Bro Code Read online

  I slip under her panties to the slick skin beneath. She's so wet, heat spreading onto my fingers with every touch, and I have to be inside her one way or another. Ava muffles another noise against my lips as my finger thrusts deep, sinking all the way to the knuckle. I can't believe how tight she is around me, and despite the constant temptation, I'm really not sure if she could handle me. I can't stop thinking about her trying, though.

  The look of hot determination that I'm sure would be painted across her face, the rosy blush creeping up her neck, the throaty whimpers she'd make as I sank myself all the way into her snug warmth…

  Pre-come leaks from my dick, and I have to take a deep breath to calm the fuck down. I feel like a teenager again, out of control and desperate.

  Ava's hips jerk forward when I ease in a second finger in beside the first, my thumb circling in a firm, deliberate rhythm. I know we don't have time, I know how much of a risk this is, but when she turns toward me, and grasps my shoulders to keep me close, her lips find mine, and it's impossible to pull away.

  “You like sneaking around like this, don't you?” She shivers at my question, and I smile as the next thrust makes her delicate inner muscles squeeze tight around my fingers. “Answer me, Ava.”

  “Yes, God, yes.” She's rocking into every movement of my hand now, and every time her thigh brushes against my cock, it takes every ounce of self-control I have not to pin her down and work my shaft inside that tight, clinging heat.

  “Do you want to come for me again?” I whisper against her parted lips. It was so good when she gave in against my tongue, and I need to feel that one more time. Then I'll get a handle on myself, I'll just jerk off and put her out of my mind...

  “Barrett, fuck.” Ava orgasms around my fingers seconds after her desperate curse, gripping my shoulders almost tight enough to bruise. I stay with her until the aftershocks of pleasure fade, her clit swollen and sensitive when I tease it again.

  I'm going to explode in my boxers if I don't get up and do something about my own needs, but still I find I can't get up and leave just yet.

  Pulling my hand from her panties, I bring my fingers to my mouth and suck them clean.

  Her eyes widen, watching me, and I know instantly it was the wrong move. She's so fucking sexy and she tastes so good—sweet and feminine and completely aroused. Knowing that I was the one who did that to her does something to me. Something primal and animalistic.

  “I...I've got to go clean up,” I mutter, throwing off the blankets.

  A seductive light spills into Ava's eyes, and both hands leave my shoulders, caressing down my chest and starting to go lower. “I could clean you up.”

  The only way I can refuse is by looking straight up at the ceiling, knowing Nick is right up there. I blow out a slow, tortuous exhale. He'd kill me for going this far, much less letting his sister give me a handjob in their den.

  “Code still applies,” I add under my breath, and Ava sighs before letting me go. She might think I'm stubborn, but it's critical that at least one of us is trying to keep us safe.

  I manage to sneak to the bathroom to wash my hands, but a brief glance in the mirror is enough to prove the tent in my pants isn't going away. Unable to hold back any longer, I push my pants down to mid-thigh and start working myself in quick strokes, one hand braced against the counter. My cock is so hot and stiff in my palm, I know I won't last long.

  Each time my eyes fall closed, all I can think of is Ava so mercifully tight around my fingers, and what it would be like if I could really have her. And not just her body, but her, all of her.

  A quick orgasm makes another mess of my hands, but at least my cock starts to back down while I wash up one more time. The logical thing to do would be to go back to bed—my bed—and stay away from Ava, but it's crazy how drawn I am to her.

  I don't remember the last time a woman made me feel this way. If it was just sex, this would be cut and dry, but it's not. There's her family, there's my entire life hanging in the balance. Ava isn't some one-night hook-up I'm happy to see leave once the deed is done.

  Shaking my head, I decide to go down to the kitchen and make some coffee. If I'm going to be awake, I might as well get my day going.

  The coffee begins dripping into the carafe when I hear distant footsteps, and I'm bracing myself to see Ava again when Nick walks into the kitchen, yawning and stretching his arms up over his head. It's a damn good thing I didn't call to her by name and say something very inappropriate.

