“Blake? You here?”

  James.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Kristen only had time to drag the comforter over her body—unfortunately not over her head—before her brother stepped into the open doorway.

  God, she really wished she could’ve hidden herself completely in time.

  The silence was deafening, but her heart pounded so loudly she was sure everyone could hear it.

  “Oh, hey.” She tried to keep her tone bright.

  Just pretend this is totally normal. Being naked in the same room as his best friend.

  James’s gaze went briefly to Kristen, then swept to Blake where it stayed. “What the fuck?”

  Blake’s jaw clenched. “You should’ve knocked.”

  “Your truck was out front, and you weren’t answering my texts.”

  Holy crap. Her brother was turning red. He was beyond angry.

  She didn’t think he’d be thrilled on the off chance he found out, but this level of fury seemed unwarranted.

  Why was her brother here in the first place? He’d just walked into Blake’s apartment like he owned it.

  Damn, this was a situation she’d hoped to never be in. Or at least with more clothes on if it happened. James wasn’t supposed to have ever found out.

  “I’d say this isn’t what it looks like, but it is.” Clearing her throat, she tried to diffuse the tension with some humor. “It’s no big deal. We’re both adults—”

  He didn’t let her finish but strode toward Blake. “I asked you to not let her do anything stupid, not fuck her.”

  Blake’s head snapped to the side with the blow from her brother’s fist. The sudden violence warred with the words looping in her head.

  I asked you to not let her do anything stupid, not fuck her.

  Suddenly light headed, she tried to mentally process that again.

  “What?” She shook her head, her gaze sliding to Blake.

  Both men ignored her.

  “There’s not a woman on the planet you can’t seduce,” James ground out. “Why go after Kristen? Did hearing about her stupid plan make it too big of a temptation?”

  The pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place. James had figured out her plan. How? Did it really even matter? The bottom line was James and Blake had worked together to keep her out of what they’d perceived as trouble.

  “Actually, I did the seducing.” Her tone was surprisingly calm, even as her stomach sank to her feet. She swung her attention to Blake. “Is it true? You really were only babysitting me because my brother asked you to?”

  He didn’t need to answer because the regret in his eyes was enough.

  “Put some clothes on. Both of you.” James shook his head in disgust and left the room.

  Blake closed the door and grabbed his jeans, tugging them on over his boxers.

  Kristen, equally in a hurry to get dressed as she processed it all, threw her clothes back on while thinking, Screw James, throwing orders around like a drill sergeant.

  Blake pulled on a shirt. “He overheard you talking to Tori at the party about your plan.”

  “Ah.” She clenched her teeth. “But I asked you if he’d found out, and you…” It sank in. “Clearly lied about that, too.”

  More guilt flittered across his face. “This is more complicated than it seems.”

  Or maybe as simple as it seemed.

  No wonder he’d fought sleeping with her so hard. He’d only been hanging out with her as a favor to her brother. And she’d pretty much thrown herself at him.

  And here she’d thought he’d been clam jamming her because deep down he liked her. Not as a favor to her brother.

  Her stomach roiled, and nausea swept through her.

  It made sense, though. Just before James had arrived tonight, she’d even flirtatiously asked if Blake really liked her. And he’d looked as if he’d wanted to jump out a window.

  I’ll take Naïve Virgins for $500.

  “Let me handle your brother, and then we can talk.” Blake opened the door and strode out, closing it behind him.

  No kiss. No apology. Not even a hint of the tenderness that had been there all day.

  Because they’d been living in a fantasyland. He’d gotten caught up the moment. Maybe they both had.

  Her purse sat next to the bed, and she slipped the strap over her shoulder and then went to open the bedroom door as quietly as she could.

  The sound of the men speaking in the kitchen met her ears. Low, angry accusations.

  “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen, man, you need to believe me.”

  Blake’s words made her heart crack and tears sting her eyes.

  Good Lord, now he’s basically saying how much he regrets sleeping with me?

  Humiliation mingled with the pain.

  She needed to get out of there. Now.

  There was absolutely zero need to stay around for the reckoning heading her way.

  The layout of the apartment meant she could get out the front door without them seeing if she were quiet enough.

  Tiptoeing like her life—and not just her dignity—depended on it, she made it to the front door. She twisted the handle, pulled it open, slipped outside, and then closed it extra carefully.

  Then she ran like hell to the grocery store she’d spotted on the way in that was a block away. Only there, hiding out in the canned soup section, did she let the tears fall as she ordered an Uber.

  *

  Blake’s head pounded as James continued to lay into him.

  He deserved it. He knew it did. How the hell had it come to this?

  He shook his head. “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen, man, you need to believe me.”

  James’s laugh was harsh. “Anyone. You could’ve had any other chick. Why her?”

  It was the question he’d been asking himself all week.

  “You are the most emotionally unavailable person I know, Blake. You have been since the accident. Especially with women.”

  “I’m not talking about this—”

  “Oh, you sure as hell are. You’re going to break her heart,” James’s voice was unsteady, “just like you do with every other girl who falls for you.”

  “There haven’t been that many.”

