My Best Friend's Brother

by Candy Gray

  “Come eat,” Gage said, waving the two kids over. “You have to some nourishment before we spend the entire day running around.”

  “I want to see Cinderella,” Lily said. She took a seat reluctantly next to Gage as he handed her a plate of pancakes with melted butter and syrup. “I’m not even that hungry, Dad. Can’t we wait until lunch time?”

  I sliced up Ethan’s pancakes. “We need to eat first. We won’t have any energy to enjoy the rides if we don’t have some breakfast.”

  “I want to see Spiderman!” Ethan exclaimed through a mouthful of pancakes. “Can we see him?”

  “I’m sure that Spiderman will be around somewhere,” Gage replied, nodding. He looked over at me with a smile as he lifted his cup of coffee to his lips.

  I felt the brush of his hand on my knee, resting there warmly before squeezing fondly. I relaxed into the shielded touch with a smile of my own. These were the times that I truly enjoyed spending with Gage. We were intertwined in each other’s lives in every way imaginable. Our kids loved one another. Everything felt magical, perfect.

  Except for reality.

  Gage had yet to bring up the topic of telling my parents, and nor did I want to. I wanted this safe and secure bubble to last before it was popped open with everyone’s opinions. I knew why Gage held back. He valued my father’s friendship. His contracts with my father also complicated the future of our relationship even more.

  I was lucky that my father hadn’t even questioned the real reason for this trip to Florida. He trusted Gage without question, and the guilt of that ate at the both of us.

  Still, I couldn’t picture my life without Gage in it. He was every bit the man I desired and wanted. How could anyone ever turn away from that? It wasn’t possible. I couldn’t let go, even if my life depended on it. The past few months had been amazing between us. The time we had spent together, with the kids and in private, only solidified to me that we were making the right decision by sticking together.

  Damn the consequences. I was going to be with Gage Devlin at the end of the fucking day, no matter what anyone else said. We were meant to be together. I had felt it back in high school, that undeniable tug of connection.

  The rest of the morning and afternoon blurred by in an exciting haze of rides and various Disney characters. My feet were sore by the time Gage and I managed to carry the exhausted kids back to the hotel suite after eating dinner. I pulled Ethan’s shoes off before tucking him into the small twin sized bed next to Lily’s. His eyes fluttered closed without protest, curling up beneath the pillow to suck at his thumb with an exhausted sigh.

  Gage kissed Lily good night before following me out to the bedroom. He closed the door with a relieved sigh of his own before turning to look at me with hungry eyes.

  “Would it be so bad to have another round tonight?” he asked.

  Despite how much my legs ached from constantly walking after the kids, I felt that flicker of desire start all over again. I smiled at him when he leaned in to give me a dizzying kiss.

  “I wouldn’t complain,” I said. “Maybe after a hot bubble bath? My legs and feet are killing me from all this walking today.”

  The corners of Gage’s lips turned up into a mischievous smile. “Bubble bath it is, my dear. I can handle a bath with you.”

  He pulled me in the direction of the master suite bathroom. He poured a hefty amount of soap bubbles into the tub as he filled it with hot water. I stripped out of my clothes eagerly, without waiting for the tub to finish filling up. Gage chuckled deeply when I let out a moan of relief.

  “It was a lot of walking today,” he said. “I don’t know how the kids managed to keep going until we dragged them away for dinner.”

  “I don’t know, either,” I replied, my eyes slipping closed in pleasure from the heat of the water. “I’m surprised that Ethan didn’t have one breakdown today. He was pretty excited for most of the day.”

  The sound of Gage’s belt buckle hitting the tile floor brought a new sensation of heat spiraling through me. Surrounded by a mountain of bubbles that smelled of vanilla, I looked up as Gage lowered himself into the water directly across from me. Our naked legs brushed beneath the bubbles and water. I shivered in response to it as he pulled me into the strong circle his arms and legs.

  “Have you enjoyed your trip so far?” Gage asked.

  His hands rubbed at my shoulders sensually. I let my head fall back against his shoulder in pleasure as those fingers began to work their own magic on the aches in my muscles.

  “I’ve loved it so far,” I moaned softly. “It’s been amazing. Thank you, Gage. This was a wonderful surprise for everyone involved.”

  “I’m glad you’re enjoying it. We all needed a break from the cold in Montana.”

  “No kidding. I love snow, but I’m ready to move somewhere else.” I nuzzled up against Gage with a sigh. “Maybe here? I could get used to waking up to the Florida sunshine every morning.”

  “I could get used to that,” he agreed, hands slipping down past my collarbones to cup my breasts. “It’d be a nice place to live. Right on the beach. Go for a stroll every morning. Enjoy the water.”

  I bit my lip meekly when one of those fingers pinched my nipple teasingly. A thick haze of lust came over me then when those devious fingers slipped past my navel to cup my center gently in the hot water. My hips jerked in response when they started to rub gently.

