Best Friend's Sister (Slade Brothers Book 5)

by Alexis Winter

  I shake my head. “No, we don’t have to. I’m more than happy to keep things secret. I just…things were so great that I wanted more. I wasn’t appreciating what I had until I ruined everything.”

  “You didn’t ruin anything.”

  “I did,” I argue.

  “We’re here. We’re together. That’s all that matters.” His hand lands softly on my jaw and he directs my eyes to his.

  “Yeah, but you went on that date with that whore.” I laugh out.

  He smirks. “That date was nothing. It was a favor to Brad. That’s it. I didn’t kiss her. Hell, I didn’t even touch her. I couldn’t do anything but think of you the whole time. If you wouldn’t have jumped on me in there, I was already planning to jump you. But fuck, baby, I’m fucking glad you did. You have no idea how hard this has been on me, to look at you and not be able to touch you. I never want to feel like that again. We’re telling Brad and getting this shit off our chests and bringing everything out in the open so that we can be together the way we’re supposed to.” He presses his mouth to mine and I get lost in this kiss.

  This kiss is so unlike the rest. This kiss is everything. It’s him and me. It’s our past and our future. It’s broken promises and promises that haven’t even been made yet. It’s everything. My world.

  The rest of the night is spent in a haze of sleep and sex. My body is exhausted and drained. I’m happy and excited, yet scared and worried at the same time. I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but I don’t care. Right now, all I can allow myself to think is how we’re back together and how happy I am.

  We finally drift to sleep around three a.m., and it’s the best sleep I’ve ever gotten in my entire life.

  “What the fuck!” someone yells, pulling me out my sleep. My eyes pop open as my whole body jumps. I find Brad in the doorway.

  Hudson sits up at my side, his eyes full of sadness and guilt when they land on Brad. “Just let me explain,” he says, holding his hand out, palm facing my brother.

  “Explain what? You’re in bed with my little fucking sister!” Brad shouts, his hands flying up to his dark hair.

  Hudson goes to get out of bed, but he suddenly remembers that he’s naked. His bare hip shows and Brad flips when he sees. He pulls back his fist and sends it flying toward the bedroom door and through the cheap material. Hudson jumps up quickly and grabs his boxers off the floor, pulling them up in record speed.

  “It’s not what you think,” he says as Brad leaps for him.

  Hudson quickly dodges him, and Brad goes falling into the dresser in the corner of the room. It wobbles backward, spilling everything that was on top.

  “This isn’t just fucking around, Brad,” he tries again.

  “All she does is fuck around,” he snaps, diving for him again. His words feel like a slap in the face, but I don’t have time to think about it because Hudson doesn’t duck away this time. Brad lands on him, bringing him to the floor.

  Everything happens so fast that I can’t do anything but sit and watch. I hear grunts and slaps, the sounds of bones cracking, and bumps and bangs on the walls and floor as they fight for who’s on top.

  I quickly step into action, standing from the bed and wrapping my body in a sheet. I grab Brad by the shoulder, trying to pull him off of Hudson, but Brad is lost to his anger. He doesn’t even think when he turns around and pushes me away. I stumble backward, tripping on the long sheet and falling. I barely miss the bed, instead landing on the floor and bumping my head on the bedside table. It hits hard with a thud. My vision blurs and starts to darken around the corners.

  “What the fuck, man?” I hear Hudson say. “You fucking hurt her. Get off of me.”

  The next thing I know, Hudson is picking me up against him and laying me down on the bed as he inspects the back of my head. I’m dizzy, but I’m alright and it doesn’t feel to be bleeding.

  “I’m fine,” I say, pushing his hands away and trying my best to sit up, but I’m dizzy.

  Hudson looks back at Brad who’s still on the floor. “Are you fucking happy now?”

  I finally manage to sit up and my eyes lock on Brad’s. His eyes are dark, looking so much like my own and our father’s. All I see shining in them is anger, pain, sadness, and disappointment. I’ve disappointed him. Again.

