles with a hot pink pair. B pulled them out onstage. While it had all been part of a dare war they were having, it all came to a head when he confronted her on taking his truck. Sassed right back at him, even though PJ had warned her. Dragged her on that bus and put her across his knee."
"Oh my god," I laughed quietly. "They are so gonna have their hands full with each other." I heard a smack and pushed the door open slightly to peer in. Brantley was still stretched out on his back with Tinsley sitting on his chest. He had an arm wrapped around Korey's waist as he playfully glared up at her. Tinsley giggled then poked Korey's cheek breaking up the stare down.
"I's told you Korey,'" she sung out between giggles. "Turns on the tears. He always gives in."
"Tins," Brantley growled pushing up on his elbows to look at her. "I think you need to stop saying stuff missy. I will tell your Mama that you snuck three of Mamaw Becky's cookies last time I was home and that was why you wouldn't eat your supper."
"Don't ya tell all my secrets Uncle B!" Tinsley snarled glaring at him.
"Well don't tell all mine," Brantley challenged back rolling his eyes. Tins watched him for a minute as a sweet, evil grin came across her lips.
"Besides," she said with a smirk. "You handed me the cookies. Mama would get both of us."
"That she would Princess," Brantley said with a chuckle giving her a high five. Damn dirty rat, I knew he had just couldn't prove it. The trace of cookies crumbs should have been enough. "I'm already in the doghouse with her sooooo let it stay our secret okay. She would get both of us."
"Uncle B stays in her doghouse," Tinsley said grinning at Korey. "Mama says he and Daddy should just share a room."
Korey let out a loud laugh as Brantley growled at her as he sat up. She leaned over pressing her forehead to Tinsley's with a grin.
"I can see who is boss around here," Korey chuckled making Tinsley beam. "And I do believe it is you."
"Shit," Brantley muttered wrapping an arm around each of them as they laughed at him. It was like you couldn't wipe the grin off of his face. "Not you too. Lord help me."
"Swear jar Uncle B,"
"Swear jar Uncle B," Tinsley reminded him kissing his cheek making me laugh as I backed away from the door letting Eli pull me back downstairs. He always just paid in advance. "Now I can gets me a new princess dress. I do love when you and Daddy get together!"
Korey's POV
I followed Brantley up the stairs later that evening blinking to keep my eyes open. Today had been fun. Nowhere near as awkward as I had been afraid of. Ashley had filled me in on all kinds of embarrassing stories to use on Brantley later if I needed. As we approached the door to his room, I paused for a half a second before long fingers twined with mine pulling me along. I reminded myself that if it was too rough for him to have me here, he wouldn't have asked in the first place. Had to remind myself that I was the one in his life now. I grinned as we stepped into the room at the massive wooden bed in the center.
I looked at the ten-point buck that had been carved into the wood and the black and gray comforter. Oh yea, those fit the man for sure. Shaking my head, I walked towards my suitcase only to have a t-shirt land over my head. I pulled it off and glanced over to see Brantley grinning as he started pulling his rings off to sit on his dresser. I'd smacked him in the chest the other morning when he'd rolled over thunking me in the head with his rings. I traded out my cutoffs and tank top for his shirt. B turned as I tugged his shirt over my head and grabbed the edge of the comforter pulling the covers back. The fit of giggles that bubbled out as I got a look at his sheets could not be held in.
"Babe....." I asked between trying to keep my laugh in as he sighed rolling his eyes. I pointed at the sheets. "Why do you have Pepto Bismal pink sheets?"
"Because I am a sucker and can't tell my goddaughter no after she picked out us matching sheets," he growled shaking his head laying down. I was holding my sides as he huffed out a sigh looking at me. He pointed at the bed. "Get your ass in bed woman."
"I dunno if I can sleep on those," I snickered unwinding my hair out of its braid. "Those sheets are so bright they may keep me up."
"Princess," he grumbled rolling to his side reaching a hand across the sheets. "You have two seconds to crawl your little sexy ass in this bed and in my arms or I will put you across my knee."