  “What are you doing up so early?” I ask, trying to keep my tone casual.

  “Slept weird. Decided to give up on trying.” Nick spies the coffee in progress and looks deeply relieved. “You feeling better, man?”

  I am, actually, and that's a surprise. “Way better.”

  “Must have just been a one-day bug or something,” he declares, leaning against the counter while waiting for the water to filter through.

  I nod, and it's the hardest thing in the world not to be honest with him. Nick is my best friend, without question, and if he had come down twenty minutes earlier, he might have seen me with my hand in his sister's panties. I don't know how I'd justify it to him, even if some part of me wants to, knowing how I feel about her.

  “You went over to your mom's the other night, right?” Nick asks, snapping me out of that train of thought. “Things still pretty rough?”

  “Yeah.” There wasn't any point in lying about it; he's known about the situation with my mom. “It really is a full house.”

  I was the oops baby, the teenage pregnancy she was never proud of, and I felt every bit of that growing up. It's one of the reasons I always insisted on a condom. I never wanted to put a child in the situation I grew up in—feeling unwanted and unloved.

  He gives my shoulder a friendly smack, his smile wide. “Hey, you're family here and always will be. Don't let that get you down when you've got so many amazing things in your life.”

  Nick's right, and because he's right, I can't tell him the truth. After his divorce and everything else, the last thing he needs is finding out Ava and I nearly hooked up. I've just got to man up and get over her.

  I'll be gone after the party tomorrow. One more day and we can pretend this never happened.

  * * *

  “Love is a sham,” Nick says, taking a sip of his beer. “I get now why you're so anti-commitment.”

  We're seated at the bar of a local restaurant, where we came to grab some burgers and catch up. Nick's been uncharacteristically quiet about his split from Vanessa, but I have a feeling that's about to change.

  “I'm not anti-commitment, for the record,” I say, pushing away my plate, suddenly no longer hungry.

  At this, he laughs. “Bullshit. You have a different girl in your bed every weekend.”

  That may have been the old Barrett, the horny college kid enjoying his freedom for the first time, but honestly that's not me anymore. It hasn't been for a long time, but it's interesting to know that's how he still sees me. Yes, I like to blow off steam, and yes I love sex, but I'm not a player by any means. It’s more than not having the time at this point. It just doesn't interest me anymore.

  I shrug. “I usually work at least eighty hours a week, I just don't have time for a relationship right now, but that doesn't mean I don't want one someday.”

  Nick shakes his head, swallowing the last bite of his burger. “Take it from me, man. Avoid that shit like the plague.” He nods to my fries. “Are you going to finish those?”

  I shake my head. “Have at it.”

  “Thanks.” He grabs a handful and drops them on his plate.

  He eats in silence for a few minutes, looking lost in thought.

  “You want to talk about what happened?” I ask. I don't want to push him, I just want him to know I'm here in case he does. This is an integral part of the bro code, being there for your best friend when he goes through something tough. Even if it's just to listen and agree with whatever shit went down with the opposite sex. W hether you agree with it or not.

  Nick exhales and pushes his plate away. He's silent for a few seconds, his brows pushed together. “She cheated,” he finally says.

  “Shit. That sucks. I'm sorry, man,” I say.

  He shrugs. “Found out right after the wedding that she slept with her ex-boyfriend right before we got married.”

  I press my lips together. Nick had only been dating Vanessa a couple of months when they hopped on a plane to Vegas and got hitched, surprising everyone. It wasn't my place to point out that a spur-of-the moment wedding at a drive-thru chapel may not be the foundation that would result in lasting love. “How are you doing? Really?”

  He takes a long sip of his beer. “Better, actually. My plan now is to take a page from your playbook and just enjoy the single life.”

  I grit my teeth. I know this image he has of me—the always single, never tied down, never commit, never be seen with the same woman twice persona—is not going to serve me well if I ever do grow a pair and admit how I feel about his sister.