  “There’s been enough.”

  His friend continued to demand answers. Accountability. How dare Blake ignore the most sacred rule between guys. But it was all white noise as the truth kept reverberating in Blake’s head.

  “I like her,” he finally muttered, then lifted his head and said it louder. “You hear me, James? I tried like hell not to, but I really like your sister. It’s not just sex, so fuck the Bro Code.”

  That shut his friend up for a moment. James stared at him, his mouth a grim line of frustration.

  Realization sank in that he’d yelled that last part. He should’ve admitted that to Kristen, not her brother. But it was impossible she hadn’t heard it.

  He went back to the bedroom to find her, and the door was open. The room empty.

  “Kristen?”

  No reply.

  Panic gripped him as he moved through the apartment, though he knew the only way she could’ve gone past him unseen was through the front door.

  Blake’s chest went tight, and the blood in his veins pounded harder.

  He had to go after her.

  “Let her go.” James must’ve read his thoughts. “If I know my sister, she’s going to need some time.”

  They didn’t have time. Damn it, she left on Sunday.

  “She’ll be at the barbecue.”

  Yes, she needed space, but Blake couldn’t let her think he wasn’t concerned about what had just happened. He sent a quick text.

  We need to talk. Can we grab a few minutes alone at the barbeque on Friday?

  He waited for her to reply, becoming more certain that she would just ignore him. If she did, he’d just have to go find her.

  Then it appeared. One word.

  Okay.

  It was enough to give him a bit of relief. And the space and time she needed.

  *

  “Have you heard from her?”

  One hour into the barbecue Friday afternoon and there was no sign of Kristen.

  Blake’s stomach twisted as he waited for James to answer.

  His friend gave him a sharp look. “Who?”

  “Your sister.” Blake watched his friend relax slightly before shaking his head.

  “No. I texted her this morning and haven’t heard back.”

  Moving to lean against the counter, Blake gave his friend a considering look. “Who did you I think I was asking about?”

  James shrugged and closed the fridge.

  Something was off.

  Blake glanced around the house, taking in the handful of people hanging out. “Where’s Hannah?”

  The air hissed from his friend’s mouth. “Not here.”

  Premonition itched.

  “What happened?’

  James’s expression grew more pinched. He shook his head and stayed quiet for a moment.

  “I fucked up. The other night, after we all had coffee and I drove Tori back to the bar…”

  Blake waited for him to finish but had a pretty good idea where this was going.

  “I lost my damn mind, and I kissed her.”

  Damn.

  “Before you ask, no, I don’t know what the hell I was thinking. We were arguing all night, and then suddenly I had my tongue in her mouth.”

  “You sleep with her, too?”

  “No.” He cleared his throat and sighed. “I came to my senses pretty quick.”

  James was all but engaged to Hannah. This couldn’t be good. “So, what are you going to do?”

  James took a swig of beer and shrugged. “It’s already done. I tried to forget about it. Pretend it didn’t happen. But the guilt ate me alive.”

  “So, you told Hannah?”

  “I met her for lunch Wednesday and confessed.”

  “How’d she react?”

  The laugh that followed was bitter. “We broke up. Or, I should say, she broke up with me.”

  Whatever he’d expected his friend to say, it wasn’t that. Shock had him fumbling for words.

  The two had been together since middle school. Blake had figured Hannah would be pissed and hurt, but to end the relationship immediately?

  “I’m sorry, man. I hope you guys can work it out over time.”

  “Thanks. It’s why I showed up at your apartment. I was in pretty bad shape. Then seeing you with Kris made me snap.” He grimaced. “I won’t apologize for hitting you because the bottom line is she’s still my sister. But if you really like her, and she feels the same, I hope things turn out okay.”

  James grunted, his gaze empty as he glanced at the handful of people inside the house.

  If she wasn’t here yet, she wasn’t coming. He knew it in his gut. “I’m going to head to Tori’s and see if she’s there.”

  “Tori.” James’s lips twisted in a bitter smile. “You’ll understand if I don’t go with you.”

  “I wouldn’t want you to.”

  “Get out of here, and go win over my sister.”

  *

  After Blake buzzed her apartment for five minutes, Tori finally unlocked the door to the building.

  Blake took the stairs at record pace, reading the numbers on each door before arriving at Tori’s.

  He knocked briskly before it swung open.

  “Took you long enough.” Tori stepped back and gestured for him to come inside.

  What kind of stupid comment was that? He shook his head. “Where is Kristen?”

  “I expected you two days ago with the way you screwed up.”

  His insides twisted, and his lips slashed into a grim line. “It was a misunderstanding. Where is she?”

  Tori closed the door and gave him a long glance before striding past him into the apartment. “She flew back to Nevada yesterday.”

  “No.” His stomach sank, and his pulse slowed. She’d said they could talk today at the barbecue. “She wasn’t supposed to leave until Sunday.”

  “Guess she wanted to head out early.” Her shrug indicated it wasn’t her problem.

  Irritation flared. How could she be so nonchalant. So cold?

