Forbidden Best Friend's Brother (Forbidden Small Town Bad Boys Book 5)

by Holly Jaymes

  His hands cradled my face, and pulled my lips to his in the sweetest, most tender kiss I’d ever had. I knew then I was in big trouble. I was falling again for my best friend’s brother. When this was said and done, I’d either lose him or my friend. Maybe even both.

  14

  Planning the End

  Pax

  There was something fucked up in the world that something that felt so right could be so wrong. In the span of my lifetime, I’d spent very little time with Victoria. There were those few days when we were seventeen, but while I’d lusted for her, she’d mostly hung out with Lily. Then there was London. One day. One night. What could develop in that time? As it turned out, something deep and real, something I’d been too stupid to fight for when my sister lost her head over it. And now? A week since I’d first seen her at the rehearsal, Victoria was once again an integral part of me. It was like my heart had tethered itself to her.

  I had no illusions about a happily ever after for us. Even without Lily, our lives were on separate continents. Our work was our spouse. But right now, with Victoria’s pussy still massaging my dick after I’d come so fucking hard inside her, all that other shit was gone. No Lily. No work. For right now, in our little bubble along Eden Lake, it was just her and me, and I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt so content. It was probably in London.

  Our breaths slowly returned to normal and I looked up into those beautiful blue eyes of hers. “You’re fucking amazing.”

  She smiled, and I felt the beauty of it deep in my soul. “So are you.”

  I kissed her again. “I know we both think this is a dangerous game we’re playing here. But we’re married, in a secluded cabin while we work to figure out how to deal with this situation.” She bit her lip and I hated that I was bringing in the outside world, our troubles into this moment. “But since we are here for now…”

  She looked at me. “What?” Her fingers traced my lips. “We should just play house?”

  I nodded. “I want you. For as long as I can have you.”

  She smiled again, lighting me up from the inside. “I want the same.”

  “I mean, it won’t be any more complicated if we enjoy our time together than trying to avoid each other, right?”

  She nodded. “So why not just go with it.”

  “Right.” I sighed in relief. I kissed her again. “Will you let me move into the master bedroom with you? That bed looks awesome.”

  She laughed. “So that’s what this is about? You just want the big king-size bed.”

  I leaned over, lightly biting one of her nipples and loving how she gasped when I did. “This is about my wanting the king-size bed with you in it.”

  The minute we gave into our situation, I’d wondered why we hadn’t just gone with it since the beginning. Playing house with Victoria was awesome. I’d had girlfriends who’d stayed the night, but going to bed night after night with her luscious body by my side and waking up to her gorgeous blue eyes smiling at me in the morning, was like paradise. During the day, we worked, her on her business and me on music, but we took breaks to eat and even to have sex. It was fucking fantastic.

  The only downer parts were the calls with Dane as we discussed options for getting out of this marriage.

  “You’ve already exceeded Britney Spears’ Vegas marriage. That lasted fifty-five hours,” Dane said. “And you’re about to hit day nine which will tie you with Cher and Gregg Allman.”

  I pinched the bridge of my nose and leaned my head back on the couch where I’d been watching a Premier League soccer game. I glanced toward the living room where Victoria was on her phone with someone related to her business.

  “This isn’t a joke, Dane.”

  “No. It’s not. That’s my point. If you Google short celebrity marriages, nearly all of them end in less than a year. Most of them look like impulse marriages.”

  “I still don’t see your point...”

  “The point is, they all make us scratch our heads and wonder what they were thinking or drinking. We can’t afford to have people thinking that about you. Not you, Pax.”

  “So what are you saying? I need to be married a year?” As annoying as that idea should have been, it wasn’t. A year hitched to Victoria didn’t sound hard at all. At least not at the moment. The problem was, we couldn’t spend a year on our honeymoon here in our private mountain oasis.

  “At least. Probably. But like we discussed before, you two can go on with your lives, and split later, citing all the time apart doing your work as the reason for the split. You just need to make sure you’re not seeing anyone else during that time.”