  “Are you okay?” he asks, not bothering to move.

  I nod as tears sting my eyes. Not tears of pain, but tears of sadness from causing the look on his face. He’s the only one I have, and I did this. I let him down. I disregarded everything he said and took exactly what I wanted like I always do.

  “Good.” He stands up and head for the door but pauses in his open doorway. “I don’t know what the fuck is going on here, but I know one thing.” He turns around to face us. “You were supposed to be my friend. I specifically told you that she was off-limits, and you went behind my back. How long has this been going on?”

  “A few weeks,” I admit.

  “Weeks?” he practically snarls.

  Hudson holds up his hand. “Look, I know you’re angry.”

  “Damn right I’m angry. You’re my best friend and she’s my little sister! I’m supposed to be taking care of her, protecting her from men like you!”

  I see Hudson’s back straighten with the insult. “Look, we were going to tell you. We just wanted to be sure before we did.”

  Brad laughs. “Oh, you were going to tell me? Tell me that you broke the number one rule? That you’ve been fucking my sister behind my back?”

  It all sounds so bad that way. Why couldn’t he have just waited for us to explain?

  “I’m leaving. When I come back, you both better be gone. I’m fucking done with both of you.” He turns and leaves the room.

  “Come on, man,” Hudson yells, but the only reply is the front door slamming.

  11

  Hudson

  I can feel my eye swelling and have no doubt that it’s starting to bruise. My jaw is sore and a pain shoots through my hand every time I clench it. I hated fighting with Brad, but despite the pain, I deserved every hit he got in.

  I wrap my arm around Deven as she cries, my hand rubbing up and down her bicep as I keep her held tight against my side.

  “Shhh, it’ll be alright,” I whisper into her hair as I press a kiss to her head.

  “How do you know? He was really mad,” she cries.

  “I just know. We just need to give him some time. Come on. Get dressed, and you and me will leave for a few days, give him the time he needs.”

  She looks up at me, her big brown eyes full of tears and worry. “Where are we going to go? I don’t have enough money for my own place yet. I only just got my first check.”

  “I have more than enough. We’ll stay at the motel a few days, then I’ll try talking to Brad again after he’s cooled off.”

  She nods, not liking my answer but having no other choice. She stands and begins to gather her clothes. I finish getting dressed and pack my things back into my military-issued duffle. I turn the light out and close the bedroom door behind me, looking back at the hole that’s now through it.

  I take my bag down to the truck while she throws her things into it. It takes me three trips, but our stuff is all loaded up. I drop my key onto the coffee table, and she does the same, with sadness in her eyes. As happy as I am to have her back, all I can think about is how I fucked this shit up. She lost her brother because of me. I won’t rest until he hears me out and forgives her. I don’t care if he ever forgives me or not. I don’t need him in my life, but she does.

  I take her hand in mine and lead her down the stairs and out to the parking lot. My truck is parked right next to her car. We stand between them and I pull her to my chest, hugging her tightly. “I swear, I’ll make everything right.”

  She doesn’t respond. She just nods silently.

  “Do you trust me?”

  She looks up into my eyes, and I can see the honesty shining in them as she nods. “I trust you, Hudson.”

 
“Good.” I lean forward and press my mouth to hers, giving her a long, slow kiss. I pull away with a forced smile. “See, we’re not even hiding.”

  That makes her smile a little more.

  “Meet me at the motel?”

  She nods and I back away, moving around the truck to climb behind the wheel.

  It only takes minutes to drive to the motel here in town, and her silver car is behind my truck the whole way. I rent us a room and carry our things inside. The motel is old and out of date, but it’s better than sleeping in our cars. I don’t complain and neither does she as we dig out our everyday items and put them away.

  Once our things are put away, there’s still an awkwardness between us. It’s like we’re both thinking, “What do we do now?” I head to the bathroom and run a hot bath, filling it with the body wash provided by the motel so it makes a nice bubble bath.

