Brother’s Best Friend

by Kaylee, Katy

  “Did you take the subway?” I asked, giving her a husbandly kiss on the cheek.

  She nodded. “Yep.”

  “Why not take a car?”

  “Subway is cheaper.”

  I frowned. “We can afford for you to take a car.”

  She studied me, probably wondering what the big deal was. I wasn’t sure what the big deal was, and yet it was there.

  “Old habits,” she finally said. “Hi, Jane. So, what’s my surprise?”

  I put my arm around her shoulders, turning her to the front of the building. “Bakery space that has a studio apartment.” Just to make sure she didn’t give away our fake marriage, I added, “in case you have an employee who needs a place or we can rent it out for extra income.”

  “Jake, it sounds perfect!” Her eyes shone up at me and I felt like prince-fucking-charming.

  “Shall we take a look?” Jane asked.

  The space was small, just enough for eight to ten tables, but there was space for a refrigerated display case for her baked goods as well as for a coffee machine. In the back, the kitchen was tight but it had a stove and over and under oven unit, a sink and walk-in freezer.

  Sofia’s eyes were wide with wonder and delight.

  “Will this work? It’s small,” I asked.

  “I’ll need a commercial mixer, a refrigerator and a couple of worktables in here. The ovens look like they could use a good scrub but if they work, they’ll do.”

  “It will be tight.”

  She looked up at me. “It’s perfect.”

  Unable to help myself, I leaned forward and kissed her. I wanted to taste her joy and happiness.

  “Want to see the studio?” Jane asked.

  “Yes, please.”

  “The entrance is from the outside, but it’s right next door.”

  We followed Jane outside the bakery space to the next door.

  “There are several apartments in this building. If you didn’t want the studio, we might be able to negotiate just the bakery.”

  She opened the door to the apartment. It was tiny, but had all the requisite needs; bath, kitchen, closet and enough space for a bed and dresser.

  “It’s about five-hundred-and-fifty square feet,” Jane said.

  I looked to Sofia. “It’s small too.”

  She looked like she had entered the Land of Oz.

  “Let me give you time to look at it. I’ll meet you on the street.”

  “Thank you, Jane.”

  When she left, I watched as Sofia opened the few cabinets in the kitchen and checked out the tiny bathroom.

  When she came back in the living area, she said, “I can see myself here.”

  Disappointment pierced my gut, surprising me. This was what she wanted. I felt like a king being able to give it to her. So why was I also feeling like I was about to lose my best friend? “We should run the numbers before committing to it.”

  She nodded. “I’ll do it right away. I don’t want to lose this place.”

  Again, I felt a pang of sadness at her words.

  “It’s not far from your place. You can be my first regular.”

  I smiled, wanting to feel her joy and excitement. I loved that I was going to be able to deliver her dreams and yet I couldn’t feel happy about it. The fact that I couldn’t unsettled me.

  “Let’s go talk to Jane.”

  I was heading to the door, when Sofia launched herself into my arms. “Thank you, Jake.”

  I hugged her back. “It’s part of the deal.”

  She released me, and for the first time since she saw the building and realized what it was, her joy dissipated. I didn’t know why, but I kicked myself for saying something that made it disappear.

  I took her hand. “What will you call it?”

  “You don’t like Sofia’s Sweet Treats?” she said of her online business.

  “I love your sweet treats,” I said, giving her ass a pat and hoping I was able to convince her that I was excited for her.

  “Are we talking about baked goods?” She slanted her gaze up at me as we walked down the stairs toward the building exit.

  “No.” I winked.

  “If you’re lucky, you’ll get both kinds of Sofia’s sweet treats tonight.”

  My dick like that idea, but even he was a little subdued, considering we were going to celebrate her impending departure from our lives.

  We met with Jane in another café around the corner to get more details and then I left Sofia to run the numbers while I went back to the office.

