Best Friend's Brother_An Older Man Younger Woman Romance Read online

  She knows how to handle tough situations…that’s what that day taught me, not that I didn’t know it already. But how would she handle an even tougher situation? What will she do if she’s forced to choose between Miley and I?

  I’m definitely not trying to come between their friendship, but Sadie has put my life at a standstill and I need to function again and the only way that can happen is if I have her.

  I go over some more case files at my desk, but I still can’t focus. This is getting really old. I need a clear head and she’s the only thing that’s in my head now. Making her mine won’t get her out of my head, nor do I ever want that to happen. But it will put me in such a good mood for the rest of my days on this earth I know I’ll be the most productive guy in the history of the U.S. Marshals.

  Going to work everyday knowing she’s mine…wow, that would be the life. And going to work with a full stomach on a hot meal that the woman you loved made for you. What could be better?

  I look at my third cup of coffee black and nod my head. Anything would be better than this…this bachelor life of nothingness. But I wouldn’t accept just anything. No how, no way. She’s the one and only. Her or nothing.

  I’ve functioned alone long enough to know I can do it until my dying day.

  But I won’t. I can’t. I need her by my side.

  I check my emails and see one that’s marked urgent. The guy that I was looking for at the amusement park the other day has been apprehended.

  Jackpot! We got another one.

  But when I pull up our assignments for the day I see the scheduler has given me the rest of the day off to “celebrate.” I’ve been putting in a lot of hours trying to get this guy and my information did lead to him being apprehended.

  Normally I’d just go back to work. This is a tireless job that’s never finished, but today I’m going to take my office up on that offer.

  But I’m not going to use the time to recharge my batteries. The opposite actually. I’m going to take the charge I’ve already got…all that energy that’s inside me and spike it up to the next level.

  Today’s the day. I’m done messing around. I’m done counting reasons why this isn’t a good idea and ready to start focusing on the reason why this is such a damn good idea. No more internal conflict. No more twisting and turning my stomach in knots worrying about other people and who this might effect. Time to worry about me and what I want. Scratch that…what I need. I’m not getting any younger and there’s no more time to waste.

  Today’s the day I’m going to tell her, and the world, that she is mine. And she’s going to be mine forever. My wife. The mother to my children. My everything.

  Today’s the day I’m going to shout it out from the top of the mountain. And I know just what mountain to choose.

  Because that’s where she is right now. On top. Just like she should be, in the queen’s chair presiding over our family.

  She was already ruling over my thoughts, my mind. Time to make her the centerpiece of my world forever.

  CHAPTER 6

  Sadie

  “We did it!” Miley says.

  I take a deep breath and look out over the city of Los Angeles. We’d talked about hiking up Runyon Canyon for years, but never got around to it. It’s something that’s on all those tourist todo lists, but just like most locals in a city with a lot of visitors we just never got around to it.

  Until today. Until we had a good enough reason.

  And that reason was our professor of our social sciences class told us that if we all scheduled a group outing and got to know every other student in the course we’d all get the equivalent of an entire test’s worth of extra credit. I’m all for extra credit, and I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to work on my tan either.

  Plus scheduling the hike at 11 a.m. Which is one of the slowest times of the day to do it, sounded ideal. No way was I coming in the morning or at sunset when it’s packed with dog walkers, Hollywood agents, and tour groups and the likes.

  I wanted relaxing, and although the hike took some energy, it was worth it.

  And since Miley was taking the same general elective class with me I could basically do two things at once…get extra credit and I could feel out how she might feel about Miles and I.

  And even see if she already knew something I didn’t.

  But not only didn’t she know I didn’t even get the vibe she suspected it. At least that’s what it seemed like during our chat on the way up in-between breaths.

  I needed to talk to everyone in the class, so I didn’t have a ton of time to speak with her but that’s what I took away from the time we did get together.

  That and that three quarters of the guys in our class wanted to hook up with her, not that that was any surprise.

  She’s always gotten a lot of attention from guys, but was just like me…she was saving herself for Mr. Right. She wasn’t about to waste time with random hook-ups that led nowhere with some no-name guys who she’d never see again.

  She wanted something real. Something she could feel. The same thing I wanted.

  And what I felt for her brother.

  I sit down on the bench and she takes a step behind me to take a picture of me with the cityscape in the background. Then she walks in front of the bench and snaps some selfies and some other pictures while I rest my feet for a second.

