Trick You: A Brother's Best Friend Romance (Rebel Ink Book 2)

by Tracy Lorraine

  “We carried on dancing after Zach and Biff left. We had a few more shots, we laughed, joked. Everything was just so… easy. It was like I was out with my best friend, only she was a chick and one I really wanted to fuck again.” She chuckles, but I don’t allow her to say anything.

  “You suggested we move on, that you wanted to experience Las Vegas by night. We bar-hopped down the strip, getting a shot in each and moving on. We were fucking steaming. It was probably one of the best nights of my life, because whenever I looked at you, my world seemed the right way up for once. You didn’t care about anything other than having a good time. It felt incredible.”

  “So how did we go from bar-hopping to a chapel?”

  “You asked me if there was anything I wanted to do while we were in Vegas. I told you that I planned to go to Rebel and get some new ink. You told me that there was no way in Hell anyone was putting a needle anywhere near your skin, but that you wanted something to remember the few days by. At this point we approached a jewellery shop. You stopped and stared in the window. I thought you’d seen something you wanted. Well… I guess you did. I just didn’t know you were looking at wedding rings.

  “Eventually, you turned to me. A wicked smile curled at your lips and my heart damn near burst at how happy you looked. “Marry me,” you blurted out. “Let’s get married, and that can be our memento.” I thought you’d lost your mind, but you wouldn’t give up. You dragged me inside and chose our rings.

  “Well, one thing led to another, and not even an hour later we were inside a wedding chapel and all booked in.”

  “So you weren’t lying? I really did ask you?”

  “You really did, doll. I thought I’d won the fucking Lottery.”

  “You didn’t think about saying no?”

  “Sure, I could have. I could have easily distracted you, no doubt. But I wanted it. I wanted you. I had since the moment I saw you online. Standing beside you in that little jewellers, it was no different. And it still isn’t now. I want you, and if you’ll have me, I’ll keep you forever.”

  “Wow,” she breathes. “I need you to know that I’ve never been that spontaneous in my entire life. It might have been a one-time thing, if you’re expecting something similar regularly.”

  “I don’t know. You’ve been pretty spontaneous since we met. You let me fuck you on Biff’s sofa, despite the fact that she could have walked back through the door at any moment. You agreed to let me live here with you. And, you just said yes to me again.”

  “Huh. Clearly you bring out the crazy in me.”

  “I just so happen to like your crazy.” Leaning forward, I brush my nose against her ear and delight in the shudder that runs down her body from my touch. “So we got married after a few weeks, how long do we wait for what comes next?”

  It was meant to be a joke, but suddenly the idea of her belly swollen with my baby is the only thing I can see. Fucking hell, I think I’ve lost my mind a little over this woman.

  “One thing at a time, Carter. We’ve not even told my parents yet.”

  “It’ll be fine. They already love me.”

  Epilogue

  Danni

  Once I made the decision to tell all to my parents, I soon became impatient to rip that plaster off and get it over with, but I knew that turning up with a beaten and bruised Carter and then announcing that he was my husband after our family’s third shotgun Vegas wedding probably wasn’t going to go over too well.

  So in the end, we waited a month. We jokingly decided that if we hadn’t killed each other by then, maybe we weren’t so crazy after all and this could actually work. As we laughed about it, we both already knew that we were in this for the long run, but having some more time just the two of us so that we could really get to know each other was exactly what we needed.

  There was no more hiding how we felt or feeling awkward about not knowing how we tied the knot. Everything was just… easy. Carter was turning out to be everything I ever wanted.

  Once he was strong enough, we drove over to the flat he used to share with Spike and packed up all his stuff. Thankfully there wasn’t any bad blood between the two of them after the showdown with Logan. If anything, I think it might have brought them closer, despite the fact that Carter’s now officially moved out.

  It’s been the two of us ever since, living as a real married couple and doing all the domesticated things expected of us. Carter’s changed his hours at the studio so that we have some more time together, and I’m still learning the art of delegation so that I can spend a few less hours in the office being a control freak. It’s not easy, but coming home and walking into Carter’s arms makes it totally worth it.

  My family knows about us. It wasn’t exactly an easy secret to keep, seeing as I live beneath my older brother and his family, but thankfully they’ve all respected our wishes to be just ourselves for a few weeks while we find our feet. Mum rings or texts daily asking if she can meet him again, but I’ve put her off until now. Today is the day, and as I sit at my dressing table attempting to tame my wild curls, my stomach churns over with nerves.

  Glancing down at the rings on my finger, I sigh. It’ll be fine, I tell myself.

  I blow out a long breath.

  “It’ll be fine.” His voice startles me, and when I look up to the mirror, I find him leaning against the doorframe, watching me.

  “How long have you been there?”

  “Long enough to know you’re freaking out.”

  “I just know they’re going to be so disappointed.”

  “We’ve got a plan, doll. It will be fine.”

  I nod. I know what he’s saying is true. We’ve spent a lot of time talking about what we do next.

  “We’ll give them a wedding. Your mum will get to go dress shopping and do all the things she’s probably been imagining since she gave birth to you. She won’t miss out. Plus, I have a feeling that once we tell them the rest that they’ll forget all about missing our wedding.”

