The Other Brother (6 page)

“Well, that’s good, I’m glad. And right, the animals never complain.” Winking, he worked on the mess on the floor. “Why don’t you try and eat something?” he asked in a gentle voice, clearly being careful not to upset her again.

She shrugged. “I’ll try.” And she meant it. Her anger had receded, thankfully, and she didn’t want it to return. He didn’t deserve being shouted at, especially as he wasn’t at fault. And she couldn’t hold him accountable for her feelings for him. The way she wanted to kiss him, until they were breathless. To pull back and gaze into his startled eyes. To mold her body against his and kiss him again until they were helpless to resist their need for one another….

“Melodie?” He waved his hand in front of her face. “You all right? You’re not going to pass out, are you?”

“No, I’m fine, sorry. Daydreaming a little, that’s all.” She hoped like hell he wouldn’t ask what about.

“Okay, good. Where’s your trash can?” The dustpan glittered with shards of glass.

“Oh. Under the sink. If you could grab me the antibacterial spray and a cloth while you’re there, I’ll wipe the floor.”

“You’ll do no such thing. Please, try and eat. It’ll make you feel better.”

Giving a tiny nod, she twisted to face the table. She lifted her fork. Not hungry any longer, she still wanted to do as he said, do what would make him happy to try and make up for the way she’d been behaving.

A few mouthfuls later, she felt a little better. A little happier. Granted, a huge chocolate cake would have made her a
lot
happier—and possibly a little delirious—but takeout was a step in the right direction. And she also knew what would make that step turn into leaps and bounds. Patrick. Or, at the very least, admitting her feelings for him.

What if he doesn’t feel the same? He could be battling the same reluctance I am. Or maybe he does feel the same, but has no idea I like him
.

Whatever the outcome might be, it would be better than her current state of stupid, guilt-laden limbo. Though, if he liked her, too, there would be a lot of hurdles to jump with his family. But hopefully they’d know she and Patrick had never intended to hurt anyone—they’d simply fallen for one another, and it couldn’t be helped.

Argh, so many what-ifs
. She couldn’t stand it any longer.

“Hey, Patrick.”

“Yeah?”

“Shall we have a glass of wine when you’re done with that?”

“If you want.”

“Purely medicinal, of course.”

“Oh, of course. Well, I’d better administer it then, hadn’t I? It would be remiss to leave my patient without adequate medication.”

“Absolutely.” She continued eating as much of the takeout as she could manage while he finished wiping the mess up. After a few minutes, she rubbed her tummy. “Ugh, I’m full, now. Do you want me to reheat yours?”

“Nah, it’s okay. I’ll box it back up in a minute and maybe have it tomorrow. I’ll leave some for you, too, to make sure you eat.” Rinsing the cloth at the sink, he wrung it out and hung it over the tap.

“Thanks.”

“Right, wine time.”

“Yep. It’s in the fridge, and I think you know where the glasses are now.” Attempting to close the various cartons, she gave a sheepish grin as Patrick approached. “Sorry, I’m not very good at this. It’s a good thing I’m right-handed, or I’d really be in trouble!”

“It’ll heal soon, don’t worry. Now, here’s your medicine.” He passed her a glass of wine and she downed a mouthful.

“Yum, thanks.”

“No problem.”

Crossing the room, Melodie flopped on the sofa and tucked her legs beneath her. Patrick joined her.

“So,” he said, smiling. “What do you want to do now?”

Oh, for Christ’s sake, don’t ask me that!

The reply Melodie wanted to give was seductive, obscene, and possibly inappropriate—depending on his feelings. So, she gritted her teeth, smiled, and said something she didn’t quite mean. “Oh, I dunno. Chill out, chat?”

“Sounds good to me. Maybe get to know one another better. We’ve actually known each other for years, but not particularly well. Does that make sense?”

“I know exactly what you mean.” Grabbing her wine off the coffee table, she sipped, mentally preparing to make simple conversation.

Once they got started, it turned out okay. In fact it turned out great, as though they were beginning a relationship and eager to learn things about one another, discussing things with a potential beau, not her fiancé’s brother. Patrick told her what he had been up to in the last couple of years, how he’d worked hard to get the qualifications to become a vet, then, more specifically, a zoo vet. It seemed he’d totally thrown himself into his studies to help him cope with Sean’s death and it had definitely paid off. He’d come to terms with his loss and gotten on an excellent career path in one fell swoop.

