“I can buy my own, and I was planning on it being a solitary act.”
“You know you’re curious,” he whispered, taking a step closer. “I can see it in your eyes.”
I wondered what else he could see in my eyes…the fact that he was the main character in all my fantasies the night before, or how about the guilt that was pulsing through me since I allowed him in my dreams in the first place? Either one was a viable option, but I hoped I wasn’t that transparent.
Against everything I stood for—and the friendship I cherished above everything in my life—I nodded in agreement.
“I’ll give you five minutes and that’s it,” I muttered, unable to look him in the eye.
“Great. I think I can relay my proposition to you in that amount of time,” he grumbled, as I spun around to the crosswalk.
Proposition?
Trying to shake the gnawing feeling of desperation tinged with excitement, I darted across the road and landed at the Starbucks that was completely out of the way, and he was right behind me.
The line wove through the coffee shop, allowing me to peer at all the mugs and trinkets as I stood waiting for what seemed like hours. I needed to do anything but look at him. Keeping myself busy tracing the lines of the mugs with the space needle etched onto the ceramic, I was surprised that he wasn’t speaking—relieved—but surprised.
And then I jinxed it by sneaking a look out of the corner of my eye.
“So I’m sure you’ve heard all sorts of things from my sister,” Aaron began, completely throwing me off guard.
“Actually, I haven’t heard a thing about you. Ever. And the ride home with her last night provided just as many insights,” I said quietly, before stepping up to the counter to place my latte order.
Digging for my debit card, I felt Aaron’s body come deathly close to mine as he recited his drink order to the waiting cashier. He was no more than an inch or two behind me, and with one accidental wiggle, I’d find my body pressed up against his. He swiftly handed over a twenty-dollar bill to handle both of our drinks, and I let out a disgruntled grunt. He placed his one hand on my shoulder as he waited for his change, and my body wanted to sink into his. Even though it was an innocent gesture, it felt far more escalated and like he was staking claim, or at least that was what I hoped. My heartbeat quickened as I felt the space between us shrink. This was absurd. The feelings that were crashing around inside of me from merely being in close proximity to him were crazy. It felt like all my nerves were on end, tingling with the slightest movement, the slightest touch.
He was good.
Too good.
Too experienced.
Anger began to quickly replace the amusement that had momentarily settled in my mind as I got my wits about me. Who did he think he was?
I didn’t want to make a scene in front of everybody at Starbucks. But, again, who did he think he was? He took his change and dumped it all into the tip jar before taking a step back from me. Was that supposed to impress me?
A big tipper. Whoopie!
Letting out the breath that I didn’t even know I was holding in, I scowled at him and marched to the end of the bar.
“You’re welcome,” he said, grinning as he came up behind me.
“Thank you,” I muttered, staring at the barista as she placed the lid on my cup.
“Have a good day,” the perky barista said. But somehow her gaze didn’t include me while she stared at Aaron, smiling.
“We will,” Aaron replied. I could almost hear the wink in his voice as he grabbed his drink off the counter.
The nerve!
I walked away from the bar toward an empty table for two. The morning paper was scattered across it, which I shoved to the side. I had to get my head on straight. He was off-limits. He flirted with anything that had a pulse. He was a creep. He was a player. And most importantly, he was my best friend’s long lost brother.
But he was gorgeous, and there was something so intriguing about him.
“Beneath that scowl, I know there’s more,” Aaron said, pulling out the chair from the table.
“You are bad news,” I said, confident in my best friend’s assessment. After all, he was her brother. She would know.
He arched a brow and crossed his arms, stretching the suit jacket’s material to its maximum. I could only imagine the definition under that material. No, let me rephrase. I already had imagined the definition under the fabric, and it was not for the faint of heart.
“I won’t disagree with that,” he said, clearly amused.
Annoyed, I took a sip of my latte and let my gaze fall to the brown tile floor and then to my phone. It was a quarter to eight. I didn’t have to be to my lovely cubicle for fifteen minutes.
