In Love with My Brother's Best Friend: Complete Box Set (12 page)

That
was the smartest thing that ass had said all day. It was driving me
crazy that he was the one comforting her and telling her how great
she was. He didn't know her like I did. I knew how special she was.

“
I'm
not good enough, Chris,” she said through trembling lips. “I
never have been.”

“
That
is total bullshit,” he snapped. “Do you hear me? I will
never hear you say that again. You are better than everyone at that
wedding, including me. If anyone has ever done or said anything to
make you feel that way, it's because they weren't good enough for
you. You are the most amazing, beautiful, sweet, and caring woman I
know. You are the best, Tina. You deserve the best. It's them that
are not good enough for you. I wish I knew where all of this was
coming from. I knew you stayed away, and I knew you were going to
have a hard time coming here, but there is something going on. I wish
you would talk to me.”

She
burst into tears, and I heard her crying muffle. He must have been
hugging her.

“
I'm
taking you back to the room,” Chris said.

I
wanted her in my arms. That was where she belonged. She wasn't
supposed to be with him. I wanted to throw her over my shoulder,
carry her to my suite, and tell her all of the things I had been
thinking about all those years. There was no way I could leave Tim
drunk in the club. His new wife would kill me. I waited until Tina
and Chris were gone before continuing to the bathroom like originally
planned.

All
I could think about as I walked back to Tim was what Tina had said in
the parking lot about not being there when she woke up. It was for
the best. I had to do it. Why didn't she see that?

Tina

I
felt horrible for the meltdown I had in the hallway with Chris. It
wasn't like me. I kept that shit inside, even around him. He'd seen a
side of me my other friends hadn't, but I'd just given him a display
like no other. He was great about it and let me know I was good
enough. I wasn't sure I believed him, but he did his best. Being
around Jackson brought back feelings I had tried so hard to push down
into my deepest depths. Maybe coming home wasn't such a good idea
after all.

We
got to the room and Chris tucked me into my bed. He crawled in next
to me and held me while we watched part of a show. I felt my eyes
beginning to close and looked up at him.

“
Thank
you so much for everything,” I said. “I know this wasn't
your idea of how the weekend would go. It wasn't mine either. I
thought I'd be much stronger than I have been. I am so sorry for
dragging you into all this. I promise to make it up to you. I hope
you'll cross state lines again with me. It will be nothing like this
next time.”

He
laughed and hugged me tight.

“
I'm
going to bed. Why don't you go down and salvage whatever you can of
the rest of the night. Find a hottie and hook up. The club is great.
You have at least another hour down there. Have some fun for me,”
I said.

He
kissed my forehead, shut off the light, and pulled my door shut
behind him. It felt like my eyes were pulling tightly to close, and I
was out in minutes.

Jackson

It
had been well over an hour since she had gone back to her room. I was
watching the clock.

We'd
been at the club for hours, and Tim was trashed. Normally, I wouldn't
have minded cutting loose with him, but that night was different. Tim
and I used to party often. We'd get to a club when it opened and be
there when it closed. So many years had passed since then. It was
obvious he didn't drink much, and I was always too busy with work to
go out and get drunk. Sure I drank at social business functions, but
it had been years since I had just gone out and gotten wasted.

Tim
was already going to have a headache in the morning, and I didn't
want it to get any worse. Part of me knew sleep would be better for
me than what my mind was doing. I wanted the weekend to be over, so I
could go home and get back to real life. If I wasn't going to be
standing next to Tim at the wedding, I might have actually gone home
to avoid the following day. It was time to call it a night. I
couldn't stand it anymore. I had done my job and made sure the groom
had a great night, even though all I could think about was his
sister. I grabbed Tim by the shoulders.

“
It's
time to get some sleep man. I promised your wife you'd be on time
tomorrow for your wedding. She'll kill me if you walk in looking like
this,” I said.

Tim
let out a loud laugh. I pulled him to his feet and turned him toward
the club exit. My eyes landed on Chris, and I quickly turned Tim back
around. Chris was sitting in a booth, but he wasn't alone. I watched
for a few moments. He leaned in and was kissing the person next to
him. It wasn't Tina. My blood was boiling. I had no idea what I was
going to do. If Tim saw what I was seeing, all hell would have broken
loose. He'd either kill him or ruin his own wedding. I had no idea
how it would go and wasn't about to bail him out of jail. I also
wasn't about to explain to Renee why he had been there in the first
place.

I
knew I had to get both of us out of there without Chris seeing us or
Tim seeing him. If Chris saw us, that would give him time to cover
his ass with Tina. I wasn't having that shit. My goal was to get Tim
to the room and come back to the club to see what Chris was up to.
That fucker wasn't getting away with cheating on Tina. I didn't want
to upset her before the wedding, but she wasn't going home with him
without knowing what kind of man he was.

It
made me even more pissed thinking about Tina crying and saying she
wasn't good enough. That asshole had been the same one that told her
how she deserved the best. One thing he said was true. She was better
than him. How could he kiss someone else while she was upstairs
asleep in their room? Would he go back and sleep with her? My fists
clenched as I watched him kissing another woman. Chris pulled back
from the kiss and I verified positively that it wasn't Tina he was
kissing. My jaw dropped and my eyes widened. It was a man. What the
hell, I thought? Chris was laughing, as he pulled the guy back in for
another kiss. He didn't have the tiniest look of remorse on his face.
I wanted to knock the shit out of him, but that would have to wait.

