by Laura Lee
“Fine, you stubborn fuck. I’ll sit.” I round the kitchen counter and take a seat at the breakfast bar.
He grips the counter directly across from me and stares expectantly. “Well?”
I take a moment to choose my words carefully. I thought I’d have a little more time to prepare a speech or something, but clearly he had other plans. If the way he’s clenching his jaw is any indication, I’m running out of time, so I say the first thing that comes to mind.
I look him straight in the eye. “I’m in love with her, man.” Huh. I didn’t exactly realize that until the words flew out of my mouth but it makes sense. I wouldn’t know how else to describe what I’m feeling.
Brody blinks rapidly, obviously not expecting this. “Are you fucking kidding me? How did that happen? You barely know her.”
“That’s not exactly...true.” I wince. “I know enough.”
He narrows his eyes at me. “How long?”
“How long, what?”
Brody’s fists clench. “How long have you been fucking my sister behind my back?”
“Since Vegas,” I admit. “But I’ve had feelings for her a lot longer than that.”
“Jesus Christ, Drew!” He throws his hands up. “I explicitly forbid you to go near her! Many times! Yet, you fucking did it anyway?”
“I tried not to.” I jump off the stool and hold my hands up in peace. “I swear on my fucking nuts, I tried not to. But I finally broke down and quite frankly, I don’t want to go back if it means not having her.”
He grits his teeth and scrubs a hand over his face. “I can’t fucking believe this. How could you do this to me?”
I rub the back of my neck. “This has nothing to do with you, Brody.”
“The fuck it doesn’t,” he scoffs. “And if you actually believed that, you wouldn’t have been hiding this shit.”
He’s got a point.
I blow out a breath. “Okay, fine. But you have to believe me, I would never do anything to hurt her. I’d rather cut off a fucking limb.”
“You say that now,” he mutters. “You’ve been together, what, two goddamn weeks? You can’t possibly know that.”
“You know me, Brody. As many women as I’ve dated, or fucked around with, or whatever, I’ve always been upfront and honest with them. Most importantly, I’ve been respectful and treated them with care. I would never do anything to hurt a woman—any woman. I love everything about them too much.”
He glares at me. “That’s the fucking problem.”
I glare right back at him. “Fuck off, dude. Look, I’d really like your blessing. This thing with Charlee is different. I’ve known there was something special about her from the moment we met. You should understand how that feels more than anyone, you ass.”
Brody’s history with women is very similar to mine. He never really dated anyone seriously and engaged in one-night-stands more often than not, but the moment Rainey walked into his life, his entire outlook on the whole thing changed. She was with some douchebag at the time so he had to wait years before making his move, but he was completely ass-over-tits in love with her long before that.
He blows out a breath. “So, what now? You’re dating her?”
“Uh...you could say that.”
His eyebrows draw together. “What the fuck does that mean?” Before I get the chance to answer, his eyes widen as he focuses on something in my kitchen. He grabs the cheap picture frame off the counter and waves it in the air. “What the fuck is this?!”
Oh fuck. I forgot to put the wedding photo back in my nightstand drawer.
“Uh...”
Brody flips the frame over and glances at the marriage license taped to the back. “You fucking married her?!” He advances on me and shoves me backwards. It takes everything in me not to fight back but I hold off. “It’s bad enough that you’d screw around with my sister behind my back, but this is so much worse, you dick! Please, tell me this is some kind of lame souvenir, Drew.” He looks at me with pure disdain. “Never mind; the look on your face says it all.” Brody throws the frame at me. “You know, I was trying to find a way to be okay with this, but fuck that.”
“I can explain.”
He cocks his fist back and aims straight for my face before I have time to react.
Damn it, he packs a good punch.
I stumble back a little and rub my hand over the sore spot on my jaw. “I suppose I deserved that.”
