“Mom! Not…” I shake my head. “Not doing that.” I hope I can sell this well enough.

  “Oh! I thought maybe Monica was hinting at something or she knew something I didn’t and you were trying to break the news to me.” She glares at Monica.

  “No, can’t a girl just be curious about her favorite sister?” Monica looks at me through the rearview mirror. “Sissy,” she says using the nickname she used to call me when we were younger. “You know you can tell us anything. We won’t tell Dad and J.”

  Just the mention of him has my insides melting. Fuck. I look back at my phone and particularly his message about him wanting my nipples in his mouth and all of the obscene things he said he wanted to do to my wet pussy I refused to send him a picture of. I bite my bottom lip and try my best not to squirm in my seat.

  “There’s no one. I mean there are attractive guys, of course, but no one I’m willing to give that part of me to yet.” I nod, satisfied with my answer even as Monica’s eyes narrow.

  “Then what’s the harm with going out with Brandon? He’s cute and sweet and we’ve known him for years. He’s not some sketchtastic frat fuck that—”

  “Language, Monica Danielle,” My mother interjects with a pinch to her arm.

  “Ow. Jeez, Mom, I’m twenty-eight,” she says as she rubs her arm.

  “You can be one hundred and twenty-eight, watch your mouth.”

  “Can we focus? Don’t you think Brandon and Gab would be cute together?” Monica tucks a hair behind her ear and fiddles with her nose ring.

  “Oh yes.” My mom spins around and nods at me. “We can have them all over for dinner? Your father and I go out to dinner with his parents all the time and you two may have come up once or twice.” She taps her fingertips together in rapid succession. “I could absolutely set something up. Brandon’s mom, Amelia, would love that.”

  “Okay but I wouldn’t love it. Mom, Monica can we just…not worry about my love life, sex life, and everything in between? Besides Monica, what about you? Hooking up with any doctors in on call rooms?”

  “Ugh you watch too much Grey’s Anatomy.”

  “And you said it literally happens like that.” I point at her, recalling all the gossip she shared with me because I didn’t know anyone she was talking about. She glares at me and rolls her eyes.

  “Fine, yes it happens. It does not happen to me. I’m a lowly intern.” Her shoulders deflate and even from my vantage point I can tell that disappoints her.

  I unbuckle my seatbelt and lean forward. “The lowly interns get all the D.”

  “Okay, closing my ears for this conversation,” my mother says covering her ears and I giggle, happy to get the heat off of me.

  It’s nearing almost five pm when we finally make it home and I’m happy to see James’ car still in the driveaway. The smell of pizza and the sounds of a basketball game hit me as soon as I walk in, and I smile knowing exactly where to find my man. I head into the living room to see James and my Dad watching a game. “Mom wants you,” I look at Dad, “to carry the bags in.”

  He immediately pretends like he’s fallen asleep. “He’s younger than me,” my dad says pointing at James with his eyes still closed. James shoots him a look and rolls his eyes before following me out of the room probably a little too closely.

  “Hi beautiful,” I hear whispered behind me and I spin around and shoot him a wink.

  “Hi,” I say as he follows me to the door. I look out the front window and see Monica and my mom grabbing a few bags and I know Dad can’t see anything. So, against all better judgment, I reach up and grab him by the back of the neck and press my lips to his, sliding my tongue through his lips and touching his tongue lightly. I pull back after no more than a second, careful not to make the sound of a kiss as we pull apart.

  His eyes open as I return to my flat feet and I’m out the door before he can entice me into kissing him again. “Tease,” I hear murmured behind me and I giggle as I skip the car.

  “Is there anything left at the mall?” he teases as he pulls the rest of the bags out of the back of Mom’s Range Rover.

  “Most of this is for you, jackass,” Monica says as she walks by with a playful eyeroll as she bumps against his shoulder.

  “Is it really?” His eyes flit to mine automatically before moving to our mother.

  “Technically,” my mother says, “but I’m not going to shop for these two while I’m with them obviously. I already got their gifts. Your sister is just a brat,” she says loudly.