  “You made it to the top,” I hear and turn to the side to see Billy from class. He’s kind of a creeper and definitely a womanizer. I have no idea how girls go for him, but apparently they do…or at least that’s what he wants you to think. Then again this is L.A. so he may be one of those endless stream of trust fund kids whose parents collect royalty checks from acting or singing or creating some sort of intellectual property. The kind of kid who always has the newest stuff, the nicest car, but has never worked a day in his life.

  And maybe he used some of that money to spread rumors in the modern day way where social media allows you to run your “brand” like a trashy tabloid from the days of old. Then again I wouldn’t know because that was before my time, but as a soon to be communications and marketing double major the whole idea fascinates me.

  But what doesn’t fascinate me one bit is him.

  “Yep,” I say hoping a one-word answer will help him catch my drift as in the one that tells him I don’t want to talk to him. But right now I’m the one who’s catching his drift as in he really should have used a stronger deodorant today.

  “First time up to the top?”

  I look back forward taking in the view and nod. “First time,” I say.

  “First time. That sounds hot.”

  I cringe and wonder just what in the world he’s referring to with that comment. Oh my god, guys my age can be the absolute worst.

  “Speaking of first times I heard a lot of people come up here around sunset to…you know…experience stuff. Like for the first time and stuff. I was just thinking maybe, if you don’t already have plans for later me and you could…you know. Or we could just pretend to join the group but not even go back down. I’ve got some weed and a lighter in my backpack so we can party until the sunsets.”

  He did not just say that. Now I realize why social sciences is such an important class. I need to structure my life to completely avoid this type of guy!

  “So yeah. We can—”

  Suddenly he stand up from the bench and scoots away kicking up dust. A few heads turn, including mine. It’s midday so there’s no sun over head, but I can feel someone standing behind and to the side of me.

  “Whoa, he’s hot,” I hear some girl say as my head slowly turns.

  “Hey! You made it,” Miley says. “I totally didn’t think you would.”

  She quickly jogs the few steps over and around the bench and gives her brother a hug.

  Miles.

  “What are you…”

  “I invited him,” Miley says.

  I haven’t been able to stop thinking about him since that day at the amusement p
ark and now, not to my amusement, he’s here. I wasn’t prepared for this. I’m hot and sweaty and look like a wreck as I try and catch a quick rest on the bench and there he is looking absolutely incredible…in those shorts with his shirt off. Oh my.

  The light sheen of sweat that covers his body makes me want to lick it off like a wild animal to one of those salt lick things.

  I’ve recalled the feeling of his hand on mine these last seventy-two hours, but right now there’s a completely different number that’s more appropriate. Two, as in the two of us taking this hot and sweatiness to the next level.

  I sit up on the bench and try and make myself look more presentable as I flip my hair back out of my face.

  The jogging clothes I wore were okay, but I wouldn’t have picked them out if I knew he was going to be joining us.

  But apparently my clothes are good enough because as I stand to offer him my hand, or a hug, I see his eyes glimpse over my body quickly. I go to extend my hand for a shake or a high five, which would be appropriate since getting to the top is kind of an accomplishment.

  But what I’d really like to do is give him a hug and feel that hard sweaty body against my sweaty body.

  As I extend my hand and lean in my foot catches a half-buried rock and I lose my balance tumbling forward.

  All I see is abdominals flying at my face fast, or is it the other way around, and just as my cheek makes contact with his rock hard abs I feel his hand slide in underneath my arms and grab me by my sides and he catches me lifting me up and I regain my footing.

  “She’s literally throwing herself at him,” I hear one of the other girls in our group mumble under her breath from a distance. I pay her no mind because Miles still hasn’t let me go.

  For a split second his hands slide down my sides and find my waist where his grip increases, becoming more possessive.

  I look up at him and slowly he releases me. Very slowly.

  “Wow, is it just me or is it hot out here?” Miley asks.

  “Well he sure is hot,” I hear another voice from our class mumble, but his eyes stay fixed on mine.

  “Did you want to meet everyone in our class?” I say.

  “No. I’m only here to see you.”

  I hear a collective moan of disappointment in the background and I can feel Miley’s eyes narrow in on me from the side.

  “Only here to see Sadie?”

  “Yes. It’s about a case. The amusement park.”

  “You’re working a case at the amusement park?” Miley continues.

  “There have been some developments and I need to speak to Sadie about it.” He pauses. “What time is your class here finished.”

  “Now,” I blurt out. “I mean, we reached the top so we’re technically finished I guess. Right, Miley?”