“So what was it you wanted to discuss with me? A proposition of some sort?” I scoffed, feeling his eyes on mine.
There was silence. He was waiting for something.
I looked up and his gaze fastened to mine. That’s what he was waiting for.
“I thought Gabby would have told you about me,” he began.
“All I know is that I didn’t even know you existed until last night.” And I wished it had stayed that way. God, his lips were full and…
“I don’t know what I was expecting,” Aaron said, his tone softening, the playfulness leaving. “I’ve done some things I’m not proud of.”
“Yeah?” I asked, not amused. “Care to elaborate?”
“Listen, I want the chance to talk to my sister, apologize to her, explain things to her. A lot happened and…” his voice trailed off, catching me off guard. The confidence completely evaporated from him, and his ego dissolved into nothingness. He ran his fingers through his dark hair as he thought about what next to say. His mouth puckered as he blew out air and looked toward the ceiling. He looked so vulnerable, nothing like the man chasing me down the sidewalk.
“I think you’re the key to getting to speak with my sister,” he replied flatly.
Shaking my head, I broke my gaze from his. “Not going to happen. If she wants to talk to you, she will. I’m not going to force anything. I don’t know what happened between you two, but I want no part of it. She’s my best friend and as far as I’m concerned you don’t exist until she says you do.”
“Brutal,” he muttered, scooting forward in his seat.
“Whatever bad blood is between you two… is between you two. Buying me a cup of coffee isn’t going to make me forget where my loyalty resides. She’s like a sister to me and what we’ve been through binds us together forever. Having a good looking, not-so-sweet-talking brother pop up out of the blue isn’t going to shake that. You may be able to weasel your way with others but not with me. You want to talk to her? Grow a pair and talk to her.”
And with that, I grabbed my cup and purse and walked out of the Starbucks. But something inside me told me it wasn’t going to be the last of him, no matter how hard I tried to make it so.
Chapter Two
Twelve hours earlier…
“Are you going to be okay?” I asked, noticing Gabby walking a bit like Frankenstein. “Your shoulders look like they’re up to your ears.”
Gabby nodded, and I felt her discomfort from here. Poor girl. I had no idea what was happening, but the almost perfect life I thought Gabby lived seemed to be shattering with every step closer to this stranger. I wanted to be angry that my best friend didn’t tell me she had a brother, but I was just baffled. Yet, here I was about to meet him. I continued following her through the scattered tables until we slowed some. Her hesitancy worried me.
I looked around the ballroom and still felt a little out of my comfort zone. Okay, that was a lie. I felt completely out of my comfort zone. It didn’t matter what kind of dress I pulled over my head, this crowd—these people—were entirely out of my league. And not like in the “oh-woe-is-me” mentality, but more in the “I want nothing to do with this type of phoniness” business.
The ballroom was dressed majestically for the auctio
n with flowers cascading from the ceiling, and gigantic flower arrangements tucked wherever there was an empty space. From the moment I had stepped into the Chateau, I felt like I was exploring a secret garden. And all this so that Gabby’s parents could raise money for someone or some family that landed on their radar. It was a different world for sure, and not one I felt completely comfortable navigating in. I mean the money spent decorating the place could’ve been given to the family, right? I obviously didn’t get it.
“Gabby,” a male voice called, startling me out of my piddley contemplations. We had bigger fish to fry, and I was here to stand strong and support my best friend. With what? I had no idea.
My head snapped up to follow the low, gravelly voice, praying that he didn’t look as sexy as he sounded. I couldn’t see who called Gabby’s name, but she froze in place. It was obviously her brother. I had never seen Gabby like this—ever. And we had been through a lot. It was like all of her confidence had been zapped right out of her.
