How to Date Your Brother's Best Friend

by Karigan Hale

  Their parents, on the other hand, always seemed to look down their noses at him and Xavier. They constantly called them "Those Scholarship Kids" even when they knew Zander was listening. Nope, definitely didn't appreciate their son rubbing elbows with anyone less than them socially. One of the main reasons he'd moved to Atlanta was so he didn't have to keep fighting the poor boy, scholarship kid stigma his entire life.

  Speaking of rubbing elbows, though, feeling Lizzie's soft skin as he massaged her arm was an unexpected highlight of the afternoon. He tried to think of an excuse—any excuse—to touch her the entire afternoon. Her clumsiness was the perfect opportunity. He saw her gooseflesh at his touch, just like he saw her blush when he admired her in the bathroom. He definitely had an effect on her. He just had to figure out his end game.

  And the best way to get it.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Sometimes, Lizzie hated being right. Like she had feared, she did not sleep well that night. She kept seeing Zander's intense tiger eyes filling with heat as he mentally undressed her. Then imagining what it would feel like if he actually undressed her. And then remembering what it felt like as he massaged her elbow. Who knew an elbow could be an erogenous zone? Then, imagining what it would feel like if he massaged her everywhere else.

  Then she'd remember his stupid, knowing, teasing half-smirk. Asshole. He did it on purpose. She hoped he had as much trouble sleeping as she did. But probably not. She was just a tiny blip on his radar. As tiny as her breasts compared to his other girlfriends.

  Her heavy kitty alarm clock couldn't have cared less about her lack of sleep. He pounced on her chest at a little past 8 in the morning.

  "Peabody," she whined. "Can't we go back to 9:30? That was nice yesterday." He meowed in her face in response.

  "Fine," she said yawning. She stretched and grabbed her phone from the charger beside her bed before following Peabody to the kitchen. "Coffee first, though."

  Coffee made. Cat fed. Phone messages checked. Cereal eaten. Lizzie was ready to start her day. She wasn't opening McConnell's tonight, either. She checked the weather. She could fit in a quick run before it got too blazing hot.

  Maybe she could work off some of her pent-up frustration over Zander as well. She hadn't even thought about him very often until Xavier came to work for McConnell's. Then, when she found her old diary the other day, it was like she conjured him out of thin air. What were the chances really?

  And now, just like high school, he took up valuable space in her already cluttered brain. She didn't have time for a stupid crush on a temporary, out-of-town boy. She didn't have time for a stupid crush on a boy who wouldn't look at her twice.

  Although, he had pretty much made up the excuse to come to her house. And he had invited her to the bonfire on Thursday. And he had flirted with her even if it was just to see her reaction. She'd call that more than twice.

  "Stop it, Lizzie," she said as she pounded the pavement around her neighborhood. "He is not interested in you." And who cares if he was? It wasn't going anywhere. She was more of a settle down kind of girl. He was more of a one-night stand kind of guy.

  Zander made it clear he had no intention of moving back here. Which made him temporary. Her heart couldn't handle that, she knew it. Especially with its tumultuous history with this particular Drake brother already. Call it a silly high school crush or whatever, but those feelings had felt really real to her then. And it didn't take a lot of digging to remember them now.

  She finished her run having not really come to any conclusions about Zander except at least he would be out of her life again in a short amount of time. And out of sight meant out of mind.

  In the meantime, she'd just have to try her hardest to push him to the deepest, darkest corner of her mind. That resolution was tested right away as she undressed for her shower. She kept picturing the look in Zee's eyes as he glanced from the tub, to the shower, and back at her. No wonder he had a lot of girlfriends. His smolder was on point. If she hadn't run out, she might have thrown her panties at him and gave him a reason to open the condom he held.

  Okay. Maybe not that far. But it did take a valiant effort not to climb his body. His reputation for being a playboy helped squash her libido since she was not the playboy dating type. Or rather playboys did not date her type.