“So,” she said, unable to hold back the burning question any longer, “What about girls? Have you had any serious relationships? Anyone special?”

After a couple gulps of his wine, he gave a tentative grin. “Not really. By the time…you know, Sean, I’d gotten to the stage where I didn’t want to fool around with girls and have casual relationships anymore. I wanted something real, long-term. But I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t let myself care about someone deeply in case they were taken away from me.” A shaky breath expanded his chest. “I know it’s silly, irrational. Any of us could drop dead any minute; it’s no reason not to live life to the fullest, no reason not to have happiness, to have love. But Sean’s death gave me a hard whack upside the head and messed me up. And that was my reaction. So, no. There’s been no one. Fuck, I shoulda just said no, shouldn’t I?”

Melodie set her glass on the table, her thoughts whirring around her head. Someone could have poked her in the eye right then and it wouldn’t have registered. She could only think of him. About how she leaned toward him, how the leather of the couch creaked as she did so, how his cologne filled her nostrils.

Patrick hastily put his own drink down and watched her, a wary expression on his face, as though he saw what was about to happen, but couldn’t quite believe it.

After what felt like an age, their faces were very close, her intentions brutally honest. She couldn’t go back now. Clambering onto his lap, being careful of her injured hand, she kissed him. Tentatively, at first, with closed lips and stiff body. Within seconds, though, lust took over, driving her forward. Driving her wild. He waited a beat then responded, kissing her back.

Slipping her arms around his neck, she parted her lips, pushing her tongue into his mouth. She explored it, the sensuous slide of their tongues ramping her internal heat to maximum. He kissed wonderfully. Not too gentle or rough. Not too soft or hard.

They pulled apart. Sucking in much-needed oxygen, Melodie asked, “What about now? Do you want there to be someone?”

He appeared shell-shocked, but at the same time his eyes were heavy-lidded with lust. He blinked a couple times then his face became serious. “What are you saying?”

“I think you know.” She frowned.
Why is he making me spell it out? Is he being deliberately obtuse?

Her lips tingled from the bout of kissing and she wanted to kiss him again, wanted to go further.
Time to get the talking over and done with
. “I’m saying that I want you. I don’t know how the hell it happened, and I sure didn’t expect it to, especially not with you, but I want you. I want to be with you.”

Patrick’s eyebrows almost disappeared into his hairline. “Wow.” Running a hand through his hair, he released a breath. “Okay, well I didn’t expect that.” He frowned. “Hey, what do you mean, ‘especially not with you?’”

“Really? Out of everything I just said, that’s the bit you picked up on?”

“Afraid so.”

Typical. He would pick the most difficult part to talk about
. “I mean because you’re Sean’s brother. He made me promise, you know, years ago, that if anything ever happened to him, I would find someone else, allow myself to be happy. But I’m pretty sure he never expected it to be with his brother. Your parents are not going to be very pleased with us, you know. Nor is the rest of your family, your friends. It’s going to be tough if we get together.”

“What do you mean,
if?
  There’s no way you can kiss me like that, then us
not
get together.”

“Y—you mean, you want to get together, too? You want me?”

Lifting his hips, he pressed his erection against her. “What do you think?”

She giggled then stopped. “That’s great, it really is. But I can get sex anywhere. I want to know if you want to
be
with me. I’m not expecting a declaration of love or you to propose marriage or anything. But I want to know I’m not giving you my heart only for you to stomp on it.”

“Hey.” He kissed her knuckles. “Stop stressing. Melodie Carr. Are you crazy? I want you in every way. I want you physically, hell yeah I do, but…ah, fuck it. It’s more than that. It’s probably a little early for declarations of love, but I’m hopeful for the future. Fuck everything else, this is about me and you.” He squeezed her hand. “I don’t know how all this happened, either, but I don’t really care. I just care that it is happening.”

Her heart thumped faster. “R—really? So you want to give it a go?”

He chuckled. “Yes, I want to give it a go. Now, shut up and kiss me.”