  “I heard that! Dad! Did you hear what your wife called me?” Monica bellows from inside and I can’t help but laugh at our family.

  Monica and Mom head into the house leaving us alone outside. “Come down again tonight.”

  I nod. “I’ll bring the lingerie.”

  “That’s a given.” I trail behind him and grab his ass just before he enters the house. He grunts. “Stop playing with me Gabrielle.” His voice is low so no one hears but also sexy and seductive and suddenly I feel like I’m overheating.

  Our moment is interrupted by Monica calling from the kitchen. “We’re ordering in for dinner, what do you guys want? You and Dad got me in the mood for pizza to be honest.”

  “I don’t want pizza again,” James yells back. Which is a phrase I never thought would come out of James’ mouth. He could eat pizza for every meal and I’m pretty sure he did his first year of college. “You want to go with me and get something else?” he asks me.

  I nod emphatically knowing that it means we can be alone. “I’ll be ready in ten?”

  He nods, looking me over and I can see the hunger in his eyes. I run up the stairs feeling his eyes following me with each step.

  It took ten minutes after James and I got in the car to find an abandoned parking lot and we have been making out for the past fifteen minutes with the idea of food completely forgotten.

  “Fuck, I want you so bad,” he says as he begins to raise my sweatshirt up. I rock against his cock, desperate to feel him inside of me. I put my hand between us, palming his cock and squeezing gently. “Baby,” he says grabbing my hand, “you said we weren’t having sex. Stop teasing me.”

  I did tell him that I wanted to wait for later tonight but now I’m definitely regretting the thought of getting out of this car without feeling him between my legs. His hands cup my face as he continues to kiss me, his tongue making love to my mouth as his thumbs sweep over my cheeks gently. My God, this man can kiss. His lips leave mine and trail down, leaving kisses on my cheeks and nibbling on my neck. I let out a sigh of contentedness. “Mmmm, maybe I changed my mind,” I moan as he runs his tongue over my neck. “You’re not being fair.”

  “I know.” I hear the smile in his voice, coupled with his hands reaching under my shirt and rubbing his thumb over one of my lace covered nipples has me ready to pull out his cock and impale myself on it.

  I’m just about to give in when James’ phone starts ringing. “Fuck.” He groans when he sees Monica’s name on the dashboard of his car.

  He picks up the phone and his finger hovers over the accept button. “She’ll just call you or keep calling.” He groans before putting the phone to his ear. “Yes, Mon?”

  Even though she’s not on speakerphone, I can hear her clearly because Monica only knows two volumes, loud and louder.

  “Can you get eggnog ice cream? Dad’s trying to make it eggnog tonight, now.”

  “Sure. Anything else? I don’t want to get home and hear ‘oh I forgot I need something else.’”

  “Mom!” Monica shouts and James pulls the phone away from his ear.

  “Text the chat,” he says referring to either the siblings’ group chat or the one we have with our parents before hanging up. His lips are back on mine and his hands are back up my sweater.

  “Fuck me,” I whisper.

  He pulls away. “You sure, baby? I was just messing with you. I can wait.”

  He says this as he pulls one of my breasts out of my bra and pinches the nipple. “Ah!” I gasp. “Can you? Patience isn’t really your strong suit.”

  “Sounds like you can’t wait for tonight either.” He shifts, making his cock push harder up into me and I moan.

  The sensation of his dick pressing directly against my clit has my mind going blank. “Get your dick inside me now, James.”

  I’m back in my seat and pulling my leggings back up when James has crossed the console and is hauling my lips to his. “Gabby,” he murmurs softly against my lips.

  “Mmmhmm?” I say as my eyes flutter open when he pulls away.

  “Tell me you love me.”

  “More than anything,” I whisper softly. And God knows that’s the truth. It’s always been the truth.

  “I almost don’t want to tell you.” He rolls his eyes and I frown as he pulls out of the parking lot. “That little fucker next door came over…” I can tell he’s gritting his teeth because his jaw is taut and the sexy cut of his jawline makes me want to run my tongue along it. “He wanted me to give you this,” he says handing me a piece of paper.

