1. Gaining a Family

Gaining a Family

Macie

M y mother's getting married to the coach of my brother's hockey team. Which means I gain a stepfather, and a stepbrother today.

Oh, the joys.

I've never been good with their relationship; I miss my dad. I've also never had a good relationship with my mom; I'm a daddy's girl, and she tends to revolve her world around my brother and his hockey so, it's me against them all.

I'm a dancer, I can skate, I used to skate, but not anymore. My mom wanted me to be the ice princess, take her place at the rink, and on the competition team, but that's not for me.

I like to feel the vibration of the music join my soul through my feet from the dance floor. But here's the thing, I'm not always on the floor.

I'm an exotic dancer that enjoys hanging from silks. It's not all I do; I do floor dances with the girls too.

I work at a private club at night to make extra money so I can get the hell out of here. I'm nineteen and as much as I'm able and ready to live on my own, I can't afford it.

So, the easiest way, since I'm already a dancer, and the fastest way for me to get money was working at the club .

I work undercover to not give my identity away, since everyone knows everyone around here in this town, and likes to talk.

It works, I've been doing it for a while now, and I am so close to having what I want saved up, to leave this town. Then three days a week, I am at the rink, teaching kids how to skate.

My mother had to put a pause to it all with her brilliant idea of marrying Paul; I swear she's only marrying him because he has money. And after today, we move into his house, hating the idea I have to pack up my stuff from the house I've grown up in, and move to Paul's instead of moving to my own place, but it is what it is.

I'm kind of a go with the flow type of girl, until I'm not, then nothing changes my mind. I do see how happy my mom is as I watch her, and her friends get themselves all pampered up for the wedding.

I'm dressed, my hair is done, make up perfected by the make-up artist. Oh yeah, my mom is having the wedding of her dreams. It's a big fancy one too.

My brother, Dakota, is four years older than me, and still lives at home with us. He has no plans on finding his own place either. And now with Paul's house is like a hotel, so we won't be seeing each other often.

We haven't gotten to the good part of this all.

The fucking eye candy I get to look at in my new home is so delicious looking. Jax is a fucking god and not only my soon to be step brother, he's also my brother's best friend.

Jax is his own person, he's the popular one, he's the captain of the team, of course he is, his father is the coach.

But he's tall, seven foot actually; they are all tall compared to my five foot little self. Jax is fit to the max, and the older he gets, the harder that jawline gets, of course always covered with a little something, never completely shaved, but always trimmed and maintained. But his eyes, he has the prettiest green eyes I've ever fucking seen. Kind of jealous of his long ass eyelashes.

I've grown up around most of the guys on the team, being the little sister dragged to the games I really had no interest in watching. Though, I did always enjoy watching them beat the hell out of each other; I loved that part.

The atmosphere is what pulls you in, and they give you the show. It's a great time.

"Are you ready Macie?" My mother's voice breaks my attention from staring out the window at the ceremony starting to fall into place outside.

"Yeah, are you?" I lift a brow with my question, holding my playful gaze on her as she spits out "Why would you ask that? You know I love Paul."

I giggle to that as I stand. "I'm only joking mom, you look beautiful, now let's go get you married."

"Thank you honey, so do you; hopefully soon it will be you walking down the aisle." I snort a laugh before my words come out filled with sarcasm. "I highly doubt that ma."

"You never know." She gives me that playful look and I just shake my head, ignoring her crap about me finding a man, getting married, having kids, you know what's in the play book for us women.

But I don't exactly feel the same way she does. Mostly because I enjoy doing what I want, and hate being told what to do. Also, I haven't found anyone that I would want to do all that with.

Fuck I'm only nineteen. I didn't really think I need to worry with it yet.

Making my way down to the ceremony, my eyes falling to my brother walking towards us. God, he looks like dad.

"Well don't you look like a million bucks." I crack a laugh with Dakota's playful tone.

"I was just about to say the same about you bro." I joke .

"I know right, look at me, fucking stud." He throws his arms up and spins around, my stomach begins to hurt with my laughter watching him be his goof ball self.

"You're special Dakota, you know that."

"Yup." He shoots me a playful wink and I shake my head laughing.

Mom gets down with us and they get her all set up and ready to go before the doors open and we have to start walking down the aisle. I hate this kind of attention, plus this kind of shit makes me emotional.

Watching my mom's bridesmaids' line up in front of me. I stay in the back of the line as I'm her maid of honor, which should most definitely be her friend Sue. But she asked me to stand next to her so, here I am.

"Thank you, guys, for supporting me on this." My mom softly whispers behind me pulling at my heart. Damn it mom.

Her words pull tears to my eyes, knowing how lonely she has been for the last six years since my dad died.

"Always Ma, we are always here for you." And my brother, her baby boy, says his kind words full of meaning.

"Alright enough of this emotional shit Mom, before your face has mascara running down it." I giggle my words, because I know it's true.

"Alright, alright, let's do this guys." She giggles out as she pats her cheeks with a tissue, drying up her tears.