Gladly, she did as he said and pressed her lips to his. The two of them had been through so much, they deserved to be happy. She pushed all the negative and difficult thoughts to the very back of her mind and concentrated on the here-and-now; on his lips, his arms around her, his hard cock beneath her.

Their mouths opened and their tongues began a dance, a sensuous and very erotic one. Sliding together, battling. She’d almost forgotten how it all worked, how to kiss, how to make love…but she’d figure it out, and fast. Her body already had. Tight nipples, heavy breasts, and slick pussy.

Then she stopped thinking at all. Her brain morphed into a pleasant, fuzzy kind of place while her hormones raced, her nerve endings exploded, and she became one big ball of blissful arousal. Patrick shifted, held her tight, and carried her to her bedroom. Or perhaps they floated.

Depositing her on the bed, he joined her immediately, his lithe body covering hers, his mouth seeking hers once more. His lips took a slight detour, brushing the sensitive skin of her throat, kissing and nipping her. She growled and another rush of juices seeped into her panties.

A maelstrom of thoughts temporarily pulled her from her ecstasy.
Will he make love like his brother? Will he be better, worse? How will their bodies compare? How will their cocks compare? Will he fall asleep afterward, or will he want to go again?

No! Forget the fact he’s Sean brother. Forget it. He’s a man, you’re a woman. You’re both single. Do what comes naturally. What you want to do. What you need to do
.

“Hey,” Patrick murmured, his breath warm against her ear, “are you all right? Do you want me to stop?”

“No! God no.” Christ, that was the last thing she wanted. If he did, her stupid brain might take over and try to ruin everything. “I, um, wondered…do you have a condom? Because I don’t.”

When he rolled off her and onto his back, she panicked. Shouldn’t she have asked?

She glanced over and watched him open his wallet—which he’d presumably taken out of his pants—and retrieve a foil packet. Grinning, he passed it to her.

“Okay, you’re sure, right?” he asked. “I don’t want you to feel like we’re rushing things.”

Melodie shook her head so hard she worried it would fall off. “No, we’re not rushing. Well, we are, but I don’t care. Now, kiss me, and for God’s sake, no more interruptions.”

“Yes, ma’am. You know you’re wearing far too many clothes, don’t you?”

She giggled. “So are you. But, pathetic as it sounds, I’m going to need some help,” she added, raising her bandaged hand.

“I know, don’t worry. It’s all part of the service.”

Sitting up, she allowed him to take off her top and bra, feeling a little self-conscious when he still wore all his clothes. But that would be rectified soon enough. Stripping her, he eased her gently onto the bed and began to kiss her. Relaxing, she kissed him back, pouring all her hopes and fears into the embrace.

When he broke away and started to trail his lips down her body, she called a halt. “Hey, no. Absolutely not. No more messing around until you’ve got your clothes off.”

“Christ, you’re demanding, aren’t you?” He chuckled.

“Not really. I just want to feel your skin against mine.”

“Well, when you put it like that….” Hopping off the bed, he undressed in record time then clambered back up beside her. They drank in the sight of one another’s naked bodies.

She raked her gaze—from the face she knew so well—along his delectable form. She’d seen his chest before, of course, during the photo shoot, but now, in a very different situation, she examined it all over again.

She paused. At the point of no return, she needed a second to gather her courage. Fortunately, Patrick’s attention was otherwise occupied, checking her out as well, and he didn’t notice her temporary dilemma. Sucking in a breath, she shifted her eyes, following the line of dark hair on his abdomen…and there it was. Rock hard and insistent, his cock pointed toward his navel. Delicious. Long and thick and already with a bead of pre-cum.

Her pussy lips filled with blood, her clit swelled. God, she wanted him. She couldn’t find the voice to tell him—her lust had stolen it—so she showed him. Easing closer, she pulled him in for another kiss. His dick pressed against her thigh, and she grabbed the condom and handed it to him.

“Now.” Twisting away from his lips, she said, “Now, please. I want you bad.”

He chuckled again. “The feeling is incredibly mutual, but don’t you want to, you know, first? Come?”

She pushed his hand between her legs.

“Oh,” Patrick said, his grin growing as wide as the Cheshire Cat’s. “I take that as a no, then.”