I
walked Tim around to the other side of the club and made sure to
angle him away from the booth Chris was in, as I guided him through
the doors and into the hotel. As quickly as I could, I got Tim to my
suite and made sure he was safely in bed. Then I darted back to the
elevator and pushed the button over and over willing it to move
faster. My feet flew me to that club. When I walked in, Chris was
nowhere to be found. I looked around the entire place and through the
hallways. He was gone.

I
went back to my suite and fell into my bed. The more I tried to
sleep, the more pissed off I was. I stared up at the ceiling until
about eight o'clock. Tim was still knocked out. I couldn't do it
anymore and took off out my door wearing the same clothes I had
fallen into bed in. What room was she in, I wondered? The receipt, I
thought. I pulled it out of my wallet and found the room number. She
had to know. I had to see her.

Tina

I
slept all night and woke up while it was still dark out. All I could
think about was Jackson and how damn sexy he looked. It was going to
be a very long day, and I knew I needed something to help take the
stress away. The room was quiet, and I knew Chris was still asleep,
if he had even come back.

I
reached beneath the sheet and let my hand slide beneath my panties.
My mind went to the one place it always did when I pleasured myself.
It went to that night on the beach. The very same beach I could have
walked out and stood on. The image of Jackson standing above me as he
removed his pants and let his cock spring free was so clear. He was
muscular and sexy. I knew his body would have been so muscular if I
had seen it again. I closed my eyes and let my fingers run over my
wet path. I could see Jackson hovering over me with his cock at my
entrance. He slid into me inch by inch. Then he thrust in deep, and I
moaned into the dark air of my room. It was like I could feel him
there with me. I could feel his warm, soft lips on mine claiming me.
His tongue fought mine for control. It would feel so damn good to
taste him. I remembered his fingers on my clit as he fucked me deep
and hard. My other hand moved up my t-shirt and I rolled my nipple
through my fingers. My back arched into my touch. I let my fingers
below move down and thrust one into my pussy. When I moaned his name,
I thought about how good it sounded when he moaned mine. It was one
of the only moments he used my real name. What I wouldn't have done
in that moment to have Jackson filling me again. I pushed another
finger into my pussy and fucked myself hard and deep with them. The
closer I got to the edge, the faster I moved. I was right there. It
wasn't going to be long. I pinched my nipple hard and hooked my
fingers.

“
Jackson,”
I moaned. “Oh, fuck.”

I
continued to move my fingers in and out as I pulsed around them. When
my breathing returned to normal, I opened my eyes and felt the tears
sting them.

It
was hard being in the same city as him again. He looked so much
sexier than I remembered. I wanted him just as badly as I had before.
If anything, my need for him had only gotten stronger.

I
grabbed my tablet and pulled up a book, reading until the light came
up. There was a knocking sound coming from the other room. I jumped
out of bed and headed for the door. When I looked through the tiny
hole, I saw Jackson on the other side. His hair was standing up and
his fingers were buried in it. I turned around to see Chris and some
guy spread out across the couch. Shit! I hurried over and shook
Chris.

“
Jackson
is at the door,” I whispered when he looked up. “Get that
guy in the other room.”

“
Fuck,”
Chris said, as his eyes shot open.

He
jumped up from the couch, woke the guy up and told him to get his ass
in the bedroom, and pulled on a pair of sweats. His chest was bare,
but that didn't matter to me. The guy he was with stumbled into my
bedroom and closed the door. The knock sounded again.

“
Tiny,”
he called out. “Open the damn door.”

I
hurried over and swung the door open. He stomped into the room like a
man on a mission. His eyes connected with Chris' and a growl came
from deep in his chest. In all of the years I had known him, I had
never once seen him such a mess. His clothes were wrinkled and barely
hanging on, and his hair looked like he had just gotten out of bed as
well. I couldn't believe the dark circles under his eyes.

“
Did
you sleep in your clothes, Jackie?” I asked. “Were you
wasted? Where the hell is my brother?”

Jackson
didn't take his eyes off of Chris. I looked between the two of them.
Chris walked over, put his arm around me, and pulled me into his
side. Then he leaned down and kissed my forehead.

“
Seriously,
Jackie,” I said a little worried. “You're a mess. Is Tim
okay?”

“
He's
fine,” he said.

“
What's
wrong with you?” I asked.

His
eyes moved to mine, and he took a deep breath.

“
Nothing,”
he said.

“
What
are you doing here?” I asked.

His
eyes moved back to Chris. I pulled away and took a step forward.

“
Never
mind,” Jackson snapped. “Forget it.”

He
turned around, flung the door open, and took off into the hallway. I
walked out after him. Something was going on, and he was freaking me
out. I had never seen him as out of it as he was in my room and
couldn't help feeling bad for him.

“
Jackie,”
I said, but he kept walking.

I
picked up speed and was right behind him. I reached out to grab his
arm. My fingers landed on hard muscle.