"You and what army," I sassed back with a wink. I leaned over bracing my hands on the bed staring him down. "I think you are too tired to do anything."
"Oh really," Brantley snarked back raising an eyebrow. In the blink of an eye a big hand had wrapped around my wrist yanking me onto the bed. I gasped as the next thing I knew I was flat on my back with him pinning me to the bed. I glared up at him as he grinned down at me brushing a strand of hair off my cheek. "You were saying baby girl?"
"Show off," I grumbled pushing his chest and rolling to my side putting my back to him. I huffed closing my eyes. A second later the lamp switched off and a pair of arms snaked around my waist pulling me back into his chest. I melted into his embrace lacing my fingers with his on my stomach and smiling when I felt a soft kiss pressed to the back of my neck. I had gotten used to this to the point that I didn't sleep as well on the few nights I'd had to sleep without him. A thought crossed my sleepy mind. "Hey B, can I ask you a question?"
"Princess," he mumbled groggily. "You know that you can ask me anything."
"What did Jana mean that night?" I asked quietly. I felt him stiffen slightly as he lay there for a minute before answering. I mean, I couldn't blame him. I wouldn't want to talk about that crazy bitch either. If she ever got within three feet of me again I would end her.
"Jana said a lot of shit that night Princess," Brantley sighed rubbing his thumbs along my hands as he threw a leg over mine. "Pray I never have to hear her annoying ass voice again as long as I live. Sometimes I wish I could blame being with her on the alcohol but nope, I was sober at the time." He propped his chin on my shoulder holding me close. "I take it you are referring to the certain needs comment."
"Yes," I whispered biting my lip feeling unsure of his answer as I stared at the darkness.
"I guess you could say I have dominant tendencies," Brantley said with a chuckle. Okay, that wasn't too far off. Man loved to boss me around almost as much as I loved to push back. He knew just how far to return the favor to make me see things his way. "I like being in control. I am pretty sure you have noticed that by now."
"You.....never..." I said with a grin. A nip at the curve of my neck wiped the smile off my face as I gritted my teeth to keep a moan in. "And if I wanted to be in control in bed?"
"Oh baby," he said with a laugh. "Don't matter the position I can still be in control. It's all about the leg."
"Smart ass," I groaned rolling over to face him. I couldn't deny it. He knew how to manipulate my body into a mass of want and need. "I was trying to be serious B."
"Yes, I am into some of the dominance baby," he said rubbing a hand up and down my back. "Have I said anything to you. No, I have not. For one, I know you don't have a whole lot of experience and I didn't want to scare you. Do I like the idea of trying things with you? Yes. It gets me hard thinking about it. But I also don't want to send you screaming into the night. Jana let's just say her tastes ran even past what I was comfortable with. Was terrified one time she would take it too far and I'd actually hurt her. Amber, well shit, if I had even done to her what I did to you after you jacked my truck keys, she would have ran away and not looked back."
"Sooo...." I drawled tracing my fingers along his chest. "Got a Red Room around here somewhere? Not fixing to drop a contract in my lap are you?"
"Ummm no," Brantley said with a snort. I could see him rolling his eyes in the dark. "Don't think it needs to be that in depth baby. I'm not a sadistic prick. Oh I can promise that at some point if you will let me your sweet little ass will be tied to this bed. I do have a question of my own princess?"
"What's that?" I whispered leaning my head closer to his. The steady smoothing of his hands up and down my back relaxing me to the point I could barely keep my eyes open.
"Do you trust me?" he asked softly. I shifted closer pressing my lips to his in a slow kiss feeling my insides melt.
"You know I do," I murmured against his lips. "With everything I have in me. I will say, you definitely have me intrigued. So, if that is your way of asking if I would like to explore that more, then the answer is yes. I know that you would never do anything to hurt me. That thought has never crossed my mind. You've already proved on numerous occasions that you can play my body like a fiddle. What I feel with you is like nothing I have every experienced before."
"Princess," Brantley said with a soft chuckle as he tucked my head under his chin. I sighed feeling myself grow sleepy. "You have no idea. Just you wait. I think you will be pleasantly surprised with just what I can come up with."