In-Between Work and Play (The Jocelyn Frost Series Book 1) (12 page)

Finley twisted
the cap off his beer. “I don’t have a problem with it.”  He took a sip. “Well,
unless you’re a screamer.  Then I may just have to insist on taking a turn.”

Was this guy for
real?  “Are you suggesting that I’m a prostitute?”  I motioned toward the ugly
garment I was wearing. “Dressed like this?”

He shrugged.
“Dex gets odd at times.”  Another grin cross his lips. “So, I take it that’s a
no on your hooker status.”

“That’s a
Helheim no.  I’d rather be drained by a vampire than become a call girl, thank
you very much.  Nothing against them, of course.”  My American Women in United
States History course taught me that up until the last hundred years or so, the
only available occupation for women was working in a brothel.  When times got
tough on the farms, or there weren’t enough factory jobs, many innocent girls
were forced into that profession rather than starving.  The same kind of
thinking that kept women from other types of jobs was still very much alive and
well in many places in Erda.  So, I just hoped Karma wasn’t listening to come
back and force me into a similar position.

Finley studied
me for a moment. “Your ears aren’t pointed, so you’re not part elf.  I don’t
see any traces of wings, so you’re not a fairy.  You smell too good to be a vampire
or shifter.  You have no excess hair or a tail, so you’re not a were or a
huldra.  You’re short, but not short enough to be a dwarf, goblin, hobgoblin,
gremlin, or brownie.”  His lips twisted before he snapped his fingers. “You’re
human, right?”  He nodded slowly. “A Jersey girl.  Not that you have a Staten
Island accent like the hos on that beach show.  Nah, you’re from the northern
part of that state.”

Did I just enter
an alternate universe or what?  “Half-human.”

“What?”

“I’m only
half-human.”  I quietly added, “You’re right about everything else.”

“Why, hello
there, flah, is this maggot troubling you?”  A second man strode into the
kitchen.  His features were nearly identical to Finley’s.  The main differences
between the two were their coloring.  Where Finley had spiky, blonde hair, the
second man’s hair was darker.  Finley’s eyes were an icy blue, and the other
man’s eyes were a light shade of brown. The two gave each other nods before
turning back toward me. 

The new guy
nearly gagged at seeing my nightgown.

“No trouble. 
He’s good.”

His eyes
traveled up and down my nightgown before settling on my chest. “Right-oh!  How
much are you charging this nutter?”

I pinched the
bridge of nose. 

“She’s Dex’s
girl and she said she’s not for sale.” He gave me a boyish smile before handing
his beer over to the other guy.  “Sorry about him, my brother can be such an
ass.”

“Speak for
yourself.  You’re the one who’s always on the prowl for easy fae pussy.  I have
a girl, you know.”  He took a mouthful of beer while still studying my breasts.

“Yes, yes, I
remember you telling me something about her.”  Finley pulled another beer from
the fridge. “Too bad you can’t fuck that one.  Demigoddesses, you have to be
careful with those ladies.  Before you know it, you’ll be tied down with a
couple of babes on the way.”

“Don’t you two
have something better to do than ogle, Jocelyn?”  Dex growled from the doorway.

The brown-haired
brother snapped his fingers. “Jocelyn?  As in
the
Jocelyn Frost?”

My brows knitted
together. “Yes, that’s me.”  I shifted my gaze toward Dex and regretted it. 
His tight, grey t-shirt defined his muscles and the matching pajama pants
hugged his hips.  My mouth went dry as I took in the sight of his shapely
physique.  His glare was met by smirks from the brothers.

 “You’re the one
who organizes social gatherings and workshops for mythos women, and chairs the
Demigoddesses Anonymous meetings.”  He extended his hand toward me.

I shook it
because I didn’t know what else to do.  “Yes, that’s pretty much my job
description.  Oh, I also do one-on-one therapy sessions.”

“If it weren’t
for you, my Gwen would never have broken out of her cocoon.  She also told me
what you’re planning to do.  If there is anything you need from me, like
testing out a spell or charm, or whatever you come up with, then I’m your
man.”  He grinned.

I pulled my hand
away from him. “Thanks for offering, but I think Gwen might object to that,
don’t you?”

Finley slapped
his brother on his back. “She’s got a point.  Now, I don’t know what he’s
volunteering for, but I’d be more than happy to take his place.”

“Neither one of
you will be testing out contraceptive spells or demigod-strength condoms on
her,” Dex announced. 

I pinched the
bridge of my nose again.  These guys were giving me a headache.

“Demigod-strength
condoms?  I’ll take a large box, please!”  Finley grinned.  “Just make sure
they can catch all my jizz.  We don’t want any of those tiny buggers getting
behind enemy lines.” He wiggled his eyebrows at me.