  With each step, I hoped she’d think the rent was too high once my initial investment was done, which was crazy. This was the deal we made. She’d help me make partner and I’d help her get her bakery. So why was the idea of that finally happening making me feel like I’d been punched in the gut?

  Back at the office, I pushed my crazy feelings aside and got to work. This had been my goal and dream, and I was living it. Using the law to help my clients and punish others who did wrong or tried to take advantage of my clients was what I’d wanted in life. Sure, it was awesome to have Sofia there when I got home, ready to hear about my day and asking me to test her daily baking concoctions. I couldn’t deny how much I liked it when she climbed into my bed, warm, soft and naked, taking my body into hers.

  But that would pass. Everlasting love was a gimmick to sell movie tickets and romance novels. Tony was proof of that. Vera must have been fucking pissed at the fraud perpetuated by princess stories she was told while growing up.

  Why the hell was I even thinking about love? What Sofia and I had was a mutual respect and affection, explosive attraction and a shared desire to live our dreams. That wasn’t love. And while it was fun, it wasn’t something that would last forever.

  My phone rang, jarring me from my crazy thoughts. “Jake Dunne.”

  “Hey Jake, Tony.”

  Speak of the devil. “Tony, hi. What’s up?”

  “I’ll be heading to the city next week and thought we’d meet up for a beer or something.”

  “Sure.” I sat back in my seat, wondering if I should come right out and ask about his marriage.

  “Listen, how often do you see Sofia?” he asked.

  I stiffened as I wondered if I’d been caught. “Occasionally.”

  “Would you know why she was a bitch to me at my birthday and is giving me the brush off.”

  I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Maybe.”

  “Maybe? What kind of answer is that? We’re friends, dude. Friends share shit like that.”

  “Sofia is my friend too.”

  “What the fuck, man?”

  Worrying that he might read too much into my being Sofia’s friend, I said, “She saw the way you were with that Theresa woman.”

  “So? She and I are friends.”

  “I thought friends shared shit, Tony,” I blurted.

  There was silence on the other end of the phone. I’d been friends with Tony since kindergarten, so I knew his silence meant he was pissed.

  “Look, if you’re fucking around on your wife, that’s your business. But you’re an asshole to do it in front of her and your family.”

  “You don’t know shit, Jake.”

  “It’s your life man. It doesn’t matter if you lie to me, but you should think twice about lying to your family or yourself.”

  There was silence again. I was about to hang up when Tony said, “You have a life, Jake. You got out of this godforsaken town. I’m stuck.”

  I let out a breath. “I feel for you, Tony, but cheating on your wife doesn’t change your being stuck. It just makes you a cliché.”

  “Fuck you, man.”

  “You rather I blow smoke up your ass?” I turned in my chair to look out the window, as if the change of scenery would help this conversation. “You want me to say that it’s okay to lie to your wife and family? To stick your dick inside another woman? Another woman who’s married?”

  “I didn’t see you pushing her away at my party.”
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  “If you think I would have taken her up on her offer, you don’t know me, Jake.”

  “Oh, come on. Everyone knows Jake has had more women than any other man in this town.”

  “I’m not married and neither were they.”

  He scoffed. “So you have standards? You wouldn’t lie to have a good fuck?”

  Guilt skittered along my spine. I was lying to him about Sofia. I let out a breath. “Look, you asked me about Sofia and I told you. I think she’s disappointed that you’d cheat. She looks up to you, man. But what you do, it’s not my business. If you’re okay with it, who am I to tell you different?”

  “That’s right. You have no say.” He let out an explicative, then his voice changed. “I’m fucking drowning here.”

  “If you’re unhappy in your marriage, why not leave?” I could certainly recommend a good firm.

  “That’s just it. I love Vera. I love my kids.”

  That didn’t make sense.

  “It’s the rest of this shit. I woke up one day and realized I was running a restaurant and married with kids and none of it I planned. I’ve been fucking sleepwalking through life, and when I woke up, I didn’t like where I was.”