  When I walk back into the room, she’s sitting at the table, staring off into space. I hold out my hand, and she studies it with her brows pulled together.

  “What?”

  “Come on. We need to relax,” I tell her, pulling her to her feet. She follows me to the bathroom, and when she sees the tub full of bubbles, she smiles.

  I step in front of her and pull her shirt over her head. “Just for today, pretend that this morning didn’t even happen. Okay? Just make yourself believe that we’re still hiding, that Brad doesn’t know about us. I told him that I was going to be helping my brothers, and you told him you’re going back home to see some friends. Nobody knows that we’re here. Okay?”

  She nods as she allows me to remove the rest of her clothes and mine. I step into the tub and slide back. She comes and sits in front of me, her back to my chest. I push her hair over her shoulder and rest my chin on the other.

  “Tell me, Dev. Where do you see us going now?”

  She glances over her shoulder at me and offers up a small smile. She takes a deep breath and lays her head back against my chest, staring up at the ceiling. “I see us getting our own apartment and living together for a while. You will work at the fire department, and I’ll work at the boutique. After some time, we’ll take the next step and get married, then move into a bigger house so we can start having children. We’ll have two boys and a girl. The two boys will be exactly like you: smart, handsome, brave, but good and always wanting to tell the truth and do what’s right. And our daughter, she’ll be a mix of the both of us. She’ll have my skin tone with your blue eyes. She’ll be the wild one, the one who gets into a little trouble, the one who pushes the rules but doesn’t quite break them. She’ll make me proud and drive you crazy.” She laughs.

  “I like the sound of that,” I reply, kissing her head.

  “Me too,” she agrees.

  “Brad will come around. I know he will. We just need to give him some time. Do you believe me?”

  She spins around to face me in the tub. She bites her bottom lip. “You don’t know my brother as well as I do. He’s changed a lot since you guys were friends in high school. He had to grow up really fast. When he feels like he’s been attacked, he doesn’t just forgive and forget. He may forgive us, but it’s not going to happen overnight and it’s not going to be an easy task.” She reaches out and wraps her arms around my neck, pulling herself into my lap so she’s straddling me. “But right now, I’m not thinking about him. I’m thinking about us and how we finally don’t have to hide. How I can fall asleep in your arms and wake up in the morning in the same position. We finally get to be us.” She leans in and presses her lips to mine. Her tongue demands entrance and I open willingly for her, needing her to taste her and feel her, to remind myself of what I have because I never plan on living without her again. I’ll propose right now if I have to, but something tells me that I don’t have to because she’s just as happy to be here as I am.

  Our soft kiss takes a hard turn and then next thing I know, I’m picking her up against me as I climb out of the tub. I carry her through the room soaking wet and place her on the bed as I climb up over her body. Her legs are already spread wide for me, and when I reach between us to find her clit, I find her already wet and ready.

  I break our kiss with a smirk. “You’re always so ready for me,” I say, getting up on my knees and watching as I rub the tip of cock between her slick folds. She’s blushing and glistening with arousal for me.

  “I’ll always be ready for you, Hudson,” she whispers as I push into her, making us both let out a gasp. I don’t know how she can feel this good wrapped around me. She’s hot and tight and every time I slide into her, it’s like it’s like returning home after being gone for years. I’ve never experienced this feeling with anyone in my life, and I know that there won’t be another for as long as I live. She’s it for me. She’s the love of my life, the reason I was born. I have no doubts that she was made with me in mind.

  I roll my hips, and she arches her back as a whimper leaves her lips. Her tits rise up slightly, the peaks hardened in excitement. I lean in, closing my lips around hers. She kisses me sweetly as I slowly push into her over and over. My hands are greedy, and they roam over every mound, curve, and hardened peak, memorizing her body like she’s my road map home.

  “I love you, Deven,” I whisper as I move inside her.

  Her dark eyes find mine and they’re brimming with tears. Her lips part. “I…I love you too, Hudson.” Hearing her words make my dick twitch inside her.

  “Say it again,” I beg.