“Right-oh!”  The
brothers clinked their beer bottles.  “Put those sneaky bastards in their
place.”  He turned his attention back toward me. “And remember, flah, most of
our race may only be half-human, but we are also one hundred percent god where
it counts.  Just be aware that you may never be able to contain that primordial
beast located south of the navel.”

Dex moved
between the brothers and me.  I couldn’t see his face, but felt his agitation. 
“Enough, you two. Jocelyn is my guest, and this is my house.  If you don’t want
to find your stuff on the curb, you will treat her with the same respect as
your sister.  Meaning: you will keep your dicks in check and your derogatory
comments to yourself.” 

“Touché!” 
Finley threw his hands up.  “You’re not offended by us, are you, Frost?”

“I’m too tired
to care either way.  Dex, let’s just go to bed.”  My brows knitted together as
my words resonated in my mind.  “Sleep.  Let’s go to sleep.”  I pulled his arm,
practically dragging him out of the kitchen.

Once in the
hall, he led me back up to his room.  It crossed my mind that we hadn’t
discussed sleeping arrangements.  I began to wonder if he had a guestroom, but
after waking up in his bed the last time, I doubted it. 

My worries were
squashed when we found his flock of ibises nesting in the middle of the bed.

“They like to
take over.  So, don’t worry about physically moving them if they encroach on
your side of the bed.” He grinned before jumping into the empty space on the
left side.  He pulled his legs under the blankets and propped himself up on one
elbow. 

I found myself
thinking if we didn’t find an acceptable contraceptive, I would have to suck it
up and allow this man to become the father of my children because damn! I
wanted him more than I’ve ever wanted another person in my entire life.  “Are
you sure this is a good idea?”

“It’s as good an
idea as any.  This is a king-sized bed, Joce. There is plenty of room for all
of us.”  He turned over to lie on his back.  “Just remember to turn off the
light before you get under the covers.”

My nose was
itchy.  I wanted to scratch it, but couldn’t reach it.  Why couldn’t I reach
it? 

“GRRR!”

Ugh, whatever! 
I tried to turn over, but found myself compacted on both sides.  I turned my
face into something that was warm, but smelled really good.

“Now, isn’t that
something else?” a tenor voice with a bit of a Gaelic accent whispered.

“Quit stalling,
did you get them?” a deeper voice with a similar accent asked.

“Mission
accomplished, they’re chilling in the freezer,” he chuckled.

“Shush, you’ll
wake her!  Did you get his, too?”

“Do I have a
death wish?  You want to freeze them? Get them yourself.”

“Are you… Is
that bird looking at me?”

“Yes, yes it
is.  You know, it can call him up with a single thought, right?”

“Crap on toast. 
Let’s finish this up…”

Why did I leave
the TV on?  That’s the last time I fall asleep on the couch…  I tried to turn
over, but my legs were pushing up against the back of the couch, so I lifted
one leg over the cushion.  Ugh, maybe it was time to get a new couch.  This was
way too hard, but at least, it was warm.

“Now, that’s why
I call her a flah.  If he doesn’t tap that, I will. Fuck the consequences.”

“Commando,
shit.  Part of me wants to go get my camera.  The other part wants to pull that
sheet back over her.”

“Just think,
that’s never been tapped,” he growled.

I felt a piece
of light fabric spreading across my ass.

“Remember: we
have to treat her like Saoirse.”

“Easier said
than done.”

My nose started
to itch again.  I heard a quick intake of air, then cold moisture on my arm. 
It made me shiver.  The couch started to move against me.

“HAMISH! 
FINLEY!”

I blinked
several times.  I wasn’t home, and I wasn’t sleeping on the couch.  My leg was
wrapped around Finley’s waist while the rest of me was molded to Hamish’s side
like Velcro. 

“Morning, Dex.”
Finley gave him a nod while detaching my leg from his body with the nudge of
his elbow. “Jocelyn, would you like some breakfast?”  He gave Hamish a wink.

“Since when do
you make breakfast?” Dex took several steps from the doorway leading into the
bathroom.

“Just because I
don’t do it often doesn’t mean I don’t know how to do it.” He shrugged while
keeping his arm tucked behind his back.

I noticed
something white and fluffy on my arm.  I twisted it. “Mind explaining what’s on
me?”

Hamish grinned. 
He swung his leg over the side of the bed to stand. “Dex’s Special Awesome
Sauce?”

Dex picked up a
paperback and hurled it at Hamish’s head. 

Hamish laughed.
“You’re the one that said to treat her like our sister.”

Finley pulled
out a can of whipped cream from behind his back along with a jar of honey. 