Brody crosses my apartment and swings the front door open. “You deserve a helluva lot more than that, but I don’t feel like having your neighbors call the cops on me. I have a baby on the way to think about and it’s not fucking worth it.” He clenches his jaw. “It’s her or me, Drew.”
“What?!”
His chest expands. “You can have Charlee in your life, or you can have me. But you can’t have both.”
“Are you kidding me? How is that even remotely fair?”
Brody glares. “How is screwing my sister behind my back and lying to my face fair?”
My nostrils flare as we stare each other down. “Brody, don’t fucking do this to me.”
“Fuck you, Drew. I’m not the one who started this. You let me know when you’ve made your decision. Until then, don’t bother talking to me.”
He slams the door behind him without another word. I don’t even try stopping him because he’s obviously not in the right state of mind to be rational. I pick up my phone and hit the button for Charlee’s number.
“Drew?” she answers sleepily. “What’s going on?”
I place a pack of frozen peas against my face. Damn, that hurts. “Shit has officially hit the fan. Brody showed up at my house without notice and saw the wedding picture that we left out.”
Charlee gasps. “Fuck.”
“You can say that again.”
“I’ve gotta go, so I can call him,” she says. “I don’t know how, but I’m going to find a way to fix this.”
“Give him some time to cool off, honey. If he’s pissed enough to punch me in the face, I don’t want you near him like that.”
“He hit you? What an asshole!”
I start to laugh but the ache in my jaw stops me. “Charlee, just give him time. I’m going to call Rainey after I hang up with you. I have a feeling she’s the only one who can calm him down right now.”
“I’m not afraid of B,” Charlee scoffs. “I’ll go toe-to-toe with him any day.”
This time I do laugh despite the pain. “I have no doubt, Scrappy, but he’s not being very reasonable at the moment. He’s in the mood to do a lot more yelling than talking. Let Rainey work her magic then you can reach out to him.”
She sighs. “Fine. Just tell her to let me know when he stops being such a baby.”
“Will do. I’m going to let you go now, so I can call her.”
“Drew, wait!”
“Yeah?”
“Is your face okay? He didn’t mess up the pretty, did he?”
My lips twitch. “There’s probably going to be a nice bruise but I’ll be good as new in no time.”
“Okay,” she says. “I’ll reserve the swift kick to his nuts for later, then.”
“I’ll talk to you soon, honey.”
“You’d better.”
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
DREW
My stomach growls, reminding me that I haven’t eaten in a while. I check the time on my phone and sure enough, it’s well past my normal dinner time. I don’t feel like cooking so I hop in my truck and drive around aimlessly, trying to decide what to eat. It really shouldn’t have surprised me that I ended up in the parking garage closest to Charlee’s work. Fuck it, I’m hungry and it’s a damn good restaurant. If I don’t get a chance to see her because she’s too busy, at least I’ll get some delicious food.
With that decided, I park my truck and head up to the street level. Pistorio’s is less than two blocks away so it’s only a matter of minutes before I’m walking through the door. There’s a little old lady at the hos
tess station standing next to a blonde who couldn’t be more than twenty, tops. They both look up when I approach.
“Welcome to Pistorio’s,” the younger woman says. “How many are in your party?”
“Uh...just me.”
The blonde smiles. “If you don’t mind a table in the back, I can seat you now.”
“Sure, that’s fine.” I look around. As many times as I’ve eaten takeout at Brody’s place, I’ve never actually been here before. The place is small, maybe only about twenty tables or so, but it’s pretty packed, even for eight o’clock on a Sunday night. I feel a little underdressed in my jeans but at least I’m wearing a collared shirt. “Is uh...Charlee back in the kitchen?”
The older woman tilts her head, looking at me thoughtfully. “You’re Drew?”
My eyes jerk to hers in surprise. Charlee talks about me at work? “Uh...yes, I’m Drew.”
The older woman reaches down and grabs a menu. “Maddie, I’ll take him back to a table. Will you please ask Ricardo to grab a place setting for one?”