  “I love you,” she whispers.

  My hips pick up speed and force as I drive myself into her. She calls out my name, praising me and my body and telling me how much she loves me over and over. Finally, her muscles tighten around me and pull me over the edge with her. We ride out every last wave, refusing to let go of the other. Now that we’re here, we’re never going back.

  A week has passed with Deven and I living in a single motel room. She goes to work at the boutique and I go to work at the fire station, and we meet back up in the evening to eat dinner, talk, and make love all night long. If I didn’t know before, I do now: I love her more than life itself. I can’t even go a day without feeling her body against mine.

  Neither of us have talked to Brad yet. I’ve talked to Drake a few times, and he assures me that he’s still showing up for all of his shifts, so we don’t have to worry about his well-being, but Deven still worries every day that he’ll never forgive us. I feel like enough time has passed. Living every day without her brother is taking a toll on her, even if she won’t admit it. I’m going there to demand that he forgive her. If he wants to spend the rest of his life hating me, that’s fine. But he will not treat his sister this way.

  I knock on the door and he pulls it open without checking the peephole. When he sees me, he shakes his head and lets out a long breath. “Fuck, man. Come on. I don’t feel like doing this shit right now.”

  “Can I come in?”

  “What? Fuck no. You’re never stepping foot in here again. You lied to my face for weeks. You took the one thing I deemed off-limits. You overstepped, man.”

  I nod as I tuck my hands into my pockets, letting him know that I’m not here to fight. If he wants to hit me, fine, but my hands are staying in my pockets. I’ll let him fucking pummel me if that’s what I have to do to get him to listen. “I know I did, Brad. You think I wanted this? You think I liked sneaking around behind your back and doing the one thing I was asked not to do? You know me, man. You know that I’ve always respected the rules. You know that I always want to do what’s right. Deep down, do you really think I wanted to do shit this way?”

  He thinks it over for a brief minute and shakes his head. “Nah, I guess not.”

  “Can I come in, please?”

  He takes a long breath and blows it out quickly. “Fine, but the second you piss me off, I’m throwing you out.”

  “Deal,” I agree, taking anything I can get if it means he’ll listen.

  We stay in the living room. He sits on the end of the couch
and I sit in the recliner far away from him. “It started before I even moved in here,” I confess, and his eyes jump up to mine. “I had only just ran into you while I was jogging, remember that?”

  He nods.

  “I went out that night and I ran into this woman. She took my breath away. I bought her a drink and she told me her name was Danielle. We danced and after a few drinks, we took things outside.”

  He shakes his head. “So fucking like her.”

  “After we hooked up, we went our separate ways. I didn’t get her number, even though I was kicking myself for it the whole way home. I already had it in my head that I was going to look for her around town, find her, and ask her on a date. A real date. But then I came to check out the apartment, and you introduced me to Deven, who I’d known the night before as Danielle. Once I found out who she really was, I called it off, and it killed me to do it because I felt something when I was with her that I couldn’t ignore. I wanted her more than I’d ever wanted anything, but I wouldn’t let myself out of respect for you.”

  He doesn’t bother looking at me. He keeps his eyes on the TV that’s been muted, but I know he’s listening. He’s hearing every damn word I say. I can tell by the way his back is straight and his hands are balled into fists in his lap.

  “As time passed, things got harder and harder to ignore. Not to blame anything on her, but she’d flirt and tease me, letting me catch her naked.” I shake my head. “I couldn’t fucking take it anymore. I had done nothing but fight with myself about what I wanted. I couldn’t fight anymore. So that’s when things started up on a regular basis. Things were good for a while. We had fun sneaking around here. There were a few times you almost caught us, but we always managed to get away with it. Then came the day when what we were really doing hit Deven. She was scared that you’d find out the truth and push her away. She was terrified of losing the only family she has left. She wanted us to sit you down and talk things out, explain how things got started and how what we were doing wasn’t just fucking around. While we didn’t know it at the time, every time we were together, we were falling a little more in love.”