  Brandon, again?

  “He asked for your number but I told him no.”

  I snap my eyes away from the paper and look at him. “You did?” A smile pulls at my lips at the thought that while Brandon probably saw it as protectiveness, it was actually more possessiveness.

  “I wasn’t going to give him your number. If you want him to have it, you can give it to him.”

  He leans away from me and rests his head against his door even as he weaves through traffic. Now why on Earth would I do that? Wow, a jealous James is fucking hot.

  “Did you tell him that I have a boyfriend?”

  His eyes snap to mine quickly before going back to the road. “No? I didn’t know that I could? I mean, we hadn’t talked about what we’d say…” He trails off.

  “Well, it’s the truth.” He looks at me again and I smile. “You’re jealous?”

  He opens his mouth and then shuts it immediately. He opens it again and lets out a sigh. “Gab, don’t give me a hard time. This is different and I told you I’d have some trouble navigating it. You’re you. The same you. But at the same time you’re also someone completely different. So yes, when some young guy that’s not your brother wants to ask you out and your mother and his mother and even fucking Monica are all jumping up and down cheering for it, I’m going to be fucking jealous. Because how in the fuck am I supposed to let him know that you are mine?”

  I shudder at his words. “I am yours. I’ve been yours for a long time. I would never allow anyone to think differently.” I reach out and rest my hand on his thigh before giving it a squeeze. “I’m so in love with you I can’t think straight most days. Literally, I’ve spent actual days thinking about you and me and us and trying to make sense of these very wrong yet very real feelings I have for you. You’ve been the center of my life for years and you think some guy I was never interested in to begin with has the power to turn my head? What, because he’s interested? James, guys have been interested. For years. And yes there were times I may have been interested as well, but none of them ever held a candle to you. I never thought you’d actually become an option for me. And now you are and…I don’t want anyone else. Even now, you hold so many of my firsts because all I ever wanted was you.”

  He clears his throat and shakes his head. “Gab,” he murmurs.

  “Do you want me to tell him I have a boyfriend? That I’m seeing someone in New York?”

  “No because that will somehow get back to Mom and she’ll be all over you.” That’s true. Mom and Monica would have a million and one questions.

  “I’ll take that over dealing with a bunch of awkward interactions or trying to ward off his attempts to change my mind after I tell him I’m not interested.”

  “Can’t you just not call him?” he says shooting me a look as he pulls into the grocery store parking lot.

  “I wouldn’t call him anyway. What am I, old?” A smirk finds my face and a giggle forms in the back of my throat.

  “Gabrielle you know what I mean.” He shoots me a look as he turns off the car. “Can you just ghost him via whatever communication?”

  “Fine, but he’ll probably come back again,” I tell him as he opens the car door for me. “Thank you.” He says but I can still hear the annoyance in his voice. I bump his hip with mine and I reach for his hand without thinking. I can sense his discomfort and I frown when he drops my hand completely.

  “You’re really that annoyed about it?” I ask him. “Don’t be such a brat. I’ll ghost him!”

  He turns to look at me just before we walk into the store. “Gabrielle,” his voice lowers and he leans down so that we are at eye level, “we’re four and a half minutes from our house. I’ve never gone into this grocery store and not seen someone we know. The store manager plays golf with Dad from time to time. We cannot hold hands in here.”

  My lips form an O as realization dawns on me. I slap my forehead. “Oh my God, duh.”

  “I always want to hold your hand and every part of you. Don’t forget that.”

  “Took you long enough, what did you guys get lost?” Monica says as she grabs the bag from James that has her Greek chicken wrap that she didn’t even want at first. She has the container open and is ripping the paper off before we even reply.

  “First of all, you’re welcome. And chill the fuck out, will you? We ate there. I thought you wanted pizza anyway.”

  “Well yeah, but that was until you were going to Ray’s.” Ray’s Deli was a mom and pop convenience store that sold everything from beer and wine, to a handful of snacks and had a huge selection of made to order hot and cold sandwiches which became a staple in the community. It doesn’t matter who you are: a politician, college student, teacher, stripper, priest; everyone went there.