  “Who would I see?”

  “I don’t know. Who do you normally see when you’re single?”

  I didn’t usually see anyone. Occasionally I dated. A couple of times I had hookups, but they were particularly unfulfilling, so until I’d connected with Victoria recently, I’d had a fairly long dry spell, unless I counted masturbating.

  “So how long do we need to be here?” I asked.

  “Well, you’re on your honeymoon and it should seem like a fairy tale.” I rolled my eyes. We were planning my marriage’s demise, but I had to make it seem like a fairy tale. “Give it another week or so. Maybe we’ll be able to come up with something else.”

  “I’ll talk to Victoria.”

  “How are things going with her? Okay? You’re not about to tear each other from limb to limb, are you?”

  “We’re fine.” It was near perfection.

  There was a pause. “More than fine? Because if you wanted to stay married, you could-”

  “It’s not like that.” As much as Victoria and I were enjoying our time together, the issues that tore us apart before were still there. And there were new issues, such as our work. That was why Dane’s plan to say we drifted apart made so much sense. Chances were that it was exactly what would happen. Just like what happened to my parents.

  I got off the phone and went to the kitchen to make lunch. “Are you hungry?” I asked Victoria when she hung up the phone.

  She stretched and I wondered if maybe she’d be up for some horizontal exercise before we ate.

  “Yes. Starving.” She let out a small growl.

  “Trouble at the office?” Deciding no naked play was in the immediate future, I looked through the cupboards for something to eat.

  “Lisbeth is being a pain in the ass. She says she’s going to sign the papers, but hasn’t yet. I’ve got deadlines for this launch. For the marketing. She’s messing it all up.” She came to the kitchen and got a glass of water.

  “I’m sorry.” Unable to stop myself, I pulled her to me and gave her a kiss.

  “Is this lunch?” She set her glass aside and looped her arms around my neck.

  I lifted her onto the counter. “It could be. A first course.”

  “Mmm… Well then.” She hooked her legs around me and drew me in.

  Thirty minutes later, we were sexually satisfied and fixing sandwiches for lunch. “We should eat at the table,” she said, taking her plate to the dining area. “I know what you do on that island.”

  I waggled my brows. “We’ve done it on the table too.”

  As we sat and ate, I found myself feeling very content in the everyday domesticity of this situation. At the same time, I deterred myself from getting too settled into it. This was all just a farce. It would be over eventually.

  “So, did I hear you talking to Dane?” she asked as she picked up her sandwich.

  I recounted my call, studying her face for her reaction. How would she feel being married for a year? Her expression was impassive, but she didn’t look at me.

  Finally, she said, “What about Lily?”

  That wasn’t what I’d expected, and yet, it made sense, considering how good friends they were.

  “There’s no getting around her, I don’t think.” I wiped my face with my napkin. “This is in the news and so she’ll find out eventually. But...” I reached out and took her han
d. “I think we can tell her the truth. Mostly. We can leave out the part where I ravish your body every night.”

  She gave me a small smile. “So, we admit that Lisbeth somehow tricked us? Do you think she’ll believe it?”

  “It’s the truth, isn’t it? Then we’ll just tell her the concerns that a quickie divorce would have on our careers, and how we’re dealing with it. As friends.”

  She looked out the window toward the water at my comment of being friends. I wondered if that bothered her or was I projecting my own feelings onto her?

  When she turned back, she had a resigned smile on her face. “One thing at time, right?”

  “Right.” I squeezed her hand. “How about a walk to help digest this lunch?”

  “Can I take a raincheck? I have a few more calls I need to make.”

  The disappointment I felt was a reminder that I was getting far too attached to Victoria.

  “Yes, of course.” I pulled my hand back. “I’ll do the dishes.”

  “You don’t have to do that. You cooked.”

  “I spread mayonnaise and mustard, that’s not cooking.”

