Bad For You: (An Older Brother's Best Friend Romance) (17 page)

His words. Damn, those words are like a
firework charging through me, lighting me up with excitement, and burning me up
with emotions.

I gulp and take a few breaths to get my words
in order. “Okay,” I say, with a nod. “I forgive you. I truly and deeply forgive
you.” His face brightens up. “I’m also trusting you with my heart again, and if
you break it, there’s no second chances.”

He strokes my cheek. “You have my word.” His
lips form a grin, giving me chills. “Now we have another problem?” 

“What?” I’ve had enough
talking
to
last me for the next year.

“I haven’t tasted you in years.” I yelp as
I’m dragged down the bed, and my legs are parted. “We need to rectify that.”

I shiver at the feel of his cold hands
against my stomach as he lifts up my top. My hips jolt forward when he skims a
finger along my waistline before dipping it underneath the band of my skirt. My
heart skips as beat when he unzips it, and I wriggle my ass to help him pull it
down my legs.

“I’ve been dying to lick your pussy,” he
whispers, dragging my panties down. “It’s been way too fucking long.”

I squirm underneath him, waiting with
anticipation, as my blood boils. I’ve missed this. No one has gotten me off
with only their tongue and fingers like Bracken has.

He cups me between my legs, his grip tight,
and my hips buck forward.
Jesus.

He skates the tip of his finger along my
entrance teasingly – killing me. I let out a begging whimper.
God, I
need this.

“Have you been dying for the same thing?” he
asks. I can’t say anything. All I’m focused on is his finger right there.
So
close.
So damn close. He toys with me more, adding another finger.
“Nautica, answer me, baby.”

I cry out when he pushes a finger inside of
me – just one. “If you want more,” he goes on. “Tell me the truth. Tell
me if you craved my fingers, my tongue, on your pussy every single night.”

“Yes!” I cry out. I jump when he presses
another finger into my heat. “God, yes!”

“Fuck yeah,” he seethes.

 His fingers thrust in and out of my
entrance – hard, fast, and rough. It’s agony, a delightful agony that I
want to last forever. I rock back and forth against his hand. The agony turns
into torture, and I jump when his tongue meets his fingers, lapping me up.

He’s an expert at this; possessing me as he
hits every spot I need him. His fingernails dig into my skin harder as I get
closer. His tongue dives in deeper with each moan. I’m getting … closer and
closer … until I shudder out my release.

“Fuck me,” I breathe out frantically. “Fuck
me now.” I push myself up and start desperately undressing him. Our arms and
hands hit each other’s as we try to do it quickly. I lie back as he drops his
pants. His dick springs out, fully erect, and ready for me. I lick my lips.

“Do you want me to wear a condom?” he asks, stroking
his thick cock once.  

I shake my head. “No. I just want you –
raw, hard, no barrier.”

My chest hitches as he crawls up my body. He
plants his lips on mine as he slowly eases himself inside of me. He makes me
feel full, wanted, needed. I used to live for this feeling, and now it’s mine
again.

His mouth stays on mine, our tongues meeting,
as he withdraws and sinks back into me. I gasp when he pulls back, his chest
going straight, and starts to pound in and out of me.

I reach out and wipe away the tiny beads of
sweat from his chest. “Why did you get my name?” I ask, feathering my fingers
over it.

He looks down at me, his eyes hooded, but he
doesn’t stop fucking me. “Because I could never stop thinking about you.” He
slams into me with more force. “Because you’re a part of me, and you needed to
be etched into my skin.”

I don’t want to come yet. I want this feeling
to last longer, but I can’t help it. The way he’s giving it to me combined with
how much I’ve missed this is taking me over.

“I’m close,” I tell him.

“Yes. Come all over my cock,” he says,
gaining more force with each thrust. He gives it to me harder and I shutter out
my release. He’s still going, slamming into me body roughly, until he fills me
with his come.  

“I think that was better than the last time
we were here,” I say, as he loses his weight on me.

“I think that was fucking amazing,” he
replies, kissing my forehead. “I can’t wait to do this for the rest of my
life.”

nautica

“Aren’t we going home?” I ask, noticing Bracken going in the
opposite direction of my house.

We’re back in his truck after checking out of
the hotel ten minutes ago. I still can’t wrap my head around everything that
happened in that hotel room. We made love two more times last night and had a
shower quickie this morning. Being back in his arms, him being inside of me, it
all feels right again.

He glances over at me from the driver’s side.
“Have you always been this impatient?” he asks. “You used to be more game for
my ideas. No questions asked.”

 “I used to be obsessed with you,” I
argue, halfway kidding. “You could’ve told me to chop off my pinky finger and I
would’ve asked you what tool you wanted me to do it with.”

“So you’re not obsessed with me anymore?”

I shrug. “Eh … not really.”

“Not really, huh? Sure didn’t seem that way
when you were begging me to fuck you harder this morning.”

“I never said I wasn’t obsessed with your
cock.”

“If you want to have my cock, we’re a package
deal. You have to take the both of us. It’s all or nothing.”