  To be fair, we did not eat there, but in the car on the way here after we left the grocery store. But we needed something to buy us some time. “Do you guys want to watch a movie?” Monica’s standing at our island in the center of the kitchen not even bothering to sit before she takes a bite. “Fuck, I forgot how good this was.” She goes into the freezer and pulls out a bottle of vodka and hands it to James. “Can you make me a Cosmo?”

  “You can make yourself a Cosmo.” He drops to one of the seats at the bar and steals a fry from her plastic container before he pushes the bottle back in front of her and she scoffs. We are all French fry fanatics so I’m sure Monica is about to freak that he’s stealing them from her. Sure enough, she glares at him and smacks his hand.

  “Uh uh, no fries for you especially if you’re going to be a selfish ass and not put your bartending skills to good use. You know you’re better at making drinks than I am.”

  “No, you’re just lazy and don’t want to do it yourself.”

  I take the seat across from James and shake my head at their banter. James and I have never been like that. If I’d asked him to make me a Cosmo, it would have been ready before I even finished the sentence. And that was before we were exploring this new relationship.

  “I’ll take one too, J, pleeeease.” I place my hands under my chin and give him my most innocent look.

  He narrows his gaze at me before a smile plays at his lips. “Fine.”

  “Of course, Gab, can get you to do anything,” Monica says and I’m not sure if I detect a hint of annoyance. Monica goes back to her wrap and I watch as James makes us a round of drinks handing mine to me first with a subtle wink.

  “Anyway, movie?” Monica asks again.

  It wasn’t too late yet, so I wasn’t opposed to the idea of watching a movie. It’s not like James and I could really do anything with everyone awake anyway.

  “I’m in.” I shrug as I play with the strings of James’ hoodie I’m wearing.

  “Sure, just let me go change and check my emails,” he says before he gets up and heads downstairs.

  Monica takes a large sip of her drink and does a little dance. “He’s annoying as fuck but he can make a good drink.” My phone beeps and immediately I snatch it from the counter. I’d set it down because I wasn’t worried about having to guard it with James being in the room. But now he’s gone, and the name “Michael” is on the screen within sight range of Monica. “Jeez, secretive much?” She cocks her head to the side. “What’s that about?”

  “Nothing.” I tell her without any explanation. I get up, planning to go to my room to kill time so I’m not inundated with a million questions.

  “That’s not nothing!” she calls after me. “And you walking away from me is a sign, young lady!” I ignore it as I climb the stairs towards my room.

  “Michael”: A few more of those Cosmos and she’ll be out by midnight. You’re coming down again tonight.

  Me: We established that already and could you not have waited a little to text me? I never know what you’re going to say so I’ve been guarding my phone with my life. I even had to change your name. But I jumped three feet when you texted and now Monica is asking questions.

  “Michael”: Why? And to what?

  Me: Because all it would take is Monica opening my phone once, or picking up my phone innocently like ‘oh James texted you’ and then she’s seeing her brother’s dick on my phone!

  “Michael”: Can we not talk about her seeing my dick? Thanks.

  Me: Yes, just one sister seeing it is enough.

  “Michael”: You know what I mean.

  Me: Anyway, I changed it to Michael.

  “Michael”: Good to know.

  Twenty or so minutes later, I make my way into the living room to see that Monica has settled into her favorite spot on the love seat, stretching her feet across both cushions and buried under a pound of blankets and a hoodie pulled over her head. James is on our L shaped couch with his feet resting on the coffee table, his hoodie also pulled up over his head. They’re both scrolling through their phone as they chew on their thumbnails and I smile at the fact that they’re so similar. I want nothing more than to climb into James’ lap or cuddle up next to him but I settle for the other side of the couch, stretching my feet out as well. James pulls his gaze away from his phone and lands on me. He does a quick glance towards Monica before turning back to me and giving me a not so innocent look that causes a spark between my legs.