Main Character Introductions ___________________________

Madison Cross 24 yrs old

T.J. Travers 28 yrs old

Cameron Travers 27 yrs old

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BROTHERLY LOVE __________________________

Chapter One ___________________

MADISON __________________

My boss, Joshua Jones, looks up from the bar where he was quickly pouring, mixing, and passing out drinks to bar goers and waiting waitresses on a busy Friday night at Jaycee's Bar & Grill. He gives me one of his easygoing, lopsided grins, shaking his head.

Hey, it's not my fault some guy who tried to feel me up a few weeks ago sprayed like a gusher when I broke his nose, right? Didn't think so.

We have to yell to hear each other over the band and the crowd. Friday and Saturday nights there was always one rockin local Jersey band or another ready to play, and of course were the busiest nights.

Even though it was actually my night off I had been helping out. I could see how swamped he was, so I sigh and make my way through the crowd. When I step behind the bar, he gives me a surprised but very relieved look.

I shrug and wave my hand.

I spend the better part of the next hour helping him get, and stay, caught up with the orders.

Around 10:00 Josh's wife, Jamila, comes rushing in and makes her way behind the bar, where we are actually holding pretty steady at the moment.

Josh and Jamila... I know, cute, right? So was there two year old son, Jordan, and nope, not kidding.

Josh was the owner of Jaycee's, and he was there behind the bar nearly every single day and night. Jamila was there almost daily as well, but mostly at night after Jordan was ready to be put down for the night.

Jamila laughs at my creative choice of phrasing.

My head whips around in surprise at the unexpected insult.

I grimace, rolling my eyes when I match the condescending voice with the lowlife man it belonged to.

Jamila snickers loudly and Boone Watts, resident asshole and one of Jaycee's most recent and less desirable regulars, glares daggers from the barstool in front of me I hadn't even seen him slip in and sit down on a few minutes ago.

He leans closer, clearly having had too much to drink already at wherever he'd just come from.

I laugh, refusing to let him bully me. I had told myself a long time ago that those days were over.

Jamila screams for Josh as Boone pushes himself up from the stool and lunges at me from across the other side of the wooden bar.

Well goddamn, that got out of hand awfully fúcking fast. Guess he didn't like me disparaging his dick size anymore than I liked being called a whore. Funny how guys could dish it out, but couldn't take it when you decided to give it back to them.

Josh turns at Jamila's scream, but since we were working opposite sides of the bar was too far away to intervene in time.

Next thing I know, Boone grabs my right arm just above my elbow in a punishing grip, making me drop the delicate bottle of champagne I'd been pouring into fluted glasses.

As the bottle shatters I swing around with my left arm to punch him, but he snaps his head to the left at the last possible second and I end up punching the guy that had apparently seen what Boone was doing and had jumped up behind him to stop him.

SMACK!

Boone's grip tightens even more, and as he laughs he pulls hard on my arm, the other guy stunned for a second rubbing his jaw. I don't pay any attention to him though as my fight or flight instinct kicks in. And flight was the last thing on my mind in that moment.

I grab the neck of the broken champagne bottle, brandishing the jagged glass, ready to stab it into his arm to make him let me go.

Right before I can though Josh reaches me, grabbing my raised arm, and someone else grabs Boone's, squeezing hard enough to make him cry out in pain.

The guy I'd punched grabs Boone's other arm as well, and he has no other choice but to listen, albeit cursing me all the while.

Josh must recognize the two guys because he addresses them by name, seeming surprised.

They all kind of fade out, though, like I'm watching and hearing through a tunnel, my heart pounding too fast in my ears, my breathing quiet but choppy and rapid as the adrenaline spikes.

I blink away the spots behind my eyes and work on slowing my breathing as I let Josh pry the bottleneck from my clenched hand.

Jaycee's head bouncer, Hook, walks up, taking in the tense situation with a single quick, sweeping glance.

He gives me one final glare, adding in a creepy ass smirk.

With Boone gone I finish pulling myself back together quickly, nodding when Josh asks...

Oh shìt, that's right. I punched him when he was only trying to help.

When he leans closer and my vision is clearer the first thing I see are strikingly bright, nearly translucent, azure-hued baby blue eyes framed by long, dark eyelashes that lock onto mine intently. And his thick eyebrows and firm jawline are accentuated by a little more than a five o'clock shadow.

A smooth, buttery voice just as captivating as his face has me cocking my head to the side, surprisingly unoffended by the blatantly flirtatiousness words of a complete stranger.

And Oh Good Lord, there's the other one.

The other guy, the one who'd grabbed Boone's arm and very matter of factly threatened to break it moves closer as well to stand right beside him, taking Boone's recently vacated spot at the bar.