  As she started getting dressed after her shower, she noticed the boxes of keep clothes she'd stacked in the corner of her bedroom. She might as well try on the dresses she'd kept for Brendan's wedding. Then she could donate the other one when she had another pile.

  She grabbed the small box of keep stuff and, trying to avoid stepping on Peabody who was dead set on making her trip, she took it to her bedroom. The first dress she and her mother had actually agreed on. Lizzie had worn it to some function of her father's a few years back. It was a deep navy blue and fit her body like a glove. The back was low cut and held together with a single thin elastic strap. It had an asymmetrical cut across the bottom which, with it's all over tiny sequence, made her feel like a ballroom dancer when she first put it on. Or an ice skater. Either way, she felt pretty and yet athletic, even when her mom made her pair the dress with high heels. Looking at herself in the mirror now, she still had that ballroom dancer feeling, but thought it might be a little too flashy for an outdoor mid-afternoon wedding. Still, she thought she'd keep it just in case.

  The second dress was a bit more subtle. This one she had bought on her own to change into once her mother had left the last gala Lizzie had been forced to attend. Her mom insisted she wear a full-length ball gown—now a member of the donation pile. Lizzie felt ridiculous in it and kept knocking hors d'oeuvres off the tables with the ridiculously large skirt. She wasn't used to taking up so much space. As soon as her mother left, which was early thank goodness, Lizzie raced to the bathroom to change into this form-fitting but not overly tight dress instead. A deep green brought out the jade of her eyes and her milky white skin. The dress skimmed the floor and had a high slit on one side. The thing she loved most was it only had one sleeve which left her other shoulder and arm bare. Lady on one side; party on the other. The fabric was fluid and soft and best of all comfortable. Yup, winner to wear to the wedding. Comfort over fashion every time.

  She did one more twirl in the mirror and was about to take it off when her phone rang. She frowned, puzzled. No one ever called her—they just texted.

  "It's Lizzie," she said when she answered.

  "Lizzie! Thank God you answered. I tried Brendan, but it went to voicemail. You have to come down here immediately," Gabby's frantic voice came over the line.

  "What happened? Are you okay?" Lizzie said, throwing on a pair of shoes and running towards the door.

  "I'm fine, but McConnell's looks like a bomb hit it. I think," Gabby paused to stifle a sob. "I think someone broke in."

  "Did you call the police?" Lizzie asked grabbing her helmet out of habit.

  "Yes. They're on their way. But I thought you or Brendan should be here, too."

  "Do you think anyone is still inside? Get somewhere safe. Lock yourself in your car if you have to. I'm on my way," Lizzie said. "Keep trying to get in touch with Brendan. And call Xavier as well. If he's home, he's the closest."

  "Okay. Okay. I can do that," Gabby said. She took a deep breath. "I'm better now I know you guys are coming."

  "See you soon." Lizzie said and hung up. She put the phone in her shoulder bag and threw her leg over the bike. Shit, she still had on the green dress. For an instant she thought about running back inside and changing but quickly dismissed that idea so she could get to Gabby faster. Oh well, hopefully she didn't ruin the dress. But even if she did, she could always buy a new one. She gathered up the long end and tied it around her waist, gunned the engine and took off down the street.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Zander let out a low whistle as he and Xavier pulled up in front of McConnell's. The front window was completely smashed, and the door frame splintered. A broken bar stool lay on the sidewalk
outside. The business next to the bar also had some visible damage, but McConnell’s got the brunt of it. A police officer stopped them as they approached the caution tape holding back the other looky-loos who had congregated on the sidewalk.

  "Keep moving gentlemen," the officer said gruffly.

  "I'm Xavier Drake. I work here."

  The officer checked his notebook. "Alright, son. You can come through. We were told to expect you." He put a hand up to stop Zander from ducking under the tape. "And who are you?"

  "I'm Xavier's brother. Just here to help," Zander explained.

  The cop turned to Xavier for confirmation. "Yeah, he's with me." The cop stepped aside to let them both through.