  I blow out a shaky breath as I think about our recent discovery. “I know, but we agreed not to tell them about that yet. I want to make sure everything is okay before we announce it to the world. Plus, I think one life-changing announcement at a time is probably better for Dad’s heart.”

  Carter walks into the room and pulls me into his arms. “Whatever you feel is right. I want you, and this little one,” he says, placing his palm to my stomach and making me giddy with excitement, “happy at all times.”

  “I still don’t think it’s really settled in.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  After Las Vegas, Carter’s fight and us trying to find our new normal, I’d totally spaced out on the fact that I was meant to get my period. It wasn’t until my box of pills fell from the shelf in the bathroom cabinet one morning that it hit me.

  I bought a test on the way to work and did it the second I got into the office. I knew before I even looked at the result what it was going to be.

  I remember it as if it were only a few minutes ago. The fear, the excitement, the trepidation about telling Carter.

  Much like everything else in our relationship, it wasn’t planned. But I figured that everything else has so far worked out okay, so this will too.

  “You’re growing our baby. I told you that you were spontaneous.”

  I laugh. “Only with you. Every other aspect of my life has been planned to perfection.”

  “I’m glad I could throw in a curveball.”

  “You certainly did that.”

  “Are you ready? We probably don’t want to be late.”

  “Yeah,” I say on a long breath. “Let’s do this.”

  Thankfully, Carter drives to my parents’. My hands are trembling so bad that I think it would have been dangerous if I did.

  I fiddle with my rings. “Should I take them off?”

  “Do what feels right.”

  I hesitate with my fingertips on them ready to slide them off, but removing that part of my life, if only
for a while, feels wrong.

  I need to go in there and rip that plaster right off. If I hide them, it means I won’t have to confess right away, and if I don’t, there’s a chance I’ll avoid it all afternoon.

  “They’re staying. Let’s do this.”

  Carter pulls up outside my parents’ house, and my stomach turns over. I’ve no idea if it’s the nerves or the start of my morning sickness, but I’m on the verge of throwing the door open and emptying the contents of my stomach on my parents’ driveway nonetheless.

  “The longer you sit here putting it off, the worse it’ll get,” Carter says, jumping from the car and coming around to open my door. He probably thinks he’s going to have to drag me from the seat. I hate that my reluctance to face this head-on could make him think it’s about him, but it’s not, it’s far from it. I have zero doubts about him, our relationship, and our future. I just hate disappointing my parents.

  “Come on, then. Let’s get this over with and see if we’re still welcome for lunch.”

  “They won’t kick us out. They’re good people.”

  “I know.”

  “Here they are at last. We were starting to think that all this time alone was a way of avoiding us for some reason,” Mum says as we join both her and Dad in the kitchen. They both give me a hug and greet Carter as if they’ve met him more than once before in their lives.

  “Not at all,” Carter says while I panic. “We just needed to adjust. Everything happened so fast.”

  “You don’t say. One minute you’re Zach’s best friend, and the next you’re our baby’s boyfriend.”

  “About that,” I say, the blood draining from my face.

  Mum turns her narrowed eyes on me. “Oh, for the love of god, please do not tell me that—”

  “I knew it!” Dad announces happily, turning to Mum. “Cough up, baby. I won.”

  “What?” I screech, looking between the two of them. Mum looks like she’s about to burst into tears whereas Dad has a shit-eating grin on his face.

  “We had a bet. You turn up and announce that you’re our third child to get married in Vegas and I get to go on a two-week golf holiday. You didn’t, and I have to endure a two-week sun and beach holiday somewhere exotic with this one,” he says, pointing at my mother.

  “You had a bet on us?” I ask, utter disbelief lacing my voice.

  “We did.”

  “I can’t believe this.”

  “Why? We bet on you lot all the time.” My eyes widen in shock. “Got to say though, neither of us were risky enough on betting on Zach getting married any time soon.”

  “Jesus, I can’t believe I’m hearing this.”

  “So, come on. Tell me the good news so I can go and call the boys.”

  “You don’t even know what they’ve got to say, I wouldn’t be so smug yet,” Mum sasses at Dad, but it’s pointless. I think we all know which way this conversation is about to go.

  “Fine. We got married in Vegas.”

  “Yes,” Dad calls, punching the air in celebration. All the while, Mum cries in disbelief.

  “I can’t believe you lot,” she mutters, giving Dad a hard stare and stepping towards me. “Congratulations.” The sadness in her voice as she says it guts me.

  “We’re going to have a wedding, Mum. We’re going to do it properly. I want to do it all properly.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes, really. I want us to go dress shopping and cake tasting. It’s not going to be a big event, but it will be a wedding that you can help me plan from beginning to end.”

  “Thank you,” she sobs, pulling me into a tight hug.

  “I’m so sorry. It wasn’t exactly planned.”

  “Please tell me you remember it,” she begs when she pulls back. She just groans when I shrug. “Well, at least tell me he got you a good ring.” She reaches for my hand and looks at my finger. “Oh, boy did good.”