  “So leave,” I said again. “Take the wife and kids and make a new life.”

  “Doing what? I don’t have any college education like you. All I know is running a restaurant.” There was a long sigh. “Sofia was always the smarter one. She got out.”

  “Tony, it’s not too late for you. You have choices. If you need help, I can help—”

  “I don’t want your money.”

  “I’m not talking about money. I’m talking about support. Connections. Friendship.” I paused. “You first need to decide what you want. Once you do, you grow a pair of balls and go after it.”

  “It’s fucking easy for you to say.”

  “Why? None of what I have was given to me, Tony.” I thought about all I’d gone through to get what I had, including encouraging Tony’s sister to marry me so I could get a partnership. Tony would fucking flog me if he knew that. He’d call me a hypocrite while he did it, and he’d be right. Still, I went on. “I knew what I wanted and made it happen. I worked hard and had some failures. Only a weak man coasts through life, Tony. You’re not a weak man.”

  “We still on for that beer?”

  “Name the time and place.” When I got off the phone, I was even more unsettled than before. I knew everything I’d said to Tony was right, and yet, I was guilty too. I wasn’t cheating on Sofia, but I was betraying him and my family by living a lie in New York.

  The answer was to end this farce, but like Tony, I felt stuck in the hole I’d dug. If I ended things with Sofia now, the partners might get suspicious. Being a partner didn’t mean I was set for life. The partners could accuse me of some sort of fraud or conduct unbecoming and vote me out. It would be a weak case, considering they’d not voted me in because of my work but because I’d been married, but they’d deny that. Whatever the case, it could be harmful to my reputation, which could hurt my career.

  Then there were my relationships with Tony, his family and my own family. I could only imagine what Sofia’s family would think of me marrying her so I could get a promotion. Especially if it came out that I was fucking her.

  Nope, I wasn’t much better than Tony at all.

  15

  Sofia

  I felt like I was walking on air. The location Jake found for my bakery was perfect. A little small maybe, but the location was excellent and, as a bonus, it included a place to live. It was a little small too, but I was a small person and didn’t have a lot of stuff. The only issue was whether or not I could afford the rent once I was on my own. I still couldn’t believe Jake was willing to finance my startup, especially in exchange for help on his partnership, something he surely would have eventually gotten on his own. I almost felt guilty about it.

  The first thing I did when I got back to his apartment was to start running the numbers. The rent was high, but that was partly because of the location and partly because it included a studio apartment. But if I could keep my overhead to a reasonable amount and sell enough baked goods, I could manage. A thrill ran up my spine. I was excited and yet nervous too. Could I really do this? Could I really own my own bakery? Having grown up with parents who owned a restaurant, I’d learned a lot about owning a food-related business, but I’d never run one before.

  You can do this, Sofia.

  I read through the lease again, just to make sure I wasn’t missing an obscure item that could hurt me legally or financially. Jake had said it was fairly typical, but that he’d go over it again when he got home.

  I also checked my numbers, not just for running the bakery but the things I’d need to buy to get it up and running. The place would also need a good scrub and new décor. I figured I could do that on my own, perhaps with some help from my friends.

  Feeling excited, I decided I needed to thank Jake. He was a fan of frosting, so I started baking some sugar cookies and cupcakes, both of which had frosting. As it neared time for him to be home, I rushed back to my room and changed my clothes. Or, more accurately, took my clothes off and put on my apron. He’d told me once about a fantasy of me just in my apron. I figured it was the least I could do, since he was funding my bakery.

  Then I headed back to the kitchen where I filled my piping bag with frosting and began to swirl it on the cupcakes.

  When the door opened, another thrill went through me, although it wasn’t about my bakery.

  “Sofia?” Jake called.

  “In the kitchen.”

  I heard a growl when he entered. His hands slid over my ass. “You forgot your pants.”

  I laughed. “Did I?”

  I turned around to him.

  “You’re a wet dream come true.” He pressed his hips against mine to show me his reaction. I always felt so feminine and powerful that I could do that to him.