But how did I not know that she had a brother? Why would someone hide that? We were best friends all through college and now we’re roommates. We never hid anything from each other. Or at least I thought we never hid anything from each other. However, now was not the time to get caught up in details. Gabby needed me and with every passing second that became more and more apparent. She glanced at me and her eyes held a deep sadness, one that ripped at my heart. It looked like someone had kicked her in the gut. It killed me to see her like this. Who was this stranger?
I watched the crowd disburse in front of us, leaving a shadow of someone in front of Gabby. I couldn’t see him from my vantage point, but Gabby grabbed my hand and began walking toward him, dragging me with her. I saw Gabby look at the exit sign a couple times and wondered if she was going to bolt. That would be awkward, but I’d do it. For her. She had a habit of running whereas I liked a good fight. It was the best way to hammer things out.
Navigating between some chairs, I almost tumbled into Gabby when she abruptly stopped. I wasn’t sure I wanted to look at the stranger—at Gabby’s brother.
“Hello, Aaron,” Gabby said, coolly. “Surprised to see you here.”
This wasn’t good. Whenever Gabby used that tone, all bets were off. I raised my gaze from the floor to the man standing in front of us and almost gasped aloud.
Shit! I was looking at the most attractive man in the world. The energy coming from him was intense, his expression bold, eyes alert but sensitive. Why was he Gabby’s brother? Why?
He was dressed in a fitted tuxedo that hugged his broad shoulders. The definition—more like hardness—of his contours hovered under his shirt, stretching the material. My eyes traveled down to his waist, and it was impossible to ignore the way his tux fit him in all areas. And I mean all areas. Aaron’s hair was dark, cut short, but it had a messiness that meant one thing. And that one thing would have to be ignored. It was my own theory, but it had been a hundred-percent proven time and time again.
I glanced around the room and wondered where his girlfriend was or whoever it was that he encountered so early in the evening to give his hair that quality. Bringing my attention back to him, I watched his mouth part slightly, and my eyes slid up his strong jawline, darkened by a day or two of missed shaves. I had to avoid his eyes. I knew I had to avoid his eyes. As he stood in front of us, the cockiness I sensed earlier was being swapped with concern for his sister.
“I’m guessing dad didn’t tell you I was coming?” her brother replied. I saw the muscles in his neck strain as he spoke and my stomach knotted. His voice was so deep and masculine.
“Dad?” Gabby asked, releasing my hand. “Interesting. You ran out on us, and I never heard from you, but you can call him dad?”
Oh no. This was going to get ugly and fast.
“A lot of things happened. Many that I’m not proud of, but—” he began.
I shifted my gaze to sneak another look at Aaron and felt like a complete traitor. My reasons for wanting to look at him had nothing to do with Gabby’s assault.
“Save it,” Gabby said, flashing her palm in front of him. “This is my best friend, Brandy. Imagine her surprise tonight finding out I even had a brother.”
Please don’t look at me. Please don’t look at me. You’re an enemy. An enemy!
“Aaron,” he said, giving me a slight nod as he extended his hand toward me. My eyes flashed to his. The warmth in his brown eyes almost melted me all over. Almost. After all, this was Gabby’s brother and I wouldn’t go there. However, the longer he held my gaze, the more I wanted to forget whatever this mess was that Gabby was dealing with. I mean this guy couldn’t be all bad, could he?
What was going on in the universe tonight? First, we rear-ended someone on the way here who was God’s gift to women, and then this? It was like heaven was dangling all the men we couldn’t have right in front of us!
Aaron’s gaze intensified as he waited for my response, and I felt my mouth become completely dry and heat rush through me. This was not good. I was sure Gabby was seeing right through me.
Shame on me!
I needed to redeem myself somehow.
“I know. I heard,” I replied. My voice sounded strong and confident—maybe even reserved. Possibly snarky? Was it too much?
I felt the firmness of his handshake. His strong fingers wrapped around my hand and my mind imagined those fingers crawling up my spine. I caught a flicker of amusement in Aaron’s eyes and my stomach clenched.
Damn him!