I practically
jumped out of bed.  Once I entered the bathroom, I found my hair covered in
honey while my arms and face held a thick layer of whipped cream.  Part of me
wanted to cry, and the other part wanted to beat the snot out of the twins.

Bits and pieces
of their conversation I overheard filtered back into my brain.  For the love of
Odin, I never felt so embarrassed.  Maybe their sister had a real sense of humor,
but right now, I just wanted to disappear. 

After spending
the next hour washing the honey out of my hair, I came out of a pretty cold
shower and realized all my clothes were still in the bedroom.  Luckily, not
even the ibises were lingering in there.  Trying not to drip water everywhere,
I quickly tiptoed out into the bedroom, grabbed my duffel bag, and sprinted
back into the bathroom.

I was able to
get dressed, but missed my panties.   Crap!  Where were they?  I pulled
everything out, setting it into piles on the floor.  I emptied all the
pockets.  I know I packed some, but I couldn’t find them.

Ugh! Maybe I
could swing by one of the specialty shops on my way into work.

I repacked the
duffel bag before blow-drying my hair.  After applying a little makeup and lip
gloss, my stomach decided it was time to get over my embarrassment and head
downstairs. 

Voices drifted
down the hall from the kitchen.

“A brothel,
hmmm. I’ll ask around and see if anyone has heard of it.” Finley appeared in
the door carrying a bowl in one hand and a carafe of orange juice in the
other.  He looked me up and down before twisting his lips into a grin.  “Did
you enjoy your shower?”

The teenager in
me made me roll my eyes. “Yes, I just love rinsing honey out of my hair.”

Hamish followed,
carrying a tray of bacon and another that held pancakes. “Everything is already
set out on the dining room table.”

I nodded,
following them.  Each of the brothers took a seat on either side of the table. 
I found a chair across from Dex.

“You’re going to
work?”  Dex’s brows knitted together.

“Yes, I have
to.  I’m meeting with my regular group therapy clients today.  I need to fill
them in on what happened.”  I twirled a piece of hair around my finger before
dropping my hands into my lap.  “I’ll meet you at the Archive after I’m done.”

He nodded slowly
as he filled his plate with scrambled eggs and bacon. 

I was about to
tell him not to worry when Finley and Hamish’s conversation caught my
attention.

“…The pink
cheeky ones with the ruffles are my favorite.  Though I also like the
zebra-striped thong.”

Hamish grinned.
“Of course, commando is best.” He turned toward me. “Right, Frost?”

The rest of the
puzzle pieces clicked together in my head. “What did you two do?”

Dex raised an
eyebrow while watching our exchange.

Finley shrugged.
“We thought you needed a little help.”

After a pause, I
attempted to stare him down. “Meaning?”

“Meaning, we’re
helping you out the same way we used to help out our sister, Saoirse.” Hamish
continued to look like the cat that ate the canary. 

“Ugh, I don’t
think I would recommend telling Saoirse to go commando,” Finley gagged.

I sprinted from
the table and ran into the kitchen.  Throwing the freezer open, I screamed. 
Sitting in one of the baskets were several freezer bags filled with my frozen
panties.  I picked one up, finding ice chunks inside at the bottom of the bag.

Laughter made me
turn around.  Finley was laughing so hard, he was on the floor.  Hamish was
practically crying while Dex looked stunned.

“What did they
do?” He pressed the palm of his hand to his forehead.

I threw the bag
that was in my hand at Finley’s head.  He caught it while grinning like a
naughty child.

“Seriously, did
you have to wet them before putting them into the freezer?  What are you, in
middle school?”  I pulled the rest of the baggies out of the freezer.

Dex took one of
the baggies and flipped it over before his cheeks turned red. 

Hamish bowed.
“That trick kept Saoirse out of trouble.  And believe me, flah, she had a hoard
of horny boys following her around.”

“We beat the
snot out of every single one of them too, and they still kept trying to get
into her pants.” Finley picked himself off the floor.

“The only ones
we never froze were the bloomers our granny picked out for her.” Hamish looked pleased
with himself.

“After a year,
she never bothered trying to buy sexy ones again,” Finley proudly added.

I shook my head.
“Your poor sister.  I bet she found a way to hide her stuff from you.”

Dex was beside
himself as he placed his hand on my shoulder.  “They’re going to make this up
to you.”

I dropped the
frozen panties on the counter.  Catching a glimpse of the time, I sighed.
“These better be thawed and cleaned before I get back.”  I pointed my finger at
the twins. “Got it?”

Hamish raised
his hands. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Finley?” Dex
warned.

“Whatever you
say, Declan.  I’ll wash them by hand.”

I threw two more
bags at him.  “Never mind, leave them alone.  I certainly don’t want your hands
on my panties!”