  I looked up into his eyes, and while I saw desire, I also saw fatigue or concern. “Is everything okay?”

  “Yep.” He leaned over and kissed my neck. “Mmm, you taste sweet, Sofia.” He loosened the tie on my apron. “I want to taste you all over.” He lifted me to sit on the counter, pushing the cupcakes aside. With a wicked gleam in his eye, he swiped a finger through the frosting bowl and ran it along my collarbone. He followed it with his tongue, so soft and warm, it made my blood heat.

  He pulled the apron off of me, and then his eyes took inventory of me sitting naked on the counter.

  “Yep, a wet dream come true.” He picked up my piping bag, and holding it closed at the top as I’d shown him before, he used his other hand to squeeze a dollop of frosting through the open star tip onto one nipple and then the other. His gaze lifted to mine, and the heat and wild desire I saw there made my pussy clench. He ran his finger around the bowl again, and then brushed the frosting on my lips, again following it with his tongue before kissing me.

  I felt his heat and passion all the way to my toes. I wanted to pull him close, to feel his cock against my pussy, but he pulled back. He held my breasts in his hands, and then he ran his tongue around my nipple before sucking it into his mouth and devouring the frosting. He made an mmm sound that reverberated through my whole body.

  “Jake.”

  “You taste so good, Sofia.” He sucked the frosting off my other nipple, and I gasped as need coiled tighter in my belly.

  He lifted his head, his eyes blazing hot. “I want more.” He picked up the piping bag again and pushed my thighs apart. My pussy throbbed as I realized what he planned to do.

  “You don’t need this because you taste sweet already.” He squeezed the sweet confection over my other lips. He set it down, and then leaned over, his hands opening my thighs wider. “Fuck, this is going to be good.”

  “Jake.” My voice was a cross between a moan and begging, as I ran my fingers through his thick, dark hair.

  “Hold on, Sofia. I’m going to drive you crazy.”


  Electric sparks shot through my body at his words. He wasn’t even touching me yet and already I felt like I was on the verge of combusting.

  “Yes, Jake, eat me.”

  He growled and then ran his tongue along my thigh.

  “Don’t tease me,” I begged him, as I pulled his head toward my pussy.

  Thankfully, he didn’t torture me. His tongue slid through my folds, sending a delicious wave of pleasure through me.

  “Yes, yes…more…please, more.”

  He swirled his tongue at my pussy entrance and then ran it up again, lightly brushing my clit.

  My hips were already gyrating with need. My breath was coming quicker. “Make me come, Jake.”

  “Let me feast here, Sof. You taste so fucking good.” His mouth was on me again, sending a torrent of need and pleasure whipping through my body. I wanted it to last forever and at the same time, I needed to come now.

  He sucked my clit and I cried out, as pressure ratcheted up. “Yes…more…”

  Then his tongue was inside me, lapping my pussy walls. I moaned as my hips moved, trying to fuck his tongue.

  “So good, Jake… I love your mouth on me…”

  He worked my pussy, alternating between my clit and entrance until I was writhing and begging for release.

  “Oh God…oh God…” My fingers gripped his head, holding him to my pussy. I had to come or die.

  “Come on, Sof,” he said. “I want to drink your juice.” With that, his tongue thrust inside me as his thumb flicked over my clit and he shot me to the stars. I screamed out his name as my whole body convulsed and spasmed in an orgasm that went on and on.

  I was still throbbing in bliss when he straightened and kissed me hard. I could taste myself, a mixture of me and sugary frosting.

  “I have to fuck you,” he said as his hands went to his pants. It occurred to me then, that my goal had been to seduce him.

  “I want a turn.” I pushed him back and undid his shirt.

  “I can’t wait,” he said, shoving his pants and boxer briefs down in one movement.

  I picked up the piping bag. “I’m hungry too, Jake.”

  He groaned. “Honey, I won’t last long.”