  Hello rock, meet hard place.

  I take a long drink of my beer, lost in thought, before I realize Nick is still talking.

  The word Ava snaps me out of my distraction.

  “…you know? I’m glad she's single. I mean, my parents pressure her, but with everything she has going on I think it's for the best. Plus, if someone ever hurt her I'd kill the motherfucker.”

  The food in my stomach feel like battery acid, and I shakily nod my agreement. “Absolutely.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Barrett

  I get my suit in order while everyone else is busy getting everything ready at the hotel for the retirement party tonight. The hotel I should have stayed at in the next town over instead of the Saunders’ place. They're expecting at least a hundred people, and I want to show Mr. Saunders the respect he deserves by showing up right on time.

  Ava and I barely glimpsed each other this morning. She was on her way out to start the logistics of putting together all the pieces of the party, and with the house to myself, I feel a lot more level-headed.

  The same way I prep for a big deal, I can set myself up for what will happen tonight. Small talk, drinks, and a toast in my suit pocket to memorize before everyone makes the rounds. I'm in my element.

  That's what I remind myself as I walk into the hotel, checking my cufflinks and the crisp lines of my jacket. I follow the sign pointing to the banquet hall, mentally running through my agenda; find my seat, grab some champagne, before shaking a whole lot of hands.

  Then I glimpse Ava across the room.

  She's in a black dress that I've never seen before. It clings to every curve of her body, the neckline darting low enough to be enticing but still high enough to be considered decent. My thoughts are anything but decent as my gaze travels lower, to how the fabric drapes around her hips, cutting off right at the knee. Stockings frame her calves the rest of the way down to a pair of matching heels, and I have to steady myself before meeting her eyes.

  When her gaze meets mine, I suddenly forget about the makeup and the jewelry, the way her hair is pulled back to show off her beautiful heart-shaped face. It's dangerous to hold her gaze, for us to visually flirt with this kind of risk while everyone else is in the room. But inconveniently, it's the only thing I want to do.

  Knowing I need to resist temptation I break away first, turning to go find the champagne. This won't work if I don't keep my distance. Focusing on the party is the priority. Then I'll go into my own room, sleep, and leave tomorrow. That's all that has to happen. That's all that can happen.

  The night slowly melts away, my toast to Mr. Saunders delivered flawlessly, an amazing dinner and a celebratory cake eventually fading into chatter around the tables. I check the time, realizing it's late enough to politely excuse myself, and say one last goodbye to Ava's parent's before ducking out into the hall.

  As I approach her parents, Ava's mom opens her arms for a hug. I smile, and return her embrace.

  “I'm so glad that you came, Barrett. It really means a lot.” Her eyes are misty, and she blinks the tears away before allowing herself to get too emotional.

  I reach out and shake hands with Mr. Saunders. “When Nick invited me, I didn't want to miss it. I don't get back into town very often anymore, but you guys are like a second family to me.”

  Ava's dad smiles warmly, pumping my hand twice more before releasing it. “We're damn proud of you, son. I know it's not easy for you, and I just—” he pauses, pressing his lips together to compose himself. “You've grown into a great young man.”

  “Thank you.” His words hit me straight in the chest, and stay lodged there. I never really felt like I had a father at all. Nick's dad was the closest thing I really had. He was the one who taught me how to ride my bike, and how to throw a spiral. Suddenly I feel like even more of an asshole for lusting after his daughter.

  “Are you driving back in the morning?” Mrs. Saunders asks.

  I nod. “Yeah. I think I'm actually going to go upstairs and get some sleep.”

  “Drive safely tomorrow.”

  We share another hug, and another handshake, and then I'm heading out of the reception hall.

  Pressing the button for an elevator, I’m congratulating myself on a plan well executed when the doors slide open.