My breath caught as his gaze held on to mine, and I let out a noise like a strangled cat to hide it. His mouth curled slightly, and I noticed how deliciously soft his lips looked. He nodded, and a smirk was hidden behind the seriousness of what was set before him to deal with.
I just prayed Gabby didn’t notice.
And I prayed that he would quit looking at me. His gaze twisted me up inside and that wasn’t good.
“I didn’t want to ignore you all night, although that was my natural inclination, but I think it’s time I go find a seat,” Gabby muttered.
Thankfully, his gaze broke from mine.
“Gabby, I hope you’ll give me a chance to explain things. Maybe over coffee?” Aaron asked, his voice softening.
Gabby was already turning around when she muttered her response, and I was quick to join her.
“You going to be okay?” I asked as we made our way to the table.
“I will be. I don’t understand why he’s back. Shit. I don’t even know where he’s been, or why he left in the first place.” Gabby sighed, and I felt her hurt and wasn’t even sure over what.
“I’m here for whenever you want to talk about it,” I whispered, feeling an odd sensation scatter down my spine. I quickly looked over my shoulder and caught Aaron’s gaze falling down my body. I narrowed my eyes at him and pushed down the feelings of pure delight that pulsed through me.
I. Am. A. Horrible. Friend.
Chapter Three
I glanced under the stalls in the ladies’ restroom, and after finding absolutely no anonymous feet, I let out a sigh. I looked at my phone and slid it on the counter. I had five minutes before work started. I had to pull it together. After being accosted by Aaron this morning, I was left with so many unanswered questions. Like, why was he in this building? I promised myself after last night that I would forget him as quickly as I met him. Then I dreamed about him all night. But being the good friend that I was, at least I was riddled with guilt all morning. I even convinced myself that he was truly undesirable. All was going according to plan. It really was.
Unfortunately, running into him this morning did nothing but reignite the images I tried so hard to put out of my mind. I had to have lunch with Gabby today. I needed answers, and I prayed those answers would confirm what a creep he was.
“Okay,” I whispered to myself, glancing in the mirror. “Aaron is bad…bad…bad.”
But even as I recited the chant to myself, I caught a glimpse of a smile surface on m
y lips just by uttering his name. I grabbed some more mascara out of my purse and dabbed it on my lashes, hoping that would make me look less guilty, maybe brighten my eyes up. My brown eyes, usually held a brightness on their own, but after last night and this morning, they were definitely absent of any such spark.
There was something so absorbing about the idea of him. The way he smiled at me earlier was electrifying.
Enough!
Tossing my Starbucks cup in the trash, I grabbed my phone and trundled off to my desk, shaming myself the entire way.
After a morning of scheduling travel and turning in expense reports for the team, I was hoping that the nagging guilt would dissolve but it didn’t. And now I was completely exhausted from pretending to be disinterested in Aaron. My cell phone rang and not recognizing the number, I sent it to voicemail.
Peeking over the cubicle wall, I watched Gabby on the phone and knew now was my chance.
I grabbed my phone and quickly texted our third musketeer, Lily Novak. Maybe she knew about Aaron.
Did you know Gabby had a brother?
I tossed my cell on my lap and grabbed a folder to file when the cell buzzed with Lily’s message.
She’s an only child
I shook my head and let out a deep sigh. So Lily was fooled too. How could our best friend not mention this? And why?
Nope. Apparently not. I met her brother last night and ran into him this morning. And let me just say WOW but not… Shame on me. I will burn. I will burn for this I tell you!! Not to mention he did something horrendous which was why he wasn’t around. What is wrong with me?
I had to admit that it made me feel better that Lily didn’t know that Gabby had a brother either. All three of us were best friends—had been since college—and this whole secret—keeping thing was really worrisome and made me wonder what else was out there that she hid. My phone buzzed once more, and I glanced down to see what every best friend would tell another in this situation, which was why I loved Lily.
Spring Fling Trio- Beyond Love Starter Set Page 27