He fixes me with a similarly intense stare. His eyes are just as striking, though darker, and tinged with more of a greenish-blue turquoise than the straight up baby blue.

Same long eyelashes, similar jawline but a bit sharper, same facial hair, a little darker skin, a little deeper voice that is just as curiously alluring and captivating.

I find myself looking at them both, feeling nearly hypnotized by the doubly devastating effect of two intensely heated stares from two equally tall, dark, and handsome, insanely sexy men. I guess maybe the cliché wasn't so corny when it was true.

Suddenly, Josh breaks the spell.

Jamila runs around the side of the bar to hug them both while Josh makes belated introductions.

Cam reaches his hand out to shake mine and I take it, nearly flinching with the jolt of pure electricity that shoots through me, making my fingers tingle at the completely innocent contact.

My eyes fly up to his and he's looking at our hands as if puzzled, making me wonder if he feels it, too. Then he looks back up slowly, biting his lower lip as it curls into a bemused smile.

Without warning TJ takes my other hand. I feel that same electric spark, making the hairs on my arm rise, and for a moment it's like a wildly running current between the three of us, leaving me at a loss for words.

What the hell was that? some kind of weird, genetic thing because they're related?

I start to pull my hand back but he holds it fast, and then raises my arm up in the air slightly.

I shake my head, confused, in more ways than one.

I look down where he's holding, and sure enough he's right. There's a short but fairly deep gash in my arm that's dripping blood now as he's holding it up, along with a couple shallower cuts.

Jamila comes back around, and I finally notice the broken glass scattered in front of me on the bar.

Yvette, one of the waitresses, calls out impatiently from the opposite end of the bar where Josh had been working.

Cam starts to come around the bar, while TJ still has my arm.

TJ, who seems the quieter but also more authoritative of the two brothers, uses a tone that brooks no argument. But I try anyway.

TJ tugs gently on my arm, smiling genuinely I think for the first time, and it transforms his whole quietly brooding face, completely softening his intimidating demeanor.

Cam grabs a clean bar towel from the shelf, obviously familiar with the place, and wraps it around my arm. Reluctantly I follow them back to the office, with TJ still firmly but gently holding onto my hand.

Once inside the office, Cam grabs the first aid kit while TJ leads me to the small sink, turning on the water and adjusting the temperature before rolling my arm over.

He traces his thumb in a soothing circle along the side of my arm as I watch, strangely fascinated at the sensation it evokes, the shiver that runs up my spine, and at the stark contrast between the brutally punishing grip he'd had on Boone only minutes ago, and his current tender ministrations focused on me.

I flinch only slightly when he moves my arm under the faucet, but even though I can definitely feel it now I don't make a sound.

I glance at Cam, rolling my eyes.

That has me letting out a very unladylike snort laugh.

He asks, as he thoroughly washes away the blood and cleans the cuts.

I'm not sure if they're trying to distract me from the pain, which really isn't bad, or if they're genuinely interested, but I answer nonetheless the best that I can.

Turning off the tap, TJ dabs the towel on my arm to absorb the excess water.

As he does TJ looks up at me from lowered lashes, warning...

And he's right, it does.

The biting sting makes me involuntarily hiss through my teeth, but this time I don't flinch.

My eyes widen with surprise when he raises my arm a little and blows on it softly to speed up the drying. Goosebumps immediately prickle my skin, and I could swear I feel my toes curl. What the hell is going on?!

The close proximity of the two of them together makes the rather large office seem to shrink considerably smaller. One on each side, I can feel their body heat enveloping me, making me feel warm all over.

Clearing my throat subtly, I decide to ask a few questions myself while TJ begins carefully dabbing triple antibiotic ointment onto the cuts.

That's what I figured. Though they appeared close in age TJ just seemed to have more of a mature, commanding air about him.

TJ answers this time, glancing up to meet my eyes before taking the bandage Cam was holding out to him to finish up.

Cam leans in close, whispering in my ear conspiratorially...

Ohhh, shiiitttt.

His warm breath tickles my ear as he speaks, and I feel the same damn prickle down my neck, and the same curling of the toes.

This could be bad. Really bad.

I look down to see TJ had done a very good job bandaging me up.

He seems reluctant to let go of my arm but finally does, giving my fingers a light squeeze.

For some reason I really, really wanted to let them do just that, which was also why I probably shouldn't.

Oh holy shít, he really did not just say that out loud to me. But the cocky smirk on Cam Travers's handsome face, and TJ's wicked grin said oh yes, he absolutely did. And how the hell am I not even a little offended? but actually maybe a little turned on!