  She releases me and turns to Carter. “Welcome to the family,” she says before pulling him in for a hug while Dad gathers me up in his arms.

  We spend the afternoon giving them some brief details of our drunken wedding, but we focus on the wedding we’re going to have here to celebrate. I don’t want anything as big as Summer and Harrison recently had, just a small affair with our nearest and dearest. Carter is still in two minds as to what to do about his family. I’ve told him I’ll support him no matter what he decides, but as of yet, we’ve not had any contact with any of them. I’d like to think the prospect of a grandchild might make them reconsider their actions, but then again, do leopards ever really change their spots? I’m not sure I want those kinds of people around my child. They did enough damage to their own, I don’t want them and their opinions to taint anyone else I love.

  By the time we say our goodbyes later that evening, Mum looks a little less sad about the whole thing. I now just need to hope I can keep her reined in to stop her going overboard with the plans.

  “Thank you so much for lunch,” Carter says, as Mum pulls him in for another hug.

  “No, no. Thank you for securing where I’ll be holidaying this year.”

  “Hmmm… yeah. Thanks for that.”

  “Well, if you will bet on our lives, at some point you’re probably going to lose.”

  “Okay, double or nothing that they’re pregnant by the end of the year.” Mum groans and swats Dad’s shoulder. Thankfully, she doesn’t look straight at me, because I’m sure my face would have given me away.

  We say our goodbyes and climb into the car.

  “See. That wasn’t so bad.”

  “True. I can’t believe they bet on it though.”

  “I think it’s hilarious. I want to still have fun like that after that many years of marriage.” Carter laces his fingers with mine as he drives us back into the city.

  “Yeah, now you put it that way, I’m happy to torment our kids for our own amusement.”

  “Kids? You planning on more than one?”

  “I think we’ve already determined that planning doesn’t work for us. Let’s just go with the flow and see if I screw up my pill again or not.”

  Carter laughs, the sound making my chest swell. “Sounds good, doll.”

  Carter

  “Are you sure you’re going to be okay?” I ask Danni, who’s sitting on the sofa with a glass of water.

  “Yes, I’m fine. Lauren will be here in a few minutes. You’re more than welcome to stick around and enjoy some girl talk if you don’t want to leave me.”

  The thought fills me with dread, but I’d do it for her. I’d do pretty much anything for her.

  “Get out of here, Spike is waiting for you.”

  “Fine. I’m going.” I’d rearranged all my clients for today so we could see Danni’s parents, then Spike announced that he was finishing early and taking me out for a drink to get over what my day might have held. I’d originally told him no, but the second I explained the plan to Danni she got straight on the phone to Spike and told him that I’d love to go out with him. He was delighted, seeing as he keeps sulking about missing out on not one but two stag dos with both Zach and me getting married in Vegas without him. He’s not told me what he’s planned for tonight, but it doesn’t take a genius to work it out.

  Danni’s phone pings on the coffee table. She leans forward to look as I shove my feet into my shoes.

  “Your Uber’s outside.”

  I swipe my wallet and phone from the counter before dropping to my knees in front of her.

  Reaching out, I wrap my hand around the back of her neck and pull her forward to kiss me. “I’ll miss you,” I mumble against her lips.

  “With all the strippers dancing around, I doubt it.”

  “I’d have you over every single one of them any day of the week.”

  “Good to know. If you’re a good boy, then maybe I’ll be your personal stripper when you get home.”

  My cock swells at the thought. “I’ll hold you to that.” Her eyes darken as she stares at me, and I r
egret ever agreeing to this when I could spend the evening in bed with my girl.

  “Stop getting ideas. Lauren doesn’t need to walk in on any of that happening.” As if she’d timed it, the buzzer rings, putting an end to my torture.

  I give her one more quick kiss before telling her to stay put and that I’ll let Lauren in on my way out.

  “Be good,” Danni calls after me.

  “Good? When aren’t I good?” Her laugh rumbles down to me. “I love you, doll.”

  “I love you too. I’ll be here waiting.”

  Thoughts of how I might find her when I get back fill my mind, but I soon push them aside as I’m forced to greet her friend.

  We met the night of Zach’s birthday all those weeks ago, but we’ve all been out for drinks since then. After saying a quick hello and goodbye, I climb into the awaiting car and head for my old flat.

  “Jesus, what happened in here?” I ask, looking around at the mostly tidy living room.

  “Been trying to get my act together. No woman wants to come back to a shithole.”

  “Ah, now it all makes sense. The smell was stopping you getting laid.”

  “What? No. Nothing ever stops me getting laid. I was just feeling sorry for Ann having to clean up after me. I’m sure she’s already on the verge of asking for a pay rise.”

  I shake my head at him as he throws me a beer and I fall down onto the sofa. “So what’s the plan?”

  “I’m gonna hit the shower, get my junk smelling fresh, and then we’re hitting Pulse.”

  “You’re so predictable, man.”

  He shrugs. “There could be worse things.”

  “Less of a pain in my arse would be a good start.” He flips me the bird as he leaves the room.

  I look around the place. I lived here for years before I forced Danni to make me her new roommate, but even though it’s only been like, five weeks, it feels like a lifetime ago that I called this place home.