Falling For My Best Friend's Brother (5 page)

“Alice, it’s your turn again.” Aiden’s voice distracted me from my thoughts, and I blinked slowly as I gazed at him, momentarily forgetting I was twenty-two and not still thirteen.

“Sorry,” I said softly and picked up the dice and rolled them gently. I wondered if he remembered our conversation from that night. I wondered if he remembered how he told me to wait for Mr. Right. I wondered if he knew that I thought he was the one. I wondered what he would think if he knew of the plans I had for the two of us. I sighed inwardly as I thought of those plans. A part of me told me to just be patient and let fate play its hand, but the other part of me was too impatient to wait any longer.

Chapter Five

Not All Athletes Are in Shape

Have you ever experienced that emotion that feels like it could become tears or laughter in the same moment? It’s like your head can’t quite decide how you want to express your feelings. Seeing Aiden at flag football practice, the week after game night, in his black shorts and skintight white T-shirt was one of those moments for me. I was so overwhelmed by emotions that for a few seconds I felt as if the air had been punched out of me.

“Alice, what are you doing?” Liv pushed me forward as I’d just stopped moving in the middle of the field.

“Aiden,” I said weakly as my knees started to crumble. My heart was racing and my face was burning. I have to admit I felt like I was ten again and seeing my childhood crush, Tommy Walker, sitting in my English class flipping his long blond surfer-like hair.

“You’re doing Aiden?” Liv laughed at me. “Say what?” she said as she stared at me and giggled. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” I took a large gulp of fresh air and started to walk again.

“Hey, Liv. Hey, Alice.” Aiden smiled and gave us both a quick wave before continuing to stretch.

“Hi,” I said breathlessly.

“Hey, nerd brain,” Liv shouted at him and then started laughing as he shook his head. I could tell from his expression that he was surprised to see us there.

“Grow up, Liv.” Aiden shook his head and he looked as if he wanted to say something else, but he didn’t. Instead he looked at me and gave me a small smile before speaking. “Hey, Alice.”

“Hey,” I responded back with a small smile, my heart racing. I wanted to say more than “Hey.” I wanted to say something witty and funny. I wanted to make him laugh and think to himself, “Wow, that Alice is funny, beautiful and smart. I need to get with her now!” Of course, me being me, all I said was “hey.”

“So you two are interested in football now?” He raised an eyebrow at us as he continued stretching. “Or are you interested in the guys?”

“Very funny, Aiden,” Liv said in a high tone. “My boyfriend had better not hear you say that.”

“Hear him say what?” Xander suddenly appeared out of nowhere, and I watched as he looked Liv over appreciatively, as if he wanted to eat her up. I wished that Aiden would look at me the same way.

“Aiden was saying we’re here to meet guys,” Liv said in a decidedly snarky voice and I wanted to groan. Because what Aiden had said was partly true, only it was just me to meet men. And the man I was interested in getting to know better was him.

“Are you?” Xander grinned at her. “Because that would be awkward if you wanted to meet a guy here. What with me being here and all.”

“Oh, really?” Liv said with her hands on her hips. “That’s it? It would be awkward? That’s all you have to say?”

“You don’t think it would be awkward?”

“So you would be cool with me trying to hook up with another guy?” She sounded pissed, and I wanted to shake her. “You’d be fine, but slightly awkward?”

“Obviously not.” Xander sighed. “Would it make you feel better if I said I would punch the guy in the face?”

“I don’t believe in violence,” Liv said with a straight face and then she giggled. “But yes, that makes me feel better.”

“Hey, Liv!” Henry shouted as he ran onto the field. Henry was Xander’s younger brother and he was divine looking. He had the same short dark hair and green eyes as Xander, and he was built like a soccer player, with long lean legs, muscular thighs and calves and a torso that looked like it had been carved by Michelangelo. “Hey, Alice.” He grinned at me and whistled. “You two are looking mighty fine for a game of flag football.”

“Thank you.” I grinned at him as Liv laughed. I could see Xander and Aiden frowning as Henry walked up to us both and gave us a quick hug.

“I didn’t know you girls were into football,” he said as he stepped back.