Maddie nods dumbly. “Uh, sure Mrs. P.”
Ah, so this is the owner Charlee talks about. I follow her to a table all the way in the back, next to a set of doors that I’m assuming leads to the kitchen.
She waits for me to sit then smiles as she hands me a menu. “Would you like a drink while you look over the menu?”
“Uh...sure. Any kind of red wine is fine.”
I could really go for a beer but for some reason, I feel like this lady might whack me over the head for trying to order one with Italian cuisine.
She smiles knowingly, as if she can read my mind. “Very well. I’ll let Carlotta know you’re here.”
“You don’t need to do that,” I insist. “I’m sure she’s busy.”
She waves her hand dismissively. “Nonsense. I can keep an eye on the kitchen for a few moments. She can take a break for her husband.”
“Uh...okay. Thanks.” Oh, that’s right; Charlee told her about the wedding.
One guy brings me some silverware rolled into a linen napkin and another delivers the alcohol. About halfway into my glass of wine, Charlee steps out of the kitchen wearing a white chef’s coat that’s splattered with various sauces. Her long hair is pulled back with several strays frizzing out and there’s a slight sheen to her face. She looks like someone who’s been busting her ass for hours, kind of a mess, but also insanely beautiful. Even more so when she flashes me a big smile. Damn it, how can Brody ask me to give her up?
“Well, this is a nice surprise.”
I try standing up when she approaches the table but she motions for me to stay seated. “Hey. I hope this is okay.”
She sits across from me. “Of course it is. What’s the occasion?”
I shrug. “I was hungry and I kind of...ended up here. I guess I just wanted to see you.”
She hooks her ankle around mine under the table. “I’m glad you came.” She looks behind her as a waiter leaves the kitchen with a full tray. “Although I’m afraid I don’t have more than a few minutes.”
I make a show of looking at the menu. “So, what’s good here?”
Her lips curve. “Everything. I’m making it.”
I laugh. “Touché, wiseass. Let me rephrase. What would you recommend, Chef?”
“Our special tonight is swiss chard gnocchi with brown butter and crispy prosciutto.”
My stomach grumbles in anticipation. “Jesus, that sounds amazing. I’ll have that.”
She laughs. “Hey, I have to get back in there. We close at nine tonight so I should be out of here by ten. You feel like hanging around and we can head to my place after?”
“Are you sure your boss won’t mind me being here after closing?”
“Not at all. Brody actually does it sometimes. It’s easier for me to chat with him when I can keep the doors to the kitchen propped open.”
“In that case, I’d love to.”
“Great.” She scoots out of her chair but makes a point to place a kiss on my cheek before fully standing. “I’ll send an appetizer out in just a bit and I’ll pop my head out as soon as we lock the doors, okay?”
“Okay, honey. You go do your thing.”
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
CHARLEE
“It was pretty hot seeing you in all your chef gear earlier,” Drew says.
I gasp when he runs his soapy hands over my breasts, making sure they’re really clean. “Fuck the racy lingerie. Why bother when shapeless white coats and sweaty skin does it for ya?”
“Who would’ve thought?” He angles me so the water can wash the suds away. “But don’t you dare get rid of the lingerie. That’s much hotter than the chef stuff.”
“Noted.” I place a soft kiss on his jaw. “I mean, how else would you build your creeper panty collection?”
His chest rumbles. “Right.”
I trail a finger down his arm before wrapping my hand around his cock. “Thanks for soaping me up. It’s much more fun when you do it.”
“Anytime,” he chokes out.
“Mmm.” I stroke him faster, twisting my fist when I get to the flared head. “I really, really appreciate it.”
Drew swirls his tongue around my nipple. “My dick really likes your method of appreciation.”
I moan as he pulls the stiff peak into his mouth and bites down gently. “Damn, I love your mouth.”
He does the same to the other side. “My mouth loves your naked body.”