  The inside didn't fare much better than the outside. The first thing Zander noticed was the mirror behind the bar which had cracks running through the length of it. The liquor bottles that usually stood on the shelves were almost all broken and smashed. What a waste. The perpetrators could have at least taken some. Was their sole purpose just vandalism?

  The second thing Zander noticed was Lizzie standing in the middle of the broken tables and chairs, surrounded by shattered glass and strewn napkins looking like a fractured fairy tale princess in a floor length green gown that hugged her form like a lover. He stood frozen in place. Besides a school uniform, he didn't think he'd ever seen Lizzie in a dress much less in a gown that accentuated her perfectly round ass. The door shut behind them and a thin sliver of light from the window hit her like a spotlight. Her curls flew wild and untamed around in the slight breeze from the broken window. She turned towards them.

  And holy shit! His heart threatened to beat out of his chest as his mini-me saluted to attention. One side of the dress had a slit all the way up to the top of her muscular thigh. Dangerously close to home base. He followed the line of her leg up her body to her bare shoulder.

  Bare shoulder. No bra strap. No bra. Zander sucked in a breath. He could vividly imagine tasting the spot where her neck met her shoulder. Running his tongue over her collar bone. Sucking on one of her taut nipples and making her moan. He couldn't stop staring. Who knew Little Lizard hid such a rocking body underneath her oversized t-shirts and jeans?

  "Wow," Xavier breathed beside him equally as stunned.

  "Take a picture, it'll last longer," Lizzie said. "Plus, it'll probably be the only time you see me in a dress."

  "Where were you dressed like that?" Xavier asked after swallowing hard.

  "Home. I was trying on some old clothes when Gabby called," she explained. She walked towards them, and the dress flowed around her like water. It brought out the intense green of her eyes which shone brightly in the dark, destroyed interior of the bar.

  "You look amazing," Zander breathed. He reached out to her, almost involuntarily, to rub his knuckles up her bare arm. He swore he felt her shudder at his touch. His mini-me definitely twinged again in response. Her skin was as smooth and flawless as the dress. He noticed several freckles sprinkled across her shoulder. He'd forgotten about them.

  "Thanks," she said and moved her arm out of his reach. She turned her attention to Xavier. "Gabby and Brendan are in the back with a detective giving statements. I'm going to grab a broom to start cleaning up. We need to assess the damage."

  "Zee and I will sweep," Xavier said. "Why don't you run to my place and borrow a shirt and sweatpants or something. You can't clean up this mess with that dress on."

  "It's fine. I can tie it up," she said waving away his suggestion. She reached down to pull the edge of the dress up. The spilled alcohol already stained the hem a darker green.

  "Really, Lizzie. I only live around the corner. It'll take you like 10 minutes tops," Xavier insisted. He thrust his keys at her. "I don't think Zander is going to be able to concentrate if you stay here in that anyway."

  "Zander won't?" Zander said raising his eyebrows at his little brother. "Is he the only one?"

  Lizzie hesitated a moment, then capitulated, "Fine. Thanks. I'll be back as soon as I can." When she grabbed her helmet from the table by the door, both brothers gave each other a disbelieving look and followed her out of the bar.

  "Did she really ride her motorcycle here?" Xavier asked.

  "In that dress?" Zander finished.

  When she hiked the long end of the dress up to tie in a knot at her waist and straddled the bike, Zander had to force his legs not to buckle. So. Fucking. Hot. She expertly turned the bike and gave a little wave as she drove out of sight with the dress billowing slightly behind her. He'd never wanted to be a motorcycle so badly in his entire life.

  "Holy shit. I need a cold shower," Zander said. Xavier rolled his eyes at his brother, but Zander could tell from the slight flush on his neck he felt it, too. It being an uncomfortable bulge in his jeans due to Nick's little sister's body in that dress.

  Xavier hit him in the chest with the back of his hand. "Come on, Man Whore. Since you're here, I'm putting you to work."