“Well, you know.” I shrugged, wanting to make sure Liv didn’t say something stupid. “We wanted to get our exercising on.”

“Yeah, we want washboard stomachs,” Liv continued. “And perky asses.”

“I wouldn’t be complaining if either of you were my woman.” Henry winked at us, and we both giggled.

“You know, Alice is single,” Liv said and my face went beet red as Henry looked at me with an interested eye. “You guys should go out some time.”

“I would like that.” He nodded as he looked me up and down. “I would like that a lot.”

“Shall we get started with the game?” Aiden’s voice interrupted the moment and his eyes were shooting daggers at me as I looked over at him. “This is a field for flag football, not the local meet-up site for Match.com.”

“Don’t be a jerk.” Liv shook her head at her brother and then looked at me and winked. “If Henry and Alice want to make plans to go on a hot date, then let them.”

“Liv, seriously, grow up.” Aiden’s voice was stiff and he turned around and blew a whistle. “Hey, guys, we’re about to get started.” He shouted out to all the other people in the field. “Please gather around so we can pick teams.”

“Bossy-boots as usual,” Liv whispered to me as we walked to stand in the crowd of people in front of Aiden. “I swear I don’t know why you want to date him. He’s just way too annoying and obnoxious.”

“Maybe that bossiness will be good in the bedroom,” I whispered back to her. “Maybe it won’t be as annoying.”

“You’ll have to let me know.” She giggled. “Well, not any specific details, just if the sex makes up for it all.”

“If we even get to have sex.” I sighed. “At the rate this is going, it’ll be a while.”

“What will be a while?” Xander asked me as he stood next to us.

“Her and Aiden hooking up in the bedroom,” Liv answered.

“I thought you guys have already hooked up?” He looked confused.

“Yeah, we had sex
once
,” I said. “But I’m wondering if we will have sex again.” For some reason, my voice grew louder and as I spoke, I realized that the field was silent and there were a few people looking at me.

“Are you ready, Alice?” Aiden said sarcastically as he stared at me. “Or would you like us to wait while you discuss your sex life?”

“Please go ahead,” I squeaked out and glared at him.
Insufferable pig
. I looked away from him, angry that I had somehow turned back to my teenage self around him. I was older now. More confident. More capable. I wasn’t some immature little teenager anymore. I was an adult, and I wasn’t going to allow Aiden to make me feel like some naughty little kid. At least, not outside of the bedroom.

***

“I’m glad you’re on my team.” Henry smiled at me as we stood at the end of the field, panting.

“Me too.” I smiled and took a deep breath. My heart was racing from all the running, and I just wanted to collapse onto the ground.

“The other team seems to be way too serious.” He laughed and we watched as Aiden and Xander kept throwing the ball back and forth.

“I don’t know how Aiden and Xander wound up on the same team.” I laughed. “It almost seems unfair. Though I’m glad because that means I’m not paired with either of them.”

“Poor Liv.” Henry grinned and we watched as she kept yelling at the two men to pass her the ball.

“I know.” I laughed. “Do you think we should run down there and try and grab the flags?”

“Nah, not yet.” He shook his head. “Our teammates can handle the defense for now. Seems like you still need to catch your breath.”

“Yeah.” I nodded, not feeling embarrassed that he’d noticed what bad shape I was in. “I guess that’s what I get for working in an office.”

“What do you do?” he asked curiously.

“Nothing fun.” I laughed. “I’m an assistant, secretary, receptionist for a real estate company.” I made a face. “It’s boring, but it pays the bills until I can do what I want to do.”

“What do you want to do?”

“I’d love to be an actress.” I smiled at him. “Isn’t that what everyone says that works as an assistant?”

“No, I think that’s what baristas normally say.”

“True,” I agreed and sighed. “Okay, that was a bit of a lie. I don’t really want to be an actress.”

“Oh?” He looked confused. “That’s a weird lie.”

“I know.” I shook my head. “I’m an idiot. It just sounded more glorious than what I really want to do.”

“What’s that, then?” He scratched his forehead. “Let me guess.”

“Okay, then, guess.” I smiled.

“You want to be a preservationist and preserve insects?”

“Eww, no.” I giggled.