  “Gage,” I choked out, grasping his knees to hold myself still. “The kids.”

  “They aren’t going to come walking in,” he assured, pressing a kiss to the side of my neck. “They’re fast asleep. I haven’t heard a peep out of them.”

  “We’re violating our own rule here. Remember?”

  Gage’s teeth nibbled at the side of my neck. “The kids are asleep, Amber. That rule only applies if they are awake.”

  A finger slipped inside of me and began to move. I could feel Gage’s erection, hard and hot, pressing up against my back. Sweat dripped down my forehead. I had no idea if it was from the heat of the water, or from an entirely different heat that Gage was stoking inside of me.

  “I think we make a good team together,” he said. “Don’t you?”

  I licked my lips at that. “I think so. Ethan really looks up to you now.”

  “I’m happy that he trusts me. Do you ever think about having more kids?”

  “More kids?”

  I opened my eyes at the question. Twisting around, I looked up at Gage to find that his eyes were smoldering for an entirely different reason. They were filled with warmth and compassion. And love. My heart raced as I turned myself around fully to face him.

  “Are you asking what I’m thinking you’re asking?” I asked.

  Gage smirked in amusement. “What do you think I’m asking?”

  “That you’re thinking about more kids?” I suggested, and when he nodded, I continued on with one eye trained on him cautiously. “With me? Are you suggesting that?”

  “I am,” he said. “Why not? Our kids love each other. We make a good team.”

  “What about everything else?”

  “We’ll figure that out when the time comes,” Gage said, pressing a finger to my lips. “Let’s focus on what we have right now. Nothing else, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  Our lips met in a heated kiss. Our slick bodies pressed up against one another’s. Water tumbled over the rim of the bath tub when I grasped the edges to lower myself onto him. A groan escaped Gage’s mouth as his hands reached for my hips to guide the pace. He reached around me to turn the water off before sitting up to kiss me again.

  The combination of the hot water and the sensation of Gage throbbing inside of me was nearly too much. I teetered on the edge of a peak. Water spilled out again from the side of the tub as our hips ground together urgently. My fingers dug into Gage’s shoulders as that delicious heat spilled over me again. I couldn’t hold on any longer when his thumb pressed up against the center of me, pushing me over that ed
ge finally.

  Gage stiffened underneath me a moment later. I felt him spill before sinking back against the tub in relief. We sat there for a long time in lukewarm water with scattered soap bubbles all around us. My body thrummed pleasantly in the aftermath. No more aches and pains.

  “Everyone should have this,” I mumbled, resting my head against his drenched shoulder. “It’s a great pain reliever. I don’t feel my legs anymore.”

  Gage chuckled breathlessly. His heart raced beneath my ear when I rested my head there.

  “That’s a new million-dollar idea,” he said. “Sex to cure your aches and pains. I don’t know how the rest of the world doesn’t know that already.” He smoothed back my damp hair before pressing a kiss to my temple. “We should get this mess cleaned up before we tucker out. I don’t want one of the kids slipping in here.”

  Sleep tugged at my brain while we took a few spare towels to wipe up the puddles of water. I kissed Gage goodnight, reluctant to go to a separate room. I longed to fall asleep with the circle of his arms around me protectively, but neither one of us wanted to risk the kids coming into our rooms to find us in bed together. We didn’t know how we were going to address them, but keeping quiet seemed to be the best option we had.

  The next morning, a whole new ache took over. My lower stomach felt bloated, ill, and crampy. A dull headache throbbed in my temples, too. I shooed Gage and the kids away to enjoy their morning while I took some Tylenol in hopes that all of it would go away. I drifted off into an exhausted sleep on the small couch overlooking the beach, but I woke hours later to the sound of the hotel phone ringing.

  Half-asleep, I reached for the phone on the small coffee table next to the couch.

  “Hello?” I answered.

  “So, it is true, then.”

  The sound of Scott’s voice sent daggers through the sleepy haze in my mind. I sat up quickly, heart pounding.

  “Scott?”

  “Yes,” he said coolly. “It’s me. Enjoying that Florida sunshine?”

  He knew where I was. The thought terrified me beyond reason. I clutched the phone tightly as I checked to make sure that the door was locked. We hadn’t even bothered with security before coming down here because we were a thousand miles away from familiar cities and faces.

  I swallowed thickly. “How did you know that I’m here?”

  “A PI that I hired. I wanted to inform you first that I’m disputing the terms of our divorce.”

  A sinking sensation filled me. “Why?”

  “You see, I’ve done some digging on your whereabouts these past few months.” Shit. My heart pounded furiously in my chest at the smugness in Scott’s voice. “And I know everything, Amber. I know all about your little fling with Gage Devlin.”

  Tears filled my eyes. Deny it, Amber. Deny it. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Scott.”

  “Deny it all you want,” he said, chuckling coldly. “You don’t have to be honest with me, but I know the truth. I have photos here that my PI will leak to the press.”

  “You’re lying,” I said, panicked. “You have nothing.”