  Ava is standing alone in the car, and I can’t hide my surprise. She’s so gorgeous, I have to physically steady myself. Stuffing my hands in my pockets is the only thing that stops me from reaching out for her. It's maddening how tempting she looks tonight. All those curves hidden behind a silky black dress, matching heels, dark hair twisted into an elegant knot at the nape of her neck to show off those delicate collarbones that I've fantasized about nibbling on.

  “What are you—”

  “Mom thought she left Dad’s present upstairs, then texted me and said she found it.” Ava laughs but doesn’t step out of the elevator. “Going up?” Her blue eyes dance mischievously on mine.

  “Yeah.” I was going to, anyway. “Aren’t you getting out?”

  I move to catch the doors before they slide shut, and that step forward is enough for a fire to light up Ava’s eyes. The answer to my question is revealed in her gaze as she looks me up and down. She wants me and isn’t even trying to hide it, which instantly ups the ante on this cat-and-mouse game we’ve been playing all weekend.

  “Aren’t you coming in?” she asks, her voice low and sultry.

  No one else is in the hall. No one would know she and I had ever crossed paths, much less that we ended up in the same elevator. And tonight is it, my final night in town, a thought that’s been bothering me all day.

  Unable to say no to her, I step into the elevator and the doors slide shut behind me.

  It was just one step, but the meaning behind it is huge. Monumental.

  The moment we’re alone, really alone, she steps forward to place one hand on my jaw and rises on tiptoe. Her lips are inches from mine and her soft feminine scent is enough to send my heart into overdrive.

  Ava wets her lower lip and leans in close. It isn’t a choice—it’s raw instinct—when I lean down and take her mouth with a deep, searing kiss. The kiss I’d been trying not to lay on her since I first saw her all dressed up. The heat that’s been building in my body the entire night threatens to combust, and a groan catches in my throat when she puts one hand over my crotch, pressing her palm against my heat. I harden instantly at her forbidden touch. I’ve been following the bro code this entire week, hell, for over a decade, and that one touch obliterated every rule I’ve hidden behind.

  Fuck.

  Feeling the warmth of her palm against me—when it’s what I’ve wanted for years—is torture. But before I can remove her hand, she leans in closer.

  “I want this tonight,” she whispers against my mouth, and the light squeeze that follows sends a jolt through my entire body. “I want all of you.”

  Screw crossing the line. The line is a faint and d istant memory. All I want is to hear Ava say that again, preferably as I’m sliding inside of her.

  With my hands on her waist, I take two steps forward until her back presses against the wall of the elevator, and my lips crash down on hers. She whimpers and presses her hips against mine, a slow grind of her pelvis causing my knees to tremble.

  “Think you can handle it?” I ask, nipping her bottom lip between my teeth and grinding my now fully erect cock against her. “It’s not nice to tease a man.”

  She looks up at me helplessly and makes a wordless whimper. “I’d give anything to try,” she says, finding her voice.

  Jesus.

  Why is that so sexy?

  I’m forcing a deep inhale into my lungs, fighting to get myself under control, when the cool plastic of Ava’s room key fits into my hand as she slides it between my fingers.

  Pulling away just enough to fix the slight smudge of her lipstick, she says, “Come find me later,” then presses the button to open the doors again and slips down the hall toward the party.

  Turning the key over in my hand, I check the room number, and adjust my cock to keep myself presentable before tapping the button for the next floor. I have to get myself under control—and fast—before I make a mistake so huge, there will be no coming back.

  * * *

  I wait until everyone else should be asleep.

  The key slides through perfectly, and the moment the lock clicks I slip inside. It's dim inside, just the soft glow of a single lamp to light the room. Lust already has me half-crazed, but all logical thought evaporates when I see Ava on her bed in that dress. She smiles, and I don't even have to say what I'm here for—she knows.

  Because I’m addicted and so is she. Helpless to the idea of feeling her skin against mine.

  We meet in the middle of the room for another deep kiss. I'm so hungry for her, like there's a need in my body that only she can satisfy. I walk Ava back against the bed while her fingers unbutton my suit jacket and grip her from behind, lifting her up and onto the mattress.