“Okay, let me guess again.” He pursed his lips and looked thoughtful, his green eyes alive with humor as he gazed at me. “You want to model lingerie at Victoria’s Secret?”

“No!” I said emphatically, and he laughed.

“A man can hope.” He winked at me and I could feel myself blushing. Was he flirting with me?

“That’s never going to happen. That would be my worst nightmare.”

“What would be your worst nightmare?” Liv came running towards me, her face a deep red and her eyes looking crazy and wild from all the exercise.

“Me being a lingerie model.”

“What?” She stopped dead in her tracks and started laughing. “Who’s gone and offered you that job, then?”

“No one offered me that job.” I shook my head and rolled my eyes. “Henry was just saying that—”

“Liv!” Aiden ran up to us and shouted at his sister. “Stop bloody talking.” He glared at her and blew his whistle. “Everyone stop!”

“What’s up with the whistle?” Liv looked confused as all the players came to a halt. “What’s going on?”

“That’s what I want to know.” Aiden frowned and gazed at me for a second before looking away. “Alice and Henry aren’t doing anything, and now you’re just standing there talking as well. Are you guys sure you want to be a part of these games?”

“I was playing!” Liv shouted. “I just stopped because Alice was telling me about her offer to be a lingerie model.”

“I didn’t say I was offered that job.” I groaned.

“I think there has been some confusion,” Henry spoke up. “Alice hasn’t been offered that as a job yet, it’s just her dream job to be a lingerie model at Victoria’s Secret.”

“No, it’s not!” I screeched and looked at Aiden beseechingly. “Henry asked me if I wanted to model lingerie, and I said no.”

“I don’t care what the two of you talk about.” Aiden’s eyes narrowed as he gazed at me and shook his head. “Save your personal talk for after the game is done.”

“I … ugh.” I closed my mouth in frustration. “I am playing. I was just trying to catch my breath because I was feeling a little tired from all the running back and forth.”

“Maybe you can take her to your gym and help her work out,” Liv suggested. “What do you say, Aiden?”

“I guess.” He frowned, and my heart thudded at the thought of some one-on-one time with Aiden.

“You can come to my gym if you want.” Henry grinned at me. “I make a great personal trainer.”

“Oh, thanks.” I looked at him with wide eyes. This wasn’t part of the plan. I’d thought that Henry was just being nice to me, but now I wasn’t so sure. Was he flirting with me for real?

“I think it would be fun.” He winked at me. “Plus, then we can finish this conversation without having a whistle blown at us.”

“Finish what conversation?” Aiden’s eyes narrowed and he took a step towards us.

“Alice was telling me what she wants to be when she grows up.” Henry smiled, seemingly unaware of the fact that Aiden wasn’t looking very happy.

“She wants to be a casting agent for reality show TV stars.” Aiden glanced at me as he spoke. “Though it kills me to call anyone who goes on a reality TV show a star.”

“How did you know that?” I asked him in surprise.

“How could I not know that?” He shrugged. “You’ve mentioned it a billion times.”

“I didn’t know you ever bothered listening to me,” I said softly.

“I always listen to you, Alice,” he said, his eyes boring into mine intensely. However, I couldn’t figure out what his gaze was telling me. Did he listen to me because he liked me or because I just talked too much?

“So that’s why you said actress?” Henry put his arm around my shoulder, and I wanted to groan as Aiden pursed his lips and took a step back. I could see Liv’s eyes gleaming at me with joy and excitement. She seemed to be the only one loving this little chat.

“Yeah, actress seemed a more dignified answer than casting for
The Bachelor
.” I smiled at him, my face reddening as he rubbed the top of my shoulders innocently. Or at least, I thought he was rubbing them innocently.

“I don’t know.” He laughed. “Both seem to be pretty naughty professions.”

“Naughty?” I looked at him with a curious expression. “Why naughty?”

“Are you two ready to play?” Xander interrupted this time, his green eyes looking at me with disapproval.

“I’ve been ready,” I said in reply. “It wasn’t me who stopped the game, it was Aiden.”

“Yeah, Xander. It was Aiden who blew his whistle, like some sort of trumped-up referee.” Liv glared at Xander. “This is just meant to be a friendly game. This isn’t the NFL.”