He stands to his full height and frames my face with his big hands. “You’re so fucking beautiful, Charlee. Inside and out. I don’t tell you that enough.”
“You tell me that all the time.”
“Not nearly as often as I’m thinking it.”
With my free hand, I swat his arm playfully. “Who knew you could be such a big sap?”
Drew thrusts into my grip. “Haven’t you learned by now, honey? Everything about me is big.”
My lips curve into a smile. “Lucky me.”
He laughs before placing a kiss against the corner of my mouth. “You ready to get out of this shower so I can ravish you?”
“Meh,” I tease. “I might need some more encouragement. This hot water feels awfully nice after a long work day.”
“Oh yeah?” He presses his thumb against my piercing and swirls it in a circular motion. “How ‘bout now?”
My toes lift as I arch my back. “That’s a good start.”
Drew nibbles down the side of my neck. “And this?”
“Uh huh, keep going.”
He chuckles. “What about this?” He takes his free hand and pinches my left nipple while sucking on the right.
“Oh fuck!” I blindly paw the wall until I shut the water off. “Bedroom, now!”
His grin couldn’t be any wider as he grabs a towel and wraps it around my shoulders. My breath stops as he moves a towel through his hair, then over all of those ripped muscles. If you threw an entire high school football team into a strip club, their collective horniness would still be no match for mine. I’m still frozen like an idiot so Drew wraps the terrycloth around his waist and assists me in drying my own body.
Once we’re no longer dripping, Drew takes my hand and leads me into the bedroom, guiding me onto the bed. “Lay back, honey. I’m going to make sure you never need encouragement to jump my bones again.”
And that’s exactly what he does, ladies and gentlemen. Twice.
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
DREW
“Have you talked to Brody?”
Charlee snuggles deeper into my chest. “No. Rainey told me it’s best to give him some time to warm up to the idea of you and me together.”
I swallow hard. “I don’t know if that’s going to happen anytime soon.”
She lifts her head. “What do you mean?”
I tap her shoulder, prompting her to move so I can sit up. “He told me that I had to choose, Charlee. Between you and him. He said I couldn’t have you both in my life.”
She shoots up in bed. “What the fuck? Why would he say that?”
I do my best to look her in the eye so I don’t get distracted by her bare tits. “He was pissed. I’ve never seen him that angry before. He’s never looked at me with so much disgust.”
“What did you say to him?”
“I didn’t get a chance to say anything. He stormed out of my apartment and he won’t return my texts or calls. I reached out to Rainey and she told me he’s furious. Even she can’t calm him down. He said he has no desire to talk to me until I’ve made my decision.”
“What are you going to do?” she whispers.
I cradle her face and rest my forehead against hers. “It’s not going to come to that. It’s been less than twenty-four hours—he’ll come around.”
She pulls back with a sigh. “Drew, I don’t want to be the Yoko of the bunch.”
I shake my head. “Don’t say that. That’s not what this is.”
“The hell it’s not,” she argues. “If you choose me, it will break up the group. I know my brother and he can hold a grudge like nobody I’ve ever met. At least if you choose him, I can still see Rainey or Devyn separately. My absence won’t affect your group dynamic. Let’s face it; I’m the newcomer. They’ll probably barely even notice I’m gone.”
“That’s bullshit.”
“It’s not,” she insists. “The last thing I want to do is walk away from...” she flicks her wrist between us, “this. But I know how important Brody is to you. And how important you are to him. You guys have been friends for ten years, Drew. We’ve known each other for ten months. I couldn’t live with myself if I’m the reason your friendship ends.”
I wrap my arm around her and pull her into me so we can lie down again. “We’ll figure something out. I don’t know how, but there has to be a way.”
She squeezes me around the waist. “I hope so, Drew. God, I hope so.”
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
DREW
“Unca’ Drew!” says my nephew, Nathan, as I step into the house. He saw me through the side window so his mom must’ve let him open the door.