I laugh and let out a dramatic sigh. “Fine, I
guess I’ll let you tag along.”

“Glad you love being around me so much.” He
grabs my hand in his. “But I know you really love me as much as you love this
dick, so no hard feelings.”

I wish I could hide my blush. “And I know you
love me just as much as you love my va-jay-jay.”

“Damn straight. There’s no denying that
shit.”

A few hours pass of small talk and listening
to the radio before we pull up to a small restaurant a few miles from KU
campus. I used to come here all the time when Macy and I were in school. 

More memories he’s conjuring up.

“We drove all this way to go to lunch?” I
ask, unbuckling my seatbelt as my stomach growls. “You could’ve saved us a lot
of time and money by going somewhere closer.”

I lose the warmth of his hand as he parks the
truck. “This is more than lunch,” he replies. I raise a brow, asking for an explanation,
but he only jumps from the truck and comes to my side.

“Elaborate,” I demand, not in the mood for
surprises, unless it’s a puppy or something along those lines.  A puppy
would be nice – someone to spend the time with incase Bracken decides to skip
town again.

“You’ll see.” He helps me out of the truck
and leads me through the front door.

The place isn’t very busy. The hostess greets
us with a bright smile before leading us to a backroom. Bracken’s front bumps
into my back when I stop in the doorway.

“Really?” I whisper, not bothering to turn
around and look at him. I freeze up when his hands latch onto my waist. He
stays silent while waiting for my next move.

I eye the scene in front of us. Jasper is
sitting at a large, family-style, circular table with a woman who looks about
my age parked next to him. Next to her is Bracken’s mom. A man I don’t
recognize is in the chair to her left. Even though I want to turn around and
run away, I clear my throat and head over to them, not wanting to be rude.

“Here comes trouble,” Jasper sings as I get
closer. I stumble forward, almost tripping on my feet, when I notice the baby
cradled in his arms. “It’s nice to see you again.” He hands the baby over to
the woman to get up and give me a tight hug.

I wrap my arms around him and smile. I
haven’t seen or talked to him since he ran after me at their apartment.

He points to the woman when I pull away.
“This is my wife, Lanie,” he says. The petite blonde throws me a shy wave,
along with a smile. “And this is our daughter, Madeline.”

I’m relieved Bracken told me about Jasper
getting married and having a kid, or I would’ve fallen down in shock. I thought
I’d never see the day he’d settle down. I guess it goes to show people really
can change.

“Hi,” I say, waving back. “It’s nice to meet
you, and your daughter is so precious.”

I look at Bracken’s mom, Lisa, who’s grinning
from ear-to-ear. I briefly saw her at Randy’s funeral, but we didn’t talk. I’m
probably not her favorite person in the world, considering my mom was the knife
that ripped apart her marriage.

I feel the heat of Bracken at my back again.
He gives me a soft nudge, and I take that as my cue to sit down.

“Nautica, sweetie,” Lisa says. “It’s great
seeing you again. You look so grown up and beautiful. My son has been telling
me about your job and how well you’re doing. I’m so proud of you.”

“Thank you,” I say, fidgeting in my seat.

She introduces me to her husband, and the
waitress comes to take our order. I relax in my chair as I realize what’s going
on. Bracken is walking me into the new life he has here with his mom and
friends. He’s showing me what I’ve been missing, what he’s been doing.

Jasper picks up his fork when they bring us
our food and uses it to signal back and forth between Bracken and me. “So are
you two back together?” he asks.

I play with my napkin in my lap. Does he
really have to start making things awkward?

 “Honey,” Lanie gasps, her eyes wide. She
should know how outspoken her husband is by now.

“What?” Jasper asks, with a shrug. “She knows
I don’t hold anything back. I want my best friend to be happy. I’ve watched him
wallow around miserable for far too long.” He points to me. “This chick right
here, she’s his happy factor, and I’m not letting him lose her again.”

“I don’t plan on it,” Bracken says, taking my
hand underneath the table. I shiver as his thumb runs along the top of it.

I look
over at him and smile.

This is
Bracken showing me his commitment.

I get it
now.

bracken

six months later

“Don’t you think it’s a little too soon?” Simon asks, looking
at me from across the living room with a look of shock on his face. He
definitely wasn’t expecting this.

It’s Wednesday night dinner. The women, along
with Annabelle, are in the kitchen cooking and gossiping. I figured this would
be the perfect time to ask his approval for something that is long overdue.

If this were five years ago, I wouldn’t know
how this conversation would go, but I’m feeling more confident now. I’ve been
back in town, in their lives, for six months now, and it feels like I never
left. I can’t believe I’d been willing to give all of this up.

My eyes deadpan on him. “No,” I answer.

“But it’s only been months.”

“No, it’s been years in the making. You know
that.” I make eye contact with him. I want him to know I’m serious. “We took a
break, sure, but that doesn’t mean shit has changed about us or how I feel.”  

He plays with the label on his beer, peeling
off the edges. “You really have your mind made up, don’t you? I want you to
tell me right now you’re serious, no bullshit.”