  “You didn’t try to talk her out of it? Tell her—”

  “What?” She turned to look at him, arching a brow as she folded her arms across her chest. “What exactly should I have told her, Blake?”

  There was no quick reply on his tongue because he didn’t know. This wasn’t Tori’s problem.

  “Look, I think we both know you’re not the commitment type, so maybe it’s better this way.”

  “That’s rich coming from the chick who wrecked a relationship.”

  The stillness in her and flare of her nostrils let him know he’d hit a nerve. Regret filled him instantly. Hell, James had even told him that he’d been the one to kiss Tori.

  “How cute, that locker-room talk didn’t die out in middle school for you boys.” Her smile was hard, her eyes even more so.

  He thrust a hand into his hair and took a step toward her, ready to apologize. “Wait. Let me take that back—”

  “I’m going to break this to you gently. You were the practice dick.”

  Blake’s jaw hardened. “Yes, I know.”

  “No, I don’t think you do.” Tori moved into the kitchen and poured herself some water. “She likes someone else. He didn’t want to date a virgin, so she needed someone to take care of that little problem for her. You were the ‘means to an end,’ I believe she said. Congratulations.”

  For a moment, her casually dropped words didn’t quite sink in. And when they did, a wave of nausea swelled in his stomach. His heart began to pound a little faster, and he shook his head.

  No way. There was no way she’d react the way she did with him if she were into someone else, would she?

  “No. You don’t know how it was with us.”

  The memory of Kristen getting a text in the hotel and how she hadn’t seemed to want to leave her phone in the room with him while she’d showered hit him. It had triggered his something wasn’t right nerve, but he’d shrugged it off.

  Tori set the glass down on the counter and grabbed her cell phone, searched for a moment, then turned the screen to face him. “You need a little more proof there, buddy? There you go.”

  The picture that stared back at him was of Kristen riding in the car with some dark-haired guy with glasses. On the bottom of the message were the words he finally asked me out with a blushing emoji.

  The swell of nausea became a tsunami, and a dull numbness began to take over.

  Damn, but if he was an idealistic son of a bitch. Of course the one woman he’d been able to give his heart to had already reserved hers for someone else.

  “Get it now?” Tori softened her tone. “Look, just be glad she flew home early. At least this awkward little moment happened with me, not her.”

  “Yeah. You’ll understand if I don’t say thank you.” The words were harsh as he turned and walked out the door.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Kristen slid into her apartment, shut the door, and then leaned back against it with a heavy sigh.

  “Crap,” she whispered, “I’m broken.”

  Dismay had her shaking her head. The date with Paul tonight replayed in her mind. The entire time at dinner she’d waited to feel a flutter of excitement. Goose bumps. Anything.

  But there’d been nothing.

  When he’d asked her about her trip to Seattle and then promptly changed the subject a half a minute later, her irritation had kicked in. It hadn’t improved while he’d rambled on and on, continuing to monopolize the conversation—while also trying to hold her hand.

  In fact, she’d imagined Blake standing behind her, whispering how wrong Paul was for her. That she needed to wake up and realize that he was actually kind of a self-absorbed, pretentious jackass.

  And as frustrating as it had been that the imagined Blake in her head had been clam jamming her again, he was right.

  Whatever blinders she’d been looking through at Paul before the Seattle trip had been ripped off. There was no attraction. No giddiness anymore.

  It didn’t help that she’d constantly compared Paul’s smile to Blake’s. Or that she couldn’t envision Paul making her toes curl during sex the way Blake had. Or that Paul now left her feeling…nothing.

  When he’d leaned in to kiss her, murmuring he’d wanted to come into the apartment, she’d turned her head and let his lips brush her cheek instead.

  It had hit her with total clarity. Any attraction and crush she’d had on her friend before the Seattle trip, Blake had killed it.

  She’d gently told Paul that she’d made a mistake and that they were probably better off as friends. She’d ignored his expression of disbelief and slipped quickly inside her apartment.

  And now here she was. Utterly broken.

  Though it shouldn’t have been a total surprise. She hadn’t stopped thinking about Blake since she’d come back to Vegas a week ago.

  There was an ache in her heart and a lump in her throat, and damn it, she missed him.

  But had he called? Texted? No. There’d been nothing but utter silence.

  Which was why when her phone came to life a half hour later, her pulse quickened and she scrambled to grab it from her purse.

  When she saw her brother’s name on the caller ID, any hope that it was Blake died. She debated answering but finally picked up. “Hey, James.”

  “Kris. Hey, kid. Was getting worried when I didn’t hear from you. You split a little early from Seattle. Missed dinner.”

  Her stomach clenched, and her throat grew tight. She really should’ve replied to the handful of texts her brother had sent to check on her. At the time, she’d still been irritated at both him and Blake. “Yeah, sorry I left without saying goodbye. I had to get back.”

  Lamest reply ever, and they both knew it.

  “Kris, I’m sorry.” Regret laced her brother’s words. “I had no business asking Blake to watch over you.”

  The lump in her throat grew. Oh God, please don’t bring up Blake. She really didn’t want to have this conversation.