  “Still.” She stood and gathered her dishes. I shrugged, deciding to let her do what she wanted. I had work I could do too, so I left her alone. Perhaps this was a good thing. This was proof that our work lives would eventually pull us apart. The demise of our marriage wouldn’t be a ploy because it was something that would really happen. I needed to keep reminding myself that during the little moments when I secretly wanted more.

  15

  Remember It’s Not Real

  Victoria

  I had been married for nearly two weeks and the only problem was how much I was enjoying it. Pax was an easy man to live with. He was low key, liked to cook, and at night, he played my body like he played the guitar. The only problem was that it wasn’t real. Oh sure, we cared about each other. We enjoyed each other’s company and we respected each other. But our marriage was a sham. It was an accident. A mistake. When Lily learned about it, she was going to flip out. I had to hope Pax was right that she’d buy the basic truth, and not suspect the deeper truth.

  But there were other issues, such as making sure the real truth didn’t get out. What if Lisbeth decided to share the prank that she played on us with others? When I’d finally gotten a hold of her personally to talk to her, she asked if I was mad at her. Pax and I decided that she needed to believe that we were actually grateful for what she’d done. We needed her to believe what the public was being told to believe; that Pax and I were happily married.

  “I knew it,” she said. “I could totally see it. I don’t understand why you two were being so stubborn. Love isn’t something that comes every day.”

  “You’re right,” I replied. But for all my agreeing with and thanking her, she’d yet to sign the papers I needed to complete our endorsement deal.

  “I’ll sign them when I get back,” she said. “Ethan and I are going to Australia. It’s summer down there now, you know. How weird will that be?”

  “Don’t you have to be working on your album?” I wanted to ask Pax if he’d check with Dane about it. Then I wondered if that was appropriate. Was it okay to use my husband to track down a potential business partner?

  “I don’t have to be there for another week or so. I know you think I’m being flighty, but at twenty-three, I can get away with it, and I’m going to. Dane says my life will change once I have my record. Pax says my life and time won’t be my own. So, until I sign my life away, I’m going to live it. When I get back, I’ll sign them.”

  Ugh!

  The following morning, I got a call from Galen. “Hey, boss, I know I’m supposed to come tomorrow, but I need to meet with the printers then. Can I come out today?”

  “Yeah, sure.” I gave him the address to Paradise Java and told him I’d meet him there in a few hours. On the off-chance paparazzi were watching him, I didn’t want him to bring the media to where Pax and I were staying at Pine Rest. Of course, if they came to Eden Lake, they’d know I was here. But not exactly where. And maybe they’d get preoccupied trying to find Lily or Tucker. Fat chance, I thought. Well, maybe not Tucker. He was a big star and looking like he was taking his team back to the Superbowl again.

  Pax was holed up in his room, playing his music and recording some on a bunch of equipment that Dane had sent over.

  “If Billie Eilish and Finneas can make music in their bedrooms, so can you,” Dane had told Pax apparently. “He doesn’t want it to look like I’m working on my honeymoon, but he wants me to work on my honeymoon,” Pax explained to me. Then he gripped me by the waist and pulled me to him. “Lucky for me, I’ve got a great muse.”

  The idea that he’d been writing music inspired by me, filled my belly with butterflies, which was so dangerous for me. This isn’t real, I kept reminding myself.

  When it came time for me to go to town, Pax had decided to take a run along the lake. I’d been on the phone with one of my distributors when he planted a kiss on my cheek and dropped a note that he was heading out.

  Because he was gone, I left him a note that I had to meet someone in town. Fingers crossed, no one saw me. I wasn’t famous. In fact, I thought if anyone knew me, it was as Allie’s sister. So I felt reasonably safe going to town.

  I arrived at Paradise Java and ordered a coffee. I found a seat along the back wall where I’d be able to meet with Galen in private.

  When he arrived, I stood and waved to let him know where I was.