My brother and I share a stare before our head nod and I turn as the doors open. The fresh breeze from outside blows through the doors and fills my lungs.

The music starts and the bridesmaids start their walk. I look out, noticing all the guests here; jeez, mom got what she wanted, this is one hell of a shindig .

I start my strides, avoiding locking eyes with anyone, until I look up and meet Paul's gaze on me and I shoot him a tight smile before my eyes snap over, and they lock hard on Jax.

Fuck me twice, if he doesn't look like an edible sticky piece of candy.

Our eyes stay locked, and he curls those lips into that cocky smile, and I can't help biting my bottom lip before I realize what the fuck I'm doing and pull my gaze away.

Jesus Christ Macie, he's going to be your stepbrother, off limits Macie. No, no, no!

Falling into my place, I turn and watch my mother walk down the aisle, trying to keep the tears from falling and my hormones in check. My brother gives my mother away, falling behind Jax, of course I turn and look up meeting Jax's staring gaze right on me.

Okay, I've been around these guys a long time, and of course they all frazzle me with their hard bodies, but I have never had to squeeze my legs tighter with how aroused I feel with the way his eyes burn into my soul.

Oh boy…

Jax

I hate my father for marrying Dakota and Macie's mother.

For one, Dakota's my best friend, we've known each other since we were boys. But more importantly, he's marrying the mother of the girl I've secretly been obsessed with. And God damn is that dress doing things for her.

She flips that long blonde hair from her shoulder, and my gaze drops to her neck, before I look back up meeting those baby blues and when she smiles, my cock throbs. I'm addicted to that smile.

I can't take my eyes off her, I never can when she's around. Now she's going to be living in our house; I don't know if I can keep my shit in check.

It's been easy just avoiding her, we don't see each other that much but when we do, fuck me.

She avoids my gaze on her, but occasionally looking up meeting mine, and every time she finds me looking at her.

I tell ya, I can't take my eyes off her.

She's different than the other girls around here, and I tend to like different, a challenge. And Macie is most definitely a challenge.

The I dos come out and the kiss happens and now, it's my time to get my hands on Macie. She steps up to me and I look down at her, holding my arm out for her, she loops her arm through mine, watching her cheeks flush pink.

"What's up lil sis." I joke, fucking with her. I know damn well, I will never see Macie Sullivan as a sister.

"Oh, my god, please don't me call me that." She giggles her words, making my dick harder. Fuck I love this girls laugh.

"Fine with me Angel."

She rolls her eyes with her smile, and I squeeze her arm into my side tighter. She curls that little hand around my forearm as we walk, and man does it feel good having her on my arm.

I'm expecting her to slide from my arm when we get to the end of the aisle, but she doesn't, so, I hang on for as long as she stays there as we follow my father and Lisa to where we are supposed to go for these god forsaken pictures .

I hate this fucking shit.

I'm happy for my dad, not happy who it is, nothing against Lisa, she's great, it just makes it harder for me to get what I want, and that's Macie. I want her, only her.

Macie

It's all done, my mother's wedding day has been filled with laughs, she's married, happy, and not alone anymore, and that warms my heart.

Even though I'm not fond of it, Paul is a great guy, he's a good coach, and he was my dad's really good friend.

I guess Dad would have been happy with this. I hope he at least sees her happiness now.

I watch Paul and my mom dance, and the way he looks at her, I hope to one day find that, but I still have time, a lot of it.

I feel a hand slide across my back causing me to jump in a spook as I turn.

"Damn, jumpy, are we?" I huff my smile looking up to Jax with his playful tone.

"Sorry, I was in my own little world."

"They look happy, don't they?" I ask him as I look back out at our parents, and he hums low in his throat .

"Yeah, they do." Grabbing my hand, he yanks me to the dance floor, pulling me into his chest.

"What are you doing Jax?" I giggle.

"Dancing, what does it look like?" Taking my hand putting it against his chest, taking the other in his, before he slides his hand over my hip to my lower back, pulling me even tighter.

I shake my head with my parted smile, looking up to the eyes that like to talk to my insides.

"You like to dance and yet you haven't been out here all night." I snort my laugh, because he has no idea what kind of dancing I enjoy doing now.

What they all remember is my contemporary dancing, they have no idea I dance half naked on a stage. Oh, if he only knew.

"Yeah, I do, just not like this anymore." He cocks a brow and I shake my head. "Nothing, never mind."

He pushes me out and spins me, before pulling me back into him. "Oh, so you got moves?" I tease.

"I know a little." Curling that cocky smile, and my insides stir.

"I thought you would have a date here tonight." I giggle playfully, teasing him.

"Who me? Yeah right."

"Yeah you, Mr. popular Captain."

"Not interested in a date Macie, I have my eyes set on one girl that I can't have."

"Oh yeah, who is it?"

"If you only knew."

"Well now I have to put my investigator skills to work."

He barks a laugh, before he pushes me out and spins me again .

We continue our little banter, carrying our laughs, dancing, before the night finally ends and I drive myself home.