He holds up fingers as he repeats himself, ticking reasons off from an imaginary list, and I have to laugh.

He pretends to ponder hard, making me giggle at his mock serious expression, and I can't help but give in.

They both smile victoriously, and offer me a hand.

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CAMERON ___________________

The three of us found a table, and contrary to what I'd told her we absolutely did not let Madison buy the drinks.

We did, however, let her go up and get them from the bar when Josh signaled they were ready, just so we could sit and watch her.

She was fúcking gorgeous.

Long, wavy, beautiful blonde hair cascading halfway down her back, an absolutely flawless face accentuated by bottomless blue eyes, exquisitely high cheekbones, and the most full, pouty, plump, superbly sexy lips I'd ever seen. I couldn't help but imagine them wrapped around my dick, even though we'd literally just met. Yeah, she was THAT sexy.

She has her back to us, laughing with Jamila and motioning wildly with her hands. She bends over to reach something on the other side of the bar, and Good God Almighty, just look at that ass...

She grabs the tray, and we watch her make her way back to us. It's a damn good feeling, when every man in the place stops what they're doing to stare when she walks by.

Her sinfully short black leather skirt exaggerates her slim waist and long legs, the black and bright red spaghetti strap top coming nearly up to bare her midriff to show off her magnificent tits. Complete with knee high black boots, and Jesus Christ... Her movements were innately graceful, and her body just purely, insanely sexy as hell.

And on top of all of that she seemed to be a take no shít, badass chick. On the outside, anyway.

This girl was no shrinking violet damsel in distress waiting for the hero to come rescue her. Hell, no. She had punched me on the fly accidentally and I still felt it, so I could only imagine what she could do with all of her force and focus behind it.

And I had no doubt she would've stabbed that prick if Josh hadn't grabbed her, and TJ hadn't made the bastard let her go. Ain't gonna lie, it was fúcking hot.

But neither of us had also missed the very brief flash of panic and fear in her eyes, or her momentary slip from reality either, though she had been very quick to recover.

I had a feeling Madison Cross had many secrets, and many layers, behind her wall of badassery... and damn if I didn't want to unravel them all.

To say I was intrigued would be an understatement, and I didn't have to ask to know TJ felt the same way. It was written all over his face.

She smiles at us as she reaches the table and sets the tray down.

We'd ordered a half dozen shots, two apiece, and three beers to chase them with. And we watch Madison unceremoniously toss both of them back with us and then pick up her beer, wrapping those sexy lips around the longneck bottle and taking a long, slow swallow.

She gives us a quick wink, her face flushing slightly from the sudden warmth of the alcohol.

We chat for a few minutes, then I notice her tapping her foot to the song the band's playing, so I figure why not? and hold out my hand.

Her eyes light up, but then she flicks her eyes over to TJ, hesitating.

Now, most guys would be pissed if they asked a girl to dance and she hesitated because of another dude. But when it came to TJ and I? Hell, that's just the kind of reaction we were looking for.

We share a look of our own, then he smiles at Madison reassuringly.

When we get out on the floor and start to move, I'm rewarded with a surprised eyebrow raise and bubbly giggle. Yes, I can dance.

I also can't keep my hands off of her body, and she doesn't seem to mind. By the time the song is halfway over we are both hot, sweaty, grinding so hard on each other my jeans are ready to burst, and people are staring.

I get that same feeling of intensity and connection from every touch that I experienced back in Josh's office. The chemistry was undeniable, and I knew she felt it, too.

She yells over the music, her back to my front, my hands gripping her hips as she rubs her ass across my painfully hard dick repeatedly.

Dipping my head into the crook of her neck, I take the small liberty of catching her earlobe lightly between my teeth before replying...

I feel her body shiver, the heated flush spreading down her chest where I watch her tits rise and fall rapidly with exertion and I would bet my ass, arousal. And the feeling was definitely mutual.

I could not believe we almost decided not to come out here tonight, but I was so glad now that we did.

We dance to a few more songs, and I see TJ watching us, a small smirk playing over his face when he catches her gaze.

But as soon as the band begins to play the first strains of a slower song he slides up behind her and wraps his arms around her from behind. He looks at me, giving me a wink and a nod as I let her go.

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SUPPORTING CHARACTER INTRODUCTIONS ___________________________

Joshua Jones 31 yrs old Owner/Bartender Jaycee's Bar & Grill

Jamila Jones 27 yrs old Josh's Wife

Boone Watts 29 yrs old

Hook 35 yrs old Bouncer Jaycee's Bar & Grill

Yvette 25 yrs old Waitress Jaycee's Bar & Grill

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