  He grinned and walked to me, holding his arms out to give me a hug. “You look fab as always.” He kissed me, like he usually did, with a big smack on the lips. I was used to it by now and knew it was just a friendly gesture.

  “You look smug, as always,” I said to him.

  He sat next to me and took my hand. “Spill the tea, Victoria.”

  “About?”

  He rolled his eyes. “Is Pax Ryder as sexy naked as he is in jeans and t-shirt on stage, of course.”

  I laughed. Of course that was what he’d want to know. And that was something I didn’t need to lie about. “He’s even better.”

  He closed his eyes and looked up at the ceiling. “I knew it.” Then he looked at my left hand and frowned. His gaze jerked to me. “No ring? Pax Ryder can afford a rock the size of my head.”

  Oh no. For a moment, I could only stare at my empty hand. We’d thought of everything—or so I thought. Finally, a response came to me. “It’s out being resized.”

  “The band too?”

  I nodded. “It was a set.”

  “See, girl, that’s why you plan a wedding and not elope on a whim.”

  I smiled with relief that he was buying my answer. “You’re right, as always.”

  He leaned forward and studied me and I tried not to squirm under his scrutiny. “You’re not one to run off and get married in Vegas. I didn’t even know you knew him. What’s really going on? Is this some sort of PR stunt? And if so, why aren’t I in the know?”

  I waved his comment away. “You know I’d never do something like that. The truth is, I’ve known Pax a long time.”

  “But never talked about him?” Galen’s pursed lips suggested he was suspicious.

  “His mother and my mother are friends,” I explained, careful not to reveal that it was also Lily’s mother. “We had a little thing a few years back and…well…it never left.” That wasn’t a lie. As much as I tried, I never had fully gotten over Pax.

  “It’s still suspicious. But if you introduce me to him, I’ll forgive you.”

  I laughed. “Maybe another time.”

  He frowned. “Are you moving to Europe? And why are you working on your honeymoon? And-”

  I interrupted him before he could get carried away. “Our plans aren’t set. And I’m working, just as he is, because we have commitments.”

  “Well, as great as I think this move has been for the company’s bottom line, you need to keep us informed.”

  He was right. I also
needed to consider that with the uptick in exposure and sales that came with marrying Pax, the company could also suffer the opposite when we ended the marriage. But now wasn’t the time to prepare for that. Now, I needed to find out how the marketing aspect of the Radiance launch was going.

  “I’ll do better,” I promised. “Now, why don’t you get some coffee and show me these marketing plans, so I can get back to him.”

  He left for a moment to get a drink and then we went over his work on the Radiance marketing campaign. At this point, much of it involved Lisbeth, so if we didn’t get her nailed down, Galen would have a lot of reworking to do.

  “So when will Lisbeth be on board?” he asked, nibbling on a chocolate croissant.

  “She’s spending the summertime in Australia.”

  “In the middle of winter?” he quirked a brow.

  “It’s summer down there.”

  “Isn’t she supposed to be recording?”

  “A week or so. I’ll hunt her down. She’s got a thing for Pax, so if needed, I can get his help.” There I went, using Pax again.

  “Always good to marry someone with connections,” he said. “And someone who’s hot.”

  I laughed. “I won the lottery there.” Too bad it was all a giant mistake.

  When I finished my meeting with Galen, he returned to Los Angeles, and I decided to visit Allie. She wasn’t at her studio, so I stopped by her condo.

  “Hey, girl.” She shook her head in a “what did you do?” fashion.

  I shrugged. “You got some time for a visit?”

  “Yeah. Josh is working today. I was just making some tea.” She held the door open for me.

  “How’s the house-hunting going?” I asked.

  “Slow. Do you want some tea too?” she called from the kitchen.

  “Sure.” I sat on the couch and admired the view of the lake. “You’ve made quite a life for yourself here, Allie.”

  She came in carrying two mugs of tea, handing me one. “That statement sounds loaded.”