  “Umm. Yeah. I guess so.”

  “Great. We’ll take the other trail down so we can discuss it privately.”

  “Is everything okay?” Miley asks. “What’s going on?”

  “Nothing,” Miles says. “It’s just something I have to speak with Sadie about. Alone.”

  The word alone sends a chill up my spine even on this sweltering day. But what’s up with Miley? She senses something’s up, there’s no way she doesn’t. I’m not sure if she’s more curious or interested in stopping whatever plans her brother has for our trek down.

  But whatever is about to happen Miles is giving indication with his body language that this might be more than just about the case. The way he’s looking at me. The way he’s aggressively squared up his shoulders toward me.

  And I’m not helping any. I realize my mouth is open and I quickly close it. There’s gawking at a hot guy’s body and then there’s what I’m doing to Miles right now. Maybe ogling is the more correct term for my actions at the moment.

  “Can I talk to you for a second?” Miley asks Miles.

  He motions over to the side and they move over and talk in voices too low to hear.

  I turn my body back to the group and see all the other girls throwing hate my way with their looks and posture. The guy who was trying to hit on me earlier is the farthest away from me now, way on the other side of the group.

  How nice would it be if Miles had that effect on everybody in my life that I just wanted to take a step back from? If he was just next to me all the time blocking any attempts at anything that I wasn’t interested in? How much easier would my day be?

  It’s not that I get a lot of attention from guys but even people handing out fliers for credit cards and parties and all kinds of stuff on campus. People not paying attention where they’re walking at the mall practically bumping right into you.

  Everybody notices Miles and everybody gets out of his way. It would be practically like having my own bodyguard. Like I’m a celebrity or something. And in L.A., the land of celebrities being on Miles arm would be the ultimate attention getting move.

  But I don’t want attention, especially the kind I’m getting from the other girls right now. I want him all for myself.

  And as Miley and Miles part Miles motions for me to follow him down the other trail I get exactly what I’m after.

  But now it’s time to find out what Miles is after…and I’m hoping it has to do with a lot more than just the case.

  CHAPTER 7

  Miles

  I heard that little prick try to move in on Sadie right when I reached the peak. Who in the hell does he think he is trying to move in on my woman?

  It was time to get her alone. No more wishy-washy nonsense. I’ve known I wanted her for long enough.

  And those already intense feelings only got more visceral when I saw that guy trying to talk to her. But watching him back away immediately when he saw me…watching his throat muscles as he swallowed hard…those same throat muscles I wanted to wrap my thick fingers around and tell him if he tried so much as to talk to her again I’d crush his windpipe so he couldn’t even dream of speaking with her.

  He probably didn’t even know what he was getting himself into, but I sure did. I came here today for one reason and one reason only.

  “What’s up with the case?” Sadie asks as we begin jogging down the hill.

  “It’s closed,” I say.

  “Closed? That’s great then, right? You caught him?”

  “That’s right, but it’s not that case I’m interested in. Not at all.”

  “You’ve already been assigned to another one?”

  “I’ve been assigned to another one and I only came to really understand that this would be my life’s work.”

  “Whoa. This sounds big. I mean…I’ll help any way I can,” she says. As we move together in unison to the part of the trail that narrows and I feel her arm brush against mine. Damn, even just the lightest of touches sets me off. Now I’m trying to run in some thin exercise shorts with a throbbing erection.

  “Good, because you’re the only one who can help?”

  “Me? I don’t understand. What is this case about?”

  “This is the case of other guys talking to you.”

  “Yeah, you got pretty aggressive with that guy. You’re body language at least.”

  “He needs to know not to talk to you.”

  “I can talk to whoever I want. You can’t always just be protecting me, Miles. Just like the other day at the park. You’re just going to run around being my white knight for the rest of your life?”

  It’s time. To use a bowling metaphor she’d set up all ten pins and all I had to do was knock them down. Even just one could send the whole ten tumbling.

  But I didn’t come here to knock one down. I came here to roll a strike and send those ten pins flying. To let her know she was my perfect ten. The perfect woman for me forever.

  To say those words I’ve been meaning to say for months, even more than a year now.

  My steps quickened in excitement and she picked up right there with me. I realized what I was doing and tried to take normal strides…to catch my breath as I could feel my heart p
ounding in my chest…and it wasn’t from this exercise.

  I slowed my pace to a walk and then turned and took her arm in my grasp, feeling her skin against mine again.

  I couldn’t do this anymore. It was now or never.