  Xavier found some newspaper to block the window until they found a more suitable solution. Zander tried to focus on moving the bigger pieces of furniture, so they could sweep. But he couldn't erase the vision of Lizzie hiking up her gown to ride her motorcycle. He'd had fantasies about her on a motorcycle before. Now they were even more vivid. And surprisingly included her clothed. Walking around with a constant hard-on was, well, hard.

  Xavier had just finished taping up the last piece of newspaper when they heard Lizzie's motorcycle outside.

  "Man, you were quick," Zander said as she pushed through the front door.

  "I wanted to get back as quickly as I could to help," she said. Zander took in her new attire—a faded University of Maryland t-shirt tied in a knot at her back and a too big pair of grey sweatpants hanging low on her waist revealing just a thin band of skin around her middle—and surprised himself with his strong physical reaction to her in this get-up, too. Lizzie Vandevere was all grown-up and, as much as she probably hated to admit it, all female.

  She strolled right past him to the back of the bar and returned moments later with a huge broom. Zander couldn't stop stealing glances at her while they worked. He continued to stack salvageable pieces in one corner and the bigger broken pieces in the other. She swept the areas he uncovered. Every time she bent over to use the dustpan, those loose sweatpants dipped dangerously low and revealed even more of her bare back. Which certainly didn't help his hard-on situation.

  "You know," Xavier said next to his ear startling him. "If you focused more on moving this furniture and less on Lizzie, we'd maybe get out of here sooner rather than later."

  "I'm not—I don't—I am working," Zander finally said, pulling his eyes away from Lizzie and picking up two chairs at once to take to the keep pile.

  He placed them next to the others and then took off his shirt. The summer heat, stifled by the blocked windows, made the small space unbearably hot. Plus, he was working hard despite what his brother thought. His heat flashes had nothing to do with the hot blonde with the broom.

  Nope. Not at all.

  Lizzie thought she heard the sound of the swinging door and glanced up to see if Brendan was finished with the police yet. She wanted to assure him that whatever insurance didn't cover, she could. Of course, with his stubborn "I can do it myself" streak she'd have to word it just right for him to agree.

  But it wasn't Brendan by the door; it was Zander. With his shirt off. And talk about taking a picture, she wanted to take like a thousand to add to her daydreams for years to come. She'd seen him without a shirt plenty of times when they were younger when he'd come over to swim. But damn he'd filled out nicely in the intervening years. No longer the lanky boy with hints of the musculature he would have as a man, but now those muscles were on display. And all man. And even better than the small glimpse she got at her parents' house.

  She followed the line of his drool-worthy six-pack down to his hips. His muscular obliques disappeared into the waistband of his jeans and pointed towards—wait. Did he have an erection? No
way. The dim light must be playing tricks on her.

  She forced her eyes away and tried to focus on her task. The place slowly started to resemble an empty barroom again and not a war zone. She'd managed to sweep most of the glass—casualties from their liquor inventory—from the bar top onto the floor and then into a pile. They'd have to get new taps and probably replace the lines as well. Brendan would know better since he replaced them all when he renovated the first time.

  She backed up to look under the bar counter and bumped into something solid behind her where there shouldn't have been anything solid. By the way her body reacted, she knew it was Zander before she looked.

  When she did turn around, she came face to face with that very lickable chest. In fact, if she just stuck her tongue out a little bit, she'd be able to lick his nipple...

  She stepped back before she could make a fool of herself. He grinned down at her. Too late.

  "Sorry to distract you," he said. "It's so hot in here. Feel free to shed your shirt, too, if you get too hot."

  She snorted. "In your dreams." She started to turn around, but he grabbed her hand. He ran his thumb over her palm like he did outside her bedroom yesterday. It sent a zip of electricity to her lady town.

  She fell into his amber striped eyes now packing some heat. Zander said, "Always in my dreams. Ever since high school."

  CHAPTER TEN

  A heat rose through her body. Lizzie thought maybe even her fingertips blushed. She pulled her hand away.

  "Ha. Ha. Very funny," she said, but her voice sounded breathier than she expected.

  "Lizzie?" Zander said quietly. "I'm not kidding. Why do you think I—"