  “Oh, darling. I don’t think your daddy would like this development spreading to the press. So, I suggest that you button up your adventure there with my son. Meet me Monday morning at the small coffee shop we used to get coffee at all the time.”

  “What if I don’t?” I asked, more brave than I felt. “How do I know you aren’t blowing smoke up my ass?”

  “That’s your risk then, Amber. You know I don’t bluff if I have evidence. Tracking you to Disney World was easy. Photos of you and Gage Devlin having sex on the beach? Priceless.”

  He hung up before I could reply.

  Chapter 21

  Gage

  A late spring snowfall graced the mountains again. The cold and dreary weather suited my bitter mood just fine. After dropping Lily off at a friend’s house for a sleepover, I had hoped to catch Amber for a private conversation before she went back with Ethan to her parents’ home. That hope had been dashed like everything else that happened over the previous two days when Amber bolted out of the car without saying goodbye. She prompted Ethan to wave goodbye once, before disappearing in through the front door, not even bothering to wait for her father’s security team. I had stood at the back of the SUV like a complete fool and lost.

  “What the fuck?” I muttered, running a hand through my hair. “What the fuck happened?”

  The roads were slush on the way back up to my cabin. It wasn’t enough snow to create chaos on the roads, but it was enough to dampen everyone’s moods. Amber’s mood had only gotten worse over the past twenty-four hours, too. It had started that morning when she woke up complaining of a stomach ache, and after that, her carefree attitude was gone. She remained guarded, teary-eyed at times, and refused to tell me a word besides that she wasn’t feeling good.

  I pulled up the driveway to park in front of the detached garage. At least, Lily would be occupied with her friend. It gave me the time to sort out everything without alerting her that something was wrong. She already believed something bad had happened when Amber locked herself in the bathroom for three hours the night before.

  The entire cabin was chilly when I stepped inside through the sliding glass doors. Tossing my bags onto the floor, I went about opening the curtains to let a little bit of sunlight in. I clicked the furnace on as well, before picking up the phone to dial Amber’s cellphone number. The call rang once before going straight to voicemail.

  My heart lodged itself into my throat. Frustration burned my chest as I slammed my phone down on the kitchen counter. I mentally ran over the past four days of pure bliss in the Florida sunshine. Going to Florida had cemented one thing in my mind, that I was undeniably in love with Amber. I couldn’t picture my life without her in it. Even if it was going to mean losing a friendship in the long run, or a media frenzy, I didn’t care. I wanted Amber for the rest of my life.

  And I had sincerely believed that Amber’s feelings were the same. I still believed it. Something had happened to set Amber on guard again. I just didn’t know what it was.

  My phone buzzed on the kitchen counter. Can’t talk right now. I’ll call you later.

  I frowned at the curt message. That had changed over the past few months, too. We talked and texted every single day. Amber never ignored my phone calls or pushed them off. I texted back quickly.

  What the hell is going on, Amber? I don’t understand what happened.

  Seconds stretched into minutes. I stared down at my phone as frustration built all over again. The last time I had felt this confused over a woman was in high school. The mind games. The confused feelings. I ran a hand over my face with an aggravated groan. When did I go back to pining after someone? I was forty-seven years old. I had a life with a child. I didn’t have time to sit around my phone wondering what happened when everything had felt perfect.

  I reached into my shirt pocket to pull out the small Tiffany box. Flipping the lid open, I stared down at the sparkling diamond ring that I had picked out for Amber the morning that her guard had gone up. I had carried this damned thing in my pocket for the past couple of days, hoping for the perfect moment to pop up again. The dinner I had planned, the babysitter to watch the kids, all of it had been dashed when Amber curled up in her bed.

  The only bit of hope that I had clung to was Amber crawling into my bed the night before, once the kids were quiet. She had kissed me hard then, pulling me down between her legs without saying a word. We had made love fast and hard underneath the cover of the blankets to muffle our breathing and moans. I still couldn’t shake the desperation of Amber’s kisses, or the way she clutched at me as though I was going to disappear at a moment’s notice. Afterward, tears had filled her eyes as she climbed out of my bed. “I’m sorry,” she had mumbled, fighting back sobs. “I’m sorry, Gage.” And she had bolted through the door without waiting for a reply.

  I shut the box to toss it onto the table. Maybe the reality of
our relationship was starting to wear her down. My own heart was heavy with apprehension over what was going to happen once the news broke. I could only imagine Beau’s anger. I already knew that the press would tear apart the Roselynn name, but it didn’t matter. Not to me. Not to Amber either.

  I spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning up the cabin and getting a fire going again to fight off the early spring chill. The forecast had predicted another couple inches of snow over the next few of days. It would give Amber plenty of time to have her space and to sort out whatever was going on in her head. There were plenty of things to keep me occupied, and to keep Lily occupied throughout the week as well, with school and her afterschool programs. There were plenty of distractions to keep the both of us busy.