“No bullshit. Nothing is changing. I’m not
letting her go again,” I say, confidently.

He leans forward with a grin. “So how are you
going to do it?”

I can’t hold back my smile. “I have the
perfect plan in mind. She’s going to love it.”

nautica

“This is our last performance before summer break,” I tell the
group of girls clad in bright colored, sequined leotards standing in front of
me. I clap my hands, and they nod their heads in response. I’m not sure if it’s
because the season is ending that they’re so excited, but they can’t seem to
contain their smiles.

It’s the last week of school. My first year
of teaching has come to a bittersweet end. I’m going to miss walking in and seeing
a room full of students every morning, but I’m excited for my summer plans. Bracken
and I are traveling through Europe for a month. 

These past six months have been amazing.
We’re closer than we’ve ever been, and I mean
extremely
close. After
weeks of insisting it was ridiculous for us to be paying two rents, especially
when I was staying at his place every night, I finally agreed to move in with
him when the lease to my apartment expired two months ago. Over the last few
weeks we’ve been looking at houses for sale.

Buying a house together is a big step, but I
think we’re there. In my heart, I believe Bracken is being honest when he tells
me he’s not going anywhere.

The girls form a single file line and strut
out into the packed auditorium. I wave to the crowd as I make my way to my
seat. I get comfortable, ready to see them perform the routine we’ve practiced
dozens of times, but flinch when I hear the music start to play.

The wrong music.

I bound out of my seat and look around for
the audio guy, but stop when I notice the girls start to dance like it’s no big
deal.

What the?

They’re dancing a routine we’ve never
practiced to Trains’,
Marry Me.

I sit back down. There’s no use making a
scene and stopping them. My head starts to spin and I hold my breath when they
break away from each other, revealing him.

The spotlight lands on him standing in the
middle of the stage wearing a full tuxedo. A bouquet of roses is clasped in one
hand, and a microphone is in the other. His beard and hair are neatly trimmed,
and a giant ass smile is on his face.

I’m going to pass out. I know it.

The girls continue to dance around him,
performing a beautiful routine until the music stops. They file out. The rest
of the room seems to drown out. It’s only him and me. He’s the only thing on my
mind.

The air is silent as he brings the microphone
to his mouth. I look down and notice my hands are shaking.

“Hi everyone,” Bracken says, waving. “Thank
you for allowing me to interrupt, and thank you to the dance team for helping
me make this perfect.” He clears his throat, and his eyes search the crowd
until he finds me. “There’s something important that I need to do, and I feel
like now is the perfect time. Nautica, can you come up here, please?”

“You go girl!” Macy whispers, slapping my
arm.

I can’t move. I’m in shock. She gives me a
helping push and I rise up from my chair. My steps are slow on my way to the
stage.

I’m dreaming. I have to be dreaming.

He comes towards me, grabbing my hand to help
me up the steps, and leads me to the center of the stage. I let out a breath of
relief when I hear the ear-piercing sound of the microphone falling to the
ground.

The crowd goes wild when he hands me the
roses and drops down to one knee. My heart runs rampant. He reaches into his
pocket and pulls out a black box.

This is happening. This is really
happening.

 “Marry me,” he says, looking up at me
with eager eyes.

I’m growing lightheaded. Please, don’t let me
pass out.

“Marry me,” he goes on. “Let me show you I’m
not going anywhere.” I gasp, my hand going to my mouth when he opens the lid. A
gorgeous diamond ring sparkles underneath the bright lights. It’s the most
beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. I can faintly make out the crowd yelling behind
us, but my attention is set on him.

I stand there, speechless, and he keeps
going. “Marry me, and I’ll always be at your side. You and me.” He grins
arrogantly. “Marry me, and we’ll find the perfect house, create an amazing
family, and have a great life. So what do you say, Nautica Evans? Are you ready
to keep me forever and make me the luckiest man alive? I promise you I’ll make
sure you’re happy every single day.”

I nod violently as tears fall down my face. “Yes.
Yes!”

He pulls the ring out before grabbing my
hand. “Be prepared to deal with my ass every morning, and to give me a kiss
every night.”

“And possibly more,” I say, around a giggle.
My voice is practically a squeak. I can’t believe I’m making sexual innuendos
during his marriage proposal. Thank God he dropped the mic.

“And possibly more,
especially
in my
truck.”

“This can’t be real life,” I whisper.”

“It’s
our
real life. It’s our love,
and it’s perfect.” 

The ring feels cold as he slips it on my
finger. It fits perfectly.

Bracken Casey.

My brother’s best friend.

My obsession.

My fiancé.

* * *

I’m laying in bed, relishing in the feel of the soft sheets
against my back and Bracken’s arm around my waist.

He proposed four hours ago, and I feel like
I’m a princess in a dream. I finally slip the ring off my finger and take a
good look at it. The princess cut diamond sparkles even in the dim light, and I
eye the smaller cut diamonds wrapped around the band.

My heart flutters when I see it.

Engraved in the inside is:
The final step.